neighbor parking in my driveway (painting, furniture, damage, remove)

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by riveree

I understand the frustration though. I have a few neighbors who use their driveways to cook dinner (barbeque).....I always found this odd .

are you guys saying that bbq's on my driveway makes me a bad neighbor?
I'm confused. My parents have bbq'd on their San Diego condo driveway my entire life. We use the back part of our driveway next to the detached garage to cook-out. This is right next to the backyard, but as we don't have a deck, we set up on the driveway. Seems perfectly normal to me!

But of course you can't park on your neighbor's grass/driveway. Can't believe there's anybody that would do this! Hopefully the OP's hedge will do the trick.

[Dolfan]

Originally Posted by luckyduck

A guest of my neighbor parked on my lot on the grass (not even on the driveway!) because they thought no one was home (I didn't have a car but I was home). Since I am new to the area, I didn't want to pi$$ off my new neighbors with a rude New Yorker reaction, so I politely wrote a note -- "please don't park here"-- and left it on their dash. As I was walking away, the owner of the car apologized profusely and said they were visiting and didn't know where to park. (Of course, that is not justifiable because the neighbor they were visiting could've told them.) They were on their way out anyway, so they left right away.

Yesterday, my husband came home to find not one, but TWO cars, parked in our driveway! He honked for several minutes and the car owners were guests of the neighbor and said they had nowhere to park. My husband, who has a shorter fuse than me, yelled at them and told them it was not a private driveway. My husband also had cargo to unload and could not wait (our block is no standing, no parking), so he pulled in with the two cars still in our driveway. The car owners had no intention of leaving!

So my husband left his car there, blocking the two cars, and when the two cars were finally ready to leave, they honked, but my husband refused to come out. The two cars somehow learned how to maneuver themselves off of our driveway.

Anyway, I told my husband he should've called the cops or have had the cars towed. But as we are first time homeowners, our reaction time is a bit delayed and we are still very much trying to avoid pissing off our neighbors (who have been living here longer than us.) I'm tempted to build a fence on our property line (complete with a gate!) but I don't want to ruin the aesthetics of my home because just because my neighbor is an inconsiderate fool. I also worry that they'll think they have free rein to park here when we are away on vacation.

Further, I wonder if these people suffer from a delusion of grandeur, making them to feel entitled to park their Mercedes, BMW, and Cadillac in our driveway... my husband and I drive a Honda! Still, it doesn't give them the right to park on private property, but I wonder about that, too.

Well, thanks to all for letting me vent. Even if it has nothing to do with neighbors parking in your driveways, I'd love to hear your stories about neighbors being inconsiderate and what you've done to alleviate your situation.

I would love to have seen these inconsiderate people trying to get out of the driveway--too bad they figured it out. Your husband did the right thing by parking in back and then ignoring them. Maybe this will give them the hint.

[sponger42]

Originally Posted by michelleleigh

We have the same problem, at our apartment complex, evry sunday someone used parki n our assigned spot(smart because the office is closed) I am too nice I just ask them to please move there car when they can. My husband, finally went to the office and they gave him some 24 hour tow notices, it stopped, however someone now lets their big dog poop in front of our car doar.

Wow. Was it the same car every time? I'm a very peacable person. I usually reason that the person being rude to me is probably having a bad day/life and I should show some understanding and try to get along with them.

However, if I was in your position, I don't think I could restrain myself from smearing that dog crap all over the formerly-offending car writing something unkind in big bold poop-letters .

Of course, after that I wouldn't feel safe parking within 12 blocks of that complex ever again, but oh, the sense of ironic justice would be so worth it.

Ah! Better yet; save up the poop and bury the offending car in it the night after you move out.

Well, these aren't really practical solutions, but they certainly are fun to think about.

[luckyduck]

Originally Posted by sponger42

However, if I was in your position, I don't think I could restrain myself from smearing that dog crap all over the formerly-offending car writing something unkind in big bold poop-letters .

Of course, after that I wouldn't feel safe parking within 12 blocks of that complex ever again, but oh, the sense of ironic justice would be so worth it.

Ah! Better yet; save up the poop and bury the offending car in it the night after you move out.

Well, these aren't really practical solutions, but they certainly are fun to think about.

