Dear Dáithí: My new neighbour keeps taking my parking space. Do I have to suck it up?

There's a car space very close to our front door, and I've parked there for years. It's not a designated car space, but my old neighbours left it free for me

The thing is, this isn’t your own spot, and anyone is allowed to use it, and really, there isn’t a whole lot you can do about it. 

Dear Dáithí,

I’ve been living in the same apartment for the last four years. There’s a limited amount of parking in the complex as it’s expected a lot of people might commute to work via public transport. In reality, though, that’s not the case. We have a bus stop nearby but I couldn’t easily get to my job using the bus as I work shifts.

To cut a long story short, there’s a car space very close to our front door and I’ve parked there for years. It’s not a designated car space but I suppose the neighbours would all leave certain spaces free that they know other people use.

A few new neighbours have moved in recently and one, in particular, is regularly parking in the space that I would use. I know I don’t own the space but I’ve gotten so used to having it. 

The car spaces fill up quickly in the complex and it means that, by the time I get in from work, I have to park on the opposite side of the complex — not ideal when I have shopping.

Should I tell them this is where I usually park? Or do I need to just suck it up?

First-world problems come to mind after reading your letter, but still a problem for you, I hear you say.

I remember being in this exact situation when I lived in Dublin and would not delay after work to try to make it home as fast as I could to get a parking spot. If I was 10 minutes late, I’d have to park a mile from home, so I do feel your pain with this one. 

The fact you have had ‘your own space’ for the last four years, and you are so used to having it, just makes it feel a little worse.

But the thing is, this isn’t your own spot, anyone is allowed to use it, and, really, there isn’t a whole lot you can do about it.

That is a very black-and-white answer, of course, and can we explore other ways around this?

I think it’s obvious you like living in this apartment block as you have good neighbours and, other than this issue, you are having a great time there. Parking is always an issue in blocks like this. I sometimes think the people who are in charge of these places don’t even want parking spaces as they always cause hassle.

Now, this is not the biggest dilemma in the world. You had/have a parking space that is near the door and now sometimes you have to park on the other side of the block. The good news is that you still have a place to park. Let’s not lose sight of that. 

Yes, it’s a pain when it comes to bringing in the shopping but, in all fairness, how often do you bring in the shopping and how many bags do you have with you? In the worst-case scenario, you’d have to make two trips and, to that, I’d be saying get over yourself. 

The bottom line here is that you don’t have your own parking space and you just have to suck it up. You have to look at it this way: You were very lucky to have this space for the last four years, and not for the next four years; this is just the reality.

You are now thinking of going up to this new neighbour who has upset your equilibrium to say what? Sorry, I’ve been parking there for the last few years and can you please not park there because I have to bring the shopping in? 

The person will tell you to shag off but, if you really want to say something, you could approach in a very nice and quiet way and have a conversation with him/her and say: "Look, I’ve no claim to that spot but I did park there for the last four years; can we make a deal, maybe every second week or month?" 

Again, they might laugh at you, I don’t know. Even if you do strike a deal, what happens when the next new neighbour lands in and parks in this infamous spot, what happens then?

You could go to your landlord and see if they own any of the parking spots and say you would like one. It might cost you a few more bob, that’s even if he/she has one.

You get on well with your neighbours — ask them if they have one for rent or maybe to borrow from time to time. You really won’t know until you ask and, if word gets around that you are looking, it might manifest, especially if they like you.

There is a bus you can take on occasion. I know you work shifts, but you should take it when you can, and then you wouldn’t have to move the car. You might be like me — I like to have the car close as I live out of the boot for most of the year.

So, there you have it, not the craziest situation, but still a pain for you. Check out the landlord and the neighbours to see if there’s one going. It depends on what type of person the new neighbour is. Approach with caution and don’t expect much.

This is going to be a problem from now on, as things are not going to be like they were, so you’ll just have to accept it and move on.

Outside of what I’ve suggested, I’m not sure what else you can do. How would you feel on a moped? They are small and you wouldn’t need a car parking space at all. They are fuel-efficient, and you’ll get around faster.