Woman faced with 'problem' after she parks on stranger's driveway

The homeowner made sure that he couldn't 'help' her all weekend

A woman spent days facing the consequences of her actions after picking the wrong driveway to take advantage of. Some have backed the "weekend-long" scheme that the homeowner pulled as serving up justice against "entitled audacity."

The homeowner turned to Reddit to rant about their own encounter with someone who felt "entitled" to exploit their empty driveway. However, what the person hadn't bargained for was the homeowner taking petty revenge to a lesson she won't forget in a hurry - and people loved it.

In the Reddit post, the homeowner said: "On Friday night, I came home from work to find someone on our block was having a large party, and someone decided they were entitled to park in my driveway. Keep in mind that my driveway is a single-car width lined with a retaining wall on both sides and a garage at the end. It is essentially impossible for a tow truck to come pull them out without property damage.

"Seeing this, and the lack of street parking, I took this as a cue to park right behind them in my driveway. Now, a few hours go by, and the entitled parker is knocking at my door, demanding I move my car so she can leave. Seeing as they were demanding, I informed them that I had been drinking and would not move my car.

"[She] then decides to call the police to get them to force me to move. When the police knocked on my door, I was sure to grab a beer from the fridge before I answered to talk to the officer."

The homeowner said that they explained to the police that they were relaxing at home and had been drinking a few beers, and felt they were "in no shape to drive." As reported by the Mirror, the officers were out of options as they couldn't tow her car out, the homeowner was in no shape to drive, and importantly, he was legally parked in his own driveway.

The post continued: "I ended up telling the entitled parker that, since it is a long weekend, I would be on a weekend-long bender and they could come move my car after I go to work on Tuesday." However, the pettiness didn't stop there.

In a follow-up comment, the homeowner revealed to Reddit that they had a few ideas to really mess with the woman. They said: "It's also snowing where I am - so I'm thinking about going to scrape my car off to make it look like I had gone out and they missed their opportunity!"

Users were quick to share their views on the situation. One said: "The absolute entitled audacity to park in someone else's driveway without permission! I would have taken an Uber to work on Tuesday just as an extra f**k you."

Another added: "I feel bad if I park in front of someone's house, I would never presume to just pull on in!" Someone else commented: "This is the pettiest revenge ever, and we appreciate your efforts."

A fourth person put: "A valuable lesson is being taught to this woman. Do not park in other people's driveways. I'm sure she'll remember this for the rest of her life." Another Reddit user wrote: "Excellent work, OP. But honestly, who the f**k thinks it's okay to park in someone else's driveway?"

And, one more put: "The balls it takes to call the police after you illegally parked in someone's driveway! That's basically calling the cops on yourself!"

What are your legal rights if someone parks on your driveway in the UK?

Coming back to find someone else's car blocking your driveway can be utterly infuriating. But, before you think about ringing for help, it's important to understand a legal grey area that might potentially let this sort of behaviour carry on without immediate consequences.

The RAC explains that while no criminal legislation stops someone from parking on your drive without consent, doing so constitutes trespassing since the driveway forms part of your property. Nevertheless, trespassing is a civil matter, not a criminal one, meaning officers don't have the power to make an arrest.

The guidance provided is to "keep calm" and "not let the situation escalate". It also recommends that people should "never take the law into their own hands" or turn to "stoop to revenge tactics that could get you prosecuted."

Instead, think about launching civil proceedings for trespassing, since the courts possess the authority to have the vehicle removed from the driveway. An additional option is to pursue a legal claim for nuisance conduct on the grounds that the motorist is interfering with your use and enjoyment of your property.

However, pursuing a case through the courts can be a long and potentially costly process. Court fees are a significant outlay, ranging from £35 to over £10,000, depending on the value of the claim, not to mention solicitor and barrister fees, expert witness costs, and expenses for travel, photocopying, and potential loss of earnings.