Can we report a vehicle outside our house?

[gabyjane]

Last week possibly longer a van was driven up and down our rd erratically by some lad, after a while mounting the kerb numerous times he parked it opposite our drive and left it, it has been there ever since.
Dh has seen somone come and remove tools and just now some lad has pulled up in some rust bucket and taken an old exhaust out the back..and it is still here.
Now it is on a rd so can't really stop them tbh but it is obvious it is just left here as there is room to park but it is obstructing our drive to the extent i am finding it very very difficult to reverse out of our drive which i have to do numerous times and at 5am for work when it is obviously very dark which adds to it.

So if i ring the non emergency line for the police what are they likely to do? tell me to park the other way round?! it's just highly annoying tbh..what would you so?

[MrsE]

Does it have tax & is it correctly parked?

[gabyjane]

Ill check the tax in a min but that's not my gripe, i can see that's exactly what most of you are going to say but if you couldn't get in and out of your drive properly wouldn't you be bothered?

[VfM4meplse]

I don't think the police can do anything about vehicles unless there is a tax / insurance issue.

[frugallass]

I think MrsE was merely pointing out that if there was no tax on the van or if it was parked incorrectly then you could report it to the police/council/warden, whoever.

Similar thing happened to me a few years ago so I know how frustrated you must be

[Bonbon]

I've had similar problems and there isn't much you can do.If it's taxed and there are no parking restrictions, nobody will be interested. Just because it is inconvenient to you doesn't mean it has to be moved. I had numerous cars from a local garage outside my house ( and there are parking restrictions) and they were left for up to 4 weeks. The police, council and trading standards weren't interested. Some cars weren't taxed and clearly abandoned but it still tooks weeks before they were moved.

[gabyjane]

Hmm thought that would be the case. Funnily enough my sister showed up and commented and as we left to go out one of the neighbours had stuck a note on! it is taxed till the end of feb...damn!

[hewhoisnotintheknow]

ring the non emergency number, it could be stolen or wanted

if its not, and has tax etc they will just leave it

[curlyfairy]

Go and let the tyres down and report it as dumped.Im sure the Council act on dumped cars as they did round here last year.


Ben.

[Keith]

Should you not be reversing into your drive and driving onto the carriageway?

[staffie1]

Should you not be reversing into your drive and driving onto the carriageway?

that's helpful :rolleyes:

[vaio]

Should you not be reversing into your drive and driving onto the carriageway?

that's helpful :rolleyes:

But true (and the law)

[staffie1]

But true (and the law)

I doubt whether the guy who dumped his van in front of OP's drive was thinking about that at the time.

[cte1111]

But true (and the law)
So it's illegal to drive forwards into a driveway? Really? Sounds very surprising.

[staffie1]

So it's illegal to drive forwards into a driveway? Really? Sounds very surprising.

I think it is actually, but I do it and so does everyone else in my road :eek:

[a6windows]

it is only illegal to reverse off your drive onto the main road but this is note the poasters concern the concern is the van that is causing an obstruction to her drive.is the van parked on the kerb or the road i would report thne vehicle as causing and obstruction to the police and say that people are using it for storage .just because the vehicle is taxed doesnt mean its insured or stolen which means it shouldnt be on the road

[Treadway1]

I would be very concerned about this, and report if to the local Police as a suspicious vehicle. Its been sat for weeks with people coming and going removing objects periodically. That doesnt sound like normal activity/behaviour. Who knows what the vehicle is being used for. The Police are extremely interested in this sort of thing in the current climate, (At least they are in my area) so if you phone them and explain it how I have just worded it, Im sure they'll take more notice than if you were to tell them there is a nuisance van parked across your drive.

Also have you seen where the people who have been using the van are comingfrom/going to? Is it a house close by, or are they disappearing out of sight? If the latter, this would rouse my suspicions even further.

I know how annoying this kind of thing can be though!!!

[mugwump]

it is only illegal to reverse off your drive onto the main road

It's not

Highway Code para 200 - 203

[eslick]

its now illegal to block paths and drive ways, if you report it to the police they should do something about it

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

The police won't care. They have better things to do. If its parked legally, tough.

