Parking on foothpath?

gkimbo

Hello... I know this post is a bit old but i have a question regarding drive ways. We recently had a falling out with our neighbour. She lives in a corner house and has lots of room to park but recently she became a bit of a cow and is parking right on top of our drive way. Sometimes i park my car on the street but she parks on top of my car. Parking is really tight on the road and i have to inche out . I have now started to put the car in the driveway. I have an official dip that allows me to drive into my drive way. My neighbour is now parking right onto my Dip. So now when im reversing out of my driveway I cant uses the dip as i will hit her car. This is now starting to causes my car damage as i have to uses the pavement. Can i do anything or have i any right? I dont mine parking in the driveway but im unable to uses the dip that i paid for as part of my house. Its starting to damage my wheels and under my car as im hitting the pavement when i reverse out. Is there anything i can do as she not parking outside my house but parking right near my Dip?

paulmclaughlin

gkimbo wrote: »

Hello... I know this post is a bit old but i have a question regarding drive ways. We recently had a falling out with our neighbour. She lives in a corner house and has lots of room to park but recently she became a bit of a cow and is parking right on top of our drive way. Sometimes i park my car on the street but she parks on top of my car. Parking is really tight on the road and i have to inche out . I have now started to put the car in the driveway. I have an official dip that allows me to drive into my drive way. My neighbour is now parking right onto my Dip. So now when im reversing out of my driveway I cant uses the dip as i will hit her car. This is now starting to causes my car damage as i have to uses the pavement. Can i do anything or have i any right? I dont mine parking in the driveway but im unable to uses the dip that i paid for as part of my house. Its starting to damage my wheels and under my car as im hitting the pavement when i reverse out. Is there anything i can do as she not parking outside my house but parking right near my Dip?

Ask her nicely not to?

If that doesn't work, get her car towed for causing an obstruction.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

gkimbo wrote: »

Hello... I know this post is a bit old but i have a question regarding drive ways. We recently had a falling out with our neighbour. She lives in a corner house and has lots of room to park but recently she became a bit of a cow and is parking right on top of our drive way. Sometimes i park my car on the street but she parks on top of my car. Parking is really tight on the road and i have to inche out . I have now started to put the car in the driveway. I have an official dip that allows me to drive into my drive way. My neighbour is now parking right onto my Dip. So now when im reversing out of my driveway I cant uses the dip as i will hit her car. This is now starting to causes my car damage as i have to uses the pavement. Can i do anything or have i any right? I dont mine parking in the driveway but im unable to uses the dip that i paid for as part of my house. Its starting to damage my wheels and under my car as im hitting the pavement when i reverse out. Is there anything i can do as she not parking outside my house but parking right near my Dip?

Have you asked her to stop doing it?

slimjimmc

She's committing an offence.
Talk to her first but if she won't play ball let the Gardaí or Traffic Warden deal with her.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/si/0332.html

Prohibitions on parking


36. (1) Save as otherwise provided for in these Regulations and subject to article 5 a vehicle shall not be parked on a public road at a location, in a manner or for a purpose, referred to in sub-article (2).

(2) A vehicle shall not be parked—
:
(g) in any place, position or manner that will result in the vehicle obstructing an entrance or an exit for vehicles to or from a premises, save with the consent of the occupier of such premises.

gkimbo

Thanks for both the replies. I didn't say it to her as I didn't want her to know it was getting to me, She a bit of a weirdo and stop saying hello to me a couple of years back. I don't really care as I'm at work most of the day and I don't really see her. I get on with all my otherneightbours but this one seems to dislike me. I thought she was in her right to park right at my Dip but now she parks so close to my dip that the Wheels are on the pavement and the back of her car is hanging over my Dip. I think she is waiting on me to hit her car when I am reversing. I'll say it to her regarding Prohibitions on parking as now i know i have a right to get her to move her car.

enfant terrible

paulmclaughlin wrote: »

Ask her nicely not to?

If that doesn't work, get her car towed for causing an obstruction.

Out of interest, what allows you to get someone else's car towed away?

I assume guards have to be involved first?

robtri

corktina wrote: »

doesn't make any difference that it's out side your house. You may not park on footpath, not even one wheel on the kerb.

