Parking issues driving me nuts

bouicca21

I live in a block of flats. There are garages but they are too small for modern cars. There is no allocated parking but room to park two cars at the front and several in the space behind the garages. The street immediately outside is full of cars owned by commuters too mean to pay the parking charge at the station, but there is room to park further up the road.

Two of my neighbours regularly park in a way that blocks the drive and blocks my ability to move my car. Blocking the drive is something that is specifically against the terms of the lease. They will move their cars if I ask. There is no need to block the drive if they park down by the garages or further up the street - but that of course means using their legs ...

Trouble is that I am fed up of asking. I was blocked in all day yesterday and am blocked in today. It's time to make my objections known more forcefully. Any advice on how to approach this? I am assuming that a note quoting the lease is too passive aggressive. That means I have to approach the two offenders personally but I am so fed up with the situation that I am worried about coming over confrontationally. The worst of the two is himself confrontational.

Guest101

Pickaxe through the windshield?


But seriously, if you are blocked in, that is a criminal offence and you can have vehicles taken away

pinkteapot

Find a reason to need to go out at 5am every day, and knock then to ask them to move? Shouldn't take many days to work...

The best solution is to talk face to face first - "I'd be really grateful if you could avoid parking in a way that blocks me in, because it's a bit of a pain that I have to bother you every time I need to get my car out." Take a deep breath and focus on keeping your tone of voice friendly.

If that doesn't work, you can complain to the freeholder/managing company. A relative lives in a block of flats where someone has recently got a dog that barks every Saturday night until 3am because the owners go out on a Saturday night. Letters have been sent to everyone in the flats from the managing agent saying "We've been made aware that a dog is causing a nuisance. Please sort it out or we'll take further action." (I'm paraphrasing!) They dog's owner would have received it but it doesn't specify who has complained.

TBagpuss

I agree with pinkteapot. Start by raising it with them specifcally, point out that it is recurring issue and that expecting you to contact them each time is not an acceptable solution.

Alternatively, would it work for you to park by the garages rather than where you currently park? It might be less stressful than being blocked in on a regular basis.

onomatopoeia99

If it's flats, is there a mangement company you could approach to (say) put up signs?

Or get some other neighbours on board?

bouicca21

Thank you. I will try to follow pinkteapot's advice. It's keeping my voice friendly that I'm worried about! I am aware that I am starting to overreact to what is after all a trivial issue. I should have called them out sooner. There is enough parking if only people would be considerate, and prepared to walk for a minute or two.

And yes I can park by the garages. If the two spaces at the front are occupied I go down to the garages. If one of the two spaces at the front is vacant I use that. I am sometimes blocked in at the front (as in today and yesterday) and sometimes blocked from getting to or from the garages.

Loz01

Bad parking drives me nuts so I feel your pain OP. I would definitely try and speak to them first. If it gets you nowhere, you can always say that you tried that step.

Is there no way you can park so someone is unable to block you in? If you inconvenience them it might make them think twice about where THEY are parking.

fairy_lights

bouicca21 wrote: »

Thank you. I will try to follow pinkteapot's advice. It's keeping my voice friendly that I'm worried about! I am aware that I am starting to overreact to what is after all a trivial issue.

It's not trivial, blocking someone's drive is inconsiderate and anyone who repeatedly does it despite being asked to move is a total asshat. What if there was an emergency and you couldn't get out?

hazyjo

Would drive me insane. Hard to visualise what you mean. Perhaps there could be a post or barrier at the start of the drive? If it's council owned (not private) land, they may have a direct number for you to ring. Ours are round pronto slapping tickets on cars across driveways, etc.


Definitely get the management company involved.


Or maybe campaign for permits on that road to prevent the commuters parking there. (I have sympathy for them too - parking prices on top of hefty fares does add up! I don't drive to the station, btw!)


Jx

onlyroz

When you say "the drive", I'm not sure what you mean. Your drive? A lane to your block of flats?


Could you perhaps buy a traffic cone to keep in your boot, and then put it in a place that prevents others from blocking you in?

bouicca21

Ok - it's a private drive. It runs across the front of the building - in and out, so two access points. One of those access points also leads to a drive down the side of the garden to the garages. Geezer and Mrs Geezer have two cars. Although there is room for two cars to pass each other on the drive in front of the building, Mrs Geezer tends to park in the middle of the drive so no one can get past. Geezer has the sort of car I'd describe as a penis substitute and he frequently parks in the access point, thus blocking access to the garages. You can maybe tell that Mr and Mrs Geezer are not my favourite people (in this I am not alone, as they have managed to upset everyone). The other set of neighbours tend to park in the other access point.

I suspect this is clear as mud but today I am blocked in by one set of neighbours parked in one access point and can't use the other access point because although I think I could probably get past Mrs Geezer, I wouldn't be able to make the turn out on to the road. The drive down to the garages (and the additional parking space half way down it) is clear as is the space behind the garages ...