Updating post from Reddit.
I would really like some opinions on this situation as I feel I am being victimised by my neighbour.
I live in a block of privately owned and rented flats. We all have one allocated parking space and a garage. The garages are very tight so useless for parking. Most garages face each other or a bin store, but my garage is unique in that it's the last one at the end of a row and doesn't face another garage or shed but faces the communal garden.
I got married a few years ago and my husband moved in with me. He now parks his work van in our allocated space and I park in front of the garage. There is still plenty of room to access the garden, it's not causing an obstruction and is not causing an inconvenience to anyone. A couple of years ago I had a minor disagreement with my downstairs neighbour who thinks she owns the entire block.
We have received a letter from the management company saying that they have received multiple complaints from residents and tradesmen about my car and that the hardstanding is communal and I need to move my car. No one has any reason to be on that part of land unless they were going to attend to my garage or knock the wall down so to say its communal is a bit of a joke.
I believe the complaints, especially from tradesmen are fabricated as I am at work all day and the car is mainly only there in the evenings. It also doesn't obstruct them from accessing any part of the building or garden and we have been asked to tell contractors to park in visitor spaces or our allocated space. They are also well aware that our main road is now double yellow and we don't want to upset neighbours by parking on their roads.
The majority of residents are breaching regulations in the lease with regards to the colour of their garages and having certain pets and some allow others to use their spaces, giving them access to two parking spaces. I couldn't care less about any of this but am thinking I should use this in my defence when replying to the management company.
Thankfully my tenancy is managed by a local agent as my landlord lives abroad so they haven't told him anything yet but I am worried that I could get evicted eventually.
I've lived in my flat for 11 years with no issues and in the current climate I can't afford to move so this is causing me considerable distress.
Am I being unreasonable here? Do I have a leg to stand on? Any advice is gratefully received.
Best thing to do is take some pictures and send them to the management company. What tradesmen would require access to a communal garden?
If you can demonstrate you're parking responsibly then they may just let it lie but honestly, is it much of an effort to park a little further down the road or round the corner? Problem with bad neighbors is that it just spirals if you let it and it might be worth just moving the car for a bit of peace.
Too many people feel like it'll be a loss on their side when in the grand scheme of things it could be a lot fckin worse
>What tradesmen would require access to a communal garden?
The ones contracted to look after the garden, I imagine.
They have plenty of room for access, never been an issue.
Thanks for your reply. I get what you're saying about parking down the road, I have thought about it but because the main road is now double yellow it has forced alot of people to park on side roads which causes its own issues. I feel like there could be so much worse for people to complain about and its so petty. I'm more worried that if I stand my ground if my landlord can serve me notice.
You have managed to park where you are not permitted for quite some time; consider it a victory. For a few months, look for a different arrangement until they forget about it.
Defeat your ground-floor enemy with kindness.
Yes I appreciate that but in the meantime they turn a blind eye to everyone else breaking the rules. It just doesn't seem fair at all. I feel like I am being victimised as a tenant as they know they make things difficult for me.
Other people breaking the rules is no excuse for you to, unfortunately. If it bothers you that they're getting away with it, grass them up like someone has done to you.
Or just come to terms with your neighbour being a bit of a dick.
Yes, I think I will complain because it doesn't seem fair that others are being given grace and favour, for example one person has a dog which is prohibited in the regulations of the lease but no one seems to care, including me as I am not in the habit of making other peoples lives more difficult than they already are. We are all different, i guess!
I wouldn't let that worry you. The freehold management can't do anything to you; you have no contract with them. All they can do is reprimand your landlord, who may then reprimand you, but their hands are tied by regulations and the contract with you.
Leasehold can be challenging for landlords when tenants violate the rules. I'm not suggesting you should, as a strained relationship could ultimately lead to eviction.
I appreciate your constructive advice, thank you.
You don’t own it
It's possible the communal garden access was sited there instead of a garage to assist with vehicle manouvres. If someone parks there, that's no longer possible. Just a thought.
Hi, thanks for your comment - there wouldn't be a reason for anyone to drive that far down as there is a large open space in the middle of the land before turning into the section where the garden and my garage is located. The gardeners, window cleaners and other contractors have all carried out their duties to the rear of the building and never asked for my car to be moved.