[RichyRich]

It's not

Highway Code para 200 - 203


200

Choose an appropriate place to manoeuvre. If you need to turn your vehicle around, wait until you find a safe place. Try not to reverse or turn round in a busy road; find a quiet side road or drive round a block of side streets.
201

Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can.
202

Look carefully before you start reversing. You should

use all your mirrors
check the ‘blind spot’ behind you (the part of the road you cannot see easily in the mirrors)
check there are no pedestrians (particularly children), cyclists, other road users or obstructions in the road behind you
Reverse slowly while

checking all around
looking mainly through the rear window
being aware that the front of your vehicle will swing out as you turnGet someone to guide you if you cannot see clearly.
203

You MUST NOT reverse your vehicle further than necessary.

[Law CUR reg 106]

..................................................

[markelock]

I didn't think the highway code was "the law" anyway?

looks like the OP has been bundled into the back of said van from the lack of update...

[vaio]

So it's illegal to drive forwards into a driveway? Really? Sounds very surprising.

Nope, the illegal bit comes when you reverse out from your drive into the road, driving in is fine as long as your drive is big enough to turn round in

[frugallass]

you could buy one of those driveway turntable thingies......

[niall24]

Get the index number (reg ) and go on www.askmid.com (http://www.askmid.com) this will say if it is insured then tell the police.

[jeannieblue]

Go and let the tyres down and report it as dumped.Im sure the Council act on dumped cars as they did round here last year.


Ben.

Ah - good idea! Break the law by causing a criminal act..... :eek:

I'm not sure that is a good idea, do you? We all have our blasted crosses to bear when it comes to selfish neighbours and their parking..... but if they are taxed etc, nowt you can do about it - apart from approaching them and asking them politely, if they could move, just a tad, if they wouldn't mind... A simple approach, but it may work.

[david29dpo]

True story. A friend had the same problem with a huge van parked opposite his drive. Nobody was interested so after 3 months a "call" was made to the local police saying they had just seen what looked like a firmarm removed from the van. Went the next day. Sorted.

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

True story. A friend had the same problem with a huge van parked opposite his drive. Nobody was interested so after 3 months a "call" was made to the local police saying they had just seen what looked like a firmarm removed from the van. Went the next day. Sorted.

So wasting police time then. Quite a serious offence.

[gabyjane]

Thanks for the replys..ok well firstly it is a private rd not a main rd so i am as far as i'm aware allowed to drive in and out of my drive whichever way round i please, the neighbours all drive in forwards too.? Our drive is partially a car port and narrowish and with me having a 3 dr car and having to get kids in and out (im a childminder) i find it easier to drive in forwards and reverse out normally..i know this is my problem as such but still don't see why someone should be allowed to make my life difficult.

The note left by a neighbour yesterday said there was plenty of room outside of a certain number house further up our rd where they have there own large car park which makes us think they may live there but unsure still why they would leave it here..when they arrive they get stuff out in various other vehicles and drive off..not to there they supposedly live though..

Will leave till tommorow as dh on duty as he is a police special and he is going to check it on the system, the note has been removed so we are not sure if they have done it or it has blown off..will keep you updated!

[gabyjane]

didn't see the other replys!! the reason i never replied sooner was i have had trouble with my pc so now on the laptop, you will see one of my threads is asking why it is not typing properly..
Also the car turntable reply?? urm why would i want to and why should i? i have a perfectly good drive to get in and out of 'normally' if some lazy so and so would park where they were supposed to.
I am not the sort of person to do anything to the vehicle in my eyes that makes me just as bad as them really.

[rottertron]

Very handy, theres a car been left with no tax in a car park where my rented out flat is. Will check the registration next time im there.


Get the index number (reg ) and go on www.askmid.com (http://www.askmid.com) this will say if it is insured then tell the police.

[frugallass]

Also the car turntable reply?? urm why would i want to and why should i? i have a perfectly good drive to get in and out of 'normally' if some lazy so and so would park where they were supposed to.


don't be so touchy - my comment was in relation to vaio's post and the whole reversing in / out discussion (it was meant to be light-hearted)

[gabyjane]

apologies frugallass i didn't read it properly..sorry!

[mugwump]

Nope, the illegal bit comes when you reverse out from your drive into the road, driving in is fine as long as your drive is big enough to turn round in

It is not illegal to reverse out of your drive. Read the Highway Code correctly!

201
When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can. This is advice.

203
You MUST NOT reverse your vehicle further than necessary.

This is the part that has legal backing as it uses MUST and then quotes the regulation applicable. ([Law CUR reg 106]

[pompeyrich]

It is not illegal to reverse out of your drive. Read the Highway Code correctly!

