Neighbours blocking off driveway... grrr

jayne2011

Hi, Just wondering if any of you lovely people could please help me.

We have two neighbours the other side of the street, who insist in parking across our driveway.
We didn't have a car for four months, and so we didn't mind so much then. But now we have a brand new car.
But before I talk to them about it, I was wondering if theres any laws against it.
theres the road

---

then a path way xxxxxxxx
then my drive ++++++
++++++
++++++
then my home 0000000
(sorry thats not quite worked out lol, should be in line with each other)

So they park on the pathway, completely stopping anyone walking past, including myself with my buggy. And so we cant get out in the car.:mad: Or theres a small gap so we can, but its a dead end street so the way my husband reverses out to get out the street (without blocking it doing a 3 point turn) he struggles as the gaps too small, and has scratched cars doing so. :eek:
One of the cars that parks there used to park infront of another driveway, till it got hit badly and he went and got his car repaired so she couldn't pin it on him. Anyway, I am wittering on now, sorry!

Please help, thanks in advance x

WestonDave

Either its blocked or its not - the fact that he might have to reverse out towards the wrong way is something you just have to live with - he could always reverse in which is safer as he can then see who might be crossing the drive on the path whereas reversing out he can't.

Parking on the pavement is always illegal and could be reported to the council parking enforcement team (unlikely the police will be interested as most parking enforcement is now down to councils).

If the car is on the drive and its blocked in (really blocked in, not sort of blocked in because there is a car in the way of your preferred direction of pulling out) then this could be classed as obstruction and the police might carry out enforcement action.

However any of this would become a neighbour dispute which you would have to disclose if you ever sold the house - which might put off potential buyers. It could also escalate - for example there is nothing stopping the neighbours getting together and parking tightly either side of your drive which would technically not be blocking it but in practical terms would make it impossible to get out.

System

Just have a friendly chat with the neighbour to let them know you find it difficult getting in / out of your drive when they park as they do.

They may simply be unaware of the difficulties.

Try to come to an agreement where everyone is happy.

However, if they will not agree and are simply inconsiderate folk, who do not care about you as a neighbour, then you could report them to the council for parking on the footpath, but be aware of the neighbour dispute issue as others have already mentioned.

fivetide

Are they on the other side of the road or actually across your drive? The post doesn't make it clear.

I assume that if your hubby is hitting (scratching) other cars he is fessing up to it....

5t.

rev_henry

WestonDave wrote: »

Either its blocked or its not - the fact that he might have to reverse out towards the wrong way is something you just have to live with - he could always reverse in which is safer as he can then see who might be crossing the drive on the path whereas reversing out he can't.

Parking on the pavement is always illegal and could be reported to the council parking enforcement team (unlikely the police will be interested as most parking enforcement is now down to councils).

If the car is on the drive and its blocked in (really blocked in, not sort of blocked in because there is a car in the way of your preferred direction of pulling out) then this could be classed as obstruction and the police might carry out enforcement action.

However any of this would become a neighbour dispute which you would have to disclose if you ever sold the house - which might put off potential buyers. It could also escalate - for example there is nothing stopping the neighbours getting together and parking tightly either side of your drive which would technically not be blocking it but in practical terms would make it impossible to get out.

Parking on the pavement is only illegal in London.

Highway code
Rule 244

You MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London, and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it. Parking on the pavement can obstruct and seriously inconvenience pedestrians, people in wheelchairs or with visual impairments and people with prams or pushchairs.

jayne2011

yes hubby fessed up.
sometimes they park right across, completely blocking us in, sometimes they park half across the driveway, where he can just squeeze out.
the house is housing association we just rent from them.
We have asked one of them ages ago not to park there. She just said "yea ok" and carried on the week after. The others woman is... like a pitbull. Will tear my head off and then send her son over to steal our new car and we will find it on some waste land burnt out. If law is mentioned I know this will put her off.
Theres a the road, public path, then my drive. with drop kerbs etc.
Sorry, I meant they live on the other side of the street. they park on my side so they can "see" their cars at night, well thats the only reason I can see, as more often than not their side for parking is empty.
thanks

Strider590

Strikes me your going to having difficulty with this, because you allowed them to do it from the outset and now they'll think they have the right to..... "give em an inch and they'll take a mile"

fivetide

As it is Housing Association you could ask them to send round a general letter saying that parkign issues have been highlighted, it's illegal etc etc etc. Sounds like as it is more than one this might work.

If it is a direct complaint about one person then I think you need to try to have a word in her shell like initially otherwise it might properly kick off when she thinks you've "grassed her up".

5t.

bryanb

It is against the law to park accross a dropped kerb. Except your own.

jayne2011

lol, its a pain. because our side of the road is one housing association, the other side is another, or homeowners.
I will try calling mine and see if they will send letter to everyone in the street, I doubt it though...
Thanks for the help everyone x

Strider590

bryanb wrote: »

It is against the law to park accross a dropped kerb. Except your own.

It's illegal to block in a parked vehicle if the driveway has a dropped kerb, if the owner is not at home (no car), then you can do what you like.

I used to think the same, but I've been involved in enough of these discussions to have changed my perception.