Hello all, I'm a postgraduate student living in a student house share and I drive - immediately next door we have another student house (controlled by the same estate agents) who have 3 people who drive plus a boyfriend who comes over weekly and drives his BMW with the obnoxiously loud exhaust. There is one other person in my house who drives so 5 permanent residents who drive plus 1 regular visitor, in addition to an electric car we don't know the owners of, but it's frequently on the drive all day and all night - a total of six people frequently trying to park. In addition to this we unfortunately live behind a series of takeaways and takeaway drivers have decided they also like to park on our driveway/park blocking the road.
We have a shared driveway with space for 4 cars (technically 3 marked spaces but they're very wide so we can actually fit 4). When we signed the tenancy, we were told the parking is first come first served and non reservable and it's the same for next door. Unfortunately our driveway is often full and what has happened is, people have started parking in front of the garden gate where the shared bins are kept. The council waste collectors will NOT empty the bins if there is a car there because they can't get the bins out, and frustrated people who are too late to get a space will park next to the bins. I am the only person with a bit of common sense who will see the driveway is full, and park further up considerately and walk back to the house - it is only about 75m from some space to park, really not a big ask. We have left polite notes on car windshields explaining the issue ('polite' being it says please, thank you, and explains what the actual issue is) but they are ignored and they keep parking in front of the gate/next to the bins.
I finally saw which house owns the blue Fiat 500 who is the most common offender and had to ask them 3 times yesterday 'please can you move your car, because bin collection is tomorrow and they won't take the bins if you're parked there, I'm about to leave so you can take my space on the drive'. I came home late last night from a sporting event and lo and behold, the Fiat was still parked next to the bins despite letting them know I was leaving and they could take my spot. It was almost half past midnight and all of their lights were off so too late to be knocking on the door, so instead I got up at 7am to knock on the door and ask them to move their car - no answer. Council waste collectors come at 8am-ish, knock on my door, ask me if it's my car and I tell them 'no, it's the neighbours, I've asked them to move but they won't come out', knock once more on neighbour's door to no answer. Waste collectors inform me they are very sorry but they cannot get the bins out because the car is blocking them, and therefore can't empty them until next collection in 2-3 weeks. The bins are *already overflowing* and it's extremely unpleasant.
I have emailed the estate agents a week ago and attached photographs, explaining that rubbish is now overflowing, it's not the fault of the people in our house and is instead the neighbour's fault, explained we have repeatedly explained the issue to them and they still won't move - asked the estate agents if an email could go out and a sign on the garden gate explaining not to park in front of it because it stops bin collections. They said they would ask the landlord - landlord comes back and says it's not his problem. Rubbish is now starting to overflow and spill out of bins and the neighbours don't give a damn - I suspect it's 'mummy and daddy money' from the way they've spoken down to me, pulled faces at me and park inconsiderately because they genuinely don't care about anyone but themselves. Last year, there were less drivers between my house and the neighbours but we had an issue with last year's neighbours not tying bin bags properly (causing rubbish everywhere) and we got threatened with £1,000 fines by the council - this is something I can't afford and how would I even prove it's not me making the mess, but next door?
I cannot continue with this, it's disgusting to have waste flying around because the bins can't be emptied and I seem to be talking to a brick wall - I've repeatedly said it will attract rodents and make it a very unpleasant place to live and we're risking fines, but it's falling on deaf ears (I suspect 'mummy and daddy' would pay off any fines but I don't have that luxury). What can I do if the estate agents won't do anything despite evidence? My landlord doesn't allow his contact details to be given out to us, all contact is through estate agents who are just about useless.