Letting a neighbour park on my land

kuepper

Where I live there's a 'rustic' parking area at the rear of the houses on my terrace in a rural area. However it's not a communal parking area and most houses have their own plot of land at the rear of each house to park on but some have none and so park on the street. I got rid of my car a couple of months ago and a neighbour who doesn't have a parking plot realised I wasn't using mine and asked if he could park there until I needed it. As I didn't have a car and was caught on the hop I felt awkward saying no. However, I've got increasingly annoyed at seeing someone else's car on my land and it being washed, worked on etc and having my rural view partially obstructed by someone else's car. I've wondered if I let him carry on parking there whether that would make me liable if for example something happened to him while he was carrying out some repairs on his car on my land. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to ask him to stop parking on my land but if he asks why I've changed my mind I don't know how to respond.

Brie

Presumably you have some sort of home insurance which includes liability in case of an accident on your property.  Presumably this would cover your neighbour when they are working on their car.

That said - the biggest issue I'm hearing is that you've decided you don't want the car parked there.  So tell him.  Maybe say you're looking at turning that bit of land into a veg patch or putting up a shed for your nephew's motorbike or whatever. 

I would hope your neighbour will take this all in good grace and say thank you and buy you a bottle of something or a new rose bush, whatever.

kuepper

Brie said:

Presumably you have some sort of home insurance which includes liability in case of an accident on your property.  Presumably this would cover your neighbour when they are working on their car.

That said - the biggest issue I'm hearing is that you've decided you don't want the car parked there.  So tell him.  Maybe say you're looking at turning that bit of land into a veg patch or putting up a shed for your nephew's motorbike or whatever. 

I would hope your neighbour will take this all in good grace and say thank you and buy you a bottle of something or a new rose bush, whatever.

Yes I don't want a car parked there but it'll be obvious that I'm not putting up a shed or creating a veg patch so I don't really know what to say as he's  a bit intimidating

Martin_the_Unjust

Turn it into a small wildlife garden or meadow?

kuepper

Martin_the_Unjust said:

Turn it into a small wildlife garden or meadow?

it's only the size of a couple cars and as above it'll be obvious to him when I haven't done that

Emmia

kuepper said:

Martin_the_Unjust said:

Turn it into a small wildlife garden or meadow?

it's only the size of a couple cars and as above it'll be obvious to him when I haven't done that

If he asks just say you've changed your mind... But actually it would be easy to just have a bit of a wildflower thing going on to provide you with "justification".

badmemory

Tell him there is an issue with your insurance

Brie

Tell him the truth (don't want you here) or tell him a lie (veg patch) but it doesn't matter.  Just tell him you don't want him there.  You can tell him anything and change your mind the next day.  Not his business if you change your mind.  

Actually - the issue with your insurance is a good line - keeps it impersonal and you can both agree that big business are the pits and no one likes them rather than something more about you or him.

Emmia

kuepper said:

Brie said:

Presumably you have some sort of home insurance which includes liability in case of an accident on your property.  Presumably this would cover your neighbour when they are working on their car.

That said - the biggest issue I'm hearing is that you've decided you don't want the car parked there.  So tell him.  Maybe say you're looking at turning that bit of land into a veg patch or putting up a shed for your nephew's motorbike or whatever. 

I would hope your neighbour will take this all in good grace and say thank you and buy you a bottle of something or a new rose bush, whatever.

Yes I don't want a car parked there but it'll be obvious that I'm not putting up a shed or creating a veg patch so I don't really know what to say as he's  a bit intimidating

Unfortunately, whatever excuse/justification you use, you're going to have to put on your grownup pants and talk to him, to tell him he can't park in your space any more.

FlorayG

You have two options;
1)Tell him sorry I don't want you to park there any more; you don't need a reason, it's your land
2) Continue to let him park there, get annoyed ( with yourself) every time you look out

DullGreyGuy

kuepper said:

Where I live there's a 'rustic' parking area at the rear of the houses on my terrace in a rural area. However it's not a communal parking area and most houses have their own plot of land at the rear of each house to park on but some have none and so park on the street. I got rid of my car a couple of months ago and a neighbour who doesn't have a parking plot realised I wasn't using mine and asked if he could park there until I needed it. As I didn't have a car and was caught on the hop I felt awkward saying no. However, I've got increasingly annoyed at seeing someone else's car on my land and it being washed, worked on etc and having my rural view partially obstructed by someone else's car. I've wondered if I let him carry on parking there whether that would make me liable if for example something happened to him while he was carrying out some repairs on his car on my land. I'm trying to pluck up the courage to ask him to stop parking on my land but if he asks why I've changed my mind I don't know how to respond.

If he does something stupid like trying to balance the car on bricks rather than axel stands and it falls on him then you are not going to be held liable for it. If he is using axel stands and puts it on a dodgy paving slab that you've been meaning to fix for years and it tips and drops the car on him then you may or may not be liable but you may still have to deal with the hassle of someone suing you. 

The above would be covered by your Building's insurance as the owner of the property. Contents insurance also has Liability cover embedded in it but to cover you as the occupier of the building rather than owner. 

Either just tell him or tell him your insurance isnt happy with it and yes you've already told them you arent being paid for it.