# Parking Dispute



## newbs (Oct 30, 2011)

Just wondering if any of you know who best for us to contact re a parking dispute with a neighbour?

We own 2 garages, side by side and a lady lives in a coach house type flat above our garages.  Her front door is beside our second garage and then she has a garage of her own the other side of her front door.  For some reason which we cannot fathom, she keeps parking outside of our garages, rather than her own, meaning we are unable to parallel park outside of our garages or access either of them to put the car away.  We have spoken to her nicely but she hasn't taken any notice and continues to park there everyday. She doesn't work and doesn't go out much and as OH and I both work we have no chance of parking as she is always there.

I have contacted the Council who say it is not a problem they can help with.  I am considering phoning the non-emergency police line but is this a police matter?  Not sure what else to do, surely we have rights to park outside of our own garages?

Sorry for the long post!


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## Robster65 (Oct 30, 2011)

If it's not on the highway, I would doubt if the police would help. You'll probably need a solicitor to write to her advising her not to park there and then presumably you'll need a court order if she doesn't comply.

If the frontage is yours and all she has is an easement across it, then she doesn't have the right to park there without your permission. If the deeds are a bit of a mess, then you'll have to hope there's some ruling about obstruction I would imagine.

Best of luck. Hate neighbour disputes. They never end nicely.

Rob


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## Catwoman76 (Oct 30, 2011)

newbs said:


> Just wondering if any of you know who best for us to contact re a parking dispute with a neighbour?
> 
> We own 2 garages, side by side and a lady lives in a coach house type flat above our garages.  Her front door is beside our second garage and then she has a garage of her own the other side of her front door.  For some reason which we cannot fathom, she keeps parking outside of our garages, rather than her own, meaning we are unable to parallel park outside of our garages or access either of them to put the car away.  We have spoken to her nicely but she hasn't taken any notice and continues to park there everyday. She doesn't work and doesn't go out much and as OH and I both work we have no chance of parking as she is always there.
> 
> ...



Hi that is a difficult one when it involves neighbours.  I wouldn't phone the Police, but keep a diary of her parking and any images you can take of her parking in front of your garage.  Also, maybe a large sign  ( maybe painted on etc) that says NO PARKING PLEASE or GARAGE IN USE.  I don't drive myself and have never had a garage, but it is naughty of the lady not to take  any notice of your property.  I hope you find something that helps, keep us posted.  Good luck  Sheena


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## Northerner (Oct 30, 2011)

I don't drive either, but it all sounds very rude and totally unnecessary  Hope you can get a good and speedy resolution to it, no-one needs this kind of behaviour


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## Pumper_Sue (Oct 30, 2011)

Would it be a cheaper option to wait until she goes out and park one of your cars across both spaces so she can not park there when she comes back?
Then sink some metal posts in the ground so you can put some chains around your parking lots and padlock them.

It might just be a case of she does go out but waits until you and hubby have both gone to work. So pull a fast one. When you have a day off go out as normal and park the car up so she can't see it then watch and see if she goes out. Then move your car back into rightful place 

Might take a while but could be cheaper than involving solicitors etc.

Another option is charge her ?50 a day for parking on your land


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## margie (Oct 30, 2011)

Does she rent as if she does she may have been told she has a garage and believes it to be under where she lives. If you have said something like could you not park in front of our garage its possible that she things that you have her mixed up with someone else.

I would try and have another chat with her explaining that the garages are yours not hers and I would consider speaking to the Citizens Advice Bureau who may be able to help you.

I hope you get it sorted soon.


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## David H (Oct 30, 2011)

If you own both garages and her apt is over your garages are you her landlady ??

I would suggest getting a sign affixed to *your garage door* saying:

*Access to this garage is required 24hrs a day any vehicle found obstructing it will be clamped. Release Fee ?150*

Then get a wheel clamp from an auto accessory shop inform the police in writing about your intention.

Then if she doesn't move - clamp her and don't release her till you get paid.
Then put in posts and chains as suggested.

It's unlikely she'll obstruct your garage again.


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## Copepod (Oct 30, 2011)

All depends on what your and her deeds say - if you both own your houses and garages. Otherwise it depends on what your rental agreements say. First step is to read your deeds or rental agreement and to seek advice from a solicitor if you can't understand it or don't know where to go next. 

Your rights to install posts, chains etc also depend on your deeds, so don't install without checking first. You can't put posts, for example, in a pavement, unless you own it. 

It's just possible that it might come under the scope of anti social behaviour, and many police forces now have or are planning to introduce, non-emergency phone numbers or could give advice at community surgeries if they hold them in your area.


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## vince13 (Oct 30, 2011)

As already advised upthread, I'd ask the Citizen's Advice Bureau initially beause a solicityor will charge you for advice and any letters they write.  In the long run it may be worth getting a solicitor involved as your deeds will prove who is in the right.  Good luck - such unfriendliness from your neighbour is horrid.


