hostile nieghbours

[Spuddybean]

DP and i recently moved (5 months ago) to a new area. I don't drive but a friend who died gave me his car (i cant drive) so DP drove it up and parked it on the street (it's all taxed and insured and i am currently learning).

Parking on our street is tight. DP has his own car and we pulled up outside our left neighbour's house and as we were getting out of the car the neighbour (never spoke to us before) came out. i smiled and said hello. He shouted 'can you park outside your own house' then slammed his door.

Then we parked opposite and the neighbour came out and said 'is that your car too' (pointing at my undriven car)? so i said yes. She said 'weeeell (really drawn out and sarcy) it hasn't moved for 4 months' so i explained. And she tutted and turned and slammed her door too.

We had an amazon delivery of books and weren't in so neighbours to the right took the package in. didn't tell us. then i was looking in the garden during a rainstorm and saw the parcel in a puddle on our patio. so i went out and it was our books. When i asked them, over the fence, whether they knew how it got there they said they took the package in and chucked it over the fence, in the rain, while we were at work - the books were ruined.

they also have a dog who jumps into our garden and shits everywhere! when i tell them, they say it's not true, but our garden is covered in dog poo and their dog is in our garden all the time.

i don't really know what to do as i want a good relationship with neighbours (DP travels loads and i would like to know in an emergency i could knock on someone).

So how can i build a decent relationship with them?....All?

Ignore them regarding the car, put a note on all further orders "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DELIVER TO NEIGHBOURS PROPERTY" and put up a high fence on your side of the boundary to stop the dog getting in.

You cant stop them being arseholes, I speak as someone who bent over backwards with ours (they are still our neighbours) and ended up having the council threaten them with court action for an ASBO before they packed it in! She still parks in a way to deliberately leave not quite enough room for our car (we have set spaces), do DIY at 7 am or 10 pm when they know the kids will wake, but not for long enough for us to do anything about it. But now I dont care, I tend to laugh it off. When he was pressure washing their conservatory at half nine at night, right outside the kids bedroom window and knew he had woken them up, I shouted "OI! YOU'VE MISSED A BIT", he went in a couple of minutes later :o

Btw the ASBO was because she came round several times and threatened to have me and the kids "sorted out" because there was a load of crap on her conservatory roof that she said the kids had thrown there. In fact, it was a couple of squirrels kicking crap out of her guttering, that we managed to get on film.

Hi all. Thanks for the input. Sorry to drip feed but i honestly didn't think people would need so many details.

So sorry not to have been clearer - My unmoved car is not taking up a space outside anyones house. It is parked on the street at the end in one of 20 or so bays which were put in by the council to fit in more cars (also our street bottle necks in and out with poles on the curb so a few households can't park outside their house).

The reason we have left it there and not moved it is because if we do the bays may get taken up. Then we really would have to park outside someones house and it would be in the way - as you have to mount the kerb so far in you almost touch peoples front door.

The car which was parked outside this woman's house was the one we just pulled up in. and is regularly moved. possibly every few days (when we go to the gym after work etc) but not usually off the street for longer than a few hours - unless DP is travelling with work.

I have a new job in the nearest town so will be using the currently unused car for work - once i learn. DP uses the other car for business travel and when working from home so we will need 2.

So, i am going to continue smiling at them all and saying hello when i pass, but i don't feel comfortable sending xmas cards - and hurry up and pass my test!

incidentally the neighbour on the left left his keys in the door a few days ago - so i knocked and he answered saying 'WHAT!' I said 'sorry to bother you, but your keys are in the front door' and he gave me a huff/sigh took them out and then closed the door in my face!! such charming communication skills!

Thank you all once again for the time you have taken to reply - even if i still don't agree on the car outside your house front. I just find it a bit petty tbh.

Your new neighbours are just hacked off with the recession then. Or the colour blue. They're miserable hostile wonkers probably.

No excuse for being so damn rude though. Never.

Don't engage with them.