Nightmare Neighbour parking dispute

Section62

Chandler85 said:

They often won't even have it removed if the person is blocking you from entering your driveway more often then not, as those powers have been removed and given to the local authority traffic officers.

That isn't actually the case.

The police enforce blocking of driveways as the common law offence of obstruction, and still have those powers. In practice they usually only enforce against vehicles blocking a vehicle on a property, arguing that being blocked out isn't obstruction because there is an option of finding somewhere else to park.

Local authorities have been given powers to enforce certain decriminalised parking offences (e.g. parking on yellow lines), so could take enforcement action where a vehicle is parked blocking a driveway protected by a yellow line, or where other legislation (e.g. S86 TMA2004) makes it a specific contravention.

teachfast

Your situation sounds horrendous and I fear you won't win in a battle with this bully. Personally I would remove absolutely anything that came onto my property by even 1mm and if he had done that stuff on the fence on my side I would have come out and physically prevented him; but I understand that is not possible or appropriate for many. It's how bullies get their own way. 

It truly sounds like he wants the battle so pretty much anything you do will give him what he wants. I think you need to leave. If you're not in a hurry your last act could be to declare all the issues and find a prospective buyer who says, "bring it on". That would be a satisfying end to this sorry episode. In the meantime report him for operating a business from home as well as the noise injunction you have already sought.

m0bov

Keep calling up the council to get a ticket on it, I'd also get CCTV in case he retaliates. You can also ask the council to paint a white lines across your drive.

Marvel1

prevents me being able to use my (£7k) driveway for its intended purpose due to the hazard – i.e. to drive in, u-turn and be able to exit out again without having to reverse out and get smashed into.

Reverse in, drive out.

Tokmon

Marija_1 said:

Our houses are situated opposite a peculiar hazardous multi road junction, effectively used by other drivers as a roundabout, and my house is situated lower down. Whilst his unnecessary encroachment is annoying, it not only hinders my visibility further when entering onto the highway, but prevents me being able to use my (£7k) driveway for its intended purpose due to the hazard – i.e. to drive in, u-turn and be able to exit out again without having to reverse out and get smashed into.

Why would you want to waste time turning around on your driveway when you can simply reverse onto it and then drive out? 
This should be the standard way anyone parks on a driveway anyway.

House13

m0bov said:

You can also ask the council to paint a white lines across your drive.

Which even if they do put them down will make no difference in law or to the neighbour's parking

Marija_1

m0bov said:

Keep calling up the council to get a ticket on it, I'd also get CCTV in case he retaliates. You can also ask the council to paint a white lines across your drive.

Hi, this is the problem, as a previous poster mentioned some councils do enforce under special enforcement areas etc... My council no longer paints the lines across the drive as it was being ignored and simply refers you to the police.

Marija_1

Tokmon said:

Marija_1 said:

Our houses are situated opposite a peculiar hazardous multi road junction, effectively used by other drivers as a roundabout, and my house is situated lower down. Whilst his unnecessary encroachment is annoying, it not only hinders my visibility further when entering onto the highway, but prevents me being able to use my (£7k) driveway for its intended purpose due to the hazard – i.e. to drive in, u-turn and be able to exit out again without having to reverse out and get smashed into.

Why would you want to waste time turning around on your driveway when you can simply reverse onto it and then drive out? 
This should be the standard way anyone parks on a driveway anyway.

Hi Marvel1 & Tokmon - the answer as to why I prefer not to reverse in is due to the high risk reason I stated: our houses are situated "opposite a peculiar hazardous multi-road junction..."
Your suggestion may apply to an average driveway situation, but we have a grassed triangular junction with no road markings on a sloping hill with my property being lower down than the neighbours, it has three blind bends round which vehicles drive at speed, and the junction's also used as a roundabout. 
It may be physically possible to reverse into the driveway, but it is extremely risky. 
To mitigate the risk the simplest solution was to extend my driveway to enable me to enter, manoeuvre, and drive out safely. I previously stated 'U-turn', but 3-point turn would be more accurate.