201
When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can. This is advice.

203
You MUST NOT reverse your vehicle further than necessary.

This is the part that has legal backing as it uses MUST and then quotes the regulation applicable. ([Law CUR reg 106]


Although, as you say breaking some parts of the Highway Code have legal backing the following could be applied to the breach of any guidance given-

"Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under the Traffic Acts (see 'The road user and the law') to establish liability. This includes rules which use advisory wording such as ‘should/should not’ or ‘do/do not’."

[Bettingmad]

Thanks for the replys..ok well firstly it is a private rd not a main rd so i am as far as i'm aware allowed to drive in and out of my drive whichever way round i please, the neighbours all drive in forwards too.? Our drive is partially a car port and narrowish and with me having a 3 dr car and having to get kids in and out (im a childminder) i find it easier to drive in forwards and reverse out normally..i know this is my problem as such but still don't see why someone should be allowed to make my life difficult.

The note left by a neighbour yesterday said there was plenty of room outside of a certain number house further up our rd where they have there own large car park which makes us think they may live there but unsure still why they would leave it here..when they arrive they get stuff out in various other vehicles and drive off..not to there they supposedly live though..

Will leave till tommorow as dh on duty as he is a police special and he is going to check it on the system, the note has been removed so we are not sure if they have done it or it has blown off..will keep you updated!

I wouldn't advise dh doing this without first creating an incident and getting one of his colleagues to do the necessary check. Need to be vary careful when using PNC.

[Treadway1]

I wouldn't advise dh doing this without first creating an incident and getting one of his colleagues to do the necessary check. Need to be vary careful when using PNC.

I completely agree. Say your DH checks PNC, and the next week, something happens to the house to which the van belongs. I know its unlikely, but that would be just my luck, if it were me (But then Im just bl**dy unlucky!!! :rotfl: ).

Theres no problem doing the check, but as Bettingmad said, best to create an incident first. At least then you can then justify the check with a CAD/Serial number.

[gabyjane]

Thanks for the replys..well dh said he would never do a pnc for his own benefit and it would have all been done above board anyway..BUT the van has gone!! it got driven up and down the rd again a few times but has so far not returned!! fingers crossed!

[curlyfairy]

Ah - good idea! Break the law by causing a criminal act..... :eek:

I'm not sure that is a good idea, do you? We all have our blasted crosses to bear when it comes to selfish neighbours and their parking..... but if they are taxed etc, nowt you can do about it - apart from approaching them and asking them politely, if they could move, just a tad, if they wouldn't mind... A simple approach, but it may work.

If i didnt think it was a good idea i wouldnt of posted it would I?Sometimes its all these selfish t**ts understand and asking them to move you will get told to F**K off.

[gabyjane]

well bad news the van is back already, it is from up the rd and curly fairy i quite agree seeing who it is now you are right in saying i am lkely to get told to f off! if we didn't have such a nice car i would go and dump it outside thier house!

[Keith]

How dare they park in their own road!

[terryya]

Why do people complain when people park opposite their drive? They don't own the road and if someone wants to park there then fine. You can stil get in and out.

As for leaving notes on windscreens, there is a guy near me that does that when you park on the opposite side of the road to his house. Needless to say it got thrown straight in the bin and if ever there is a (very occasional) need to park for a short time off my drive then that is now my favourite place on the street. :D

[david29dpo]

So wasting police time then. Quite a serious offence.

As the law is an !!!, what choose to the public have?

[gabyjane]

As i said at the start of this NO i do not own the rd and YES they can i guess park there as it is a rd for anyone to use BUT my gripe was that it was 1 parked there and obviously just used to collect things out of and looks like it's never been serviced in it's life.. and 2 causing some problems getting in and out of our drive..
The main point is they live quite a way up the rd and there are numerous parking spaces outside which i have no idea why they don't use them...
To those of you who have said things like:

How dare they park in their own road! and
Why do people complain when people park opposite their drive? They don't own the road and if someone wants to park there then fine. You can stil get in and out.

As for leaving notes on windscreens, there is a guy near me that does that when you park on the opposite side of the road to his house. Needless to say it got thrown straight in the bin and if ever there is a (very occasional) need to park for a short time off my drive then that is now my favourite place on the street. :D

Well lets hope no one does anything to cause you a bit of a cause to moan..

