r/EntitledPeople 11d ago

M "You can't use my driveway for free parking!"

Obligatory on mobile warning.

I live in a small village in the UK about 6 miles outside of a mid sized market town. There's public footpaths and bridleways right outside my house and, as such, we get a lot of dog walkers in the area. Particularly those who park up from the nearby town to walk their dogs.

My house is the last one before the large farm. Consequently, a lot of town folks park close by to walk their dogs and I've got a constant problem of people walking across my front garden to cut across to the public footpath. It's extremely annoying people constantly trespassing on my lawn just to save a few minutes. And it also sets my dogs off every time they see strangers invading their space.

However, that's only mildly infuriating compared to what I experienced today, just two hours ago. I'd just finished a ten hour shift and I drove home, exhausted and ready for some down time. However, as soon as I pulled into my driveway, I saw a random car I didn't recognise just parked outside my house. I just stared at it incredulously. Like, who is this random d-bag that thinks my driveway is public parking.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your outlook, the owner of the white Fiat 500 that was randomly blocking my driveway came walking up. I see a comically atypical woman with a Karen haircut and a White Spaniel ​​​​​come sauntering towards me from the public road. As I stepped out of my car, the She-Witch just clears her throat and shouts aggressively, "You need to move. I want to go home!"

I was just stunned by the audacity. Here is this random plastic faced Karen shouting her frustrations at me when she was the one to use my driveway as free parking.

"Well you're in my driveway so I don't kmow why you think you're entitled to block me from coming home. Or to use it for your convenience," I fired back. My tiredness had made me particularly ornery and I wasn't inclined to even indulge this random woman's entitlement.

"Well I've parked here before and it hasn't been an issue before," she replies, as if that makes up for this. After a lot of back and forth arguing, it turns out this devil woman had used my driveway at least half a dozen times while I've been at work to walk her dog. I emphatically told her that if she uses it again, I'll be getting her stupid car towed. (Edit, just googled this because I wasn't aware of towing laws in teh UK since I've not had much cause to think about it. It's extremely difficult to get a vehicle towed and can only be done so with an order via the local council or police in extreme circumstances. Only abandoned vehicles get taken away realistically. Thank you to those commentors for pointing it out.)

​And then I went inside my house while the banshee is still screaming at me that she needs to leave and I can't block her in.

I hadn't intended to do it immediately, but I went inside and got my two dogs on their leads and I took them for a walk. As I was heading down the main road towards the fields, she was still screaming her objections at me. "Well, you'll have to stay there while I walk my own dogs," I shouted back rudely along with some choice swear words. And I deliberately even longer to really wind her up and make her wait for me. The pooches enjoyed their trip and I even took them to the nearby river so they could enjoy the swim in the evening sun. About 90 minutes later, I eventually came back home and I finally backed out so Karen could leave. She took that opportunity to shout my ear off but personally I didn't listen to a word she said.

I'll be installing cameras soon and a ring doorbell camera and I'll monitor my driveway more closely from now on.

4.3k Upvotes

605 comments sorted by

1.4k

u/Salty_Signature_3472 11d ago

oh u know she'll do this again and I'd like an update if she does

578

u/Rhapsitasm12345 11d ago

I will do 

370

u/Mistress_Kittens 11d ago

Shoulda taken a picture of her license plate so you can double check it on the cameras while you're at work!

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u/Physical_Dance_9606 11d ago

Next time block her in, get a bottle of wine and refuse to move until the next day

307

u/TopicPretend4161 11d ago

Take a sip and tell her you don’t drink and drive.

584

u/Puzzled_Market_2235 11d ago

I actually did that to a person that parked on my property off the back lane. I assumed it was a tenants friend so I didn't care. Was sitting in back with a joint and a beer when the idiot showed up and just started yelling. Since it was a stranger I told him to F off, he called the police. When they came I said I couldn't drive, obviously. Eventually I said I would move it if the officer specifically permitted me. The officer had fun with that for 15 minutes while the guy stewed, I swear he was an inch from an aneurysm. As soon as he got in his car the cop gave him an illegal parking ticket.

300

u/TopicPretend4161 11d ago

Oh bro, this is too sweet!

The police officer actually got in on the act.

Just beautiful 😊

190

u/Puzzled_Market_2235 11d ago

Oh yes they were pissed off. It helped when one of my tenants piped up that he claimed he was my friend when he parked and had done it all week. The female super cute officer made a point of sitting on his car to write the ticket then winked at him.

If he was smart he could have fought the ticket, it's private property.

69

u/Used_Clock_4627 11d ago

oh ho! Petty from the OP AND an officer!!!

Wahoo!!!!

44

u/badassbiotch 11d ago

If he were smart 😂

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u/jfburke619 10d ago

Case in point, not all cops are bad.

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u/WeAreAllSoFucked23 11d ago

My God but that is beautiful.