You are occupying a communal space.
You think that's not an issue and ignore others that say it is an issue
Seems pretty clear cut to me. Park in the allocated space..
Hi, yes I appreciate that and if the hard standing was actually required to be used by anyone I wouldn't dream of parking there but no one has any actual cause to use that particular small patch of land outside my garage so it seems obvious that the complaint is spiteful rather than because I am causing an inconvenience to anyone.
So you have annexed it.
Well, that's one way of looking at it. I think if other residents had the fortune of their garage having an open space behind it, they would probably do the same, especially if it's not causing an obstruction or inconvenience to anyone.
How wouod you feel if a neighbour parked there? Or left their rubbish there? Or had a BBQ there?
I see this as the equivalent of people thinking they own the road outside their home.
You have said the space is communal. You won't use your dedicated space. You also won't listen to the objection of you parking on communal space.
To me, you sound unreasonable. I dont live there so don't care though
If my neighbour had two cars and was able to park somewhere that didn't inconvenience anyone then I say let them because life is too short and hard enough already. Leaving rubbish is an entirely different matter as that is thoughtless and causes actual problems. Also, residents can use the garden for a bbq which they have done in the past. Just to be clear, it's not a communal space, they are referring to the strip of land which acts as a driveway to access the garages and bin stores. My garage is located at the far end of that driveway.
Am I missing something here? You have an allocated space (for the van) and a garage.. you park in front of said garage?
Why on earth don’t you park IN the garage? Surely that’s what its intended purpose is?
The garage is too slim for a family sized car. These flats were built in 1960, you can literally only fit a smart car in them and because they are all so close together, maneuvering out of them would also be a nightmare.
The way I would see it is if you’re not meant to park there, then don’t park there. Think about it this way, what if everyone tried parking their cars in this area? It sounds like it would be impossible because there would be no room? If it’s not an option for everyone then it shouldn’t be an option for you.
If someone else tried to park there, they would be obstructing my garage, whereas I am not obstructing anyone or anything. That's why it seems unfair for someone to complain about it. Other residents have access to two spaces because some people don't have a car. Isn't that unfair too?
I understand you aren’t obstructing anything or anyone but if you’re not meant to park there and people have complained and the management have sent you letters saying you need to move, then as annoying as it is you probably have to move it as you don’t own the space
Yeah, I get that, it's just annoying as its only been complained about out of spite. I know for a fact the majority of residents aren't bothered by it at all.
How do you know it was “out of spite”? It may genuinely have inconvenienced someone and they rightly brought it up.
It is not the building’s fault that your car won’t fit into the allocated garage, so either you buy a car that fits into the space or you park where you are permitted.
Other owners having dogs, cats or carrier pigeons really doesn’t matter in this equation as you are knowingly parking your car in a communal area not designated for parking.
It is impossible for it to inconvenience anyone, this is my point. The downstairs neighbour has a history of making people's lives difficult. I'm also not about to buy a smart car for me and my children because the garage is too small. If I thought it was an inconvenience in any way, I wouldn't have parked there in the first place.
I’m going to be honest, you probably won’t win this one. We had the same issue with a neighbour who just started for no apparent reason and drove us mad.
If we said something, they just went further. We were not going to win especially as my wife had her own business and the neighbour started to make things difficult when clients visited.
We were looking to move anyway so we did sooner rather than later.
I know it’s a pain but I would try and make other arrangements in regard to parking.
Why are people so spiteful and petty? They literally make life a misery and its all about control as far as I'm concerned. I'm sorry you had to go through that, it's unacceptable that you feel you are being forced out of your home. I hope you find somewhere lovely.
Oh we found somewhere, it was nearly 10 years ago.
People get jealous I think. My wife’s business was doing well and her husband lost his job and I think that was it. Just guessing though.
Just have a conversation saying it's only the witch downstairs isn't it. Then list off things she's doing. Don't snitch on the neighbors, say it's only her that's the issue.
Thanks for your advice, appreciated.
It’s communal area, not your area, you just can’t see it, what’s the big deal about using your space and get your boyfriend to move his van down the road. In my opinion it’s a you issue unfortunately. Sounds harsh but that’s the rules