Nutty neighbor causing grief...

[kirsty1994]

I have a neighbor that is constantly trying to get me in trouble, and she is an argumentative alcoholic...but that is besides the point.
anyway, my boyfriend parks directly outside the house, not in front of hers, there is a drop down kerb outside. I am situated by a junction, so we have to park there, or under a tree across the road (we all know what that does!).
She phoned the police saying we are causing an obstruction of the drop down kerb so they came round and warned us of a £30 fine. When i asked the officer if the car was legally parked, she couldn't answer me.
Who is in the right?

[daffy654]

You are not allowed to park in front of a dropped kerb, so she is right and you are in the wrong.

[rowanwitch]

Under the tree it is I am afraid and a spray of poo remover and a cloth

[bednobs]

kerbs are dropped for a reason - eg for wheelchairs and pushchairs. please do not park in front of them, or when i come past in the wheelie i might accidentally scratch all down your car

[Toureman]

If you are not parked blocking her drive then you are.

[hc4361]

She is.

Pedestrian cross over dropped kerb (by road junctions) for prams/wheelchairs

These do not need a complaint and will be enforced at any time by a CEO in the course of their duties.

http://www.parksmarte...ped_kerbs/default.asp

[Hopkirk]

Did you read that link that you posted, HC?

the procedure for enforcing it includes the requirement to check that the complainant has the same address as the dropped kerb.

[hc4361]

Did you read what I posted?

Pedestrian cross over dropped kerb (by road junctions) for prams/wheelchairs

These do not need a complaint and will be enforced at any time by a CEO in the course of their duties.

[hc4361]

That is a direct quote from the link.

[Hopkirk]

OK OK, so it was me who didn't read it fully.

Don't shoot me.

[hc4361]

Bang bang

[rozia]

if its a dropped kerb, why not drive up it and park in your drive(if you have one). Anyway she should mind her own business if your parking outside your OWN dropped kerb, not obstructing her are you? irritating neighbours, aren't they a pain?

[methyl]

Spelling the word "neighbor" suggests that you are in USA or Canada, but the spelling of "kerb" suggests UK. This is a UK site and the law here is quite clear that you can park opposite your own dropped kerb in the absence of other restrictions. Anybody whose car is not registered at that address who does the same is causing an obstruction and their car can be towed to the police pound. That includes visitors to your house. In the UK a signed note visible through the windscreen showing permission from the house owner should be sufficient to make the police and traffic wardens move on, but is is not defensible in law.
If your wheels are on the dropped, kerb there is rarely any defence against "obstructing the footpath".

[hc4361]

It's not a dropped kerb that leads to a drive. It's a dropped kerb for wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters.

[joko]

you mean you are parking right up to the corner?
do you mean the dropped bits that most roads have on their corners to help people with prams etc?

if so you are very wrong

[Baldric]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/highwaycodeparking

and scroll down to 243

[SpikeyBush]

Too many people get away with stupid, inconsiderate parking. Why do the Police and traffic wardens not ticket those who block the pavement? I remember reading about the bloke who ended up in court for putting fake penalty notices on cars parked near his house that were on the pavement. I'd like to buy him a pint of beer! But instead of going down the avenue of forgery, I think maybe name and shame is the way forward. Photograph the offending vehicles and put them on a website. SelfishTurd.com seems an appropriate url.

[shoota]

If it is within 10 metres of the junction you should not park there; whether the dropped kerb is for your property or to facilitate the crossing of prams etc is irrelevant - the Police can proceed for the offence of obstruction if you are within that distance.
If you are outside that distance and the dropped kerb is for your property then you may commit a theoretical offence but as has been suggested earlier, you may 'get away' with it