A woman has been left perplexed after her neighbour demanded she move her car from a roadside parking spot, claiming it was blocking their driveway — despite the fact that the driveway in question was across the street.
The woman, who recently moved into a corner house in a new neighbourhood, explained on Reddit that parking in front of her home was tight. She decided to use the side road, which she said did not infringe on anyone else's property. However, a neighbour across the road objected, insisting she was blocking their driveway and demanding she move the vehicle immediately.
She forgot about the request that night. The next day, she noticed chalk marks on her tyre and on the road, leading her to suspect the neighbour had contacted a tow company to report the car as abandoned. She posted online asking for advice on how to handle the situation.
Commenters on her post recommended that she install a dashcam for peace of mind and contact the police to explain the concept of a public street to the 'entitled' neighbour. They also pointed out that parking across a driveway in the UK is not an offence unless specific restrictions or signs prohibit it.
However, if a vehicle partially obstructs a dropped kerb and prevents someone from leaving their driveway, it could be treated as anti-social behaviour under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. According to Confused.com, police are unlikely to intervene when parking over a dropped kerb stops someone from entering, but may act if it stops them from exiting.
