Coming home to find a complete stranger parked outside your home and having to park your own car off down the street can be annoying, but it is not illegal.
Neighbours may leave the park outside your home free out of politeness. However, there is no legal requirement to do so as people are permitted to park directly outside your property, provided you do not have a designated parking space.
Some may be tempted to corner off 'their' space with a 'no parking cone', but this is illegal as it could be classified as an obstruction unless the council has given you permission.
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Any member of the public can park on your street once resident parking permits do not govern it, and the driver is complying with restrictions and not causing any obstructions.
If all residents on your street are required to have a permit, they can park anywhere within the relevant zone and not just outside their own homes.
There is also no law regarding the amount of time a vehicle can remain parked in the same space unless gardai think the car has been abandoned.
Awkward neighbours who choose to take up the last space on the street instead of parking in their driveway are also doing nothing wrong. But unfortunately, even if it is morally questionable, there is nothing you can do to stop them.
However, it is illegal to park directly outside a school, on the zig-zag lines to a pedestrian crossing, and in designated marked bays you don't have a permit for.
Someone blocking your driveway
Surprisingly it is not illegal for someone to block your driveway by parking outside even though it feels like it should be.
But, vehicles parked with a wheel over a dropped kerb are committing a parking offence.
There are two types of dropped kerbs: those for pedestrians and those for drivers to access driveways.
Vehicles parked across dropped kerbs can be given a ticket, even if they're not fully blocking it.
However, parking close to a dropped kerb or directly opposite it isn't illegal, even if it restricts access.
Your local council should be called if someone is blocking your driveway as it is a civil matter and has nothing to do with the police. However, if the vehicle is causing an obstruction, the police can be contacted.
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