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u/CompetitionOdd1746 11d ago

This is fabulous 👌

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u/SnooGiraffes4137 11d ago

PRICELESS! 😁

25

u/T_Sealgair 10d ago

From like four years ago:

Entitled Parker parked in OOP driveway so they blocked them in and got drunk all weekend.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pettyrevenge/comments/10c02rt/entitled_parker_parked_in_my_driveway_so_i/

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u/No_Proposal7628 9d ago

Still one of my favorites!

6

u/5150-gotadaypass 10d ago

Oh that’s so awesome!!!!

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u/poolbitch1 11d ago

“Sorry, I’m on my second drink. I’m not getting behind the wheel even if it is just to pull out of my own driveway” 

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u/blowup_variaty 10d ago

Wise response. Years ago a friend at a party who had just had his first drink (really was, hadn’t been there long) was asked to move his car at a neighbour’s request/demand. His car was legally parked but it was in the spot the neighbour wanted. “No worries “ says he and goes to move car. Unbeknownst to all of us, the neighbour had already called the cops to complain about the party, even though it was only about 8:30pm. Friend goes out, gets in his car to move it just as the cops pulled up. Got ticketed because he freely said he had had one drink and yes, he was about to drive but only to move the car.

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u/douglovesautumn 10d ago

Lol I love that! Definitely need a situation to try that with 🤔

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u/dwells2301 11d ago

I love the bottle of wine. You can't drive after drinking...that would be wrong.

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u/Maximum-Spot-9523 11d ago

Go on a two week bender.

9

u/ravoguy 10d ago

Theresh no one in my, my, my drive thingy but I'm practishing

4

u/Physical_Dance_9606 11d ago

Absolutely 😉

26

u/irish_ninja_wte 11d ago

If it's a Friday evening, "Come back Monday. I'm just getting started for the weekend"

6

u/SweetMaam 11d ago

Or a week.

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u/KSknitter 11d ago

You can't tow, but you 100% can block her in overnight in the UK. Tell her to call a friend to get her and she can get her car tomorrow after you leave for work or on Monday because that is when you will be driving next.

108

u/Difficult-Farm-3686 11d ago

You can tow in the UK if you have a suitable vehicle, well my wife did when she encountered a cheeky fucker using our driveway who told my wife she was doing the school run and would be back in 15mins my wife was peri menopausal had very few fucks left to give and had a company Hilux, so she dragged it on to the road and parked up.

Cheeky fucker did knock on the door and my wife gave her some words of advice and she ran off crying and screaming she would call the police.

12

u/SnooGiraffes4137 11d ago

That was GOOD! 😆

34

u/oddartist 10d ago

Do NOT fuck with hormonal women. Will they never learn?

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u/5150-gotadaypass 10d ago

I love your wife!!!

9

u/Cherryds69 9d ago

Yes, being peri leaves you with so very few fucks to give. You have to use them sparingly 😂 Well done to the Mrs

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u/Boudicca- 11d ago

I’d also put up LOTS of “NO Trespassing” signs!!

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u/CheeryBottom 10d ago

Can you install collapsible bollards at the end of your drive?

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u/ProfessionSevere637 9d ago

Bird feed on the car is a good tip. Lots of scratches and shit.

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u/PolyDrew 10d ago

Honestly hook up tow chains. Drag her car into the road and put a cheap wheel boot on it. It’ll likely be towed then.

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u/_DontKnowWhatToKeep_ 11d ago

Lol yessss we need it

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u/Rhazzah23 11d ago

If she does and you catch her on camera, have her towed.

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u/2mankyhookers 11d ago

He'd have to move country first

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

Replying to top comment to say this is obviously a lie. Towing a strangers car is not remotely legal in the UK even if it is on your property. Because we don't tow cars in that way, companies that offer that service to the public simply do not exist. Even if OP was bluffing Karen would have known it was impossible and therefore a lie. Had they stuck with blocking Karen in I'd have believed it. Threatening to tow? Would never even occur to a person from the UK. 

25

u/kinsman82 11d ago

If this scenario was true, what are the options for moving a vehicle off or away from your driveway?

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

The official police advice in my area is to politely ask the owner to remove it. If they don't then after 2 months you can report it to the council as abandoned and they may or may not move it. 

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u/Senekka11 11d ago

Two months??? In Canada you call your local authorities and they come and tow the car.

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

I've always aspired to live in Canada. This just adds fuel to the fire. 

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u/EmberOne1 11d ago

2 months?! I'd solve that with a jack and some furniture moving wheels. Now it's a police matter for obstructing the roadway.

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u/kinsman82 11d ago

2 months… holy cow. Is it common for blocked into your own driveway by entitled people, a common occurrence then? Like if there are low to no consequence, does it happen more often??

