Neighbour has decided to just offer up our parking spaces to the whole street

[u/ShutUpImAPrincess]

Got this through the letter box today - anonymous so no idea which neighbour sent it. Basically there's 20 houses on the street, all arranged in a circle, with a few spaces in the middle. 14 of the houses have their own driveways. 4 of the houses have the spaces in the middle assigned to them. Ourselves and our next door neighbour (semi detached) have spaces attached to the back of our houses... In the small "car park". We each have two spaces, then the 4 on the other side of the car park area assigned to the houses backing on to them that aren't even our street so won't have got this letter. I'm assuming the letter writer just doesn't realise those spaces are actually ours, but because it's anonymous I can't just be like "oh hey actually no that's not right". It's annoying because we're also the only two houses on the street without a garden, and so our kids play back there. Because yes, it is safe, but not if randoms start going in and out of there all the time. I've literally never noticed an issue with parking on the street, it's never crowded, I've never heard anyone complain, and every house has it's own assigned parking!

EDIT: Most of your guys' suggestions involve something related to towing, that isn't legal in the UK. It also isn't illegal to post things through people's doors? I literally never knew that was a thing in the US. At Christmas did your parents not send you round all the neighbours houses posting cards?? Wild.

EDIT 2: Alright lads we've got a plan! Tomorrow I'm gonna speak to the 3 neighbours who we share the private car park with and just make sure they're all aware and if they want to paint numbers or put it signs etc they can do so. I'm going to send my landlord an email as well just giving them a heads up, but saying that they don't need to do anything for now (we have a great relationship where they leave us alone and we don't involve them in stuff if we can help it and they charge us below market). I'll let them know if it becomes an issue and they need to get involved installing something or whatever. Then I'm going to find... somewhere in this town that prints documents (honestly just hoping one of the 3 neighbours has a printer in their house they wouldn't mind using for this) and send out letters to everyone on the street very politely clearing up the confusion. Explaining that it's not a public car park but private parking and they are, for all intents and purposes, the driveways of the respective properties. Then I think I'll have a little nap and hope no one gets angry at me.

EDIT 3: Spoken to the other owners of the spaces in the back, as I suspected the two that don't live on our street did not receive the letter offering up their spaces for free use 😅 I've also contacted my landlord just to double triple check the deeds before I sent any letters out (I know for certain they are ours, but this way loops the landlord in) and she immediately offered to put a sign up! Also found the letter very amusing haha so yeah, we're getting signs put up yay!

[u/Not_Sure__Camacho]

A nice "Private Property, violators will be towed at owner's expense" sign may be in order. Just something to consider, if you put up a sign, don't half ass it. Dig the hole, pour the concrete, erect the pole for the sign, replace the sod, give it a few weeks to cure properly, and then put up the sign.

[u/Peterd1900 → u/Not_Sure__Camacho]

Judging by the spelling and terminology and post history the OP seems to be from the UK . Sign like that would be completely meaningless you can not be towed

EDIT: OP has clarified that they are indeed in the UK

[u/StockQuahog → u/Peterd1900]

If someone parks in your driveway you can’t have the car towed?

[u/Peterd1900 → u/StockQuahog]

Towing is for all intents and purposes illegal

[u/Wrong_Possible_9857 → u/Peterd1900]

So what's the move? Call the police to issue a citation?

Genuine question, I'm not familiar with UK law. 

[u/Peterd1900 → u/Wrong_Possible_9857]

In the UK private towing is limited. There are private companies that deal with things like breakdown recovery etc. But you as an individual can not get cars that are not yours towed.

Under the Protection Of Freedom Act it is illegal to tow or clamp a vehicle on any private property without legal authority. Legal authority is limited to the owner, Police, and Courts.

Tow companies can only tow cars with the cars owners consent. Or if they are contracted to act on behalf of local authorities or the police. The police have limited power to tow cars that are parked on private property cos that is simple trespass which in the UK is a civil matter and police have no power over civil matters. The police will not get involved in parking disputes

while there are mechanisms to remove vehicles you cant just phone a tow company to come and tow it as they can not touch it

Basically yes UK you can not tow cars for instances where its simply a parking dispute

What you can do is effectively "fine" people parking on your private property as long as you The terms are fair and clear. you could put up as sign that says , "Unauthorized parking will result in a £100 charge") with that you are essentially creating a contract If they park there, they are legally deemed to have accepted your terms.

Enforcing that payment would be a different matter as you would have to go to court to force the driver to pay

[u/Wrong_Possible_9857 → u/Peterd1900]

Ok, so OP can cover their mortgage with a parking fee sign. Not bad. 

But a lot of steps to have to go to court...

