How should I deal with the damn busybody neighbour?

[BMWBen]

So I've just moved into a new flat that has the luxury of off street parking. All of the flats have garages and there's also 8 spaces in a communal car park (unallocated). I was introduced to one of the neighbours when I found someone was parking in front our garage.

Put a note on the car saying "Garage is now in use, please don't park in front any more! Thank You!". Next day, bumped into an old chap who introduced himself as the owner of the car and explained that he had an arrangement with the previous occupiers that he would park over the front of our garage (and his, which is next door) during the day as that would free up a parking space, mean he didn't have to put the car in the garage, and that it would cause a problem for no one. "Fine by me!" I said, that arrangement can continue, and we joked about how it's always parking that causes arguments and problems in blocks of flats.

Fast forward to yesterday evening. I had just got home from work, and the buzzer goes. It's old man from downstairs. He sounds quite irate! Was I aware, he asks, that we have had TWO CARS in the parking spaces? TWO CARS? Is not on apparently. I hadn't realised, having gotten home late on sunday night, I explained, not to worry, I would come down and move one onto the street if it was causing a problem. He then went on to rant about how it was clearly unacceptable, and that there had been lots of complaints about it already so I'd better do it.

Oooooooookay I think, and pop down a few minutes later to move one of the cars.

Then today, I get a contact from the agent who manages the property. He has complained to our landlord that we have been parking two cars in the car park.

So what to do. It's water off a ducks back to me - but want to prevent any further problems if possible, just get on with enjoying my life. Rather interestingly, he's the only person who knows which car belongs to my wife (I mentioned it when speaking to him previously), so I seriously doubt that there have been any "complaints" seeing as nobody else would know that two of the cars in the car park belonged to my flat!

Is the best way to do this to have a chat with him this evening, let him know that if he's got a problem, he should be speaking to ME in the first instance. Or perhaps I should just ignore the whole thing.

Over to you!

And no, I'm not going to VBRJ him...

[Zippee]

Personally I'd tell him to bogger off!
Out of interest if it's OK for him to park in front of the garages why can't you? ie/ put one car in the garage and the other in front?

[V8mate]

Why don't you ask Glassman how to deal with an (apparently) annoying neighbour?

We could do with some more members

[WreckedGecko]

Ok have to admit that I don't really understand the details of the situation, he parks in front of your garage but you are not allowed two cars... Normally the best situation is to talk to people and find out why he feels this is an issue.
This will give you a much stronger position from which to st in a bag and shove it through his letterbox.

Edit for Grammar.

Edited by WreckedGecko on Tuesday 28th September 16:58

[andye30m3]

I've had similar issues where I live, with the old people who whinge at me the move I gave in the more they complained about even more pointless things

Eventually after being told I had too any visitors, telling them to fk off and die seamed to do the trick, they're actually 1/2 way reasonable now although still worry far to much about pointless things.

[shakotan]

Rescind the 'Gentlemen's Agreement' which allows him to park across your garage.

After all, if you can't park two cars in the car park, one will have to go in the garage, and how will you have 24 hour access if he's blocking it?

[Doniger]

This space in front of your garage that he's using, is it one of the 8 spaces in this communal carpark? Because if it isn't, after this episode I'd be putting one of my own cars there instead and ending his 'previous arrangement'.

[hyperblue]

Tell him to bugger off and park one of your cars in front of your garage

[Poledriver]

^^^^^^^^^^What they said^^^^^^^^^^^.
If he's going to bh about it, what right has he got to block the access to your garage?

[BMWBen]

WreckedGecko said:

Ok have to admit that I don't really understand the details of the situation he parks in front of your garage but you are not allowed two cars... But normally the best situation is to talk to people and find out why he feels this is an issue. This will give you a much stronger position from which to st in a bag and shove it through his letterbox.

That's what I was thinking - I'd pop down and ring his bell (ooh-err) this evening and ask if the situation is resolved or whether he has anything further he wants to winge about. I'll then let him know that I'd much rather he raised things with me rather than running to my landlord like a little baby (in a non-threatening and polite manner of course).

If he doesn't retract then I'll tell him to put his fking car in his fking garage, up his fking arse, or anywhere that's not the front of my garage. And that if he has any further problems with me or my wife I'll tear him a new asshole and throw him in the river before he can go crying to teacher. Again, all politely and in a non-threatening manner

[Muzzer]

hyperblue said:

Tell him to bugger off and park one of your cars in front of your garage

This.

If, after doing him a favour, he's complained about your parking then the gentleman's agreement is off!

Park in front of your garage and stick another in the car park.

