GH80

Sorry to sound like a total NIMBY but we have a guy living across the street parking his works 7.5 tonne lorry directly opposite our driveway. Torn the back left mud flap of my Scoob twice now reversing in at an angle. The girl that lives next door can't even reverse into her driveway now! It isn't exactly the crime of the century but after the horrible sound of ripping mudflaps I am becoming slightly irritated.

I don't mind people parking stuff like this now and again, I am usually fairly easy going, but this happens every weekend now - lorry is abandoned Friday 12pm to Monday morning.

See picture attached, owner isn't even parking outside his own house (he lives in the house to the right behind the lorry).

So whats the next move? Confrontation is not going to work here, I am a pencil pusher and he is a joiner or something. I look like mr muscle on a good day LOL. Is there any legislation that means you can't park lorries like this in residential areas? We are in Northern Ireland if that makes any difference to regional laws.

dpb

Somewhat anti social at the very least. Would you get a push chair down the pavement?

Pross

iTrader: (3)

I used to live in dublin...

Copy the numberplate then drive up and down the m50 toll 200 times, he'll have to sell the truck to pay the toll fines

GH80

No room for a pram (we have a 4 month old too!)

Like the idea of the toll! Not so keen on getting my photo taken with illegal plates though. what way does the toll system work? do they take pictures of the vehicle?

Is it legal to move another persons vehicle (lifting / towing) ? Have friends with heavy lifting equipment, can you lift and dump it on his lawn? Thinking 10 tonne forklift lol

But honestly would prefer to go down the legal route, no matter how much these options make me smile

Pross

iTrader: (3)

The toll? The take the reg using ANPR then just post the bill to the registered keeper.

While i was there, my girlfriends dad got a bill for going through the toll, he lives in wexford, and was actually abroad on holiday at the time lol so i wouldnt worry about it.

Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

At the entrance to the street or road where you live does it have any weight restriction signs ?

Speak to your local council "you can ring up anonymous" asking if they have any restrictions on commercial vehicles over 3.5T parking in your area, is he running a business from home or is it a company vehicle, do you know ?

If its blocking any driveways or the pavement then its causing an offence, looking at those photos a mother with a pram would have to take her child out onto the road to get round it, also he's parked on the wrong side of the road, a vehicle that size has to be parked facing the correct way in relation to the flow/direction of traffic.

*matthewturb2000*

iTrader: (11)

am i missing something? just knock on his door and say can you move it please? im sure hes not going to try ripping your head off for that, surely it would cause you more probs if you go snyedey to the authorities with out asking him first?

GH80

Why should you have to ask? "Move your **** heap that is illegally parked so I can get into my driveway without damage?" Is it legal first of all? There are at least 3 other parties that live on the street that do not want this lorry parked here that I have heard from today. Why should any one of us have to raise the issue, and have his brats kick footballs at our house?

Sounds simple when behind a keyboard, but I don't want confrontation on my front door. I would rather know whether this is illegal parking or just a nuisance before I think about approaching them.

We all have to live in a shared space, but how many of you would be happy with this outside your house when the owner keeps a clear view in front of is own property?

Carnut

I confronted a neighbour once, in a polite way and even tried to be there friend, it worked well for a few years until he got in with a new crowd. They then started to take the pi** so I was a little more firm but still nothing. I then went to the council after one of them had thrown a can of beer through my porch window and the council decided to give us dairies to fill out which we did and after about a year they put up some camera's. The camera's were not my first choice but the other neighbours and the council/police said it was a good idea and I would be helping the community out.

Long story short one of them noticed a camera and they, over the next week smashed my car and house windows in. We had to move out and the council gave them a holiday in Cornwall while they did the house up for them.

The moral of the story is no one will help you and all your neighbours who say they have got your back will turn and walk the other way once they see any trouble. I would just play it safe and ask yourself how much you think its worth.

Scoobydoo Ste

iTrader: (3)

I feel your pain mate, I also have difficulty getting in / out of my drive due to other inconsiderate drivers who could make it easier for me but don't.

