Neighbours entitlement

[Shandylou]

This is something I feel really embarrassed posting as it concerns an entitled neighbour. We have a neighbour who we used to get on really well with until I parked in ‘his’ space. I will make it clear that my road is a public road where anyone can park there with no restrictions. Every house has a driveway. We have two vehicles, one gets parked on the drive and one on the road. My neighbour also has two cars but refuses to use his driveway and has an entitlement over the spaces outside his house. Normally we try and let him have those spaces but if there aren’t any others we will park there. When we first fell out he retaliated by parking his car half way over our driveway which meant my husband couldn’t respond to an emergency if he had a fire shout and things got heated. Eventually the wife moved the car forwards. Since then they’ve not spoken to us which is fine. Fast forward to last night and we took the last space outside and he did the same again (not completely blocking us in but making deliberate retaliation by parking over our boundary and refusing to use his driveway). I spoke to him this morning and said to stop parking over our drive and just use his driveway for its intended purpose and he told me to be scared as a complaint has gone in about my husband. He didn’t say to who and just walked off which has me concerned that he is phoning employers or police etc to stir up trouble when we haven’t done anything except park our cars legally. This seems really pathetic but is making our lives a misery through their entitlement. I just want to know if there’s anything we should do to protect ourselves.

[echat11]

Keep a diary, date, time, what was said, take pictures. One thing he should not do is 'threaten' or try and 'intimidate' you.

You are protected from harassment through the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.

Try not to worry, update the thread.

[Shandylou]

Thank you

[HandyAndy]

Your neighbour should realise that he should not park - even partially - across the entrance to your property (provided it has a proper "crossover" and dropped kerb). Many local authorities will enforce this by means of a PCN. Here's my LA's take on the issue:

What action can be taken?

A Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) can be issued to any vehicle parked in front of a shared or pedestrian dropped kerb. Enforcement of this type of dropped kerb is carried out routinely, although action can also be taken on receipt of a report of incorrect parking.

A PCN can also be issued to a vehicle parked in front of a residential dropped kerb, but only on receipt of a report of incorrect parking from the person who resides at the address identified in the report. The report must include details of the parked vehicle, including make, colour and vehicle registration number. The image below shows the area that must be kept clear.

[The image shows a picture of a driveway with a dropped kerb, and an indication that parking should not take place over the "flat" bit of the kerb.}

Arrangements will be made for a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) on duty nearby to visit the location. A PCN will only be issued to the vehicle identified in the request if it is found to be parked in the area that must be kept clear and even if only part of it is overhanging. To arrange for a CEO to visit your address, you can report incorrect parking. Enforcement action in response to a report of incorrect parking will be as appropriate and as resources allow.

Registering your residential dropped kerb

Residents who are regularly inconvenienced by vehicles obstructing the dropped kerb/driveway outside their property can register their address giving authorisation for routine parking enforcement. This will enable our officers to visit the address regularly and issue penalties to any vehicles parked in the area that should be kept clear. It should be noted that once a residential dropped kerb has been registered, any vehicle parked across it may be issued with a PCN, even the vehicle is owned by the resident and/or their visitors.

One of my neighbours suffered exactly your problem. Somebody kept parking across his dropped kerb, leaving him just sufficient space to squeeze in and out. This made it very difficult for him, especially as we live in a narrow cul-de-sac and his car was on the large size. After similar attempts at polite resolution (to no avail) my neighbour told the miscreant what he was going to do and reported each and every subsequent infringement. After three or four reports, eventually an enforcement officer turned up to slap the ticket on. I think it took two goes (at £80 a throw) before the penny dropped.

You should not put up with this - especially as, from your description, it is totally unnecessary.. Your neighbour is obviously an entitled and disrespectful idiot (to put it politely).

[Shandylou]

Thank you for all this information. I will take a look at my local council’s policy. And your last sentence is very very accurate. Thank you