[Pew Pew Pew Lasers!]

As the law is an !!!, what choose to the public have?

Well, they can mind their own business and accept that they may own their property, but not the road or pavement outside it.

[davidlizard]

You can check the insurance status of the vehicle by going to www.askmid.com (do note the disclaimers)

[Treadway1]

Id suggest that everyone posting on this thread saying that the OP should just put up with it and the van owner has every right to park there, has obviously never experienced this sort of thing. It is extremely annoying not to be able to get in and out of your own property easily, and as the OP says, this is completely needless as there are plenty of spaces along by where the owner lives.

I too would think that the OP should get over it, if the van had only been there a day or two, or even if it was only there every so often, but the fact that its been there for weeks and used only as, what appears to be, storage, wholly justifies her gripe.

Lets all have a bit of understanding shall we.

[david29dpo]

Hear hear.

[toffeegirl]

I parked outside my next-door-but-one neighbours for just under 48 hours. They called the police to complain... saying they didn't know whose car it was and it had been there for over 3 days. The police found time to call round to my house twice! (first time just my builder was in).

I was asked to park more considerately....

[goldspanners]

I parked outside my next-door-but-one neighbours for just under 48 hours. They called the police to complain... saying they didn't know whose car it was and it had been there for over 3 days. The police found time to call round to my house twice! (first time just my builder was in).

I was asked to park more considerately....

i hope you parked it outside thier house for ever more and told them to f**k off.
they should have been charged with wasting police time.

[DCFC79]

The OP just wants the van moved, if the van blocked the drive then how else would she be able to get to work

[goldspanners]

The OP just wants the van moved, if the van blocked the drive then how else would she be able to get to work

it isnt blocking thier drive though.

[a6windows]

A range of powers are available to the Police and the Highways Department, primarily the Highways Act 1980; and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Highways Act 1980 Section 137 states “If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence”. Highways Act 1980 Section 148 “If without lawful authority or excuse a person deposits anything whatsoever on a highway to the interruption of any user of the highway he is guilty of an offence” Highways Act 1980.
Section 149 of the Highways Act states “if anything is deposited on the highway so as to constitute a nuisance/danger the Highway Authority can require the person who put it there to remove it forthwith”. Mud causes skidding and is therefore dangerous and a nuisance.
Highways Act 1980 Section 161 states “If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, deposits anything whatsoever on a highway in consequence of which a user of the highway is injured or endangered, that person is guilty of an offence”. Furthermore, the Road Traffic Act 1988 covers situations where a mechanically propelled vehicle is driven dangerously on a road. Driving dangerously can include driving a vehicle in a state that could cause danger to others.
Punishment for these offences ranges from fines to imprisonment.
A range of powers are available to the Police and the Highways Department, primarily the Highways Act 1980; and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Highways Act 1980 Section 137 states “If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence”. Highways Act 1980 Section 148 “If without lawful authority or excuse a person deposits anything whatsoever on a highway to the interruption of any user of the highway he is guilty of an offence” Highways Act 1980.
Section 149 of the Highways Act states “if anything is deposited on the highway so as to constitute a nuisance/danger the Highway Authority can require the person who put it there to remove it forthwith”. Mud causes skidding and is therefore dangerous and a nuisance.
Highways Act 1980 Section 161 states “If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, deposits anything whatsoever on a highway in consequence of which a user of the highway is injured or endangered, that person is guilty of an offence”. Furthermore, the Road Traffic Act 1988 covers situations where a mechanically propelled vehicle is driven dangerously on a road. Driving dangerously can include driving a vehicle in a state that could cause danger to others.
Punishment for these offences ranges from fines to imprisonment.

[SweetPea73]

I live in cul-de -sac, and its a nightmare with NON residents parking in it, at least 10 cars park here every day and some park opposite my drive way, making it very difficult to get in and out the driveway.. They park opposite each other as you come into the cul-de-cas making it impossible for rubbish vans to get through. They are all taxed and very nice cars which are visisting a new building around the corner.

When we bought our house we were told that we had to use the driveways and could not park on the road at all!! yet when my neighbours and I complained to the council they said notices had been put up at the new building!

A few doors down another neighbour came home to find a car on his drive,the excuse from the people who parked there was that only for a while?
the cheek of it...

