Reserving car park spaces that don't belong to anybody in particular

thriftyemma

When we moved house a year ago, our house had a single car driveway. As we have two cars, and our road is fairly busy, we decided to convert our front garden into a fully tarmacked driveway. Better for us, and better for our neighbours who usually have to weave through the cars parked on the street.

When work started, I had to park my car away from my house, as the workmen needed access, plus they had their own vehicles. I parked about 30 yards away, on a public stretch of road, not directly outside anyone's house or blocking anyone's drive. The next evening, about 10pm, I got an angry knock at the door. It was pretty frightening, having a very large man knock at my door that late at night, as a young(er) female home alone with 3 kids.

Long story short, I was parked on "his" bit of road, and I was "causing chaos!" I told him I was temporarily unable to park outside my house, as we were having work done. He swore, shouted, and threatened unfortunate things on my car. I politely pointed out the cctv camera we had pointing out in to the road, and he walked off.

It turns out this man had 3 cars, and was parking them all up the street. I checked out the "chaos", and he'd had to park one of his cars a further 6 foot down the road. When the work was finished a couple of days later, I was able to park on my lovely new driveway, and the chaos was ended

It's funny how people get so possessive about 'their' bit of road. We all pay our road tax, we are all allowed to park anywhere we like (on unrestricted roads). OP, someone is blocking a space with other objects. If you are entitled to, and need to, park there, move the objects. You have as much right as anyone else.

Trek_girl

Gavin83 wrote: »

Be prepared for an argument though, I got into several regarding this. One guy said I shouldn't expect to find my car in one piece when I got back as they have vandals in the area. I gently suggested he should be careful as the same vandals might cause damage to his property which resulted in much aggression on his part but I did come back at the end of the day to an untouched car.

:rotfl:

Good for you.

belfastgirl23

I'd be inclined just to mention it to them, say that you appreciate parking is difficult in the area and that you are lucky to have your own designated spot, but that this is a general space where anyone can park and that it's therefore not possible to reserve it. And give them an example time of when you had a visitor who would need to park there (even better if it's an older person who couldn't walk too far or a heavy delivery). Give them a chance to get out of it gracefully by saying 'oh I didn't realise' or 'I assumed people would move the cone if they needed the spot'.

Otherwise it will get them to tell you why it should be designated as their specific spot - I can't think of how they can say this that it sounds reasonable. Holding an empty general spot for when you might need it isn't on.

I think if you want to live in an area where people are neighbourly you need to behave in a neighbourly way - which means tackling problems with the people causing them rather than complaining to the authorities. Of course this is assuming that the people doing it aren't in any way threatening or dangerous!

This is all assuming that they don't own a pitbull of course!

cbrown372

AubreyMac wrote: »

A neighbour from my road has done this today.

I have seen other people do this with wheelie bins in other roads.

I'm sure nobody is allowed to reserve spaces that do not belong to anyone in particular, therefore it is not their right to claim spots.

Would I be in trouble if I moved any obstacles that are there to reserve spaces such as wheelie bins and cones?

Maybe there is good reason, why don't you ask? My neighbour uses his wheelie bin to keep the space in front of his path as his wife is in a wheelchair and he needs to be able to stop the car right at the path. All the neighbours know this and are careful where we park and indeed where our visitors park but strangers to the village aren't as careful.

Incidentally he is a policeman so I presume he is doing nothing wrong.

sheramber

Perhaps they started reserving the space becasue you were reserving it with your car on occasions.

jackyann

This thread has reminded me of the street where I grew up and where relatives still live. In the 50s, anyone lucky enough to afford a car just didn't park it on the street for more than a few minutes. The done thing was to rent a lock-up garage - I think it was considered both safer for your car, and nicer for people in the street (where of course, we kids played). I remember people saying that they didn't want to look out of their front window and just see a car!

One couple, now very elderly, still continue this, but when they look out, they just see all their neighbours' cars blocking the narrow road & blocking the pavement. Of course, no kids playing there any more!

suited-aces

comeandgo wrote: »

There were cones left out on the street the night prior to my neighbour moving, the council had left them due to large removal vans needing the space the following day. Some of the other neighbours decided to move them, vans arrived, no place to park, council warden contacted, cars got tickets and were removed.

Seems unusual, was it somewhere illegal that they usually park anyway, or were these special cones?

tara747

jjj1980 wrote: »

On my mum's street, the houses either have a driveway or an allocated parking space, which has the relevant house number painted in the space. This was done by and is maintained by the council. My mum's next door neighbour quite regularly uses my mum's space rather than their own as they say due to the height of their front hedge they cannot see the car if they park in their own space! My mum has now had her space marked as a disabled space by Adult Social Care and the neighbours have complained that this is unfair as they prefer parking outside my mum's house than their own (the spaces are less than 2 metres apart) and they don't see why they should have to reduce the height of their hedge to make their car visible when using my mum's space gave them that visibility!!

What?? The cheek of them! :eek:

thriftyemma wrote: »

When we moved house a year ago, our house had a single car driveway. As we have two cars, and our road is fairly busy, we decided to convert our front garden into a fully tarmacked driveway. Better for us, and better for our neighbours who usually have to weave through the cars parked on the street.

When work started, I had to park my car away from my house, as the workmen needed access, plus they had their own vehicles. I parked about 30 yards away, on a public stretch of road, not directly outside anyone's house or blocking anyone's drive. The next evening, about 10pm, I got an angry knock at the door. It was pretty frightening, having a very large man knock at my door that late at night, as a young(er) female home alone with 3 kids.

Long story short, I was parked on "his" bit of road, and I was "causing chaos!" I told him I was temporarily unable to park outside my house, as we were having work done. He swore, shouted, and threatened unfortunate things on my car. I politely pointed out the cctv camera we had pointing out in to the road, and he walked off.

It turns out this man had 3 cars, and was parking them all up the street. I checked out the "chaos", and he'd had to park one of his cars a further 6 foot down the road. When the work was finished a couple of days later, I was able to park on my lovely new driveway, and the chaos was ended

It's funny how people get so possessive about 'their' bit of road. We all pay our road tax, we are all allowed to park anywhere we like (on unrestricted roads). OP, someone is blocking a space with other objects. If you are entitled to, and need to, park there, move the objects. You have as much right as anyone else.

Erm, there's no such thing as road tax any more. It's Vehicle Emission Duty, which (as the name suggests) is linked to emissions and doesn't confer an entitlement to use the roads. Low-polluting vehicles pay £0 VED.

Pedantry aside I sympathise with you over your horrid neighbour. I hope he has left you alone since then.

comeandgo

Reply to suited aces, no it was a normal street where there is usually parking allowed, there had to be a clear area for removal vans, cones put out late afternoon, morning comes and vans can't park due to cars, police and wardens called, cars are removed.

Guest101

comeandgo wrote: »

There were cones left out on the street the night prior to my neighbour moving, the council had left them due to large removal vans needing the space the following day. Some of the other neighbours decided to move them, vans arrived, no place to park, council warden contacted, cars got tickets and were removed.

Presumebly the council advertised for 14 days prior?


I suspect you aren't being 100% truthful with this 'story'