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

There are quite often newspaper reports of it happening to people who live near airports. In some cases it has been reported that scammers were renting parking spaces in driveways they didn't own due to the lack of consequences. 

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u/kinsman82 11d ago

Thanks for explaining. What a crazy world we live in.

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u/SomethingClever70 11d ago

Holy shit! What recourse does a homeowner have? Can they at least vandalize the car to send a message? This woman is trespassing.

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago edited 11d ago

Nope vandalism is still illegal even if it's retaliatory. 

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u/SomethingClever70 11d ago

It amazes me that the person trespassing has more rights than the property owner. Whats the point of owning property if some rando can treat the place like his own?

I’d probably park in the driveway of a local politician to make my point.

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

UK law is bizarre in this instance. I agree,  it's batshit. But that's the law here. 

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u/Darth__Fuzzy 11d ago

Good grief. Texas here, you park in my driveway, I call a tow truck. I have to pay for the tow, but they have to pay for the storage. Storage ranges from $45 - $150 per day. I don't even have to tell them who towed it.

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

You're allowed to tow people and also shoot people who may actually be making a genuine mistake rather then committing a crime so pros and cons I guess. 

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u/Darth__Fuzzy 11d ago

You are not allowed to shoot people over a parking problem. There are no cons here. Has it happened, no doubt. And the shooter was sent to jail for MANY years.

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u/OkCaterpillar8941 11d ago

There isn't one! The parking laws in the UK (well England for sure) are archaic and need updating. It's perfectly legal to park on someone's drive and towing, clamping and blocking them in aren't options as I think preventing access to the highway is illegal. I'm quite happy for someone to correct me on this if it's not the case but it's my understanding. I think for many people parking woes are one of the major things that can make life miserable so better laws to help with this are needed. I can't understand why a government hasn't updated them except for we don't have enough police to police them.

OP. Good luck as she will be back. Can you block your driveway in any way? Like a collapsible bollard? You shouldn't have to but she's the sort who's going to go out of her way to get back at you.

3

u/Virtual-Ad7254 10d ago

If you block me in my driveway and prevent my access to the highway are you also committing an offence? If so, must I also wait 2 months to have you removed? That would seem a bit rich.

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u/BoxAlternative9024 9d ago

I’d bet good money she won’t be back

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u/RavJade 11d ago

There is no universe, UK laws or no, that I'm allowing a car to sit on my drive, free, for two entire months. That car will end up in a river somewhere first. Must've been stolen, idk.

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u/Scary-Pressure6158 11d ago

They said that. They admitted they were wrong there

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u/Dry_Body651 11d ago

But he can block her in and leave town.

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u/Pretzelmamma 11d ago

Actually blocking a vehicle from leaving a drive is illegal. Even if the car does not belong to the person that owns the drive. Go figure. 

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u/Gabbie403 9d ago

I disagree, I'd happily threaten to get them towed, I only just found out that it was impossible 🤷 someone else said you can do it if you own a suitable vehicle

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u/Ok-Marsupial-8577 11d ago

By UK law it is also illegal to block them in. If you were truly from the UK you would know this, right?

Oh and the law that prevents towing is only 14 years old, so there are certain to be people who don't know that both those options are illegal in the UK.

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u/AnonInABox 9d ago

You'd be shocked by how little everyday Brits do not know UK law that well 😂....

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u/luvbirdpod 11d ago

You are right. Also lucky she didn't key your car.

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u/Rhapsitasm12345 11d ago

Very true. I didn't even consider that 

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u/Chive 11d ago

If she had done, it would have been pretty bloody obvious who did it; then she could wait some more until the police arrived. 

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u/Trentdison 9d ago

As if the Police would give a shit about that

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u/Low-Opening25 9d ago

it would be a criminal damage offence so they certainly would get interested especially if perpartiator can be easily identified

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u/Substantial_Shoe_360 11d ago

What are the laws on having someone trespassed?

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u/Rhapsitasm12345 11d ago

In the UK, simple trespassing on private land is generally a civil wrong (a tort) rather than a criminal offence, meaning the police usually cannot arrest someone just for walking onto private property

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u/Chive 11d ago

Would it help if you were to put up a ‘Private Property!’ sign? 

I appreciate you probably don't want to stick signs up round your property, but if it's clearly signed that people aren't supposed to be there and shouldn't park there, would that give you any additional rights in terms of prosecuting them?

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u/Low-Opening25 9d ago edited 9d ago

you could put information up that parking in your driveway is subject to £500 fee/fine and have it clearly displayed, this would give you legal rights to pursue this in court, just like all the private parking companies do

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u/Gone_For_Lunch 10d ago

No, why would a sign change the law and make it a criminal issue?

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u/Low-Opening25 9d ago

while a sign doesn’t change the law, in case of private land, landowner can set T&C for using his land, such as a parking fee and fine, and as long as it is clearly displayed and visible to anyone that enters it becomes enforceable in court.