Even if we leave the hazardous location aside, as a property owner I thought I had the right to utilise and access my own driveway  without interference from an obnoxious neighbour who unnecessarily parks his vehicle causing an obstruction when he has ample space both on his own property, and in front of his own property. It transpires I may be wrong and who ultimately determines how one accesses, uses, parks or exits from one's driveway is not the actual property owner or resident, but someone else if they choose to interfere. 

teachfast

Marija_1 said:

Tokmon said:

Marija_1 said:

Our houses are situated opposite a peculiar hazardous multi road junction, effectively used by other drivers as a roundabout, and my house is situated lower down. Whilst his unnecessary encroachment is annoying, it not only hinders my visibility further when entering onto the highway, but prevents me being able to use my (£7k) driveway for its intended purpose due to the hazard – i.e. to drive in, u-turn and be able to exit out again without having to reverse out and get smashed into.

Why would you want to waste time turning around on your driveway when you can simply reverse onto it and then drive out? 
This should be the standard way anyone parks on a driveway anyway.

Hi Marvel1 & Tokmon - the answer as to why I prefer not to reverse in is due to the high risk reason I stated: our houses are situated "opposite a peculiar hazardous multi-road junction..."
Your suggestion may apply to an average driveway situation, but we have a grassed triangular junction with no road markings on a sloping hill with my property being lower down than the neighbours, it has three blind bends round which vehicles drive at speed, and the junction's also used as a roundabout. 
It may be physically possible to reverse into the driveway, but it is extremely risky. 
To mitigate the risk the simplest solution was to extend my driveway to enable me to enter, manoeuvre, and drive out safely. I previously stated 'U-turn', but 3-point turn would be more accurate.

Even if we leave the hazardous location aside, as a property owner I thought I had the right to utilise and access my own driveway  without interference from an obnoxious neighbour who unnecessarily parks his vehicle causing an obstruction when he has ample space both on his own property, and in front of his own property. It transpires I may be wrong and who ultimately determines how one accesses, uses, parks or exits from one's driveway is not the actual property owner or resident, but someone else if they choose to interfere. 

If you feel that strongly don't give up; try some of the strategies suggested here... And keep us posted

Tokmon

Marija_1 said:

Tokmon said:

Marija_1 said:

Our houses are situated opposite a peculiar hazardous multi road junction, effectively used by other drivers as a roundabout, and my house is situated lower down. Whilst his unnecessary encroachment is annoying, it not only hinders my visibility further when entering onto the highway, but prevents me being able to use my (£7k) driveway for its intended purpose due to the hazard – i.e. to drive in, u-turn and be able to exit out again without having to reverse out and get smashed into.

Why would you want to waste time turning around on your driveway when you can simply reverse onto it and then drive out? 
This should be the standard way anyone parks on a driveway anyway.

Hi Marvel1 & Tokmon - the answer as to why I prefer not to reverse in is due to the high risk reason I stated: our houses are situated "opposite a peculiar hazardous multi-road junction..."
Your suggestion may apply to an average driveway situation, but we have a grassed triangular junction with no road markings on a sloping hill with my property being lower down than the neighbours, it has three blind bends round which vehicles drive at speed, and the junction's also used as a roundabout. 
It may be physically possible to reverse into the driveway, but it is extremely risky. 
To mitigate the risk the simplest solution was to extend my driveway to enable me to enter, manoeuvre, and drive out safely. I previously stated 'U-turn', but 3-point turn would be more accurate.

Even if we leave the hazardous location aside, as a property owner I thought I had the right to utilise and access my own driveway  without interference from an obnoxious neighbour who unnecessarily parks his vehicle causing an obstruction when he has ample space both on his own property, and in front of his own property. It transpires I may be wrong and who ultimately determines how one accesses, uses, parks or exits from one's driveway is not the actual property owner or resident, but someone else if they choose to interfere. 

So using that logic the neighbors car must be almost completely destroyed by now by parking on the road right by your driveway by all the cars crashing into it due to the high risk.... but i assume that's not the case.

Reversing into a driveway simply involves stopping just past it and reversing in. It takes no more than 10 seconds longer to reverse in than go in forwards and you will be reversing towards your neighbors car that is parked there so little risk of someone crashing in behind you.

I really think your exaggerating the risk of reversing when it is only slightly more risky than going in forwards.