[CraigW]

I'd go and see him, tell him you're new here as he knows and want to live in harmony with your new neighbours. That you were prepared to continue with his previous situation of him parking over your space and that you thought that this was the polite thing to do in the interests of said ongoing harmony.

politely make it clear that you're aware that he went and told the management about your parking AFTER you had spoken to him about it and resolved it and that you didnt find that especially neighbourly.

Tell him that if he does wish to do things purely by the book then thats fine by you & that you'd now appreciate him not parking across your garage anymore as he seems insistent things are done properly, then smile, shake his hand and walk away.

[BMWBen]

Doniger said:

This space in front of your garage that he's using, is it one of the 8 spaces in this communal carpark? Because if it isn't, after this episode I'd be putting one of my own cars there instead and ending his 'previous arrangement'.

Nope the garages are round the corner. The 8 spaces are all free and easily accessed by all. I'll probably see if he's meek in person before I start burning his possessions.

What really gets me. And I mean REALLY. Is that he thought it would be ok to just keep parking in front of our garage when he knew that we were NOT the previous occupants, before finding us and checking if it would still be ok. He just assumed it was. And we were left wondering, "who the fark is this blocking our garage??". Cheecky. Rude, you might say. I let it go though, no problems.

And yet now he does this....

Cock.

[BMWBen]

CraigW said:

I'd go and see him, tell him you're new here as he knows and want to live in harmony with your new neighbours. That you were prepared to continue with his previous situation of him parking over your space and that you thought that this was the polite thing to do in the interests of said ongoing harmony.

politely make it clear that you're aware that he went and told the management about your parking AFTER you had spoken to him about it and resolved it and that you didnt find that especially neighbourly.

Tell him that if he does wish to do things purely by the book then thats fine by you & that you'd now appreciate him not parking across your garage anymore as he seems insistent things are done properly, then smile, shake his hand and walk away.

I like that one. I really don't want to escalate though... Does rescinding the previous agreement escalate? I'm not sure.

I'll see how angry I am when I get home I guess

[Vidal Baboon]

Muzzer said:

hyperblue said:

Tell him to bugger off and park one of your cars in front of your garage

This.

If, after doing him a favour, he's complained about your parking then the gentleman's agreement is off!

Park in front of your garage and stick another in the car park.

Yep, seeing someone complained about parking two cars in the spaces provided, you now need the space to alleviate any parking issues with other residents who may need that space.

Shot himself in the foot I think. What a plank.

[hornetrider]

How many flats? Each one their own garage? So, are their more garages than free parking spaces? Is that why they say you can't have 2 cars? Can you not put one in front of your garage and one in the free spaces?

I'm not understanding the layout here.

[nonuts]

CraigW said:

I'd go and see him, tell him you're new here as he knows and want to live in harmony with your new neighbours. That you were prepared to continue with his previous situation of him parking over your space and that you thought that this was the polite thing to do in the interests of said ongoing harmony.

politely make it clear that you're aware that he went and told the management about your parking AFTER you had spoken to him about it and resolved it and that you didnt find that especially neighbourly.

Tell him that if he does wish to do things purely by the book then thats fine by you & that you'd now appreciate him not parking across your garage anymore as he seems insistent things are done properly, then smile, shake his hand and walk away.

This is the common sense reply on the thread, I agree.

[T84]

We have a similar situation, 3 communal car parking spaces, and one in front of each of our garages, so if you have two cars you park one in front of the garage and one in the communal space.

Apparently the guy with the car worth about £250 has to go in the middle so it 'doesn't get hit by other cars coming into the carpark'.

:|

[CraigW]

Ive been in similar situation before, people like this have too little time on their hands and as you said in title are busybodies. Any attempt to cut any sort of deal will fail with him or he will go back on it so why waste your time..BUT..at the same time, dont do him any favours anymore.

Edited by CraigW on Tuesday 28th September 17:22

[ukwill]

Vidal Baboon said:

Muzzer said:

hyperblue said:

Tell him to bugger off and park one of your cars in front of your garage

This.

If, after doing him a favour, he's complained about your parking then the gentleman's agreement is off!

Park in front of your garage and stick another in the car park.

Yep, seeing someone complained about parking two cars in the spaces provided, you now need the space to alleviate any parking issues with other residents who may need that space.

Shot himself in the foot I think. What a plank.

This. Beautiful. You simply tell him that you can no longer extend the courtesy of allowing him to park in front of your garage as someone has already complained about you parking in the communal area, and as such, you are now forced to park in front of your own garage so as not to upset anyone. After all, thats the last thing you would want to do.

Classic!