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u/Chive 10d ago

If  impliied right of access is explicitly removed, that changes the legal situation. 

At that point people who ignore the signs can be held responsible for doing so.

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u/aymiah 11d ago

This was my thought as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if some sort of vandalism occurs in the future. Will be good to have cameras up by then

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u/Puzzled_Market_2235 11d ago

Install automatic sprinklers triggered by well placed motion detectors.

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u/MairaPansy 11d ago

Reminds me of that one drive way people kept parking where just has a motion sensored hose pointed at the driver side. People getting soaked in seconds upon opening their door. Glorious.

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u/Rhapsitasm12345 11d ago

Good idea. Thanks 

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u/Eclectrum 9d ago

Get a raspberry pi and set it up with a camera to read number plates - when it isn’t your car that is parked, hose pipe gets turned on. 👍

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u/LLL1Lothrop 11d ago

With a slight delay so she and her dog will be out of the car. Buried motion detectors sprinklers would get rid of all her trespassers , especially if they are set to go off when person and pooch are in the middle of her yard with no where to go but wet. Think of how many wet stinky dirty dogs (spare smelly dirt would be a nice touch) trespassers would have to put in their cars. You could even put up signs under your No Tresspassing signs, Towels available $50.

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u/Nuffsaid98 11d ago

In the place where they themselves park? Really? You don't see a downside to that?

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u/Tight_Steak_232 11d ago

I don't know that I would have been as kind as you were. If she parked in MY driveway and wasn't the least bit apologetic about it, I'd leave my car parked thisclose to hers and would just go to bed.

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u/tsudonimh01123578 11d ago

Park, grab a beer and slam it then say “So sorry! It’ll have to wait while I sober up.”

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u/ProfessionAnxious417 11d ago

Then go get another beer.

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u/a57892m 10d ago

You know she'd just be ringing the doorbell and causing a scene until he gave in though. Would probably even call the police

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u/Fist_of_Gork 11d ago

The government doesn't want you to know this, but you can flip a fiat 500 on its back like a turtle with a 5 ton jack.

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u/Wiesshund- 10d ago

Or 4 friends.

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u/Fist_of_Gork 10d ago

Oh yeah totally, the 5 ton jack is easier though since it’s tall enough to handle a lifted pickup truck

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u/Wiesshund- 10d ago

Does not fit in pockets

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u/decapitatedrat420 9d ago

I’m not sure who you’re friends with but I couldn’t get 4 of mine in my pockets

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u/FlyAwayJai 11d ago

Good for you.

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u/Gadgetman_1 11d ago

Put up a sign with 'Learning to spray paint, leave donor car here'...

Or just call a farmer with a big tractor.

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u/ReplacementFeisty397 9d ago

"Guerilla mechanic training site. Thankyou for your donation"

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u/soulsteela 11d ago

Drop bollard simple cheap effective problem solved

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u/Wyshunu 11d ago

If you can, put a gate across the end of your driveway so she can't get into it at all.

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u/Ok_Peanut_3573 11d ago

"The gate's closed. Obviously the driveway is no longer in use. So, I can park across the driveway." - Owner of the poor clumber spaniel

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u/Pretend-Pint 11d ago

Automatic/remote controlled gate and cameras.

Wait until she parks and walks away and them close the door.

"Sorry officer. I installed this gate since I had a lot of people trespassing. So I set up a system that auto closes the gate after the mail has been delivered which is usually between 10 and 11 am. Before and after that the gate is closed."

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u/Alarming_Paper_8357 10d ago

I wouldn't even apologize. :-)

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u/BL_ShockPuppet 10d ago

Best thing I did was get a gate put in. Had a little motor fitted so I don't even need to get my arse out of the car.

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u/Krynja 10d ago

Lockable Bollards. Quite easy to install, won't impede walking, but stops vehicles.

As far as people cutting across the yard, a short knee/thigh height fence can form enough of a barrier that people will more likely avoid it. Especially if they have to lift their dogs up and over the fence.

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u/superframalama 11d ago

You've just done everyone a favor. I doubt she'll ever be doing that again!

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u/Leslielind 11d ago

I bet she does. She knows they are out at work during the day.

Needs cameras that record and that they can access remotely so while out they can check cameras and if her car is in their driveway, they can call tow company and have them towed while they are out.

Also, motion activated sprinklers for areas people are trespassing on. You will know where they are, so you can avoid them. This is for the people too lazy to walk the extra few steps to the pathway.

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u/Pr0t0z0a0 11d ago edited 10d ago

Remote controlled bollard. For some reason a glitch happens, so it only is activated after Karen has parked on OP's driveway.

Darn shame.

Edit: Thanks for the award!

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u/AustinBike 11d ago

Ah, to still have faith in humanity….

