Neighbor's Parking Chairs are Driving Me Insane (Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville: apartments, buy)

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Isn't that stealing?

No, it's abandoned property.

[BrianTH]

I don't want to give specific legal advice, but I would note that property used to mark a claim to a parking spot is almost surely not abandoned property under the law.

[ditchdigger]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Isn't that stealing?

It's kind of a gray area really.


Apparently, the best thing to do is post an ad on craigslist, and get somebody else to steal them:
Free metal chairs for scrap (http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/zip/2877639887.html - broken link)

Free metal chairs for scrap (Knoxville)

Date: 2012-02-29, 3:51PM EST
Reply to: see below


400 block of Zara St. Two metal chairs sitting in the street. Come and get 'em. They weigh about 15-20 lbs each.

I'm tired of my neighbor trying to claim a parking space with them. We don't have assigned parking, and while I'd normally respect such a time-honored Pittsburgh tradition, it's not snowing. We havn't had enough snow to even warrant the use of a parking chair, let alone 2 of them.

So come rid my neighborhood of these eyesores.

Thanks!

[greg42]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

Apparently, the best thing to do is post an ad on craigslist, and get somebody else to steal them:
Free metal chairs for scrap (http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/zip/2877639887.html - broken link)

Love that.

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by mrgonk

Hi everybody. I was wondering if anyone had some friendly advice for an irritating situation that's developing on my block.

Basically, long story short, the nearest cross street is non-permit public parking. I live on an intersecting street in a dense city neighborhood with virtually no parking (because it's barely wider than an alley). So everyone basically parks over on the larger intersecting street - or even farther than that.

So, one of our neighbors around the corner has started putting a cone out in front of his house to reserve what he thinks is "his" spot. I had gotten into an argument with him over this before when he saw me parking outside of his apartment. I basically told him nobody owns the street outside their house and I'd be happy to park in front of my own, except that the street in front of my house is a no-parking zone. We left it at that. Not long after that is when he started putting a cone out there.

Now, this pisssed me off. But I wasn't going to make it an issue. I didn't like it, but it's not killing me to just not park right there. Then somebody new moved in to the adjoining basement apartment directly next to this guy - and the new guy started putting his garbage can in the street in the NEXT spot. After a while, apparently they decided they felt like they wanted more space, and started putting a garbage can, a paint bucket and an orange cone out there, taking up about 3 parking spots.

In addition to actually being illegal, this second and now third spot has been enough to actually jam up the parking situation on the street on most days, to the point where it's become problematic for me and, I have to imagine, other people.

I have put in a complaint with the 311 service. So far no follow-up. I'm starting to feel tempted to just start taking everything they put out there and throwing it in a dumpster somewhere. Does anyone have any tips for how to handle this type of situation and get results? I just want these people to live by the rules that everyone else lives by. Right now everyone near this intersection has to park farther away because they declared themselves the owners of now 3 public parking spots and it's really pissing me off - but I'd like to pursue a solution that doesn't involve antagonism or, you know, petty larceny.

Any ideas?

Move to the country where you have no neighbors to control your emotions and upset the balance of your life because you choose to let petty things interrupt your day.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by CSD610

Move to the country where you have no neighbors to control your emotions and upset the balance of your life because you choose to let petty things interrupt your day.

Being annoyed by abrasive neighbors who blatantly disregard the law in regards to trying to "claim" public property as their own isn't exactly "petty". I've noticed this all over the city recently, and we've barely had any snow at all this winter. When you live in a dense urban neighborhood, like the OP and I do, on-street parking should be "first come, first serve". If you want your own dedicated on-street parking then develop some sort of disability, obtain a handicap placard and/or license plate, and then petition the city to install a handicapped parking sign in front of you property. Even then, though, another disabled neighbor can always park there without recourse. If you want "guaranteed" parking in a dense urban neighborhood then look for a place with OFF-STREET PARKING.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I don't want to give specific legal advice, but I would note that property used to mark a claim to a parking spot is almost surely not abandoned property under the law.

That the city's police definition

"Chairs and barriers of any type holding parking spaces on city streets are considered abandoned property and will be removed and discarded," Pittsburgh Police spokeswoman Diane Richard

Read more: Yinzer Justice Swift For Disrespecting Parking Chairs - Pittsburgh Weather News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

[BrianTH]

I've seen that before, but I don't think the police can actually make that determination (they may be able to confiscate them under a different theory, but I don't think they qualify as abandoned in a legal sense).

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I've seen that before, but I don't think the police can actually make that determination (they may be able to confiscate them under a different theory, but I don't think they qualify as abandoned in a legal sense).

Maybe they can do it as part of an anti littering campaign? It's ok to pick up and throw out trash left in the street.

[myrofora]

Below is a letter I sent to a couple of the authorities in Pittsburgh. It will describe for you the reason I put the chair out in the parking space in front of my house. It did not **** off my neighbors because they understood the problem as I explain below; in fact they sympathized with me and some began using their chairs, too. Read on: