Shared driveway issues (help needed!)

We share a driveway with our neighbours. They're actually really nice people, and have always been polite about asking us if they want to park their car in the drive for a while to work on it.

However, they have a lazy lump of a friend who seems to spend half his time at their place sleeping on their couch. He keeps on parking his car in the drive, which means that we can't get in / out of our garage. Every time he does it, I go and grumble at him, and he's very apologetic and moves it - but he just keeps doing it! The neighbours have made it clear to him (in very strong language, I've heard them do it!) that he's not to park there, but they can't see the drive from their house, and so most of the time don't notice that he does.

So, how do I get him to stop? Can I threaten to get the car towed next time, or something? How would one do that anyway? Obviously, neither asking nicely, asking not-so-nicely or swearing and cursing at him (the neighbours, not me) has worked, we need something else... but what?

I have done that before - when I'm coming back in, and he's there, I just park behind him so he has to ask us to come and move the car.

I am tempted to go for a nice loong walk next time, so we're not there to move the car when he needs it...

I wouldn't bother with the walk - I'd just refuse point blank to move it. At the moment he's making it your problem, so you need to be clear about making it his.

Or go to the $2 Shop and get some orange cones and line them along either side of the driveway - not so subtle hint!

Thanks - for both the sympathy and the ideas It's very frustrating, because other than that one friend, they're pretty good neighbours.

I would get the number of the local tow company - and stick a  note on his windscreen saying that if he parks here again he can contact these guys to get his car back as it WILL be towed.

 

I wonder if you need to say something EVERY time he parks there, not just the times you need to go out? Cos if he's getting away with it half the time, then he must figure it's worth chancing that he'll have to move. If you ask him to move every time (sure, it'll be a pain for a while) he might figure its not worth the bother and get in the habit of parking on the road.

Grrr how frustrating it must be though!

I think that's the problem, Becs - he does get away with it sometimes, so just chances it. I try to get him to move whenever I see him there, but a lot of the time when we're not home I assume he just parks there.

I'm glad you managed to fix the problem, MamaPickle! Hopefully we can get it sorted too.

Hopes - another great perk of becoming a Mummy, is you will immediately develop the "Mummy look" - so you will just have to flash the offender your newly acquired "Mummy look" and car will be removed immediately and shall never appear again.