Parking opposite a drive...

[garethEds]

Some good advice given in the noise pollution post in this forum so I thought I would ask here about a little problem I am having (ooer).

 

The house across the road parks opposite my drive. Directly opposite. This makes it very difficult to pull out of the drive at any time of the day - especially during rush hour.

 

Sometimes I reverse out (I know reversing onto a main road is wrong), but due to her parking there it is very difficult to stop on the road to reverse into the drive. Driving straight in is often the only option available.

 

She does sometimes park up on the pavement - but that is a seperate issue in itself.

 

Have I got any options or is it just the way it's going to have to be?

 

Advice appreciated,

 

Gareth

[laserblazer]

No! People just don't think. My mum's road is the same. The neighbours (nosey sods) watch as I wriggle the car between their car parked on the road and mum's drive. I deliberately get as close as I can just to get their pulse rates going. Oh and a good trick is to get out to examine potential damage and then watch them going over theor car with a fine tooth comb

[DaveMurphy]

Our Neighbour has the exact same problem but during school hours, (they live next to a school) numerous neighbours have been in complaining, they refused to publish it in the school bulletin, after contacting the council they requested it was put in, and they said that redcaps would be on the scene before and after school hours, they came once that was it... I ended up having to print, laminate and stick an A3 NO PARKING sign, although it seemed to work.

 

[maniac]

Unless there's double yellows or another parking restriction there, I'm not sure there's anything you can do apart from ask her nicely not to (which I'll assume you've already done?)

 

I suffer from the same sort of problem - my road is one way and very narrow with marked out parking bays and the rest double yellowed. I'm quite lucky as I have the end terrace with a narrow driveway along side it, and opposite it is double yellow lined. Problem is people always park on the double yellows - I know why they do as parking is very difficult in the area, but it does make it very hard to get on and off my driveway properly.

[mattx]

I had a neighbor who used to block me in on a daily basis, so what I did for a few days was to get up at 3AM in the morning, get in my car and just stick my hand on the horn until he came out and moved his car.

It made everyone in the road mad [ woke them up ] so I explained I would not do this if he stopped blocking me in. I even explained to him that around this period my son was VERY ill, in and out of hospital as he had recently suffered kidney failure - and that I to sometimes rush him in. Did this stop him ? Nope - only thing that stopped him in the end was [ I'm afraid to say was physical violence ] - he threatened me once [ took a swipe which I dodged ] so I punched him. Only took one punch, [ used to box, but that was over 20 years ago but it's like riding a bike ] - he's never blocked me [ or anyone else ] in since. [ And his wife left him ]

Edited February 18, 2010 by ZeroHour
Language

[SYNACK]

You need a set of these : Car Dollies

http://www.derekweaver.com/store/images/bikers_garage/CreateImage.aspx?img=Handle-Up-Ratchet.png&w=370&h=370

They come as a set of four and jack the car off the road by the wheels, I have seen road crews use them to move cars that are in their way. Once the car is jacked up you can just push it along on the little casters to wherever you want it. Nothing messes with someone like moving their car around the block without opening it

 

Disclaimer: probably not the best of ideas but a fun one.

[MkII]

Officially you have no right to park outside your house. You would be in your full rights to park there on your neighbours frontage, for example. It all gets a bit nasty tho', and diplomacy is always the best option.

 

Often it's the situation where parking space is inadequate and ill planned for, usually understandably with housing built before we all had so many cars. New builds with shared driveways and skimped space really is annoying.

[Kipling]

The best thing you can have in your favour is an officially licensed dropped curb. If you’ve got that then it’s my understanding that you have a legal right to be able to use it to exit your property.

 

The PNLD is typically vague.

https://www.askthe.police.uk/Content/Q440.htm

[garethEds]

The best thing you can have in your favour is an officially licensed dropped curb. If you’ve got that then it’s my understanding that you have a legal right to be able to use it to exit your property.

 

The PNLD is typically vague.

https://www.askthe.police.uk/Content/Q440.htm

 

Yes the pavement outside our house is a dropped cerb. If I drove my wife's mini it wouldn't be a problem, but I have an estate car so getting out in the morning is a nightmare (front or back) as the angle is so steep to avoid her car.

 

To top it all she's just bought a Ford Galaxy which is bigger than the Skoda she was parking there.

 

:-(

 

GJE

[witch]

I have the same problem - I went and asked nicely and they mostly remember, although I do have to remind them. I have a big car and unless I can reverse straight out until my car touches the opposite kerb, I have little chance of swinging around onto the road, especially if there are cars parked each side of my drive on my side of the road.

I did ask the council and police and was told that unfortunately it isn't a right so diplomacy, or fear, is the only way

[box_l]

Years ago when i lived in london, having been blocked in by some guys who would'nt lower a hydraulic ram bollard, I was informed by a chief constable that you could not be charged with criminal damage if you take something apart carefully so that it could be put back together. With him, (the Chief Constable) watching we dismantled the bollard and placed all the pieces by the side of the alley. In the course of the conversation he confirmed that if someone had parked in or across you driveway you could FULLY dismantle their car in order to get out. Now this is a bit extreme, but was nice to have the law on your side.

