It is generally not legal for someone to park in front of your garage in the UK if it involves blocking a dropped kerb or obstructing access to a private driveway. While it is a civil dispute if they are just parked there, it becomes an enforceable obstruction if they stop you from leaving your property.
What to do if someone parks in front of your garage?
You can contact the authorities about parking outside of your house if: A vehicle is blocking your driveway, preventing you from accessing or exiting your property. This is considered illegal parking, and the police or local council can take action to have the vehicle removed.
It is important to remember that parking laws apply even if it's your own driveway, as blocking it can disrupt other drivers and emergency services accessing nearby areas. To avoid any penalties, always park responsibly and consider alternative options if you need temporary parking arrangements.
Is it illegal to block someone's garage in the UK?
Under highway law, it is illegal to park a vehicle so that it obstructs other people wanting to use a road or path. It is also illegal to obstruct a private entrance. Police have enforcement powers and can issue fixed penalty tickets, but officers are usually busy attending to other more serious crimes.
An easement is when one party has the right to use or access another person's neighbouring property. The most common example of this is a driveway easement, where residents of one property have the right to use the driveway owned by another property in order to access their home or garage.
You can ask a court to issue an injunction to stop your neighbour from blocking or interfering with your right of way. This is a legal order that requires them to allow you access and prevents future obstruction. If the dispute continues or escalates, you might seek a court order confirming your right of way.
Can I park in front of my own dropped kerb in the UK?
This means if you park in across a dropped kerb you are committing an offence unless you have permission. If you share a dropped kerb with your neighbour you will still need their permission before parking across the dropped kerb.
What the new driveway rule is. The core change is to planning rules for EV charge-points at homes in England. Homeowners are now allowed to install a single wall‑mounted or free‑standing EV charger on their driveway without applying for householder planning permission.
When the garage door faces the street and the front door of the house also faces the street, then the overhead door is in the front of the garage. When the overhead door faces a side street, while the front of the house faces the main street, then that wall is neither the front nor the back of the garage.
If you're unable to access your driveway due to it being blocked, the police will not be able to help. However, if you're being prevented from leaving then this could be classified as an anti-social behaviour offence and law enforcement may be able to intervene.
You'll need the help of a solicitor to get permission from the civil court to identify the vehicle's legal owner. Following this, to remove the vehicle from your property, you'll need a judge to grant the order in court.
If a vehicle is blocking the entrance and stopping you from driving onto your driveway, this is not a police matter. Your local council may be able to assist, but policies will vary depending on where you live. We'd always recommend having a polite word with the driver first, as there may have been a misunderstanding.
Can you report someone for parking on a dropped kerb?
Yes, you can report someone for parking on a dropped kerb, especially if it obstructs access for driveways or crossings, by contacting your local council or the police, who can issue fines (Penalty Charge Notices) and potentially arrange for removal if it's a significant obstruction, but it's often best to ask the owner first if possible and report to the correct authority for your area.
Your car might be clamped or removed from private land to avoid blocking the road, ensure road safety or make sure you've paid your insurance and tax. Private landowners can issue parking fines if cars are parked illegally, but they can't legally clamp cars.
The "7 year boundary rule" implies that a person who does not legally own a piece of land can become the legal owner if they have openly used it without challenge by the owner for 7 years. But this isn't strictly true. The law on adverse possession is much more complex than that.
Can neighbours put cameras overlooking my property?
However, if their CCTV captures any part of public space or your private property, they are required by law to be transparent. That means your neighbour should inform people that CCTV is in operation, usually with a clearly visible sign, and they should be able to explain why they're capturing that footage.
