Parking on Footpaths - Is It Ever Ok?

L1mmy1mmy on 27/05/2017 - 13:50
Last edited 13/07/2017 - 14:45 by 1 other user

Is it unreasonable to ask my neighbours not to park on footpath up against my window?

We rent a place that's on the corner of a small street. We are lucky to have a garage but other people on the street have built gardens instead and they have multiple cars.

People park on the footpath up against our window so we started putting our bins on either side so the window isn't blocked. One neighbour keeps moving the bins and parking one of their cars there. Today she shouted at me and said I'm causing problems with the bins and that "she pays rates." (That's a bit classist - right?)

Anyway, I know you aren't supposed to park on footpaths by my council has said they don't care. I have no idea what to do…
Back down or stand my ground?

Any advice would be great!

Edit: am I just being obnoxious/ should I let it go? What would you do in this situation?

Edit2: https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/171031/49364/20170527_…

That is (one of her) cars taken from my lounge room, with the moved bins.

Edit3: ok so I got home from work today and she had parked both of her cars in front of her house https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/171031/49375/20170529_…
The other neighbours are either in the empty houses' driveways (there are two) or parked on "my" footpath but away from the window. Someone has taken all the bins of the footpaths on the street except mine (which are where I left them this morning) and placed them in the empty houses' front yard. If anything happens from here I'll update again. I did email Vic Roads just to ask what the best coarse of action was so they'll reply eventually. Looks like the street may have come to an understanding… Thanks to everyone for helping me and giving me excellent ideas.

Automotive

Comments

      • Speckled Jim on 28/05/2017 - 09:48
        +2

        If still no joy with Council, it's time to buy a motorcycle!

        Plants idea is cheaper though.

    • wako on 29/05/2017 - 07:51
      +3

      Or buy a cheap motor cycle and park it there hell it could be a 100 wreck that looks like it runs but just never moves 😂

      • MrTweek on 29/05/2017 - 16:50
        +1

        Bicycle could do as well, if you can lock it to something and still block the space.
        If you can get an old wheelchair, that might work even better :)

    • Architectonic on 30/05/2017 - 20:57

      It is also illegal according to the Australian road rules:

      197—Stopping on a path, dividing strip, nature strip, painted island or traffic island
      (1) A driver must not stop on a bicycle path, footpath, shared path or dividing strip, or a nature strip adjacent to a length of road in a built-up area, unless—
      (a) the driver stops at a place on a length of road, or in an area, to which a parking control sign applies and the driver is permitted to stop at that place under the Australian Road Rules; or
      (b) the driver is permitted to stop under another law of this jurisdiction.

      Offence provision. 3 penalty units.

      http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_reg/rsrr200920…

  • [Deactivated] on 27/05/2017 - 19:04
    +10

    Buy a big decorative rock that they can't move. Or plant a tree. I've seen both done near me and worked.

    • KitchenSink on 27/05/2017 - 20:34
      +7

      @Gofast Lol at your suggesstions. Brilliant!

      Just adding another suggestion. Go simple and use some Police/construction tape…and maybe a body outline

    • xoom on 28/05/2017 - 12:04
      +9

      overseas the house we lived in randoms like to park on the grassy area path at the front of the house and it wrecks the lawn. so my uncle decided to help my dad out by putting a small boulder there.

      then there was this one night my uncle was staying over. he heard a loud bang. he comes out the front of the house to investigate. some dumbarse has reversed on said rock and it got wedged underneath the vehicle. he was laughing his head off.

      • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 12:34
        +2

        I would probably have a giggle too!

    • Make it so on 30/05/2017 - 14:42
      +1

      We had a similar issue with neighbours. We asked the council to plant a tree, which they did. Subsequently they were forbidden by the council to park in front of the tree (which they tried).

  • Spending2Much on 28/05/2017 - 08:24
    +7

    Birdseed, your only feeding the nature.
    Hmm, right outside your window? The possibilities are endless.

    • syousef on 28/05/2017 - 11:00
      +1

      Bio-warfare and plausible deniability in one neat package. Not sure if it'd be effective but it made me smirk.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/05/2017 - 08:32

    Park your car on their footpath.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 08:58
      +3

      Heh. I like where you're going with that but they park their other car on their footpath. Also, as crazy as it seems, I tend to obey parking laws…

      • captobvious on 28/05/2017 - 11:58
        +3

        Buy a cheap scooter. Park it outside your window where she parks.

        • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 12:29
          +3

          And another cheap scooter to park outside her window.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/05/2017 - 15:26
        +1

        That's why you need to park there the moment they go out.

  • Bidsmac on 28/05/2017 - 09:37
    +5

    One of the reasons parking on the sidewalk is not allowed is that it causes all sorts of issues for people with vision impairments. Imagine trying to just safely walk down a street and having to negotiate your way around cars.
    I can't believe your council aren't interested in helping- I would persevere with it and if no joy still, play the bluff a bit with your inconsiderate neighbour and say they could face fines for parking there.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 09:44

      I believe the main reason the council don't care is that it is a dead end street so maybe they think that people who like and or need a clear footpath don't live there. The neighbours know the council doesn't care so they aren't afraid of parking fines.

      • RohBoat on 28/05/2017 - 19:16
        +1

        A friend of mine and a couple of his neighbours got a ticket for parking the wrong way at the end of a cul-de-sac in an outer Gold Coast (hinterland) suburb.

        Another friend and basically his whole street got done for parking on the nature strip. Got told it blocked of the footpath, but there is no footpath!
        This is in one of the newer suburbs where it is just wide enough for 3 cars. They complained about it because the roads are too small and it is just courteous and safe for other drivers but no, now they need to park on the road and you have to drive down the main entrance/exit with only 10cm or so on each side.
        Plus it's the main entrance/exit so it gets busy and people need to pull over to let the other side through.

        This is in QLD though so pretty typical I guess!

        • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 07:38

          Getting the neighbours fined is a bit rough imo. Yeah it is similar here but in regards to road width. But there is enough room and an alley to turn in (if a neighbour would would move their boat).

        • RohBoat on 29/05/2017 - 12:58
          +1

          @1mmy1mmy: oh, no he didn't get the neighbours fined, council just came up and surprised them.

          Unless you mean a neighbour dobbed them in? That's probably it cause these suburbs are way outside where parking inspectors would normally go. Maybe one lives in the same street!

  • rowenaduncan on 28/05/2017 - 10:35
    +10

    Different perspective - my Mum is in a wheelchair. Parking like this forces her onto the road for who knows how long until she can find a way to get back into the footpath. Not safe for anyone. Has anyone ever looked at their local footpath to see how easily accessible they would be in a wheelchair? Some places are almost impossible to access. Also women with prams, same scenario. Footpaths are made to keep pedestrians safe.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 10:56
      +20

      Also women with prams,

      and men with prams.

    • Ravensbane on 29/05/2017 - 13:43
      +6

      As a stay at home dad with 3 very young kids (3, nearly 2 and 5 months) idiots that park on the footpath making me have to push the pram out onto the road make me want to smash their windows and release the park break. Been meaning to get some of those stupidly sticky stickers printed up that are a pain to get off and leave residue and have on it something along the lines of "stop parking on the footpath you inconsiderate c^&*"

      • [Deactivated] on 30/05/2017 - 08:09
        +2

        smash their windows and release the park break

        Don't forget to put the car in neutral.

    • Architectonic on 30/05/2017 - 20:58

      Well said.

  • kiitos on 28/05/2017 - 10:44
    +2

    How close is the window to the footpath? And how wide is the footpath/nature strip? I'm not understanding how some houses have a garden, do you mean they've gardened the footpath/nature stop?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 10:58
      +2

      I'm not understanding how some houses have a garden,

      You're not alone.

      Could you draw us a diagram OP?

      • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 12:40

        I don't know how to upload diagrams! But does that description below make sense?

    • rompastompa on 28/05/2017 - 12:20
      +1

      I'm assuming that they have a garden where OP has their carport. They probably have garden facing windows.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 12:39
      +1

      I live on a corner so my house/window are straight up onto the footpath on the side of the house - not garden or fence in between. No nature strip either: my house, footpath, road. Their house faces onto that street and they have a pocket fence and a garden before the path.

      • zappy32 on 28/05/2017 - 20:50
        +3

        I think some people don't take notice when they are in the inner city and don't realize people's walls and windows are literally next to the footpath, a metre and a half from the road. I'm shocked the council won't do anything. I'd put it in an email and if they reply the same way then forward that to your councilor explaining how hard it is for your wheelchair bound friend. It's a easier to fob someone off over the phone but when there's a paper trail they may be more likely to follow the correct procedure.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 07:39

          Solid advice. Thanks!