Tell me about it.... i slipped into a tight space in Phibsboro before, as the path curved in at the parking space, i ended up with one wheel on the path.... came back and found a fine on it for illegal parking....

visual

Ste- wrote:

Yes it was a footpath. So all the thousands of cars around Dublin parked on footpaths are illegal? The path in question is wide enough do no reason to go on the road.at all if passing. Where to park then in the meantime if the garden did get converted? Hazard lights not an option as it's overnight etc.

yes it's illegal for any car to park on foot path doesn't matter if foot path is twenty foot wide or if 1000s of other cars also illegally park on foot path.

biko

Moved out from an old thread

Jesus.

Pardon my ignorance, OP, but what do you mean by your "Dip"?

Del2005

gkimbo wrote: »

Hello... I know this post is a bit old but i have a question regarding drive ways. We recently had a falling out with our neighbour. She lives in a corner house and has lots of room to park but recently she became a bit of a cow and is parking right on top of our drive way. Sometimes i park my car on the street but she parks on top of my car. Parking is really tight on the road and i have to inche out . I have now started to put the car in the driveway. I have an official dip that allows me to drive into my drive way. My neighbour is now parking right onto my Dip. So now when im reversing out of my driveway I cant uses the dip as i will hit her car. This is now starting to causes my car damage as i have to uses the pavement. Can i do anything or have i any right? I dont mine parking in the driveway but im unable to uses the dip that i paid for as part of my house. Its starting to damage my wheels and under my car as im hitting the pavement when i reverse out. Is there anything i can do as she not parking outside my house but parking right near my Dip?

How high is the kerb that it's damaging the wheels and underside? I've driven onto a few high kerbs and have never damaged a wheel, just take it really slowly and maybe one wheel at a time as opposed to both.

Call over to her and explain that next time she parks across your driveway you'll call the Gardaí on her, it's illegal to block access. When she does you'll need to call them straight away as it may take a while to respond to a low priority call. Also start noting down any time she blocks access and any further interactions you have with her.

What's the legality of applying the hard to remove "You parked illegally" stickers not on private property?

Mongfinder General

It is also illegal for a car not to display licence plates. A neighbour of mine had his number plates blow away in the middle of the night one time. The police came and towed away the car.

Gumbo

Jesus. wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance, OP, but what do you mean by your "Dip"?

The dished part of the path outside his driveway I'd imagine.

stimpson

If you're in Dublin call the DCC clampers. I used to call them for my mother because she lives near a theatre and people would park like dicks. The clampers would happily come and lift the car. It was always good fun to watch people come back to their car thinking it was nicked.

gkimbo

Thanks for all the responses. I have to drive my car, in and out of my driveway every day. One wheel will hit the Dip and the other will hit the pavement. I can hear part of my car hitting part of the pavement, and it’s starting to cause damage. I do take it slowly going in and out as if I went fast I hit my neighbour’s cars. It’s also frustrating that I paid for a driveway and now I’m not getting the full use out of it. I was going to report her as she illegal put cement out side her house in order to get into her driveway, but some of my other neighbour’s (Which I like) have done the same thing and I don’t want to bring attention to them as they have done noting wrong.
The only thing about my situation is she not blocking my drive way, she parking so close to my Dip (Which is small) that in order not to hit her car, I have to uses part of my Dip and part of the pavement. It’s not so bad getting into the Driveway but when I’m reversing out, in order not to hit her car and the car across the road I have to inch out and part of my car will be hitting the Dip and part of my car will hit the pavement. One half of the car will hit the ground first and the other will be still on the pavement. My neighbour is doing this out of spite as she in a corner house and has lots of room to park. If I call the Guards, I don’t know if they will do anything as technically she not outside my house she just obstructing my Dip.

Cuddlesworth

Would it be fair to say that if you learned to reverse park this wouldn't be a issue.

MarkR

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Would it be fair to say that if you learned to reverse park this wouldn't be a issue.

For the OP? No, there would still be someone blocking their drive.

cletus

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Would it be fair to say that if you learned to reverse park this wouldn't be a issue.

I dont see how. The issues seems to be that the driveway to her house is partially blocked by the neighbours house. I'd imagine that the rear of her car is as wide as the front

2dizzylizzie

Ahhh neighbours, aren't they great… if the guards don't do anything, just start parking directly in front of her driveway and when she rings on the bell, tell her since she seems to be so fond of your driveway that she is practically in it each day, you thought you'd try parking in front of hers to see why she doesn't like it so much.