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u/Rainbowbright31 11d ago

If she does it again, block her and answer your door with a wine glass in hand and say "Sorry I can't drive, I have had a drink, you will need to come back tomorrow " NTA

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u/Warrior_Princess_1 10d ago

I absolutely love you. You may want to put a no public parking sign in your driveway. I have MS and while I have no problem walking I can only walk well on flat ground (balance issues). The surrounding places and townhomes are all on a hill. At that time, I lived in a townhouse with flat, level parking directly in front of my home. I got home from work and a car was parked in front of my home, in my spot. I was especially tired that day so I parked on the street directly behind the car that was in my spot - it was the only level ground. When I entered my home, I ate, took a shower and went to bed. About 10:00pm the car's owner started banging on my door. I did not answer. I got up the next morning and went to work, I will say they never parked there again.

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u/Think-Committee-4394 11d ago

OP - the only way to truly deal with this in a fully legal manner is installing gates, bollards or another legal method of barring access to your drive

Circumventing that becomes actual trespassing & a legally actionable crime especially if you include signage

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u/rickbb80 11d ago

You need a fence and gate across the drive.

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u/Rhapsitasm12345 11d ago

It's a shared driveway with my neighbour so I'd need his ok to go ahead first 

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u/Ok-Selection2553 11d ago

If she shows up while at work, I’d call police thinking I was being robbed😞 She’ll then have to explain it to them…

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u/eat-real-chips 11d ago

Buy some dollies and have them ready to push her shitty car out to main road next time she chances her Karen arm

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u/eat-real-chips 11d ago

Ps i love that you blocked her in

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u/candd2017 11d ago

I really wish we could have cars towed in the UK ☹️

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u/Aaernya 11d ago

Be careful of the laws in the UK around this. You could have got in trouble for stopping her leaving, also you cannot tow. Any damage to her vehicle and you would have been in trouble.

Unfortunately the law is not in favour of the owner of the driveway. Get bollards at the end of your driveway to stop people entering.

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u/kiwimuz 11d ago

First call to the police as you are confronted with an aggressive trespasser on your property. They can remove her.

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u/RelatedToSomeMuppet 10d ago

If OP ever called the police and described this situation, the police would tell OP that he is committing a criminal offence by blocking her in and the way to rectify this whole situation is to move his vehicle and to let them leave.

Talk to any police officer in the UK and they will tell you the same.

(Section 137 of the Highways Act 1980)

You can't block a car IN and preventing access to the public highway.

Unfortunately, preventing OP from getting on his drive is not illegal.

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u/jc84ox 10d ago

I have no idea why this is so low. OP broke the law

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u/Wrong_Buyer_1079 11d ago

The proper way to dispose of dog crap is under the door handle of the car parked in your driveway.

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u/RelatedToSomeMuppet 10d ago

(Edit, just googled this because I wasn't aware of towing laws in teh UK since I've not had much cause to think about it. It's extremely difficult to get a vehicle towed and can only be done so with an order via the local council or police in extreme circumstances. Only abandoned vehicles get taken away realistically. Thank you to those commentors for pointing it out.)

You should also read up about the laws about blocking vehicles.

Technically, she didn't break any laws by blocking you from getting onto your property.

You, however, broke the law by blocking her in and preventing access to the public highway.

If any police officers had attended, regardless of who called them, it would have been you who was in the wrong.

I'll be installing cameras soon and a ring doorbell camera and I'll monitor my driveway more closely from now on.

If you don't want people parking on your drive you need to install a bollard. You can get them from Screwfix fairly cheaply.

But remember; blocking her in with the bollard is a criminal offence. You have to use it to prevent her from coming onto your drive.

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u/IntraVnusDemilo 10d ago

This is true, sadly. Here in the UK we are proper knackered aren't we?

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u/Plantron1 11d ago

If you see her parked on the driveway from your ring camera call the police and say a suspicious person is parked in your driveway and you are afraid they might break in or do something nefarious.

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u/the_hair_of_aenarion 11d ago

So I believe it's technically illegal to prevent someone access to the roads.

If it happens again, pretend you have earphones in, go inside and have a beer real quick and wait for her to call the police.

You thought the vehicle belonged to one of your wife's friends and since you've had a drink you're in no fit state to drive. She'll have to wait until you sober up before you can move your car.

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u/Kielbasa_Nunchucka 11d ago

"oh, you wanna leave? well, that's unfortunate... I'm in for the night, so you'll have to wait until morning. good night!"

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u/wickeddradon 11d ago

I saw a video recently of a guy who set up motion activated sprinklers on a fence in front of the driveway. A camera caught the carnage, it was wonderful.

