Neighbours being funny over parking

[seabrooks1945]

We moved into our new home 3-4 months ago. It’s a beautiful house in a nice, quiet area with good schools. The only issue is the parking situation. We have a driveway that can fit 1 small car. I park my car there, and my husband has to park his bigger car on the street right in front of me, blocking me in. So far, we’ve just been shuffling the cars around to get in and out, but with work, kids, school runs, and all the activities, it’s becoming a hassle. My husband recently started parking on the road outside our neighbours house to make things easier, but every time he moves his car, they park their car there instead. They used to always park in on the driveway until now, so it feels a bit suspicious. Are they sending us hints? Do you think it’s a good idea for us to have a conversation about it? How would you go about it?

We’ve got one that’s putting yellow cones out to reserve the space outside their house. I’m thinking that’s illegal??

The driveway is only big enough for 1 small car, which is why my husband parks his car on the road instead. Our attached neighbours park their car on the road outside their house, so my husband can’t pull his car forward and has to block me in.

Don't do yourself down OP - that is a perfectly presentable diagram! 7 out of 10 from me.

This... I'm struggling to see why you can park outside of theirs, but not your own?

So he’s got a car which is too big to fit in front of your garden without overhanging your drive, and he’s actually taking up two normal sized spaces in front of the neighbour’s by the look of it.

The diagram hasn't cleared things up, the DH isn't parked over OP's drive. Is his car so huge that it blocks the view of the road to anyone pulling out of their drives?
Also, how narrow are the houses, do you live in Amsterdam OP ?

Forgive me if I’m being dense but if yellow indicates driveways, why do you and your neighbour each have two?

The impression I'm getting from the diagram and your description is that your husband's car is huge. Can he change it for a smaller one? And then you can drive them interchangeably.

Unlike some PP's, I don't think you should ask your neighbours if you can park outside their house. Based on current evidence, they will probably say no, and if you then continue to do it you will really piss them off.

Which neighbour is complaining

🤣

I would be more annoyed that you are parking across your drive. It contributes to a culture where people start thinking that is acceptable. While you think it is fine because it is your drive, it is impossible for parking enforcement to know which cars should be exempted and which should not.

there isn’t any point in talking to you neighbor. They are annoyed. You need to park somewhere. At least mix it up and only park there some of the time.

Is your husband's car small enough to go on your drive and you park on the road, not blocking him in?

Is your husband’s car actually a bus?

Can your husband park on the drive instead and you park on the street if your cars much smaller?

OP you chose to buy a house with 1 parking space despite owning 2 cars. Therefore you need to inconvenience yourselves not others by parking in front of your own drive. Your being inconsiderate to your neighbours. My neighbours bought a house with 1 on street parking then decided they had total rights over the spare residents space between us including allowing clients to park there all day. They really couldn't see how entitled and spoilt they were being and blamed us. They also dont understand why other neighbours dont like them.

succinctly put :)

Apparently it's too big to fit on the drive.

😁

Ah missed that bit

In that case, can he downsize? Is he just driving himself about or does he have to drive a lot of children around?

If your DH parks his car in front of your house then the length of the car must be massive if it takes up the full width of your house plus part of your drive. Or your house is not very wide

If it’s the size of his car then why can’t he get something that is more suitable for the space you have? Your attached neighbour must be able to park fine outside their house, why can’t your DH

Can completely understand where your unattached neighbours (as there are two houses he is in front of) are coming from

😆

@2026Y - get that some areas do only have street parking & that’s a consideration when you buy a property. It’s more the knowing you have 2 cars buying / moving where you have space to park 1 on driveway where people imagine the 2nd car would go 🤷🏼‍♀️

I sometimes park on the street in front of our drive because our neighbours have a tendency to park unnecessarily close to the edge of our drive. Other neighbour parks on the street as they don't have a drive. Our drive is quite narrow so it can be difficult to get out between both neighbours cars and also leaves no space for a visitor to park in front of our drive.

From your diagram I'm guessing they just don't like looking at your husbands big car in front of their garden, or they're saving a parking spot for a visitor.

I get why it could be a bit confusing. Our attached neighbour parks one of their cars in front of their house, so there isn’t enough space for my husband to pull his car forward. So, when he parks next to them, in front of our house, he ends up blocking me in.

The other neighbours (not attached) park both of their cars in their driveways, and no one parks in front of their house. That’s why my husband parks his car in the middle of both houses.

Essentially, every house has one space in front on the street, but it only functions well if both cars are small. So, if you have one small car and one bigger car (like my attached neighbour and I), it just doesn't work very well. It doesn’t help that most modern cars are too big for our roads now!