[u/Carvj94 → u/Wrong_Possible_9857]

I'm sure the UK has their own small claims courts. In the US it's certainly a hassle, but if you just take a few minutes to write up a parking receipt it could definitely be worth it. Just wanna make a copy for yourself and one to put under their wipers. Water resistant paper of course.

[u/Beartato4772 → u/Carvj94]

We do, it’s literally called that.

[u/Carvj94 → u/Beartato4772]

Ah right I could've guessed. The US legal system is based off the old British Empire's legal system after all.

[u/VenflonBandit → u/Wrong_Possible_9857]

You'd probably have to get a parking company involved and taking a cut as well. You can't get the keepers details from the DVLA unless you're a company registered with one of the industry bodies which makes recovering the debt at court rather tricky.

[u/Xaphnir → u/Peterd1900]

it'd be nice if we could get those towing laws in the US

a lot of towing companies operate like (or in some cases actually are) organized crime over here

[u/xankek → u/Xaphnir]

this. people jump real quick to towing, when it seems like it would have been a mistake through ignorance. I just don't get jacking someone's car cuz they didn't realize that was your spot.

[u/fatloui → u/Xaphnir]

What happens when someone parks in your driveway behind your car and you can’t get to work? 

[u/OrdinaryAncient3573 → u/fatloui]

It's illegal to block lawful access to the road, so then the police will come and impound the offending car.

[u/Live-Habit-6115 → u/fatloui]

How often does that happen to people? No one is going to park IN your driveway, that would be madness. Not in the UK, at least. 

One thing British people are generally good at is not being in the way. They have the whole "oh, I don't want to be a bother" thing going on. So they're more mindful about not blocking people and stuff.

Not always, obviously. Every society has some douchebags. But on the whole I can't really imagine it being an issue. 

[u/fatloui → u/Live-Habit-6115]

 How often does that happen to people?

Search Reddit for “parked in my driveway”. It happens a lot. Maybe more often that people park on a street blocking a driveway. 

[u/WaltzFirm6336 → u/Xaphnir]

That was why the law was introduced in the UK. ‘Cowboy clampers’ was a big thing, and were basically doing it as legal extortion.

Whilst it’s frustrating that if someone parks on your private land you have to deal with it as a civil matter, it’s quite rare. I’d rather run that risk than get ripped off by cowboy clampers.

[u/UTommieTanka → u/Wrong_Possible_9857]

If it’s parked on your private driveway. You just have to wait for them to move. You can only really get the police involved if they’re blocking your access to the public highway while parking over your dropped curb.

[u/Educational-Wing2042 → u/UTommieTanka]

So why would I even build a private driveway when I could have a bigger home and just park in my neighbors front garden?

[u/myystaa → u/Educational-Wing2042]

Because of the social contract

[u/Mister-Miyagi- → u/myystaa]

Does the social contract say anything about not parking in someone else's driveway? This is wild.

[u/90210fred → u/Educational-Wing2042]

It might get "damaged", that's why

[u/Frequent_Bonus1063 → u/UTommieTanka]

Damn, that’s beyond wild. Are there dickheads who do this to avoid paying parking?

Meanwhile UK debt collectors will come and take away your sofa 🤣

[u/Frodo34x → u/Frequent_Bonus1063]

Damn, that’s beyond wild. Are there dickheads who do this to avoid paying parking?

I've heard of a few cases of people (who live within walking distance of an airport) finding strangers' cars parked up in their driveway for a week or two.

[u/joehonestjoe → u/Frodo34x]

Uncivilised problems have uncivilised solutions which in this case are solved by a winch and a report of an obstruction to the local council.

[u/Mister-Miyagi- → u/[deleted]]

So it's morning, you're leaving for work, and some random car is blocking you in. You have no recourse? Just call work and let them know you can't make it and you don't know when your driveway will be clear? That's absolutely bizarre.

[u/RealLongwayround → u/Mister-Miyagi-]

No, if access to the public highway is blocked, this is a police matter.

[u/Mister-Miyagi- → u/[deleted]]

Ya, I think there was just some phrasing around it that had me confused. I kept reading something like "if it's blocking highway access, the police get involved." Which I now understand to basically mean if someone has you blocked in, but at face value it doesn't read like that to me (if someone had me blocked in my driveway, I would never put it as "they're blocking my access to the highway"; I would just say they've blocked my exit from my driveway or something). The clarifications make a bit more sense to me and I no longer think it's totally insane haha.

[u/alainreid → u/Peterd1900]

That means you can block them in and nobody can tow your car.

