Entitled Neighbors Get Their Car Towed After Repeatedly Parking In Man’s Driveway And Ignoring His Requests To Stop
Being neighborly means something slightly different for everyone. Some friendlier people bring baked goods to the family next door and have barbecues every weekend with their whole cul-de-sac, while others simply request peace and quiet from their neighbors. And on rare occasions, some people decide to completely disregard the feelings and requests of those living around them.
3 days ago, Reddit user CairoGunship shared the story of how, after months of warning their neighbors not to block their driveway or the road, they were finally pushed over the edge and called a tow truck. Feeling guilty that the situation escalated to that level, CairoGunship asked the Am I the [Jerk]? community whether or not they were justified in having their neighbors’ cars towed. Below you can read the full story, as well as some of the responses it has received, and decide for yourself if they made the right decision. Then after finishing this article, if you’re looking to hear about another heated neighborly dispute about parking, check out this Bored Panda piece next.
3 days ago, one resident asked Reddit if they were justified in calling a tow truck on their neighbors who consistently block their driveway
Image credits: GPS 56 (Not the actual photo)
The neighbors had received and ignored numerous warnings about parking inappropriately
Image credits: Paul Cross (Not the actual photo)
Image credits: CairoGunship
Everyone wants to live in a peaceful neighborhood, but sometimes residing in close proximity to others inevitably leads to disputes. Particularly in crowded areas with limited parking, like CairoGunship describes in this story, it can be extremely frustrating to be unable to come or go whenever you please. But aside from just being obnoxious and rude, blocking someone’s driveway is illegal in many places. In the UK, obstructing your neighbor’s driveway can result in fines up to £130 in London and £70 in other areas.
Meanwhile, in the United States, people who have blocked someone else’s driveway might avoid getting a ticket. But once their car has been towed, it’s going to cost hundreds of dollars to retrieve it. Not to mention the immense hassle of tracking down the impounded car and getting a ride there before paying the exorbitant fees to get it back. I imagine the neighbors in this story learned a valuable lesson after a grueling experience like that.
I can empathize with having a difficult time finding parking, as some cities are notorious for having limited access to free spots, and nobody wants to walk a mile from their car to their home. But that does not justify disrupting the lives of everyone else around them. One doesn’t have to be the world’s best neighbor to understand that everyone is entitled to come and go as they please, especially when they own a driveway and shouldn’t ever need to worry about searching for parking. Let us know in the comments how you feel about this situation, and if you’ve ever experienced a similar neighbor dispute. If you have, how did you handle it?
Readers unanimously agreed that the neighbors deserved to have their cars towed
Your only problem is how long you took to call the tow truck. You should have called it after the first warning.
Talking to them is a curtesy, legally you can tow them from your property without a warning or request to move-apartments too (have paperwork showing your space # handy). I had someone towed 2 months ago, they were in my assigned spot and I cannot park anywhere else in my complex without security having me towed. One of us was getting towed and it wasn't going to be me.
Dude was too nice...one warning is all you get and then the gloves come off. Tow truck is just the tip of iceberg
This was late 80s. My dad was in the military and we lived in an apartment complex off base. The apartment we lived in at one point had on street parking. It was usually fine, but one of our neighbors were known coke heads that partied constant. They would have parties that took up parking spots directly in front of the apartments. One night my dad pulled into a spot that was just vacated by one coke head. When he came out next morning they had pulled up against his front and back bumper pinning him in. After repeated attempts to get them to move, he moved them himself. He put his truck in drive and shoved the car in front forward 5 feet, then in reverse and shoved the car behind him back 5 feet. His truck was unscathed, the same couldn't be said for the cars. Needless to say, we didn't have any more parking disputes after that.
Tow them again and again. Use a different towing company every time. Have them going all over to see where thier car is at.
I live in the USA, so if this happened in another country, I don't know the laws there. But here, I would have called the police because the police would fine and they could have called in a tow truck themselves if the parking was that bad.
So NTA. I only wish the laws in the UK allowed me to get cars towed off the development I live on. If it were a public highway, and they blocked a driveway, they can be ticketed or towed, but not on private land. We even get idiots still parking on the bit that says "No Parking" in 5 foot high letters.
My neighbor's mother part 2' of the rear of her car over my driveway and I went over and told them that I would put up with it this time but if they or anyone that came to visit them ever blocked any part of my driveway again I would have the car towed. I told them this is the only warning you will ever get. They just put in a pool and they're going to have a lot of people over this summer. I work from home, so my car is parked in the garage and usually doesn't go out, maybe once or twice a week. My husband parts in the driveway and there's room for another car in the driveway.. I have a feeling that I'm going to be calling the tow trucks at least one time this summer. I gave one morning and that's all any full grown adult shouldn't need.