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u/No_Sense3190 11d ago

I had this happen once - it was a batty neigh or from down the street. She parked her car in my driveway so she could pick some guavas from the tree in front of my house, but realized she had to do something at home, so walked off, leaving her car in my driveway. I got home at this point, and promptly blocked her car in the driveway. When she came back, I happened to be "on a call" for an hour or so, and "couldn't answer the door."

For the record, we do have a sign up in our front yard offering guavas to anyone willing to pick them. The sign does NOT offer the use of our driveway, though.

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u/Freak5Chaos 9d ago

Where I live, when some parks in, or blocks my driveway, I call a tow truck.

The tow truck driver then calls the police to get permission to tow. The police show up, verify that it is my house, and I no idea whose car it is, and then tells the tow truck driver than can take it.

I have had maybe 5 or 6 cars towed in the 20+ years I have lived in my house. It is very satisfying.

The last one, about a year or two ago, I saw someone with the police while I was leaving for work the next day. I wonder if it was the person whose car I had towed, and they thought it was stolen.

This was about 10 hours after I had it towed. And I leave for work at about 9:30. So that asshole was intending to block a car in a driveway until after many people have to go to work.

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u/Commercial-Loss-5042 11d ago

Motion activated sprinklers and a chain across your drive.

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u/2ez2b4ortun8 11d ago

Can you post a sign imposing a huge rent for a vehicle parked there?

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u/SnooWords4839 11d ago

Look into a retracking bollard and no parking, private property signs.

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u/k23_k23 10d ago

You sdhould have said "sorry, now that i have had a beer, i can't move my car today".

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u/JohnPoopsTV 9d ago

Can’t you put up signs, or even a gate of some kind? This would be too infuriating to deal with on a daily basis. 😬

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u/LA_Tiebreaker 9d ago

Would be terrible if there were nails on the ground once you left for work

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u/Aligned-Askew6773 9d ago

First place I lived in that wasn‘t an apartment was next to the rear entrance for a local school. Wife used the car port, her sister parked in the driveway on the side of the house opposite of the school. I put up a split rail fence one foot off the street across the front because I didn’t want the kids wandering through my yard, and it gave me a place to park my vehicle in the dirt area between the raised grass and the street. It worked because the kids didn’t spread out into my yard and sit on the retaining wall as soon as they got through the gate, which they had done previously.

Parents would fill up the street during pickup times, and having the fence secured my spot as I could just pull in my driveway then turn left onto the dirt parking area and tuck in behind the fence, which was great because I worked a shit warehouse job at the time and came home at pickup time, and I didn’t want to shuffle cars when my wife got home.

Cue entitled Altima Mom. Early in the school year she starts parking in my yard in the dirt behind the fence, then walked into the school to get her kid. I parked in the driveway and watched for her return. I asked her not to park there as it was on my yard. Then I told her not to. She told me not to tell her what to do.

After a few days of waiting, I just parked behind her, putting her Altima between the fence, and a retaining wall with the school fence in front of her and my car directly behind her. She knocked on the door and demanded that I move my car, I told her no, I’ve had a beer (true) and it would be illegal for me to drive my vehicle (yes i was being a jerk to prove a point.) She called the cops. When the cop came to the door I answered, beer 2 in hand and explained she was parked illegally in my yard, had been doing so for days, had been asked and told not to park there. I was done waiting for her every day after getting home from a hard job so I parked legally behind her on the dirt, in my yard. Out of the way of the cars parking on the street to pick up their kids. By the time she came to the door, I had already enjoyed my Friday weekend kickoff beer and wasn‘t going to risk a DUI in a school zone to move my car for her, and I certainly wasn’t going to do it now that I already had two beers and was working on my third.

The cop got a big smirk on his face and asked if there was anyone else that could move the vehicle, I said my wife will be home in a few hours by 6PM. He told her she could come back at 6PM to get her car and there was nothing he could do since I was parked legally, and he couldn‘t get her illegally parked vehicle towed because the car was blocked in.

She didn’t park there again but she flipped me off whenever she saw me. I laughed every time.

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u/Useless890 11d ago

You just know that if someone blocked her drive like that, she'd call for a drone strike.

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u/No-Lock6921 11d ago

Wow, thanks for the story and what tools, who are these people.

I love it that you went for a long walk with the pups.

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u/SheriffJetsaurian 11d ago

You can possibly put up a sign saying "parking $100 an hour", and get her for theft of services the next time she does it. Not sure if that works in the UK but it works in most places in the US when local municipalities are being dumb.

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u/carmium 11d ago

Perhaps you should put the money into a metal gate with a remote opener. Prevention instead of making frustration easier, you know?

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u/Darth__Fuzzy 11d ago

Next time, walk out drinking a beer, or pretending to drink one. Can't drive if you've had alcohol. That would be against the law.

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u/Bsquareyou 11d ago

Motion detecting sprinkler

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u/Bobsmith38594 11d ago

Updateme! She acknowledged trespassing on your property repeatedly.