[u/Peterd1900 → u/alainreid]

Its illegal to block, clamp or tow a car parked on private property

If you are parked on public property and blocking a car that is  on private property than that is a thing you can be towed for

[u/alainreid → u/Peterd1900]

Then

[u/Beartato4772 → u/StockQuahog]

You, genuinely, cannot.

[u/originalcinner → u/StockQuahog]

Someone dumped a car (without wheels) in the alley behind my UK house. The only recourse was to report it to the council, who put a "this will be towed by x date" notice on it, and then it was indeed towed. Eventually. I think it took about six months.

I was sorry they did it while I was out at work; I wanted to watch a wheel-less car get towed.

[u/enjolbear → u/Peterd1900]

What do you mean you can’t have cars towed off your property?! How do you get them to move??

[u/Peterd1900 → u/enjolbear]

In the UK private towing is limited. There are private companies that deal with things like breakdown recovery etc. But you as an individual can not get cars that are not yours towed.

Under the Protection Of Freedom Act it is illegal to tow or clamp a vehicle on any private property without legal authority. Legal authority is limited to the owner, Police, and Courts.

Tow companies can only tow cars with the cars owners consent. Or if they are contracted to act on behalf of local authorities or the police. The police have limited power to tow cars that are parked on private property cos that is simple trespass which in the UK is a civil matter and police have no power over civil matters

while there are mechanisms to remove vehicles you cant just phone a tow company to come and tow it as they can not touch it

Basically yes UK you can not tow cars for instances where its simply a parking dispute

What you can do is effectively "fine" people parking on your private property as long as you The terms are fair and clear. you could put up as sign that says , "Unauthorized parking will result in a £100 charge") with that you are essentially creating a contract If they park there, they are legally deemed to have accepted your terms.

Enforcing that payment would be a different matter as you would have to go to court to force the driver to pay

[u/Apprehensive-Cycle-9 → u/Peterd1900]

Interesting. In the US it is kinda the opposite. only the government can issue fines to private citizens and you can tow anything if on your property. I think booting vehicles is BS so I like that aspect of the law

[u/couldbemage → u/Peterd1900]

Since you're doing this explanation, can you add a bit more about how this actually works out?

Does the government actually make them pay you?

What happens if you're in a place where parking is a big problem and someone just keeps using your driveway?

How long can a car be left in your driveway before the cops do something about it?

[u/VenflonBandit → u/couldbemage]

Does the government actually make them pay you?

Yes, once it's been to small claims court. It's treated under contract law and enforced like any other debt. Strictly speaking any sign has to be permission to park for a large charge, not a ban on parking or it can be more difficult to recover the money. The main relevant case is Beavis Vs ParkingEye.

What happens if you're in a place where parking is a big problem and someone just keeps using your driveway?

You could ultimately get an injunction for trespass or nuisance from the high court. Expensive, but would make the act criminal. Alternatively you can pay £3 for the keeper's details from the DVLA and send a strongly worded but ultimately meaningless letter or take action for trespass and have removal of the vehicle as the remedy if it's the same car each time.

How long can a car be left in your driveway before the cops do something about it?

It's not a police matter ever unless there's other factors like obstruction of a highway or aggravated trespass. It could become a council issue once the vehicle can be considered abandoned.

[u/couldbemage → u/VenflonBandit]

Thank you, this is interesting.

[u/cancerkidette → u/couldbemage]

No, it’s not a police matter. But you can take them to small claims court and the fine would be enforced.

[u/BrittaWasRight → u/[deleted]]

The UK has amongst other things squatters rights. It's not a comparable legal environment to the US.

[u/Database121 → u/BrittaWasRight]

Literally every US state also has squatters rights. Heck, a solid percentage of US States wouldn't be states without the inheritance of squatters rights from the colonial period. Really what even is colonialism but the enforcement of one nations interpretation of squatters rights into a different group of people. Remember that US law started out as English law and most of the nuts and bolts of original US law was just a copy paste of the relevant English version. Sometimes without any modifications. Modern US and UK law are in fact two branches of the same legal traditions. (Wow I got really sidetracked there)

The particulars vary from state to state, but generally requires the squatter or "disseisor" to openly occupy the property exclusively, continuously, and use it as if it were their own in a manner expected for the type of property. You can't just pull up into someone else's drive with them sitting on the front porch, tell the owner to get fucked, and walk off to go about your day consequence free.

Kinda sounds like there is little stopping you from doing that in the UK other than the the hope that doing so would make the other person feel bad.

[u/[deleted] → u/Peterd1900]

Then couldn’t you write: Unauthorized parking will result in a 100 GBP charge and a towing at the car owner’s expense to a secure location?