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## Ellie Jones (Oct 30, 2011)

Difficult one..

Me I phone the police up, saying that the car is constantly being left on your land preventing access into your garages...  So you are going to arrange for it to be towed away!

Shame she didn't work, otherwise I would say use our cars to block her in, then when she asks refuse to move your cars...

Many years ago I did this to a near neighbours daughter worked a treat..

My and my neighbours garages were tucked in a conner (as we lived in a cul-de-sac) with drive, and you could get one car in front of the drive face on, due to a garden running along side..

I had my caravan on my drive as I was due to go on holiday, when I got home I found she had parked in front of my drive I had nowhere to park, so I parked behind her car, she managed to get out somehow not sure how though..

The next night came home and her flippen car was there again, so I unlocked the wheel lock on my caravan, pushed to the edge of my drive, then secured it...  I parked my car behind hers with my front bumper almost touching hers...   She was totally hemmed in

My the husband was on nights, so when she knocked on my door at 10.30pm I answered my door in my dressing gown..  She asked me to move my car, I said sorry but I was in bed so she would have to wait until the morning, she wasn't amused about this..

I explained I wasn't amused to where she was parking her car, and no I wouldn't be moving mine due to this, and if she would like to come back in the morning I would be leaving for work at 7.30am and she could move her car then!

She whinged, I repeated myself that I wasn't moving my car, unless of cause an officer of the law came to my door and requested to me do so!

Don't know whether she did phone the police or not, but I had a smug smile on my face when her car was still there when I left in the morning, but she got the hint as she never parked there after that


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## Northerner (Oct 30, 2011)

Just thinking about it - me and my neighbour have a shared driveway and as she is the only one with a car I'm happy for her to park her car there. Once I was talking to her and she said that it a car parked on the road in front of our drive and her car wasn't there, there was nothing the police could do, but if the car blocked the drive preventing her from getting out then the police could ask for it to be moved.


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## Vicsetter (Oct 31, 2011)

David H said:


> If you own both garages and her apt is over your garages are you her landlady ??
> 
> I would suggest getting a sign affixed to *your garage door* saying:
> 
> ...



I do believe that unauthorised clamping is illegal!


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## trophywench (Oct 31, 2011)

There's some plonker who parks a pick-up truck with the arse end of it halfway over our drive entrance.  I caught him doing it one day and he did move it forward (I mean I was coming out to get in my car, so he could see I was indeed going out) but since then it hasn't actually inconvenienced me just narked me because there is another 50ft in front of him where he could quite easily be instead of over my drive.

He might just find himself with a fine or towed away though if I'm in a bad enough mood one day - cos he's parking illegally anyway, on double yellows!

The parking here on the rd is a PITA with the lines and bus stops, and we've had nice people before in that house to the extent we've said to them when we've gone on holiday to use our drive because it will look like there's somebody here.

You know it's still in the Highway Code, innit? - "give consideration to other road users" - to my mind that applies in all these cases!


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## elliebug (Oct 31, 2011)

my parents have a similar problem as they live close to town and you now have to pay to park in town, they rang the police who said if the car was inside the garage and couldn't get out the they would come and tow it, however, if we just wanted to put the car inside it they couldnt tow it, not sure why. we did leave several notes on the cars before we got them towed though!!


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## novorapidboi26 (Oct 31, 2011)

The theory of it seems simple...........


Its a garage, ingress and egress has to be maintained. Its likely as its not being used your neighbor has just made an assumption, but it seems it has not been discussed with you or pre arranged, which is rude.

If you own the house, or even if you dont, the offending neighbor cannot park there legally...........

so it could really be rectified just by talking to them, they cant argue there case..........


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## newbs (Oct 31, 2011)

We part-own our house and the 2 garages with our local housing association, her apartment is owned by the Council.  Her front door is in the middle of 4 garages which she lives above, 2 on the right, owned by us, 2 on the left, 1 is hers and the other is the next door neighbour to her.  Our garages face the highway and there is a pavement between our garages/forecourt and the highway so we are unable to install posts etc.  She is parking on the highway but obstructing our garages.  I called the non-emergency Police no. this morning and they have suggested we speak with her again.  If she takes no notice they will then come and speak to her and tell her she can be done for anti-social behaviour and obstruction.  I really hope it doesn't come to this though, have never had a neighbour dispute before!  We could then get her vehicle clamped and removed if she continued to obstruct but would have to pay for that ourselves as the police do not do this.  

Hadn't thought about Citizen's Advice, will keep them in mind.  Can't really afford Solicitor's fees, or want to go that far unless I can help it.


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## Northerner (Oct 31, 2011)

If she really doesn't need to park there then hopefully this will make her see sense. CAB might have a 'standard letter' that you can use that contains all the right things to say to try and resolve it. Good luck!


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