I live in a very narrow street and I have the fella over the road frequently parking his big people carrier opposite my drive instead of on his driveway and the guy next door leaves his on the road parked across his driveway instead of on it and it's right up to my drive - same as the car on the other side of my drive so drive in / out, there's very little room to turn

Something like this...

DYK

Usually many of the weight limit signs are for vehicles over 7.5t .Being parked partly on the pavement could come under obstruction/guilty of an offence,but think even then it depends on size type of vehicle and width of the road.
If its just looked at being inconvenient or anti social,is not much you can do,as it usually only applies to commercial vehicles exceeding 7.5t,which should only be parked in permitted areas,anything up to 3.5t. Is classed as a light vehicle,3.5t to 7.5t have little more stringent rules but nothing significant.
Can always check the local bye laws,being partly parked on pavement could be something to go on,contact local authorities,or could always contact vosa and ask their advice.

JGlanzaV

iTrader: (3)

I hate this kind of thing, man up and just be polite and talk to him.

If someone went to the council etc before asking me I would be right pissed off.

Or just park your car there first, then he can't park it there...

*matthewturb2000*

iTrader: (11)

as said hes not going to beat you up for asking him to move it, as j said park your car there 1st, have you had agro with the guy before,

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

Get in touch with the local licencing authority (do a Google search for the presice authority for your area but you could start with your local Police office) and ask them where the registered operating address is for the vehicle / company, there will have to be one in order to obtain the operators licence for the vehicle.

Inform them that the vehicle is being parked at a residential address and is causing an obstruction / nuisance to the the street and that it's being parked illegally blocked payment access.

In order to operate the vehicle the operator needs their 'O' licence to be clean and without blemish or it can be removed / restricted / reduced, this has lots of implications for their ability to operate properly without lots of VOSA oversight / investigation.

Don't go down the route of tackling the individual that's nearly always pointless, get his employer involved indirectly and I'm sure you'll see far better and quicker results.

ps all the above can be done confidentially as well.

Carnut

I agree, you should probably be polite and see if he would mind moving it first. The down side to that of course is if you later decide that you would like to take action it won't be to hard for him to figure out who it was.

If you don't want to confront him then have a look in the window of the truck and see if his operating licence is in date. In England operators of hgv's have to be very careful and make sure that they are well upto date, if not there is a good chance that they will get pulled by vosa and prosecuted.

In Northern Ireland they don't have vosa stationed at points on the highway so there's no risk of hgv's being pulled like there is here in England. A large number of hgv's in N Ireland don't bother to keep there o licence upto date and you stand a chance that his is out.

Carnut

I should refresh my screen before adding a post that way I wont give the same advice as someone else.

scoobyboy1

iTrader: (16)

Dont know if my story could help but here is goes

A builder friend of mine did really well on the housing market, always bought a house and did a bit of work to it and then sold it on for big profit before moving into a bigger house, eventually he made enough money to buy a very big house in a very posh area with neighbors who had very good jobs with lots of money.

Even though my friend made a lot of money on the housing market he was just a normal working class bloke, who drove around in a tatty old Ford transit(with usual Ford rust) and every night would park this tatty van on his driveway which was off the road, but could still be seen from the road.

A few months past, and he got a letter from the council saying that they have had complaints from local residents that his van was a eye sore for the area and that he should find a alternative parking for his van, and that vans and caravans where not permitted to be parked on driveways.

Anyway he was forced to park his van elsewhere at nights, after finding out that the neighbours had all got together and had a petition to have the van removed, he eventually got fed up with the "we are better then you" neighbours and moved house.

morale of the story is, if you dont want to confront him, maybe get together with some of your neighbours and see what they think, tell them your concerned about children stepping out from behind the lorry and getting run over, im sure if a few residents go to the council they might have a word with him, and he might park it elsewhere!! or even send these pictures to your council and see what they say!!!

hodgy0_2

That is a rather sad indictment of British society, if indeed the van was legally parked, even more so if it was on private land

Although it is true that some, of what I would call high class new build "council" estates have covenants on the land that does disallow caravans, boats etc

Any the OP should go down the route of contacting the operator of the vehicle - parking half on the pavement can't be legal and poor show in a ressie area if you ask me

*matthewturb2000*

iTrader: (11)

could any thing actually be done to remove the van if its all road legal and parked on private property? proper good old british snobbery ther

Carnut

My uncle and some of his neighbours had the council tell one of his other neighbours to remove their caravan from the drive.

