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Original poster

Drive area access

59 replies

MalandJo · 10/10/2023 22:15

We live in a property with a decent sized triangular communal area , which we own but the other residents have access through to their drives/garages . We are plot 129 on the attached image .We have 2 cars ,one being parked on the drive in front of our garage , one next to our house on the 45° angle .
All the garages are accessible with us parked in this way . The deeds only disallow parking a commercial vehicle,caravan or unroadworthy vehicle on the communal section .
Today , after 7 years,the newish neighbour in plot 126 has complained that he has to reverse out and wants us to park one of the cars on the road .
Now it's not tight or difficult to do , he would just rather not reverse out for safety reasons .
Things are still relatively cordial but I am wondering what people's thoughts are.
I think I'm OK legally and I don't want to be falling out ,but I don't see us parking on the road as reasonable when we're blocking nobody's access .

Drive area access
OP posts:
PatriciaHolm · 10/10/2023 22:20

Surely reversing out onto the road is a really bad idea? It's also against the highway code to reverse onto a main road - what kind of road is it?

Original poster
MalandJo · 10/10/2023 22:30

It's a 20mph road on a housing development . I would say the majority who live here drive into their drives and reverse out . He has a Mercedes C class with reversing cameras that literally look sideways up and down the road .
I have offered to park as far forward as possible to our garage ... I'd like to help .

OP posts:
MustDust · 10/10/2023 22:37

Why doesn't he just reverse in then and drive out?

Original poster
MalandJo · 10/10/2023 22:42

Good question ... no idea ...bit awkward but not impossible.

OP posts:
Redglitter · 10/10/2023 22:45

I wouldn't be parking in the street when I had a perfectly good driveway. He should be reversing in anyway, then he wouldn't have the problem

MustDust · 10/10/2023 23:05

It'll be much less awkward than reversing out. Not sure why people ever drive on to their drives. It's not up to you to have more hassle just because he wants an easy life.

SpamIAm · 10/10/2023 23:08

You have to provide access to his drive which you're doing 🤷‍♀️

Scampuss · 10/10/2023 23:11

What do your deeds say about parking in the shared drive area? Generally there's an expectation that they're not for parking to enable ease of turning for everyone.

Romeo · 10/10/2023 23:12

Surely he reverses towards 128 then pulls out forwards?

PuttingDownRoots · 10/10/2023 23:15

If he's in nose first, surely he could turn to the right when reversing then drive out forwards?

Or drive past his driveway, and reverse onto the drive?

Its hard to tell with scale though

Original poster
MalandJo · 10/10/2023 23:16

The deeds disallow parking a caravan,commercial vehicle or unroadworthy vehicle , none of which applies . Not described as a "shared driveway" either .
But your point is my concern tbh. I don't want to be forced to park elsewhere despite owning the land and not blocking access .

OP posts:
Original poster
MalandJo · 10/10/2023 23:18

I think there's any number of ways of getting in and out . It would no doubt be easier if Jo's car wasn't there .

OP posts:
Milkand2sugarsplease · 10/10/2023 23:25

I would just say that you're not breaking any rules by parking where you are and, as you own the land and are meeting your obligation to allow access to the driveways, you'll continue to park there because it's safer than on the road.

MustDust · 10/10/2023 23:32

If all else fails, he can park on the road!

Original poster
MalandJo · 10/10/2023 23:46

This is what I am thinking Milkand2sugarsplease ..... unless someone pops up and knows different .

OP posts:
Original poster
MalandJo · 10/10/2023 23:49

I may suggest that MustDust ...

OP posts:
MustDust · 11/10/2023 08:09

Does he know it's not a shared driveway and just a right of access over your land? I think I'd be responding when he mentions it again by saying something like the reason you purchased the house with the large driveway was to be able to park on it. How did the previous owner cope?

Rollercoaster1920 · 11/10/2023 09:23

A right of access is just that. You can't prevent access by leaving a vehicle on it. The shading shows where you can't really do anything to block access.

BomeleeBay · 11/10/2023 10:07

Rollercoaster1920 · 11/10/2023 09:23

A right of access is just that. You can't prevent access by leaving a vehicle on it. The shading shows where you can't really do anything to block access.

She owns the land the others have a right of access over. She is not blocking their access, he can clearly get past her. That isn't the issue. What she can and cannot do with the land she owns is laid out in her deeds and there is nothing to prevent her parking her car on her land. In fact it specifically does not state a car but does state everything else. That says yes she can park her car there.

He clearly can't reverse his precious car. My suggestion to him would be to pay a driving instructor to teach him to reverse his car. Or he reverses his car onto his drive to come off forwards. Yes it might be a pain but he chose that house, it isn't OP's problem.

Original poster
MalandJo · 11/10/2023 10:55

MustDust when I pointed out yesterday that we own the land but he has access he said that wasn't what his deeds said . Mine specifically do ...as above . It was something we checked when we moved in as we'd had parking issues at a flat previously .

OP posts:
MustDust · 11/10/2023 10:58

You could do a search on his deeds on the land registry and see what they do say so you have all the info.

GasPanic · 11/10/2023 11:27

Shared area looks like a bit of a liability to me. You can't do much with it, yet are probably responsible for maintaining it !

I would have thought that anything you park on it potentially blocks access to that area of it and therefore is denying access to it, even if you are denying access to a "useless" area or an area that is owned by someone else. I am not a property lawyer though. I would check with a solicitor.

Maybe you could park directly behind your other car, half on the drive and a little bit into the shared area.

I can kind of see your neighbours point in the respect that cars parked in certain positions on that area would make it difficult for them to back out, or indeed back in to their own property.

BomeleeBay · 11/10/2023 12:38

@MalandJo for the sake of £3 I would order a copy of his deeds to see what wording is on theirs. You can get anyone's deeds, just pay £3.

And no do not park your car on the road. Park your car on the land you own. It isn't your fault he can't reverse, you have stated that there isn't an issue reversing he just doesn't want to. Keep your car where it is.

@GasPanic this is not an access issue. He has access. Some people are just arseholes. The deeds state she can park her car on her land.

Tempnamechng · 11/10/2023 12:42

His inability to drive isn't your problem. If he thinks the road is good enough for you to park on, then its good enough for him to park on. He is just trying to get his own way.

andtheworldrollson · 11/10/2023 12:44

He should reverse in ?