neigbours car burnt out

angrycrow

I suspect that the answer to my question is there is nothing I can do.

Last weekend my neighbour who I have serious suspicion is selling cannabis from his house and smokes so much of it we can not open our windows at the rear of our house had his car burnt out on the road outside his house. It was parked far enough down that the fire did not spread to our property. It was clear from the questions asked by the door to door police enquiries this was a deliberate arson.

He has now replaced his car but is now parking it half on the pavement outside my house. I suspect this is an attempt to disguise it being his car. My driveway is the full width of the house so I can park both my cars off the road but the opening is only half width with hedge on the other half. He is parking parallel to the hedge.

The car is close enough to the hedge that if it is set alight the fire will most likely spread to the hedge and my daily driver parked behind it. Parked next to this is an irreplaceable 50 year old car undergoing restoration.

Whilst I accept that I have no priority over parking outside my house I have no desire to see my property destroyed as collateral damage in whatever feud he finds himself in.

My normal approach would be a polite word as I get on very well with everyone in the street but in two years i have never been able to engage this family in conversation.

Does anyone have any suggestions to make please.

straighttalker

As long as the car is taxed and insured, he can park outside your house if he isn't causing an obstruction.

Hintza

straighttalker wrote: »

As long as the car is taxed and insured, he can park outside your house if he isn't causing an obstruction.

It sounds as if it is, it's on the pavement.

angrycrow

I cant argue obstruction because you can get a wheel chair or single pushchair through the gap.

Fat_Walt

Hintza wrote: »

It sounds as if it is, it's on the pavement.

And?

Is it not part of the road?

iammumtoone

Is the hedge yours? Not ideal as it will cost but can you replace the hedge with a brick wall to delay any spread of fire if the worst happens.

Depends of how much you believe it will happen again and what lengths/cost you are prepare to go to.

Other option is to park your own car there, but this leaves it more vulnerable as it will be on the street.

I can't see any way of putting this on the neighbour (they are entitled to park there) any preventive action will have to come from something you are able to do from your side.

GothicStirling

Get rid of the hedge, and put up a brick wall?

angrycrow

My wife would love me to dig up the hedge as she hates it but I don't really want a high brick wall outside my house. A wall higher than about 2-3 foot would be out of keeping with the area.

rich13348

Fireproof your hedge with some 1/2" steel plate on your side of it. So you get to keep the hedge/privacy but get piece of my for priceless car.

forgotmyname

The hedge will need a lot of heat for quite a while to burn. Throw a cup of petrol on the hedge and light it. The petrol will have all been burnt away and the hedge still wont have caught fire.

If it was a very hot super dry summer and all the leaves were drying out and wilting through the lack of water then you need to do something.

Hintza

Fat_Walt wrote: »

And?

Is it not part of the road?

The Highway Code rule 244 says “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”