Yes, it is quite hilarious to think of unorthodox revenge tactics! Yours are pretty funny!

I went to Lowe's to check out what I can plant... I now see what you guys mean about the neighbors ruining young hedges. I think they would hit a fence, too, and again I don't think it would be intentional because my border would leave them with a very narrow 1-car wide driveway.

Hopefully, as I think of these things, the neighbors are realizing their error. Over the weekend, I was recounting my drama to my family while in the backyard BBQ'ing and I had no idea that the neighbors were quietly picnicking in their backyard, too! Whoops!

[riveree]

Originally Posted by Debsi

are you guys saying that bbq's on my driveway makes me a bad neighbor?
I'm confused. My parents have bbq'd on their San Diego condo driveway my entire life. We use the back part of our driveway next to the detached garage to cook-out. This is right next to the backyard, but as we don't have a deck, we set up on the driveway. Seems perfectly normal to me!

As an example, in my neighborhood, everyone has at least a 2-car garage and a double-width, short driveway (depending on the house, you could fit 2 or 4 cars in the driveway). Every house was also built with a lanai/porch, and of course there is a backyard - so it's not like our neighbors don't have the ability to entertain their friends in their backyards.

Yet, some neighbors will drag the grill out to the driveway, invite all their friends over, and barbeque in the driveway. Since they driveway is being used as a patio, their friends have to park all over the street (often in front of my house).

It doesn't make them bad neighbors, it's just 1) a bit perplexing why they choose to be out in the open instead of having the privacy of their own backyards (they're not mingling with the neighbors, their friends are driving in) and 2) it clogs up the street with cars which slows down traffic, amongst other things.

In your set-up, you're using your sideyard, so I don't imagine that would affect your neighbors any more than if you were using your backyard.

As the population grows and we all live closer and closer, we will likely become increasingly sensitive to those unwritten social rules that keep us all civil with each other .

[michelleleigh]

Originally Posted by sponger42

Wow.
However, if I was in your position, I don't think I could restrain myself from smearing that dog crap all over the formerly-offending car writing something unkind in big bold poop-letters .

Of course, after that I wouldn't feel safe parking within 12 blocks of that complex ever again, but oh, the sense of ironic justice would be so worth it.

Ah! Better yet; save up the poop and bury the offending car in it the night after you move out.

Well, these aren't really practical solutions, but they certainly are fun to think about.

Yes it was the same car, we did not tow it , we just left a 24 hr notice and they left(I dont evan think, I could have had it towed I would have asked the aparmant manager not to do it). Love the dog poop ideas, I will have something to laugh about every time I pick up the poop.

[WallStreetWarrior]

Easy solution:

C'mon, you live in NJ, just call up Tony and Gino to come over and blow these cars to smithereens. Of course then you'll have 2 exploded, burning cars in your drive, and possibly shrapnel and glass dust all over your yard, but you will without a doubt have gotten your point across.

Maybe toilet paper the cars and then when the owners knock on your door, say something like, "Those damn kids, they t.p.ed our house just last Thursday."

Perhaps go to the nearest construction business, and hire a couple strapping young lads to come over and put the front end of one car right up on the trunk of the other car.

Ummm....siphon their gas maybe???

Well...yeah maybe just have them towed, that would probably be your best solution.

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by riveree

In your set-up, you're using your sideyard, so I don't imagine that would affect your neighbors any more than if you were using your backyard.

As the population grows and we all live closer and closer, we will likely become increasingly sensitive to those unwritten social rules that keep us all civil with each other .

Yes, I have a single-width long driveway, you could fit at least 4 cars on it, plus there is plenty of street parking in my neighborhood anyway. I think our situations are quite different.

The area by my garage would be my sideyard if I had one! You could walk up my driveway and into my backyard. There's no fence on that side. That bugs my husband, but if we put a fence up it wouldn't go with the neighborhood's look as it would have to extend down the grassy strip between our house and our neighbor's, and I think it would make the yard less pleasant and smaller feeling. Luckily we have a really nice neighbor!

[shuke]

Put up a sign saying, "Parking $25 per hour.... no overnight parking". Then park in back of them when they park in your driveway and demand payment before letting them out.

[johnrex62]

If they leave their windows down you can park next to them and start washing your car with a high pressure hose. That should get their attention.