A homeowner in Bristol said he keeps calling police who fail to do anything and is desperate for advice
The homeowner said that when he goes round to ask the neighbour their car to move they just laugh in his face
A householder has revealed his astonishment at the behaviour of a neighbour who repeatedly blocks his driveway with his vehicle.
Seeking legal guidance, the motorist explained he had been shocked by the peculiar conduct from his neighbour, including hammering on his door during the early hours to complain about loud music – whilst the family were all sleeping.
However, they revealed the driveway dispute was the most irritating issue and brought the matter to a Reddit forum seeking legal counsel.
He outlined how whenever he approaches the neighbour or his sons, they ‘just laugh and close the door’, frequently leaving him stranded on his drive.
The Bristol householder explained: “We’ve had problems with our neighbour ever since we moved in, he’s a landlord who owns almost the whole neighbourhood and has been harassing us ever since we moved in – swearing at us, getting his sons to push my car when it was parked legally on the street (caught on camera), banging on the door at midnight telling us to turn music down (we were asleep and didn’t know where the music was coming from).”
“Recently he has been parking directly straight across our driveway, stopping us from getting out. Our driveway is walled on either side so we can’t even squeeze past. I ask him to move it each time but he and his sons just laugh at me and close the door, which means sometimes I can’t get out to work or anywhere for a few hours until they move their car.”
A local resident, frustrated by a persistent parking issue, stated: “I’ve read countless things online saying it’s illegal to park there, and that it’s illegal to stop a car getting onto the highway. We’ve called 101 but they just say because he’s not being violent then they won’t do anything and they’ll just record it as a report, I’ve called them at least 5 times in the last few months and am told the same thing each time.”
He added: “And it’s worth mentioning that there are loads of places to park on our street, but he insists on parking directly in front of our drive, so it’s definitely deliberate, and I think them just trying to annoy us into moving.”
The resident pleaded: “I just want some peace and don’t know what to do, can anyone give some advice?” Responders suggested keeping a log of all incidents.
One responder clarified: “It is absolutely illegal to park across a dropped kerb blocking a vehicle from accessing the highway, contact the police again, as well as the councils local councillor and if you get no joy get hold of your MP.”
Another responder advised: “The police will do nothing if they can get away with it, constantly push them.”
A third queried: “When you called 101, did you actually report an obstruction on a public highway? I can’t figure out why the Police told you they can’t take action because he’s not being violent, that seems a totally inappropriate response to access to a road being blocked”.
The homeowner responded: “I’ve not worded it like that but will in future, just said that the neighbour is blocking my driveway and won’t move and I can’t get out. They say they’ll log it and call me back and when they do they just ask is it still happening, which it isn’t because they only park there for a few hours before moving.”
One user advised: “NLA but start keeping a log and evidence (photos and videos) for everything he does. It may seem a pain, but call 101 each time too. Just to officially log it. See if you can get it added to the same reference number.
“A mate was being harassed by an ex and logged it all. He said he felt like he had 101 on speed dial. When she ended up having him arrested he quoted a reference and it was all stacked up.”
The Bristol resident replied: “Yes I’ve already started making a log and have got everything recorded on a security camera, clearly showing Reg no. and his car.”
According to The Highway Code, it’s prohibited to park a vehicle in a way that blocks a property entrance. This is stipulated in rule number 243, which also includes a detailed list of other locations where parking is not allowed, such as near school entrances or close to a bus or tram stop, as well as a taxi rank.
Drivers are also banned from parking on dropped kerbs outside driveways.
The RAC has confirmed it remains perfectly legal to park outside someone else’s property, as long as you’re not blocking their access.
This means the road space in front of your house doesn’t belong to you automatically, with parking working on a first-come-first-served basis, though there are some exceptions.
They explain that when it comes to double yellow lines, for example, motorists could face a £70 penalty, though this can be halved to £35 if paid within a fortnight, depending on your local council.
Beyond potential fines, the RAC is also cautioning drivers that whilst “the Highway Code isn’t the law, many of its rules are in fact legal requirements under the Roads Traffic Act, which you can be prosecuted for contravening”.
Due to this, motorists risk being fined, receiving penalty points on their licence, being banned from driving, or even facing imprisonment.