My neighbour keeps parking his car on my drive…he’s refusing to move it & is threatening ME but I know he’s in the wrong
A MAN has shared his frustration after his neighbour began repeatedly parking his car on his driveway.
The man explained that he splashed cash on a new driveway just four weeks ago, but ever since, his neighbour, who has four sports cars, is using one of the spots for himself.
Not only this, but now, his neighbour has begun threatening him and claimed that he will sue him if he causes any damage to his vehicle.
Keen to open up on the situation, the man took to social media to reveal all, leaving many open-mouthed.
Posting on Reddit, on the r/LegalAdviceUK thread, the man wrote under the username @CircleOfO and titled his post ‘Neighbour parked on my driveway’.
He then explained: “We installed a driveway (to our own great expense) at my home about a month ago.
“A big reason for this is my neighbour has four cars, sporty type things, and was a total pain with regards to strategic parking. It basically meant that we could never park on our street.
“We came home one day to find the neighbour had taken one of our driveway spots for himself and one of his cars.
“He is obviously refusing to move it and insists that if there is any damage, he’ll sue me. The police of course want nothing to do with it.
“So what can I do? It seems the only real recourse is to serve an eviction notice on him.”
Unsure on how to proceed, the man added: “It seems insane that the law is totally on his side and even protects his behaviour.
“We are even scared to take out my partner‘s car in case he decides to put a second one on it!
“He already swaps it in, so when he wants to take the car on the driveway out, he moves it then puts another car on there which – as far as I understand – will potentially mean the first eviction notice won’t matter if a different car is on it?
“I have had a further idea and that is to buy a big metal bollard and fit it right in front of his car. That way he cannot get his car out without damaging my property. Could this possibly work?
“Or is there yet some other law that means I get rinsed and he gets his way? I’m about ready to set to work on the damned thing with a baseball bat!”
The Top Five Reasons Neighbours Squabble
One study by Compare the Market revealed the top reason British neighbour's argue
- Broken fences – top of the board was broken fences and whose responsibility it was to fix it
- Parking: one of the leading drivers of neighbour disputes, with 54.1 per cent of people having issues with people parking in front of their house, parking bay or driveway
- Trees – complaints about a neighbour’s tree cracking your garden path was also common with nearly half of participants finding it frustrating
- Bin wars – outdoor bin etiquette continues to ignite the most furious debates between neighbours
- Nosy Neighbours – some people have their eyes and ears at the ready to have a peek causing problems for others
The man later shared an update on the situation, as he confessed: “I did contact the housing association. To cut a three week conversation short, I did have a woman come out to talk to me about the situation to mediate.
“The woman who lives there pleaded ignorance and said she didn’t know who owned the car on my driveway.
“After several attempts at calling, none of them were interested in my camera phone footage.”
It’s all been very stressful and it’s amazing that he just hasn’t cared
Reddit poster
Not only this, but he continued: “I finally called a solicitor who also told me I was basically on losing ground because if he has more than one car, if we go to the expense of getting one car off, technically putting another one on is a different thing and lots of other bad noise.
“The car was there since and it was definitely looking like I could do nothing about it whatsoever.
“Last week, my partner came back one day from her antenatal class to find his car gone and leapt in straight away to take the spot. It was pure luck.
I had a two-year bin war with my next door neighbour
Gemma Smith and Sophie Wood were engaged in a weekly feud for a year over their wheelie bins.
When Gemma moved next door to Sophie, 34, who is unemployed, in November 2020 they were civil to one another.
Gemma, who is single and doesn’t work due to stress, says: “Sophie seemed nice and we’d stop and exchange pleasantries.
“But it all changed at the beginning of 2022, when Sophie’s bin was full and she put her rubbish bag in mine.
“I took it out and put it on top of her bin.
“It fell off, gulls pecked at it and there was rubbish everywhere.”
Both women refused to clear up the mess, claiming it was the other one’s fault.
Gemma says: “I felt so angry.
“There was cat litter spread all over my drive — it was absolutely disgusting and we ended up shouting at each other.
“We were both as bad as each other — we’d walk past each other and I’d tell her she was a lazy cow and to clean up after herself.
“We’d scream insults at each other.”
Within six months Sophie had set up a CCTV camera and threatened to report Gemma to the council.
In retaliation, Gemma set up the baby monitor — which can record video — to try to pin more wrongdoing on Sophie.
Then last July Sophie spotted Gemma in tears on her doorstep following a burglary at her home.
Gemma says: “Sophie came straight round and asked if there was anything she could do.
“We are now the best of friends and help each other out all the time.”
“He apparently showed up mere seconds later looking annoyed and even demanded she move so he could squeeze on. All this while there is a street spot a mere three car lengths away.
“We have not moved the cars since and even had a mate bring his wife’s car over to ensure all three spots are very much taken up on the driveway.”
Keen to put a stop to his neighbour’s behaviour, he revealed: “I have a company coming on Thursday to install remote bollards and have installed a bunch of CCTV cameras pointing to our cars, but still waiting for the PC for the actual recording.
“It’s all been very stressful and it’s amazing that he just hasn’t cared. My partner ran into the woman neighbour sometime after we managed to snag the spaces back who apologised for his behaviour.
He is obviously refusing to move it and insists that if there is any damage, he’ll sue me
Reddit poster
“But she was not willing to do anything. So there you have it.
“Next time you’re struggling for a spot, park where you like. It seems that nobody can do a damn thing about it anyway.
“At the moment, we are deciding on whether to remortgage in March and stay put, or sell up and be done with the neighbours because there’s obviously a score he now feels the need to settle.”
Reddit users react
Reddit users were shocked by the man’s situation and many flocked to the comments to share their advice.
One person recommended: “Sue him for trespass, and seek a civil injunction for him to remove the car and either get permission from the court to remove the vehicle yourself (i.e. by you contracting bailiffs to tow it away), or rely on the threat of being found in contempt to make him move it himself.”
Another added: “Collapsible bollard is your best bet. Injunction/nuisance claim is probably another option.”
Whilst a third commented: “If the car is taxed, the legal answer is to take him to court and get an eviction order but this will be at your (high) expense.”