Cuddlesworth

cletus wrote: »

I dont see how. The issues seems to be that the driveway to her house is partially blocked by the neighbours house. I'd imagine that the rear of her car is as wide as the front

MarkR wrote: »

For the OP? No, there would still be someone blocking their drive.

Its not the way I read it. I currently live on a street like the Op describes, very narrow street, narrow driveways and dips a similar width. A fair number of cars park on it, mostly on the footpath as otherwise bin lorries can't pass. And I see the same issue from people who are unwilling or unable to reverse park.

If the neighbour is parked in front of the driveway either fully or partially, she can be towed. If she is parked as I suspect, which is close to but not directly in front of the driveway then if she pushes the point there is little the Gardai can do to help. If she is on the footpath, she can be towed or ticketed. But she can simply park on the road to make matters worse for the OP.

The reality is, if my driveway was being blocked in the way the OP describes, I was simply adjust the angle at which I approach it.

Cuddlesworth

2dizzylizzie wrote: »

Ahhh neighbours, aren't they great… if the guards don't do anything, just start parking directly in front of her driveway and when she rings on the bell, tell her since she seems to be so fond of your driveway that she is practically in it each day, you thought you'd try parking in front of hers to see why she doesn't like it so much.

Escalation never works.

cletus

gkimbo wrote: »

Wheels are on the pavement and the back of her car is hanging over my Dip.

Seem here that the neighbours car is at least partially blocking the op's driveway

Cuddlesworth

cletus wrote: »

Seem here that the neighbours car is at least partially blocking the op's driveway

Hanging over my dip does not equal in front of driveway.

Topper Harley

OP, any chance of a picture to clarify exactly what the situation is?

freddieot

I had a very similar problem about 10 years ago where I used to live. As appears to be the case here, the neighbour was doing it out of spite. Part of his car would be deliberately, always, blocking my 'dip'. Very difficult to reverse out or drive in and in some cases I ended up driving on part of the grass verge etc.

To make a very long story short, despite efforts to resolve everything, I had to ring the guards one day as I had had enough.

They came around, I showed them the problem and they called to my neighbour to ask him to park more considerately in future as he was causing an access problem by making it difficult for me to get in and out of my property.

He pointed out that his car was parked outside his house and he had a right to park there etc.

Luckily the cops were having none of it. They pointed out that in a few minutes time it would be on the back of a tow truck unless he moved it. They also explained that there no 'automatic right' to park outside your own house and that you can only do so if you are not causing access problems. In this case it was their opinion that he was carelessly and perhaps maliciously causing a problem and he could go to court if he did not like it but the tow truck would still be coming in a few minutes.

He moved it.

My advice is wait for an occasion where it is badly blocking your drive and call the cops (a picture paints a thousand words). Be the reasonable one when they arrive, explain everything and that it has been going on for a long time and so forth.

Unfortunately, neighbours like that either move or they keep it up so don't keep waiting for them to ease off, in my experience that only makes them worse. However, I would leave it to the cops and don't do anything yourself like blocking their driveway. That will confuse the issue. He may then take photos of your car blocking his driveway for when the cops \ legal stuff begins. You will lose any sympathy or cooperation from the powers that be if they think they are dealing with two nutters and not one.

Kenny Logins

Did you talk to the neighbour about it before this?

gkimbo

freddieot is right, I live in a narrow street and parking is very tight. I have cars all around me. I can’t really reverse into my house as I can’t get a swing on the car as there is always loads of cars around me. I have to drive into my driveway. Im really good at reversing’s as I have to be careful not to hit my neighbour’s car across the road and both my neighbour’s car beside me. My only problem is that im not getting the full uses of my Dip. Its causing damage to my car as I am hitting part of the pavement. I was thinking about parking outside her house but If my car gets damage, I wont know who done it, plus I like having my car outside my house.
I would ask her to move her car up a bit but she a cow and I know she will not. She has been doing this every day for passed 8 months. She slowly reverses until she at the edge of my dip. This is how sad she is. She has enough room for two cars outside her house but she constantly parks near my house. I will contact the guards and quote Prohibitions on parking. Hopefully they will be able to do something and pick myside.

freddieot

I talked to him on several occasions, keeping my tempter etc. However, there is someone like this in every area. My problem was he lived next door to me. No problem with any of the other neighbours and they were all glad to not live near him. The couple that lived on the other side of me even offered to come talk to the cops with me in case they thought I was exaggerating.