  • nimnomnimy on 28/05/2017 - 11:06
    +6

    Not sure if it'll work without a diagram but put your bins back to back, handle to handle and put a bike lock on it so they can't move them.

    • stumo on 28/05/2017 - 11:43
      +3

      Brilliant. And be sure to upload the ensuing wrestling match to YouTube.

      • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 12:43
        +1

        That'd be only fair I think

        • stumo on 28/05/2017 - 14:33
          +1

          To clarify, I mean youtube the wrestling match of bins VS neighbour woman, not you vs neighbour woman, but then again.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 14:46
          +1

          @stumo: the bins would probably be more effective warriors

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 12:42
      +1

      That's not a bad idea but I also don't want my bins in front of the window really. Plus it's not legal to block the footpaths with the bins either!

      • secondstory on 28/05/2017 - 13:06
        +2

        Can you put them a bit more to the side to restrict entry to the area? Bins to the side sounds a bit better than a whole car blocking the area.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 13:10
          +1

          That is exactly what I've been doing (great minds) but she keeps moving them. She told me off yesterday for putting them there.

        • secondstory on 28/05/2017 - 13:15
          +1

          @1mmy1mmy:
          But is there enough space to lock them back-to-back but off to the side a little?

          I would tell her off for moving your bins away. If she (thinks she) has a right to park there then you have a right to park your bins there.

          Perhaps you should throw out a bunch of old nails and rusty screws and accidentally tip one of the bins over and leave (edit) the bin lying there for her to find.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 13:21

          Yeah maybe talk to her and then have a large party to celebrate whatever outcome there is.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 13:22
          +1

          @1mmy1mmy: and invite my new Bikie friends

        • kiitos on 28/05/2017 - 20:06
          +1

          @1mmy1mmy:
          And invite them to park their scoots on the footpath

      • stumo on 28/05/2017 - 14:31
        +1

        Nek minnit… OP gets reported to council by neighbour woman, gets fine for having bins on footpath.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 14:49
          +2

          Exactly what I'm afraid of. I honestly would never have thought to keep things on a footpath until I moved here. It's WILD out here in the West.

    • secondstory on 28/05/2017 - 13:04

      +1 MVP.

  • lizzle on 28/05/2017 - 11:38
    +4

    I doubt this is even legal, but a couple of people in my neighbourhood have spray painted their own solid yellow line outside their house. Even though you can tell it wasn't done by the council (the line is a neon yellow, not the usual dull yellow), it seems to be quite effective because I've never seen a vehicle parked across the line.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 12:33
      +1

      Great idea!

      Now to paint some unbroken Stop lines along my morning commute…

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 12:45

      People go rougue when the council is lame!

      • [Deactivated] on 29/05/2017 - 09:26

        There's a place up the road from where we live (Sydney/western suburbs).
        A house was taken down with a four unit dwelling in 'progress' of development
        for must be two years now. Machines have seriously broken down the footpath
        and grass is about three feet tall across the driveway and into the property.
        Wrote the council about it, they said to contact the builder.

        Without going into too much detail I've been told by a few people that contacting
        this particular builder would probably be a bad idea.

        Thanks council. So while the street is nothing special, this one place is absolutely
        awful to have to walk past, if especially for the broken footpath and growing grass
        swicking' against your legs. Doesn't seem right that the council can deflect this issue IMO.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 14:54
          +1

          Wow that is an awful situation! Pop the machines up on gumtree?! Plant a community garden?!

  • captobvious on 28/05/2017 - 11:57
    +2

    Crack her sump bolt. Eventually it will fall and she will run out of oil and the car will fail somewhere else.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 12:31
      +6

      Not if it's a Toyota…

    • Shame on 28/05/2017 - 22:08

      I salute you

  • mungas on 28/05/2017 - 12:31
    +5

    put bikies where your bins were, she wont be moving them

  • Waldo000000 on 28/05/2017 - 13:22
    +5

    I feel your pain. Cars on the footpath make it difficult for pedestrians. It's a dick move to park your car where it inconveniences other people.

    Very disappointed in your council. It might be worth getting in touch (in person) with your councillor. Be nice, explain your case clearly, stay calm, and try to form a good relationship with them (it's worked for me when I was trying to get some paved paths installed in my area). They might be able to clarify what the council can do. If you can make the case that it's a safety hazard (eg pedestrians are forced onto the road?) you'll have better odds. Council might then be willing to install a barrier or something. Be prepared for a long wait for any action, though, if any.