 

BoX

 

ps. I never put this to the test, so dont just do it on my say so!

[localzuk]

Years ago when i lived in london, having been blocked in by some guys who would'nt lower a hydraulic ram bollard, I was informed by a chief constable that you could not be charged with criminal damage if you take something apart carefully so that it could be put back together. With him, (the Chief Constable) watching we dismantled the bollard and placed all the pieces by the side of the alley. In the course of the conversation he confirmed that if someone had parked in or across you driveway you could FULLY dismantle their car in order to get out. Now this is a bit extreme, but was nice to have the law on your side.

 

BoX

 

ps. I never put this to the test, so dont just do it on my say so!

 

I don't think you were being told the truth there. I know someone who was arrested for taking down a poster. No damage done to the poster, but as the company who put it up would need to put effort into putting it back up, it was classed as criminal damage. They went to the extent of fingerprinting him and the poster to gather evidence...

[mossj]

If diplomacy fails and you don't fancy fisti cuffs, park your car in there spot, after all it is over the road...

 

When they ask you to move it say, "oh I'm sorry is it in your way" in a sarcy tone and carry on as usual.

[box_l]

@localzuk

Maybe, however, I was watched by the policeman as I took it apart. He seemed fine with it.

 

S'pose it depends on the copper.

[garethEds]

I have the same problem - I went and asked nicely and they mostly remember, although I do have to remind them. I have a big car and unless I can reverse straight out until my car touches the opposite kerb, I have little chance of swinging around onto the road, especially if there are cars parked each side of my drive on my side of the road.

I did ask the council and police and was told that unfortunately it isn't a right so diplomacy, or fear, is the only way

 

This is exactly how it is with me. I have asked but it still happens. I've beeped the horn at 6:30 in the morning. I've also nearly hit their car with my towhitch but a kid shouted at me to stop so I did. Like you I have left and right cars parked - one of which is a large transit van which is bad enough to see past.

 

They are not very nice people (or so I am told).

 

GJE

[AyatollahPies]

Officially you have no right to park outside your house. You would be in your full rights to park there on your neighbours frontage, for example. It all gets a bit nasty tho', and diplomacy is always the best option.

 

Often it's the situation where parking space is inadequate and ill planned for, usually understandably with housing built before we all had so many cars. New builds with shared driveways and skimped space really is annoying.

 

Made all the worse by landlords converting family homes into flats catering for 4-5 "young professionals", all with cars.

[tech_guy]

I live on a bend and opposite us there is a cul-de-sac, separated from us and the road by a grass verge and pavement. Because parking is sometimes difficult in the cul-de-sac, some of the residents park on our road - directly opposite my drive. The combination of this and being on a bend, makes it tricky to pull out sometimes.

 

My neighbours further up the road have a similar problem, this time with the neighbours opposite parking right on a busy t-junction.

 

The situation is not improved by the fact that although it's a 30mph road, the chavboyracers on the estate use the road as a racetrack.

 

I've spoken to the council and police, but there is nothing they can do. I even offered to pay for the cost of the yellow paint for the double yellow lines.

[sidewinder]

Until you mentioned it to them then I doubt they even realised it was a problem. I'd never even consider it, if I park in a residential area all I think about is not blocking anyones driveway.

Cant see what you could do apart from keep politely asking them, as its not as if you're blocked - reversing into the road isnt ideal but its not the end of the world

[IrritableTech]

It's my understanding that preventing someone moving their vehicle is now illegal unless completed by a licensed firm following the relevant guidelines ever since the change in clamping law.

 

If your neighbour is making it difficult to move your car, technically fine. If the neighbour is making it impossible, it could be against the law.

[AyatollahPies]

No! People just don't think. My mum's road is the same. The neighbours (nosey sods) watch as I wriggle the car between their car parked on the road and mum's drive. I deliberately get as close as I can just to get their pulse rates going. Oh and a good trick is to get out to examine potential damage and then watch them going over theor car with a fine tooth comb

 

Surely you meant to say people just don't care?

[Theblacksheep]

if its not yellow lined and you can get out, even if it involves a few more manoeuvres then they are well within their right to park there.

 

 

However so are you. You could park there... you can also get a skip and leave it there for a few weeks.

[HarryMonkey]

if its not yellow lined and you can get out, even if it involves a few more manoeuvres then they are well within their right to park there.

 

 

However so are you. You could park there... you can also get a skip and leave it there for a few weeks.

 

IIRC, you can only leave a skip in the road with proper permission from the local council and it has to be checked out by them, properly lit and only there for the permitted period. If it was going to cause problems for access, it's unlikely that permission would be granted.

[sippo]

The driver in question just lacks common courtesey. They don't think.

 

Around by us, a new housing estate, people park where-ever they want- on roundabouts, bends, on the pavement...

 

Unfortunately its society today.