Neighbours roofers have blocked in my car and are mixing cement next to it

A question about : Neighbours roofers have blocked in my car and are mixing cement next to it

My car is parked out front on the road two doors along. My OH was parked next to it but went out earlier this afternoon. My neighbour was parked the other side. I work from home but I had to go out to post a letter just now and found a roofers van on one side of my car (where OH was) and a cement mixer (and van beyond it in the road,) mixing cement only a few feet from my car, on the other side where neighbour was. They are working on next door but one neighbours roof. They had put a dust sheet over my car bonnet but it is impossible to move the car.

I knocked on neighbours door but they are out. I told the builders I wanted to move my car and they told me they had covered the bonnet so it should be OK but they were not able to move at present as they were mixing cement. They had not knocked on my door either not asked me to move my car. I could easily have moved it if the builders or my neighbour asked me in advance and indeed I have been in all day. They could have asked me this morning. I have lived here for sometime and had the car sometime it would not be hard to know/find out it was mine.

What happens if my car is damaged in some way?. Who is responsible?

Best answers:

• "WHAT IF" a plane crashed on your car?
  Sounds like they are going about their job with due care so as not to cause damage. They put a sheet over it to protect it.
  If you want to move the car then tell them you need to go out in it, Im sure they will move things for you if your polite.
  Drive around the block and park it elsewhere.
  The person that damaged it would be responsible.
• Tell the builders you need to go out so they are paying for a taxi for you there and back.
• If this is on the road (public highway, not a privately owned cul de sac), they don't have a leg to stand on, they are causing an obstruction and have broken the law by doing it. They simply should not be mixing cement on the road, though it does happen, but they should not be blocking people in by doing it. If you needed to go out, you could call the police and they would not only get the builder to move (assuming that they hadn't) but potentially prosecute them as well.
  However, you have to live with your neighbours, so not really worth getting all legal over it. If the car was damaged, then the people doing the damage are liable - they have public liability insurance to cover this.
  The way I would handle it myself is that I would go and speak to the neighbours when they are back, simply to say that in future, if the builders are going to be working near cars, to let you know so you can move it out of the way as it has made you concerned about whether they might damage your car. You can make sympathetic noises about how difficult access is.
• Similar thing happened to me last year, except that my car WAS damaged. I parked on the roadside and next morning went out for the day with a friend.
  When I came back the pavement was wet and muddy and some construction work had been done on a vacant lot (concrete poured, posts installed, new fence and For Sale sign put up). My passenger door had a chip in it.
  Turned out a local builder had a concrete mixer on the pavement next to parked cars all day, and mine was the closest.
  Got on the local Facebook site and asked if anyone knew who owned the vacant lot, or who had been doing work that day, as my car had been damaged and I needed to get in touch with them.
  Two days later, went out to go to work and saw two builders back there doing other work. Went over to talk with them, and before I new it, the big bald git was waving a spanner in my face saying he knew who I was and where I lived, etc., etc. It didn't go well. Ended up calling the police who had a conversation with him.
  Bottom line was that the police said I didn't have a leg to stand on as far as the damage was concerned. End of. So even though it appears these builders in the OP were taking due care and attention, you never know.
• Parked too close and do not want to turn off mixer while cement is being poured....
• What's to stop them moving the van, so you can reverse then drive out?
• Maybe OP will return this afternoon to address some of the questions asked, including my post #10.
• The builder sounded sensible to me, Covered the car to prevent damage and cement dusk from getting onto the car.
  When they said not right now, I wonder if it was just a case of wait a couple of minutes and they will then move and let them out?