Parking laws

[sukkie]

We have a problem which i am sure everyone has, parking at your place of residence. My husband and I both have cars and so does my son, we all travel in different directions at different times so it was necessary. One car is parked on the driveway and the other two on the street, we sometimes due to lack of space need to park partly on the pavement. Is this illegal as our neighbour secretly keeps on putting notes on our windo but his motorhome takes up a street parking permanently, if he goes away with the motor home he then moves his car off his driveway and puts it where the motorhome was so no one can take the parking. He also often leaves his driveway empty and parks his cars on the street so that we cannot get parking. Is he allowed to do this?

[Grunty]

Technically any street parking can be said to be illegal, but that offence has long gone out of use.

Parking with any part of the vehicle on the footpath certainly breaches several laws. First it is illegal to drive on the path except to cross it to gain access to a driveway etc. It is also causing an unnecessary obstruction to people who have the temerity to use the footpath for walking on. I do not know the current maximum fines, but they are high.

It is also useful to consider the possibilities. The danger to pedestrians is obvious enough, particularly if they are pushing babies, using wheelchairs or are blind. Because the footpath is only built to take the weight of people walking, this practice causes damage, which in turn can damage underground services like gas mains. About 30 years ago, 2 incidents happened, only the first of which I saw with my own eyes. Vehicles had damaged the path so much that flames from a gas main were about two feet high and 150 yards long. The other was a vehicle that was parked on a footpath and fell into a cellar.

Your neighbour would be better advised to report the matter to the police than to leave notes on your car.

[Toureman]

As the post above says, you are parking illegaly, your neighbour is parking legally.

If you want to stop your neighbour putting notices on your car apply for an A.S.B.O. to stop him! this has been done succesfully in another case.

[b_attenburg]

Assuming he pays his road tax and is parking legally, ie away from junctions and not blocking drives. He can park anywhere on the road. Even if it seems vindictive. He's probably just a bit over precious about his motor home. Ahh.

[sukkie]

Thanks for the info but what does everybody do when you have a neighbour who delibrately takes a street parking instead of using his driveway knowing that he is blocking you from getting a parking space. We heard him moaning today about us taking two street parkings but he also takes two, one of them permantly with his motor home. Do you think he is just being spiteful?

[sukkie]

I also find that just about everyone here parks half on and half off the pavement to leave a clear roadway. He never puts notes on other cars. We have done nothing to him at all and have always been polite.

[Toureman]

Seems like you just live next to a Moron!

[stanleyman]

Why not park in his drive if he doesn't use it :-)

[Gef]

Your neighbour sounds annoying but he is doing nothing wrong. You are the only one breaking the law. Parking on the pavement is illegal.

[rachela500]

You can't do anything about him not using his driveway.

Wait til he moves his motorhome, then before he gets a chance to put his car there, park your car there. He can't be in two vehicles at once. He will obviously see you do this but he seems a bit of a t*** anyway so I wouldn't worry.

You could always let his car tyres down when he goes away in his motorhome! (just kidding, not advising you to commit a crime at all !!!)

[Jim897]

I think your neighbour's parking of his motorhome on the public highway may be questionable as the highway is intended for the free movement of road users. 'Conventional' parking is usually tolerated by us all, including the enforcement agencies, but the question of legality usually hinges on the interpretation of 'reasonableness'. If you can show that your neighbour, in parking his motorhome for such a length of time is committing an 'obstruction' of the highway then may be you have a point.

Trouble is no-one is really going to be interested in your finer interpretation of the law, including the police who turn a blind eye as theory and practice are two different matters.