Isn’t it awful that we have to live our lives constantly braced for the problems brought about by ignorant, entitled, selfish and usually vile human beings? Sigh.
Load More Replies...
They had somewhere to be and couldn't go and were frustrated because of it? Sounds like you when they blocked you in. That's called Karma. You did everything right, and had far more patience than myself. I would have called the third time it happened.
Definitely not the a--hole. They played the game fck around and find out and lost.
I would of put up a " dont block garage entrante sign " after the first time and called a tow truck on the second. Your problem is that you took too long to tow. Does their landlord know how many generation are living in their home? It's their responsibility to get their renters in line too.
As frustrating it is for some of us to read, that they gave them so many chances, some people are very nonconfrontational. Their anxiety makes them worry they're the jerk... and then we get those who heads are so far up their buts, they don't see they're the jerk... which is why we still see these clear cut, at least to us, posts. We own a garage, with two bay doors for getting vehicles in and out, for repairs. There's a business next door of course, not related to us. For some reason people think parking bay or even directly up to they bay doors is acceptable. the blank confused looks we get, when we ask them to move, or the infuriating "I won't be long"... when it comes to parking people turn their brains off.
Why do they even need that many cars to begin with? Tell them to get a Lyft, Uber or Taxi.
NTA but also at least in the US, most cities have a max # of cars and other blight rules that you can report on. The city then takes charge of doing all the work that you have done to solve it.
We have a couple families that live in our neighborhood that have way to many cars for the amount of parking their homes have. For example, each home has a garage that will hold 2 vehicles if the garage isnt packed with c**p. The driveways for most of the homes will hold 4 cars if they're normal size vehicles. These brainiacs bought homes that the drive way will only hold 2 cars so the remainder get street parked making the neighborhood look like a used car lot. Oddly enough both families feel the need to have loud parties every so often and shoot fireworks that are completely illegal in our state. We have a county deputy that lives near us and he's about as worthless as they come. He completely ignores what goes on and as of here recently has decided that owning a ridiculously loud vehicle is a swell idea. We've had altercations with the various families as well as the sheriff and nothing changes. We've already started looking elsewhere to live and I suggest y'all do too.
You gave then WAY too many warnings. You teach people how to treat you. If you keep giving warnings with no follow through, they learn that they can walk all over you. One warning is sufficient, and you would have been well within their rights to give no warning. Although to do so the first time is a kind gesture. I've accidentally parked in front of my neighbors driveway once. They just toed my car straight away, no warning at all. I understood, they had to get out. I just really don't like helping entitled people get away with bad behavior over and over again, when they are clearly not going to change. Boundaries are important!
Their "big" family shouldn't act like their the only people in the world. It's wrong and illegal to block another person's access.
NTA, its actually illegal to block roads in most states unless you're a city worker, police or of other great importance.
I never got over the fact that one family has six cars in a crowded area.
I believe they had numerous warnings..you are more patient than most..the neighbors should have figured out a solution from first warning. They did not.! So bravo to you I believe you did the right thing.!!
What about emergency vehicles couldn't get in with time ticking?
Actually if they block emergency vehicles from getting to an emergency which cost someone thier life or multiple live they could be arrested for some form of causing the death. I can't think of the name of the charge but it is almost like murder a charge.
But what's the end of the story? Did this work? Did the neighbor stop blocking people with their cars?
I'm wondering if the OP has the authority to call a tow truck? If the neighbors were blocking her garage or parked in her property, then she could, but I doubt she'd be able to if she were calling in behalf of other neighbors. That opens the whole can of worms of illegal tows.
I don't get why people rent where there's no parking & they have so many cars. My neighborhood has extremely limited parking & if I didn't have a garage, I wouldn't be living here.
I would have done it the first time they blocked me in. Op is far more patient than me
I can’t believe the OP even had to ask that question. He had far more patience than I would have had. What those people did was clearly harassment. So disrespectful and selfish. I have zero sympathy for them.
Your only problem is how long you took to call the tow truck. You should have called it after the first warning.
Talking to them is a curtesy, legally you can tow them from your property without a warning or request to move-apartments too (have paperwork showing your space # handy). I had someone towed 2 months ago, they were in my assigned spot and I cannot park anywhere else in my complex without security having me towed. One of us was getting towed and it wasn't going to be me.
Dude was too nice...one warning is all you get and then the gloves come off. Tow truck is just the tip of iceberg
This was late 80s. My dad was in the military and we lived in an apartment complex off base. The apartment we lived in at one point had on street parking. It was usually fine, but one of our neighbors were known coke heads that partied constant. They would have parties that took up parking spots directly in front of the apartments. One night my dad pulled into a spot that was just vacated by one coke head. When he came out next morning they had pulled up against his front and back bumper pinning him in. After repeated attempts to get them to move, he moved them himself. He put his truck in drive and shoved the car in front forward 5 feet, then in reverse and shoved the car behind him back 5 feet. His truck was unscathed, the same couldn't be said for the cars. Needless to say, we didn't have any more parking disputes after that.