CharlySkunkWeed

iTrader: (7)

I wouldn't go to his door , no good will come from it in the long run. To him you will always be that guy who complained , no matter how friendly the conversation goes.

My neighbour has a drive that could park 6 to 8 cars , but as his sons girlfriend can't reverse she parks outside my house. It doesn't interfere with me in any way unless I'm wanting to move my van off the drive to wash my car but it still annoys the hell out of me ! Any visitors to their house seems to do the same so I constantly have a car outside my house.

I'd ring the council and say there's a lorry blocking the footpath , they will at least tell you who it concerns. I'm pretty sure there is a law about parking in an inconviniate place.

Bored Secretary

Just knock on his door and say "excuse me, sorry to bother you, but where the lorry is parked is causing me difficulties in getting in and out of my property. It would be really helpful if it was parked [insert more preferable place here]."

They are only going to say no if you do it in the wrong way. Be polite; be respectful and acknowledge that it's a bit of a favour. Size or profession is nothing to do with it, it's about the way you approach the matter.

Tyre-fitter

iTrader: (1)

Report him to Vosa,,the vehicle should be parked up where the operators license is registered to unless you are away from depot on a night out,which i wouldnt class this as a night out if he is parking it there nearly every night.Also he is parked illegally on the pavement.

Andy.

Miller-SoT

iTrader: (2)

Totally agree with the above, man-up and talk to him.

If that doesn't work just set it on fire and give him a nice big smile when you next see him.

GH80

I don't think there is an easy way out of it. If I ask him to move it I will always be the complaining ***hole from across the road, and if I get it moved he will think it was either me or my neighbour squealing to the authorities about it. No easy solution! The operators licence is registered as Northhampton, and it is taxed but I don't see a PSV disc. It is a 7.5 tonne box lorry, I take it that falls under 3.5 - 7.5 tonne bracket?

It just bugs me that he never parked his old Vivaro size work van outside his house which is clear or on his driveway, it always sat in front of my drive which is not adjacent to his property, it is outside the house beside him. I don't think anyone who thinks like that in the first place is going to have much respect for their neighbours.

It is only at the weekends this is happening, or holiday times. Going to park my car there next weekend and we will take it from there!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

My uncle had some guy park his 7.5ton car transporter out the front of his flat. Not a nice view, and many people complained. However it was legally parked (not on the pavement, and on a main road).

The amusing part of the story is that due to where it was parked it got rear-ended by a car. The car driver was drunk, plod dealt with him and really thanks to this truck, it saved us all from one more drunk driver.

The owner of the transporter didn't see it that way....seeing he was left out of pocket for a bent rear beam, damaged ramp thingy and broken lights. So he parked it round teh corner instead, causing just as much disruption.

Luckily during this time his operator's license expired, so that was quickly reported to plod, and so it disappeared and never came back.

largeSteve

iTrader: (2)

You only need an operators licence for carrying goods for hire or reward, hence the sticker on this vans near side door.

Lydia72

If it's blocking the pavement as in shown on the photo then yes. It's an absolute bloody nuisance trying to push a wheelchair when people do this, especially if they're also blocking the dropped kerbs.

*matthewturb2000*

iTrader: (11)

i ment this,

gazzawrx

iTrader: (11)

Tbh it looks to me like he is parking it there to try and be as less of a nuisance as possible. If he was to park outside his house then hell be blocking the other neighbours drives, it looks to me like hes parking it against where the bush is as no cars will be coming out their drives there, youll find hes also parking on the path to allow you and your neighbours as much room as possible to get off your own drives, its not ideal but i reckon thats probably the best way to park something that big and show as much appreciation to his neighbours as possible.

obviously it dosent help pedestrians trying to get past etc but they can always cross the road if needed at least it shows hes thinking about other the vehicles in your street.

its certainly parked a lot more considerately than some of the vans round my neck of the woods.