    A much more promising approach, in my opinion, is to work on your relationship with your neighbors. Hopefully you haven't damaged it too much by being aggressive (or passive aggressive). You want to be in the situation where you can say "gday" and have a few nice words with them. That will open an opportunity for you both to talk - grown up to grown up - about how you might be able to find a mutually satisfactory parking/living solution.

    Good luck - let me know how you go!

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 14:37
      +1

      I agree - I will talk to her this week. I have already talked to her about the parking situation and I though she was ok with it until the yelling yesterday. It's strange because I thought we got on well. She came over and asked me a favour last month and I've been following through as asked. Her cat and my cat were sorting out their territory and hers got so stressed that he needed an operation or something so she asked me to 'shoo' him away when he came by my house. Her cat was literally coming inside my house to find my cat and fight him. Come to think of it, maybe she hated me because of the cat and it's all bubbling up.

      I'm sure she's doing the best she can with the social skills she has, but I don't love being spoken to like a naughty child.

      • cameldownunder on 29/05/2017 - 12:09

        Jack her car up and drag it out in the middle of the road, and drop it there. Council takes care of the rest.

    • kiitos on 28/05/2017 - 20:27
      +1

      Taking to the neighbour is a sensible idea, but it is it only that one neighbour that would park there? No point working out an agreement with the neighbour if someone else jumps on the spot in their place.

      • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 07:42

        Yeah you're right, if it's not them then it's the ppl who work on the shipping strip nearby. It's so strange - to people who live across the road (different neighbours) park on our footpath every time but never their own… They also use our bins… But they leave the window so although it's weird I don't worry about it. Where have I moved?!?! I'm used to fairly good or at least not weirdo neighbours.

      • Waldo000000 on 29/05/2017 - 09:36
        +1

        Good point, but both call for different approaches, i.e.:

        1) Sort it out with the neighbour
        2) Follow up with something else, e.g. plant a tree

        Doing 2) before 1) will only make your life worse (your neighbour will poison your tree, etc. strangers are unlikely to poison your tree)

  • justwaitingforamate on 28/05/2017 - 13:32
    +1

    If your place is the set up I'm imagining with a strip of lawn before the footpath I'd find some star pickets preferably from a real estate sign (for no other reason than a passionate dislike). Hammer them in so there is only about 300mm above the ground on the grassy patch so that there won't be enough room between the house and the pickets to park. You could even just borrow a shovel and dig deep hole either side of the lawn strip a a really crude deterant. Or one that is less prone to cause cyclists injury would be to counter weight a pole from the roof so that you could put a bird feeder loaded with seed on it where it would be above the car. She is then welcome to have her car crapped on if she chooses to park there. Last one is ask council to supply some native trees (a lot of councils do) for you to plant a few on the nature strip and for you to take care of. Even if they are only tube stock size you can peg in plastic surround.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 14:27

      Nature strip… I wish:)! It's just footpath and road up against the house! I do like the native tree idea though!

  • justwaitingforamate on 28/05/2017 - 13:46
    +1

    Or as stated above the best way would be to talk to them directly and air your concerns with them and reach some kind of solution. This is however the boaring grown up way to achieve a positive outcome for both party's so would caution against this path as it will only lead to you being a shadow of your former self. In time your poorly animated shell will then drag itself to dinner party's to talk about curtain colours and renovations to other poor souls as it's primary form of recreation. Please consider the ramifications of your choices

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 14:42
      +3

      Before I know it I'd be talking morgages and health insurance as I sip from a Chardonnay glass in one hand and a latte in the other.

      When she came at me I reverted to teacher mode and said shouting at me through a window as I sit and eat my lunch on the porch is not the way to resolve this. Please come back later and we can talk like adults. She lost her mind. I get yelled at by hormonal teenagers for a living - I've seen all the tricks.

  • cheesecactus on 28/05/2017 - 14:13
    +1

    Make sure if you do anything like set up plants or whatever, get a camera pointing outside your window just in case she tries something

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 14:44
      +1

      Heh, all in the spirit of neighbourhood watch

  • sleet on 28/05/2017 - 14:55
    +2

    Please update on what you do and the outcome.

    You sound like a respectable and well-spoken person.

