A couple who moved to a rented property in London and made friends with their neighbours realised they weren't as cordial as they first after an issue12:29, 23 Jul 2026When you move into a new home, it can be a complete lottery as to who you end up living next to. For one couple who relocated to a rented home in London, their neighbours initially seemed friendly enough – but their true colours quickly emerged following a significant row over the driveway.‌The pair had settled into the area and enjoyed nothing but amicable exchanges with the husband and wife residing next door. However, one day the couple discovered their neighbour was utilising their driveway for their own car, despite not seeking permission beforehand.‌The frustrated neighbour turned to the R/LegalAdviceUK Reddit forum to vent about the circumstances and seek advice.‌They said: "I approached him and made introductions and asked that they just ask us in the future so we know who is parking in the driveway, and I let him know it was our plan to get a car and we didn't want to have a problem parking with them trying to also park in the driveway."He was not particularly receptive to my polite request, but I'm sure he was clear on what I was asking of him. About 45 days later, a car parks in the driveway. I didn't recognize it as the one that the neighbour had used last time, and another neighbour across the street had been having parties around the time of the World Cup, so I thought maybe the car was from their visitors."I put what I feel is a polite note on the car saying 'It is not very neighbourly to park in someone's driveway without permission. Please do not park in my driveway again'.‌"The car is gone the next day (Saturday) and then on Sunday it shows up again and the note gets put back through my mail slot on my front door - no apology or explanation - and the neighbours enter their home and don't say anything."Now I know the car was my neighbour's car, and I now I know that they have no intent to ask permission or to abstain from using our driveway."‌Upon discovering their neighbours' true intentions, the couple turned to their landlord for help in erecting signs at the property. The landlord, however, showed little interest in resolving the matter.The man said: "My wife speaks to the wife and she said that her husband asked her to ask us if they could park there but she forgot. And then she saw our note and thought that it was a rude way for us to handle the situation."Now they have parked that car, which I believe is borrowed, in our driveway everyday since then which has been 11 days.‌"Our landlord has not committed to the signage and thinks that it should be up to us to sort out with the neighbour. The council's advice department suggested that if the landlord was not receptive to resolving the problem that we should contact a solicitor, which seems extreme."What are my legal rights if somebody parks on my driveway?According to The RAC, while there is no criminal law against the indecent act of someone parking on your driveway without your consent, your driveway forms part of your property, meaning that by driving onto it the person is committing an act of trespassing. Trespassing, however, is classed as a civil offence not a criminal offence, meaning the police don't have the power to make an arrest.If the offence is committed on a public highway or the car is blocking the driveway while parked on a public road, the council has the power to act.‌However, when a car is situated on a driveway, it is technically on private property – and the council has no authority to remove it. The only remaining avenue is to pursue a civil trespassing case, as the courts do hold the authority to order the vehicle's removal from the driveway.A solicitor could obtain the civil court's permission to establish the legal owner of the vehicle in question, and a judge would need to issue a formal court order for its removal.An alternative option is to bring a legal claim for nuisance on the basis that the driver is disrupting your use and enjoyment of your property. Be warned, though – going through the courts can be a lengthy and potentially expensive process if you don't have legal expenses insurance.Article continues belowAnother solution, which is not recommended by police, is to engage a private tow truck to remove the vehicle. Should the car sustain any damage, you could be held liable for the repair costs.The Ask The Police website says: "Don't damage/clamp the vehicle or have it removed by a third party for destruction or storage without first seeking legal advice. If you do any of these things, you may commit a criminal offence or the owner may pursue a civil action against you."Under no circumstances would we advocate you merely pushing the vehicle on to a road and leaving it there as you may commit a number of offences."