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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
World
Katie Williams

Homeowner's feud with neighbour after parking outside his home in affluent area

A woman has found herself in a feud with her neighbours over parking.

Although we can choose our house, we can't choose our neighbours and it's a risk we all take when we move somewhere new.

And one Mumsnet fan has found herself in a dispute with her neighbour after moving to a new neighbourhood.

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Posting on parenting forum Mumsnet, the woman explained her situation and asked if she was right to be annoyed that her neighbour shouted at her partner for parking across the street.

Keep anonymous she wrote: "Not sure what to think of this.... DP [dear partner] and I moved into a new neighbourhood a few weeks ago. It's a fairly affluent area, detached houses etc.

"Anyway, we had visitors over the weekend staying for two days, and DP wanted to move our car so the visitors could park on the drive. He parked the car on the street opposite. Wasn't blocking anyone's drive, or parked in an illegal or obstructive way. He parked it there from Friday lunch time.

"Saturday evening - neighbour we've never met came knocking on the door, and without introducing himself just started having a go at us for parking our car there.

"He didn't ask us to move it or explain why it bothered him - just immediately started ranting that we're "disrespecting our neighbours" and "we don't give a s*** ".

"We said we haven't done anything wrong, it's legal to park on any road as long as it's not blocking a driveway. He accepted it's not illegal but it's not acceptable anyway. Said we "should have realised" it would upset him!

"DP then said, "sorry I'll move it, I didn't mean to upset you and we'd like to keep good relations with you". The guy just kept having a go, and eventually went "well you have upset me, welcome to the neighbourhood" and stormed off."


She asked fellow Mumsnet users: "I'm not being unreasonable here, right? Would you go and have a go at your neighbours for parking a car outside your house for a couple of days?? I keep overthinking it, is it rude to park outside someone's house?"

The comments were split with some siding with her neighbour while others rallied round the distressed woman.

One replied: "Well done your managed to local the village idiot. Better to find out sooner than later."

"Hire five cars for a week. Park them all along the road", another suggested.

A third encouraged her to park as joke: "I'd start parking there once a week, just to make sure he doesn't think everything will go his way."

"Well you've annoyed him anyway so you have nothing further to lose. May as well crack on and park there whenever it suits you!", a fourth agreed.

But some pointed out that it depends on where you live and in certain villages or estates, there seems to be an unofficial 'unspoken rule' about parking.

One sided with the neighbour: "It would definitely be rude where I live to park your car outside anyone else's house. If we do it, we ask first and explain why it's necessary.

"Obviously it is perfectly legal, but it does really annoy people and a polite knock to ask doesn't cost anything", a Mumsnet user interjected.

And a third echoed: "It's a bit cheeky to park outside someone else's house if you can park outside your own."

And another cautioned the woman: "Some streets are like that. In our last house, the street behind our garden was full of people who complained if you parked there. Just be careful. "

"It would be rude everywhere I've lived, but no way would I go and have a go at someone. Personally I'd park over my own drive rather than annoy other people by parking in front of their house", another commented.

While another sympathised admitting she hear the same stories from pals: "Typical village mentality from hearing very similar stories from friends who moved into a village environment."

Do you think it's wrong to park outside someones house? Let us know in the comments.

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