    All the best but let us know :P

  • Blackpuddytat on 28/05/2017 - 15:41
    +1

    If you want to make a quick council related complaint (ie illegal parking), use the Snap, Send, Solve app.

  • 811b11e8 on 28/05/2017 - 16:57

    Western suburbs? Which one? , if your in footscray good luck council makes serious money off enforcing parking in town and wouldn't waist time going after a single parked car in suburbs.

    I got ram raided 3 times in one year before I moved out of the appartments in maribyrnong. Your neighbours probably want there car where they can see it so they know it's save.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 18:15

      Same council but quieter suburb! Sounds like Maribrynong is pretty intense - understandable move!

      • 811b11e8 on 29/05/2017 - 15:16

        Maribyrnong is pretty upmarket area of footscary, the problem is everyone there works during the day.

        Ram raids happened Monday to Friday during 9am to 5pm and they just rob all the storage cages routinely. Usually in a stolen car from a near by suburb. Which is why I could understand your neighbors not wanting to use on street car parking around the corner where they can't see the car. Espicially true if its an older car that are easy to steal etc.

        • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 15:18

          Ahh interesting info thank you! So far in Seddon I haven't seen or heard anything too rough.

  • Shwayne on 28/05/2017 - 17:50
    +1

    Erect a large metal pole directly where she keeps parking, I'm sure the council won't mind.

  • GreatWhiteHunter on 28/05/2017 - 18:09
    +2

    Take a dump and just drop it on her windshield.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 28/05/2017 - 18:16
      +2

      Remind me to not to annoy you!!!!

    • jonathonsunshine on 29/05/2017 - 02:42
      +1

      tuck it up under the door handle

  • smartazz104 on 28/05/2017 - 18:16
    +2

    How about a photo of when the car is parked so we can see just how bad it really is?

  • Tasmaniac on 28/05/2017 - 19:24
    +3

    Here's what you do: first get your hands on some bleach, some hydrogen peroxide and a sh*tload of lime.

    Then you take that car and put it in the bath.

    Boom, problem solved.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 28/05/2017 - 21:27
      +5

      Limes are expensive, will lemons work?

  • askme69 on 28/05/2017 - 19:37
    +14

    Write back to council and advise them they are on notice and you want this recorded as you have notified them of the dangers.
    So when the old person has to walk on the road and falls and breaks a hip or gets hit by a car, they can notify their lawyers that the issue has previously been raised with council and they said it was not a concern.

    See how fast they act then.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 07:43
      +1

      Hip pocket - good idea!!

  • qwertyaz on 28/05/2017 - 20:04
    +1

    buy some WD40 and spray on his car's brakes

  • dashy1 on 28/05/2017 - 20:47
    +3

    If council wont act acquire a small trailer, attach a wheel clamp and park it there permanently. That way no one will ever park there again.

    • PJC on 28/05/2017 - 23:12
      +2

      And if she complains tell her your rates get paid too.

  • geoffellis on 28/05/2017 - 21:28
    +3

    Buy the cheapest, ugliest car you can find from the wrecker. doesn't even need to be in one piece or have wheels. hell even just a rusted frame. get it dropped off there. Not only will it piss her off by taking her spot, but if she is a stuck up snob like you suggest, the ugly piece of shit will drive her (profanity) mad.

    • 1mmy1mmy on 29/05/2017 - 07:44
      +1

      Genius. You should've seen the stick the other neighbour caused when I had a council pick up to get rid of the stuff the last tenant left. So clever!

    • Drifta on 29/05/2017 - 11:00
      +1

      nope, this won't work…I had my old written off car sitting outside MY house on the road in a quiet court and one of the neighbours complained to council that it was not a pretty sight. I had to expedite the removal of the car and get it sent to the wreckers. Council contacted me multiple times threatening a fine and forced tow away while I was waiting for insurance to sort out the mess as the person who hit the car had gone missing, luckily police had attended the scene of an accident and had a police report so we were not out of pocket in the end.

      • geoffellis on 29/05/2017 - 11:14
        +4

        @Drifta

        His council won't do anything about a car causing a safety hazard that is breaking the law. Why would they do anything more about an ugly sight??

        And even if they did do something… maybe thats why paid cash? it'll have been written off as wrecked. no rego in your name. Maybe have a friend make the purchase so the wrecker won't identify the home owner as the wreck owner. Then it's not your responsibility to remove a wrecked car someone left parked on a sidewalk outside your home.

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