Some people just enjoy being awkward for no reason, it makes their day.

Del2005

gkimbo wrote: »

Thanks for both the replies. I didn't say it to her as I didn't want her to know it was getting to me, She a bit of a weirdo and stop saying hello to me a couple of years back. I don't really care as I'm at work most of the day and I don't really see her. I get on with all my otherneightbours but this one seems to dislike me. I thought she was in her right to park right at my Dip but now she parks so close to my dip that the Wheels are on the pavement and the back of her car is hanging over my Dip. I think she is waiting on me to hit her car when I am reversing. I'll say it to her regarding Prohibitions on parking as now i know i have a right to get her to move her car.

If her wheels are on the pavement she's parked illegal along with blocking access which could be considered reckless. Call the Gardai to report her, start taking obvious pictures of her parking every day, as I'm sure they have something more powerful than parking fines for this.

corktina

did you speak to her? that's the very first thing to do, she may not realise she is causing you a problem. If she then continues, then it's Open Season and anything goes

Rubberchikken

Take photos of it next time it occurs.

Don't confront her yourself or on your own.
Talk to the gardai if it continues.
I can guess she's lever enough not to be breaking the law. Sounds as though she's parking just right but it's making your life awkward.

Pity about peole like this. They're behaviour/attitudes ruin things for others.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

I'd wish the council would take a spin around our estate to issues some fines. There is plenty of parking spaces and even an underground, yet residents park on the footpath, block driveways and park on double yellow lines. Good luck to an ambulance or Fire brigade trying to get into the estate at times.

Gardai don't want to know and neither do the co. co. council.

robtri wrote: »

Tell me about it.... i slipped into a tight space in Phibsboro before, as the path curved in at the parking space, i ended up with one wheel on the path.... came back and found a fine on it for illegal parking....

gkimbo

corktina wrote: »

did you speak to her? that's the very first thing to do, she may not realise she is causing you a problem. If she then continues, then it's Open Season and anything goes

She 100% knows what's she doing. There is loads of room to park outside her house as it's simi detached. I seen her do this on numerous occasion, she comes home parks outside her house and reverse so she right at my dip. One time I was park outside my house. She came home and reverse as close as she could to me. I went out to the shops for about 20mins and in between that time she had got back into her car and reverse some more, so I could not park outside my house, I had to uses my driveway. This is the type of sad cow she is. She watchs and waits for me to go out. I am a really layed back person and it was a problem until it's starting to cause damage to my car.

corktina

Has she a drive? park over that a few times.

kerry4sam

gkimbo wrote: »

freddieot is right, I live in a narrow street and parking is very tight. I have cars all around me. I can’t really reverse into my house as I can’t get a swing on the car as there is always loads of cars around me. I have to drive into my driveway. Im really good at reversing’s as I have to be careful not to hit my neighbour’s car across the road and both my neighbour’s car beside me. My only problem is that im not getting the full uses of my Dip. Its causing damage to my car as I am hitting part of the pavement. I was thinking about parking outside her house but If my car gets damage, I wont know who done it, plus I like having my car outside my house.
I would ask her to move her car up a bit but she a cow and I know she will not. She has been doing this every day for passed 8 months. She slowly reverses until she at the edge of my dip. This is how sad she is. She has enough room for two cars outside her house but she constantly parks near my house. I will contact the guards and quote Prohibitions on parking. Hopefully they will be able to do something and pick myside.

Okay well something has obviously happened for this to escalate to this point. A good neighbour is pure bliss and you should try and find some middle ground with your own.
Since I don't have an image and only going by your details here; if you do decide to involve the local Guards, just bare-in-mind the following from here

Reversing
25.—(1) Before reversing a driver shall ensure that he can do so without endangering other traffic or pedestrians.

(2) A driver shall not reverse on to a major road from another road, or whenever his vision is such that to reverse would be likely to endanger other traffic or pedestrians.

Now point 1 above you clearly state you do, however point 2 could be open to interpretation pending circumstances and whichever member of the force gets involved. Thread carefully here.

Maybe try approach your neighbour and try break the ice.