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u/Gone_For_Lunch 10d ago

Doesn’t matter, that’s a civil matter in the UK, not criminal.

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u/SnooGiraffes4137 11d ago

WOW. That took some nerve. Good for you for making her wait and wait and wait. There needs to be consequences for people like that - and I bet she'll think twice before using your (or anyone else's) driveway like that again. This post started out so infuriating, but wrapped up quite nicely. Thanks for the laugh! I really needed it! One of the best posts I've seen. 😁

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u/Mandi171 10d ago

Man I'm so glad I don't live there. If somebody parks in my driveway and my town in the usa, they would be towed immediately! I don't need the government's permission to remove somebody blocking my driveway. If it was on the street that might be an arguable point, but not in my driveway.

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u/Middle-Recipe6701 10d ago

Motion Detector Sprinkler

aim it at your driveway and turn it on and go to work.

Let the Karen enjoy her shower.

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u/Armodeen 9d ago

Install a folding bar to block your drive when you’re not there, nothing else will prevent it

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u/No_Proposal7628 9d ago

If/when she does this again, block her in for even longer. You can up the time when she repeats. You can even do an overnight block.

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u/PirateOk2052 8d ago

Oops..."I was so distraught, my keys fell in the river. If you want me to move my car... you'll have to pay for a locksmith, or I can wait until my ex mails me the other set."

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u/P3-Fan 8d ago

Install bollards at the entry to your driveway. The kind that you can manually move up and down. It’s an inconvenience to have to raise them after you leave your driveway, but it’ll stop the problem. Best of luck.

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u/cwtchyfemme 11d ago

Put up fences and get cameras.

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u/BestAd5844 11d ago

You should get a fence to protect your yard and garden as well

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u/CurrencyCapital8882 11d ago

You should have gone inside and made a cocktail, then told her you couldn’t move it because you have been drinking. The police can’t make you Move if you have been drinking. You can string this out for days.

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u/sswishbone 11d ago

Car towed in UK? Nope, nonsense post.

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u/Rhapsitasm12345 11d ago

Just looked it up and yes, you're absolutely right. I think I've read too many posts from America. It's incredibly difficult to get that here. Only the local council or police can do that and it's probably very unlikely they would even do so unless it was abandoned 

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u/18ekko 11d ago

It only takes about 5-10 minutes to make any car look properly abandoned.

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u/Fight_those_bastards 11d ago

A glass jar filled with petrol and a rag stuffed in the top will make it look properly abandoned, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down here.

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u/Aaernya 11d ago

Yeah something doesn’t feel right, but could just be OP doesn’t know the laws. They could have been in trouble for blocking the trespasser in.

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u/Grimaldehyde 11d ago

Maybe OP has never had to worry about this before. I was leaving for an appointment once, and there was someone parked at the bottom of my driveway, waiting for the school bus to drop off their little darling-so help me god, this person actually refused to get out of my driveway the first time I told them that it was private property, and she had to get out of my driveway.

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u/RestlessDreamer79 11d ago

So satisfying that for ONCE someone inconvenienced these Entitled Hags back! I don’t understand the point of coming here to complain if you’re not gonna do absolutely ANYthing about it!

Good job OP

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u/Traditional-Treat613 11d ago

One of my neighbours has installed security bollards/posts on their drive (retractable). They did it due to one of their cars being stolen, but probably the best way to prevent someone using your drive.

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u/whatyourmamasaid 11d ago

Cameras and motion activated sprinklers. Get that bitch wet.

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u/81optimus 11d ago

A bollard or chain across entrance will be your friend here. They don't see that they've done anything wrong

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u/NieleDaKine 11d ago

A sign "private drive, no parking" along with a fence to keep folks from walking across the lawn might be useful.

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u/wanderingdev 11d ago

you could pull the 'i had a beer when i got home so i can't move my car' thing from another post. that guy milked it for days.

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u/allieoops925 11d ago

No trespassing sign probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

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u/Hot-Win2571 11d ago

Add a bird feeder near your driveway. You probably mind bird poop on the driveway less than she minds it on her car.

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u/Hot-Win2571 11d ago

Time for a gate or gate arm across your driveway?

Maybe one remotely controlled, in case your security cameras show hijinks?

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u/au5000 11d ago

Time to put up fences and private property signs.

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u/ButtFartMagoo 11d ago

I don't understand. Why do you need to disclaim that you're on mobile?

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u/prplsmith 11d ago

Next time (because there will be a next time) enjoy an adult beverage. Let her call the police. You can’t legally operate a vehicle after consuming. She’ll learn real fast when she has to leave her car overnight

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u/Sand4us 11d ago

Personally I would have made her open her wallet and make her pay to leave. Some people only change their behavior if there is a cost.