[terryya]

As i said at the start of this NO i do not own the rd and YES they can i guess park there as it is a rd for anyone to use BUT my gripe was that it was 1 parked there and obviously just used to collect things out of and looks like it's never been serviced in it's life.. and 2 causing some problems getting in and out of our drive..
The main point is they live quite a way up the rd and there are numerous parking spaces outside which i have no idea why they don't use them...
To those of you who have said things like:

How dare they park in their own road! and
Why do people complain when people park opposite their drive? They don't own the road and if someone wants to park there then fine. You can stil get in and out.

As for leaving notes on windscreens, there is a guy near me that does that when you park on the opposite side of the road to his house. Needless to say it got thrown straight in the bin and if ever there is a (very occasional) need to park for a short time off my drive then that is now my favourite place on the street. :D

Well lets hope no one does anything to cause you a bit of a cause to moan..

If the only thing in life I have to moan about is somebody parking their car on their own road then I'll count myself very lucky.

[gabyjane]

If the only thing in life I have to moan about is somebody parking their car on their own road then I'll count myself very lucky

terryya lucky you hey! doubt you even have a driveway but should you ever have one lets hope no one parks opposite hey and makes your life difficult..

To the others who are sympathetic thankyou, i do have a nice car and wish not to have the back dented trying to get in and out, i also thought when i bought the house that my drive was for that use..silly me hey!

[Treadway1]

A range of powers are available to the Police and the Highways Department, primarily the Highways Act 1980; and the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Highways Act 1980 Section 137 states “If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, in any way wilfully obstructs the free passage along a highway he is guilty of an offence”. Highways Act 1980 Section 148 “If without lawful authority or excuse a person deposits anything whatsoever on a highway to the interruption of any user of the highway he is guilty of an offence” Highways Act 1980.
Section 149 of the Highways Act states “if anything is deposited on the highway so as to constitute a nuisance/danger the Highway Authority can require the person who put it there to remove it forthwith”. Mud causes skidding and is therefore dangerous and a nuisance.
Highways Act 1980 Section 161 states “If a person, without lawful authority or excuse, deposits anything whatsoever on a highway in consequence of which a user of the highway is injured or endangered, that person is guilty of an offence”. Furthermore, the Road Traffic Act 1988 covers situations where a mechanically propelled vehicle is driven dangerously on a road. Driving dangerously can include driving a vehicle in a state that could cause danger to others.
Punishment for these offences ranges from fines to imprisonment.

Unfortunately, these offences only apply to the highway itself, and although a car may be partially blocking a drive, it isnt blocking the main highway, i.e. the road itself. The OP's drive is obviously conidered private porerty, so unless the van was parked in such a way that vehilces could not easily drive along the road, there is nothing in the Highways act, or RT Act to help.

[scotsman4th]

Lets get the word blocking out of the equation. It wasnt blocking the drive it was making it difficult for the OP to access her drive.
Personally, i'd just get over it and move on. It's a long life stressing about things you have no control over. You have no legal argument so will just get more and more upset until you do something silly that will make YOU look like the unreasonable one in alll this.

[a6windows]

any car parked on a highway is blocking the highway wether it is taxed or not .
"If without lawful authority or excuse a person deposits anything whatsoever on a highway to the interruption of any user of the highway he is guilty of an offence"
in the words of this if a anything whatsoever (van)is left on the highway ie road.if the van is on the highway and other vehicles or pedestrians have to go round it then it is blocking the road or highway

[scotsman4th]

Would the private road part of it differ from a highway?

[Francesanne]

Don't bother with traffic warden or police if the car isn't taxed. Get in touch with DVLA or might be worth contacting Council if dumped.

[terryya]

If the only thing in life I have to moan about is somebody parking their car on their own road then I'll count myself very lucky

terryya lucky you hey! doubt you even have a driveway but should you ever have one lets hope no one parks opposite hey and makes your life difficult..

To the others who are sympathetic thankyou, i do have a nice car and wish not to have the back dented trying to get in and out, i also thought when i bought the house that my drive was for that use..silly me hey!

I've got a drive and at both of my houses people have parked opposite it. What I do is drive out avoiding said vehicle and go about my business.

I've also lived at places without drives and people park in front of my house, so I drive until I find a space and walk back.

Seriously though I think you should take the advice of scotsman4th and get over it. It is only going to stress you out and this is just the sort of petty incident that can grow into a TV style "Neighbours at War" item.