Hope this gets resolved soon,
kerry4sam

danger_mouse_tm

There's a guy next door to us that does the same thing. The difference is, we live in an apartment block. The entrance has automatic gates and his terraced house is joined on to the wall our gates are on. We have to pull out onto the road to see up and down the street. I feel worse for the guys in the bin lorry the have to reverse into our block while negotiating his car. One time they accidently hit the gate and pulled it out of its mounts. I'm driving trucks 20 years and I wouldn't attempt it. One time I was coming out and he had parked so far up the I tore a tyre open on the piece of metal where the gates meet. I know other residents have said it to him but he maintains he's parking at his property and it was there long before the appartments. Our only conciliation is that he's old and hopefully will stop driving soon.

Topper Harley

OP, do you have wheelie bins and where do you put them when they are to be collected?

I could be wrong here but I imagine they'd be placed on the road right next to your driveway, exactly where your neighbour is parking. If this is not the case I'd recommend doing so.

If this is the case, put them out plenty early and leave them out for a while after they've been emptied. This is not going to resolve anything but you're at least doing something to make life difficult for her while not appearing to be getting petty or doing anything wrong. You'll also get to see the level of her resolve, in that, does she just leave it be or is she petty enough to move the bins to get closer to your driveway. If she does so, when you do eventually go to the Gardaí about the situation you can use this as an example of her unreasonableness.

In addition, I'd go to her and ask her nicely. If she's in the slightest bit difficult about it, walk away and at least you can tell the Gardaí that you tried.

mac.in

"Do park where you would not block the entrance to a property unless you have the owner’s permission" as per RSA Rules of the Road.

Also, OP can drop a letter in the neighbour's postbox detailing the problems (if OP doesn't speak to her neighbour).

mac.in

Jesus. wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance, OP, but what do you mean by your "Dip"?

kceire wrote: »

The dished part of the path outside his driveway I'd imagine.

Even I was confused as to what was 'dip'. Later I realised it was the kerb lowered to the level of the road.

ninty9er

I really have no life if this is what I'm at on NYE, anyways;

Is your driveway too shallow for your car to be parked horizontal to the road? I think an image is the only way to categorically say that you're not wasting Garda time brinig them out.

Mongfinder General

Just go and pistol whip the cow, goodfellas style.

Topper Harley

Mongfinder General wrote: »

Just go and pistol whip the cow, goodfellas style.

paulmclaughlin

Topper Harley wrote: »

I call shenanigans!

Whosthis

mac.in wrote: »

Even I was confused as to what was 'dip'. Later I realised it was the kerb lowered to the level of the road.

This is the first new thing I've learned in 2015, I'm heading straight to the top.

freddieot

Be careful putting bins in her way. If she hits it then you could be liable ! Yet, another row to contend with !

Wait till she parks quite badly, make sure you are perfectly parked in your driveway, facing the road - take lots of photos, call the cops.

Don't do anything to lose the moral high ground - don't approach her anymore, don't write to her, don't put bins in her way, don't park outside her house. All these things will work against you in the end.

mfceiling

The next time she parks there ask one of your better neighbours to park quite closely behind her. You then park quite tightly in front of her.

Head into town for the day or go for a nice walk and leave your car at home.

Dia1988

corktina wrote: »

did you speak to her? that's the very first thing to do, she may not realise she is causing you a problem. If she then continues, then it's Open Season and anything goes

Speak to her?

That seems far too civil and the right thing to do!

No, you got to slash all 4 of her tyres, smash her windscreen in and throw a brick in her house window!




..........of course this is me being humorous!

padd b1975

Have you tried two paint cans and a plank of wood?

Every one seems to use them in those tight streets.

keithclancy

Everytime she does it can you not just knock on her door and ask her to move.

I think this would at least give her the impression that its inconvenient for her to have you calling to her door every time she does it.

Going to the Gardai would be a mistake at this stage I think, better to first try and resolve it via communication rather than widening the communication gap further.

You see this stuff on TV shows and it can escalate into all sorts of weird stuff

Beaner1

keithclancy wrote: »

Everytime she does it can you not just knock on her door and ask her to move.

I think this would at least give her the impression that its inconvenient for her to have you calling to her door every time she does it.

Going to the Gardai would be a mistake at this stage I think, better to first try and resolve it via communication rather than widening the communication gap further.

You see this stuff on TV shows and it can escalate into all sorts of weird stuff

Yep, like that woman that was murdered in London few weeks ago.

loobylou

Have you a residents association?
How about a "generic" letter from the residents association,yet specific enough that she'll know its aimed at her, asking people to be considerate when parking.