Spec me a car to use as a parking space holder

[TNGL]

I have been in a parking war with my neighbours since they decided to become a 4 car household with room for only 1.5 cars to park outside. If you find yourself without a space, you have to mount the curb and park on a grass verge opposite.

A driveway isn't an option and so I would like to get a car that I can move into and out of the space such that I always have it. This will annoy my neighbours to no end and I can't wait for them to realise what I am doing.

Requirements:

• As long as (or longer than) an Audi A5 coupé
  
• Lowest possible purchase cost and vehicle tax
• Road legal

The car will literally only move back and forth occasionally and so I care about nothing other than the above requirements. The insurance will be taken care of and isn't a consideration. I will probably have to charge the battery occasionally but I will cross that bridge when it comes to it.

Any recommendations?

 

[TNGL]

Thanks for the recommendations so far. Moving house doesn't fit the requirements, unfortunately.

I laughed at the bus suggestion, though I don't think it would fit on the grass verge which I intend to hold this car when my car is parked. I'll look into the volvos and mondeos though.

The problem roughly looks like this:


Our two cars are in blue, theirs are in red. I've realised I've missed out my neighbour on the left of me out (duh) but essentially I have no space to move the other way and after that, you have the junction.

 

[TNGL]

Sooooo, getting my head round this, where do you park the stand-in car when you return ?
If the road is as chocca with cars as you are inferring , do you not need a stand-in car space for that car too ?

Who's on first ?

Seeing as I won't care about this car that I am buying, I would mount the curb and park it on the grass verge (something that I don't like to do with the A5).

4 cars and no driveway? I suppose they're within their rights if the on street parking is unallocated, but it's taking the pee a little. Are you allowed to park on the grass verge?

So far it does seem like you are allowed to park on the grass verge.

 

[TNGL]

I can see this escalating quite badly for all parties.

Is there no way you can all have a grown up chat?

They aren't the type to chat and the current arrangement of them parking outside my house is the most optimal for them. They will only stand to lose.

My brother has parked outside their house before and they tried to have a go at him. When I heard about that I had a stern word with their family. I wouldn't mind reaching a harmonious solution but it won't happen.

Sounds a lot of chew to pee off a neighbour. Technically it is street parking so they're not your spots. Why not just park over their house to make a point?

Send them all glitter bonbs

Given they have 4 cars, they tend not to leave the space outside of their house free and will move cars into place quickly. It's rare that I see a spot to steal.

Of course, the parking spots don't belong to us, which is why I have been keen to say 'space outside my house' rather than 'my spot' but it is selfish of them to immediately nab the area I would park in and force me onto the grass. I would be more understanding if their cars were worth anything but the banger I am looking to buy as a parking space reserver would probably still overshadow theirs.

--

SORN wouldn't work because it has to be off the road.

 

[TNGL]

Driveway conversion definitely isn't a possibility. All of their cars are taxed, MOTd etc.

I do not think they are the type to deliberately damage somebody else's property, the Dad is a retired police officer (I've no idea how) and whilst they are selfish and inconsiderate, I wouldn't expect that from them. They're just incredibly annoying to have as neighbours.

Don't think I'd bother with all the hassle to make a point. You don't own the road and it's a case of who gets there first.

I'm similar though in that all cars park on the left infront of our terraced row to leave the right side clear which is the side with flat gardens with enough space for a drive.

Directly infront of ours is a disabled bay with a car from across the road, infront of that is his rover 75 that doesn't move and gets its tyres pumped up every month (taxed and. MOTd). The same house has a work van they also park in the row but also in the street to the side of their house. I once parked behind the disabled bay were disabled bays neighbour usually parks....came home to his back bumper about an inch off mine. Point made. I also managed to park in the rover 75 space when it moved the one time this year, i left an hour later for 10 minutes and he had claimed it back.

My neighbour has two cars and the next one has 3. Basically no driveways and the streets are from when there were less cars on the road.

I end up parking about 100 yards away round a corner and my car has plenty of marks now from the crap setup.

Not sure I'm interpreting the beginning and end of this correctly. So you wouldn't bother with the hassle to make a point but you have found from having to park your car around the corner, that you now have plenty of marks?

I am not doing this to make a point, I am doing it so as to protect my car from having to be parked in a spot that isn't optimal.

 

[TNGL]

So you are going to add another car to a street that already has parking problems..... you the man

The net effect would be 0. If my main car is there (+1), this one will be on the grass (-1). If my main car isn't there (-1) the holder will be there (+1).

All in all, I am just ensuring I save myself a place so that I don't have to park on the verge.

As a side note, it is amusing to read of everybody else's parking pests.

 

[TNGL]

So you’re prepared to shuffle cars just in the hope that your neighbors get a message? I reckon within a few weeks the pain of doing this will wear thin, the neighbor won’t have noticed and you’ll be stuck with a car that didn’t you want or need?

I am going to shuffle cars so that I don't have to park my main car on the verge. Did you not read the thread?

 

[TNGL]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/vans/van-for-saie/1323600586
<snip>

What a beast, shame about the starting issues.

I did read your post, did you not read my reply which summarised the angst that you’d go through each and every time you leave and arrive?

Yes and what I have mentioned is I will move the car at most, 2 - 4 times a week and so I am not overly fussed by the effort involved.

 

[TNGL]

Snip

Great story, thanks for sharing... I hope to achieve the same effect, although I do plan on moving mine occasionally.