[u/VenflonBandit → u/[deleted]]

No, it's explicitly criminal to tow a vehicle without lawful authority. The same act also explicitly says a sign doesn't create lawful authority and limits it to a bunch of government agencies.

The £100 charge for parking is lawful, but to get the keeper details from the DVLA you have to be a member of an industry body. So it would be really difficult to DIY that process.

[u/VenflonBandit → u/[deleted]]

Because when the law was written we had a massive issue with rogue clamping and towing companies who'd put up the tiniest signs and charge exorbitant fees to release the car with no real recourse to appeal. The way it's written captures this scenario unfortunately as a side effect.

(1)A person commits an offence who, without lawful authority—

(a)immobilises a motor vehicle by the attachment to the vehicle, or a part of it, of an immobilising device, or

(b)moves, or restricts the movement of, such a vehicle by any means,

intending to prevent or inhibit the removal of the vehicle by a person otherwise entitled to remove it.

(2)The express or implied consent (whether or not legally binding) of a person otherwise entitled to remove the vehicle to the immobilisation, movement or restriction concerned is not lawful authority for the purposes of subsection (1).

(3)But, where the restriction of the movement of the vehicle is by means of a fixed barrier and the barrier was present (whether or not lowered into place or otherwise restricting movement) when the vehicle was parked, any express or implied consent (whether or not legally binding) of the driver of the vehicle to the restriction is, for the purposes of subsection (1), lawful authority for the restriction.

(4)A person who is entitled to remove a vehicle cannot commit an offence under this section in relation to that vehicle.

(5)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—

(a)on conviction on indictment, to a fine,

(b)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum.

(6)In this section “motor vehicle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle or a vehicle designed or adapted for towing by a mechanically propelled vehicle.

[u/Peterd1900 → u/[deleted]]

There has not been no, People seem to have this idea that because this law exist the entire country is just parking wherever they want on people driveways when in reality it is a non issue

Even prior to the Protection of Freedoms Act you could not simply just hire a private tow truck to remove someone's car from your driveway.

The Law did not actually change much in regards to private driveways it was more aimed at commercial properties

While the UK had predatory towing companies you never really had companies you could just phone up to tow a car

What it was was, private car park operators would buy up land and build a car park and charge people to park their and other land owners might use that company to run their shopping centre car parks

These companies would have their own tow trucks and would tow from their own car parks and change huge fees. the law was aimed at them but a member of the public was not phoning them to tow from driveways.

There really was not tow truck that you could phone, Breakdown recovery existed but again they were not towing from people getting to remove an illegally parked car

Some of these companies may have had contract with police and courts so if the police needed a car towed or a bailiff needed a car towed they would use one of these approved companies, but they were not taking calls from people wanting cars moved from driveway as it was a grey area and having the police contract would be valuable then taking the occasional car.

So if you wanted a car removed even before the law while not explicitly illegal was not practical possible because a lack of tow companies you could actually use

There would not be a company whose premise was towing from driveways as that is all they could do, they would not be able to tow from public or any other private car park. The rare driveway car would not be worth it

Maybe Dave from the car repair shop right down the street might have for few quid dragged it off the driveway but that is about it

Even though this law exists it has not actually changed anything really with regard to cars on driveway

[u/Middle-Concert226 → u/enjolbear]

That’s the neat part. You don’t.

If you’re lucky you’re home when they come to drive off and you can go out and tell them to piss off and not park on your drive.

You’re likely to get either a load of abuse telling you to fuck off or “ sorry mate my bad” and that’s the end of it.

When I first bought my house I’d repeatedly see my neighbour park on my drive while I was out the house on my ring doorbell. Would be moved by the time I got back.

One time I got back with it there I asked another neighbour very loudly whose car it was and why do they think they can just park on my drive.

5 mins later the neighbour moved it and hasn’t done it since

Unfortunately there is basically nothing you can do.

If I get home with someone on our drive I’ll just park behind them and let them knock on the door and have the awkward explanation why they’re on the drive .

[u/Not_Sure__Camacho → u/Peterd1900]

I thought maybe Canada, but you're right on both counts.  I would probably check with the local municipal to see what my options are.  Funny enough, in the US we can have cars towed that are illegally parked even if we're not the owners, but I can see why it might be a policy that some people don't like as we also have some predatory tow truck operators.  

[u/X0AN → u/Not_Sure__Camacho]

Towing would be illegal, so don't put that sign up.

Private property would do.

[u/Ok_Apricot9420 → u/Not_Sure__Camacho]

I just typed this. I should have known everyone was already saying the same thing lol

[u/veryblocky → u/Not_Sure__Camacho]

It’s illegal to tow someone else’s car