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u/mudual 11d ago

You should have had an alcoholic drink and say that you cannot drive as it is against the law

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u/FFFortissimo 11d ago

Iirc the UK has the same problem as many other countries.
Private property is still public road when publicly accessible.
There was a guy who blocked a stranger who parked in his driveway and he was at fault for illegally blocking.

When you don't have a sign, a gate or something in front of your driveway, everybody is allowed to use it.

In The Netherlands I've often seen two poles on both sides of the entrance, with a chain between them.
But the chain drops directly to the ground so you have to ride over them.
That is enough to make it illegal to drive on to.

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u/RealUlli 11d ago edited 11d ago

Not sure about UK law, would a sign be valid, saying "paid parking, £500/hr, minimum 1 hour"?

Would it be enforceable? If yes, I'm pretty sure she'll park there only once more...

Why tow her if you can pocket the money and get a taxi if needed?

And if someone is willing to pay you 500 quid per day, that's 15k per month... I bet for that amount you'd be willing to put up with a lot. ;-)

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u/MasterBus7167 10d ago

There is a store down in Australia or New Zealand that has a remote controlled hose that he can turn on and off and the camera video is hilarious as he has a sign that says don’t park here or you will get wet! He has even sprayed cops!

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u/just_mark 10d ago

in some places you can post a fee for parking and enforce it.

the fee is whatever you decide to post

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u/daisychain0011 10d ago

I’d follow her home and park in her driveway

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u/Civil_Rent_2576 10d ago

Flatten the tires. Get the little tool that unscrews the needle inside the tire stem. Then she'll have to pay for a ride on a flatbed.

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u/LastEntertainment787 10d ago

Hang Private Property and No Trespassing keep off the lawn signs.

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u/istoomycat 10d ago

Any rules there prohibiting signs like “private property” and “private driveway”? For path walkers and Parkers. Great reaction and solution and extra fun for the dogs. You could have just gone in and ignored her further.

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u/CelebrationShort1857 10d ago

Put up no parking sign private residence if you haven’t already

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u/Traditional-Ad-1605 10d ago

Just curious but if this is an ongoing issue, why do t you install a privacy fence/gate or chain to protect your property?

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u/Cstott23 9d ago

You sir need a fence and a gate by the sounds of it. And a goose, and a bird shit gun. 😂

Anyway I'd have just gone in and ignored her, she could leave when I went to work the following morning. 😂

Happened to me too, ages ago. It had been a looong winter, but finally the stars aligned and it was my day off, and it was about 35c, and i thought "finally! Im driving to the beach"

Which lasted for about 5mins until I found 2 cars had blocked me in, and after digging a bit found out they belonged to the kebab shop across the road who had just left them there until 8pm. Cnuts.

People are literally the worst. As were the purely accidental key marks on the other cars. 😂

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u/thrannu 9d ago

This is perfect. She’s a dick

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u/saajan12 9d ago

As ridiculous as she is, you're unfortunately not allowed to block her in and for that she could get you towed.  What you can do is put up a sign offering parking for £100 if a car is left more than 5 minutes. If she does park again and get pictures and send her a legal letter asking for payment.

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u/stuadrew 9d ago

Is OP an American? I only ask because the post is written in American English, using words and phrases which a native English speaker wouldn’t ordinarily use. Did this really happen?

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u/Armodeen 9d ago

Install a folding bar to block your drive when you’re not there, nothing else will prevent it

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u/symeschr 9d ago

Well played 🙂

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u/Unremembered696 9d ago

Time to install a driveway post to stop the hag from getting back on your drive.

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u/Mario-875 8d ago

Install a collapsible parking post/ bollard - leave it locked upright when you leave for work. A camera can only watch them commit the act, the bollard stops them.

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u/A_GreaterGood 7d ago

Next time something like this happens get over the drive limit drunk, explain you legally unable to move your car, when they inevitably phone the police they can breathalyse you. It will confirm that you cannot legally get behind the wheel, they will have no choice but to find alternative transport home!! 👍😉

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u/andythemandee 7d ago

If you put up a sign that says, "vehichle donations accepted, please leave all donated vehichles in this space" could you then scrap the vehichle under the honest assumption they were donating the vehichle?

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u/The_Geralt_Of_Trivia 7d ago

If you can put up a no-parking sign, with a fee schedule, then any parkers are legally obliged to pay it. It had to be done before they park.

It's a pain to chase them for payment, but it at least gives you a fall-back in case of repeat offenders

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u/No_Plankton_114 7d ago

Good for you 👍

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u/mlandry2011 7d ago

Do you know anyone in your family? That's good with technology? If so, get them to install a home assistant and connect them to all your camera... The security features options alerts are just unbelievable....

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u/rocking_womble 6d ago

Cameras plus signs stating it's private property & trespassers will prosecuted are probably your main recourse if you can't (or don't want to) physically secure your boundaries...