Parking

[FrankGalvin]

I think we can all agree that if a car is parked on a drive with a dropped kerb, or if a car is parked within a lockup adjacent to the street, then it is quite right to expect that access to the drive/garage should be unencumbered.

But what if the drive/garage is not used for vehicular access?

Should the drive or street space adjacent to the garage be left vacant for the 'owner' of the drive/garage to use as a parking space, or is it public property?

My neighbour rents a flat. On the ground level of those flats there are garage spaces. His/her garage space is not used for vehicular access. Adjacent to the garage (a public road) is used for the neighbour to park his/her car there. He/she believes that because they rent/own the garage that the space adjacent to it is exclusively theirs.

Thoughts?

[factor-fiction]

Are you saying he's blocking access to his own garage but because he doesn't keep a car in the garage you're wondering whether you have just as much right as he does to block vehicular access to his garage?

[FrankGalvin]

No. He's putting notices on people's windscreens asking them not to park there because the garage space belongs to him (which may or may not be true).

But the thing is this: he/she does not use the garage to store a vehicle. The landlord stores junk in the garage and there is no room for a car. In addition, I have never saw anyone other than the landlord access the garage.

My view is that if the garage space is to be used to store a vehicle then of course, the space in fron of the garage space should be left vacant. I have no problem with doing that.

I have a problem where someone claims to rent a garage, but does not use it or show any signs of using it, but believes that by renting a house (and perhaps a garage space), it also gives him/her preferential parking rights on what is essentially a public highway.

[factor-fiction]

I don't think it matters whether he's got a car in there at the moment. For all you know one day while you are out at work he might clear out some stuff and put a car in there, or a motorbike, and need to be able to get it in/out.

[FrankGalvin]

Thanks Factor. I just wanted someone else's impartial view, and reluctantly, I suppose you're right. But it is quite annoying since what I'm annoyed at is essentially true - he is using his garage as a means to gain a parking space on a public road.