Tow them again and again. Use a different towing company every time. Have them going all over to see where thier car is at.
I live in the USA, so if this happened in another country, I don't know the laws there. But here, I would have called the police because the police would fine and they could have called in a tow truck themselves if the parking was that bad.
So NTA. I only wish the laws in the UK allowed me to get cars towed off the development I live on. If it were a public highway, and they blocked a driveway, they can be ticketed or towed, but not on private land. We even get idiots still parking on the bit that says "No Parking" in 5 foot high letters.
My neighbor's mother part 2' of the rear of her car over my driveway and I went over and told them that I would put up with it this time but if they or anyone that came to visit them ever blocked any part of my driveway again I would have the car towed. I told them this is the only warning you will ever get. They just put in a pool and they're going to have a lot of people over this summer. I work from home, so my car is parked in the garage and usually doesn't go out, maybe once or twice a week. My husband parts in the driveway and there's room for another car in the driveway.. I have a feeling that I'm going to be calling the tow trucks at least one time this summer. I gave one morning and that's all any full grown adult shouldn't need.
Isn’t it awful that we have to live our lives constantly braced for the problems brought about by ignorant, entitled, selfish and usually vile human beings? Sigh.
Load More Replies... They had somewhere to be and couldn't go and were frustrated because of it? Sounds like you when they blocked you in. That's called Karma. You did everything right, and had far more patience than myself. I would have called the third time it happened.
Definitely not the a--hole. They played the game fck around and find out and lost.
I would of put up a " dont block garage entrante sign " after the first time and called a tow truck on the second. Your problem is that you took too long to tow. Does their landlord know how many generation are living in their home? It's their responsibility to get their renters in line too.
As frustrating it is for some of us to read, that they gave them so many chances, some people are very nonconfrontational. Their anxiety makes them worry they're the jerk... and then we get those who heads are so far up their buts, they don't see they're the jerk... which is why we still see these clear cut, at least to us, posts. We own a garage, with two bay doors for getting vehicles in and out, for repairs. There's a business next door of course, not related to us. For some reason people think parking bay or even directly up to they bay doors is acceptable. the blank confused looks we get, when we ask them to move, or the infuriating "I won't be long"... when it comes to parking people turn their brains off.
Why do they even need that many cars to begin with? Tell them to get a Lyft, Uber or Taxi.
NTA but also at least in the US, most cities have a max # of cars and other blight rules that you can report on. The city then takes charge of doing all the work that you have done to solve it.
We have a couple families that live in our neighborhood that have way to many cars for the amount of parking their homes have. For example, each home has a garage that will hold 2 vehicles if the garage isnt packed with c**p. The driveways for most of the homes will hold 4 cars if they're normal size vehicles. These brainiacs bought homes that the drive way will only hold 2 cars so the remainder get street parked making the neighborhood look like a used car lot. Oddly enough both families feel the need to have loud parties every so often and shoot fireworks that are completely illegal in our state. We have a county deputy that lives near us and he's about as worthless as they come. He completely ignores what goes on and as of here recently has decided that owning a ridiculously loud vehicle is a swell idea. We've had altercations with the various families as well as the sheriff and nothing changes. We've already started looking elsewhere to live and I suggest y'all do too.
You gave then WAY too many warnings. You teach people how to treat you. If you keep giving warnings with no follow through, they learn that they can walk all over you. One warning is sufficient, and you would have been well within their rights to give no warning. Although to do so the first time is a kind gesture. I've accidentally parked in front of my neighbors driveway once. They just toed my car straight away, no warning at all. I understood, they had to get out. I just really don't like helping entitled people get away with bad behavior over and over again, when they are clearly not going to change. Boundaries are important!
Their "big" family shouldn't act like their the only people in the world. It's wrong and illegal to block another person's access.
NTA, its actually illegal to block roads in most states unless you're a city worker, police or of other great importance.
I never got over the fact that one family has six cars in a crowded area.
I believe they had numerous warnings..you are more patient than most..the neighbors should have figured out a solution from first warning. They did not.! So bravo to you I believe you did the right thing.!!
What about emergency vehicles couldn't get in with time ticking?
Actually if they block emergency vehicles from getting to an emergency which cost someone thier life or multiple live they could be arrested for some form of causing the death. I can't think of the name of the charge but it is almost like murder a charge.
But what's the end of the story? Did this work? Did the neighbor stop blocking people with their cars?
I'm wondering if the OP has the authority to call a tow truck? If the neighbors were blocking her garage or parked in her property, then she could, but I doubt she'd be able to if she were calling in behalf of other neighbors. That opens the whole can of worms of illegal tows.
I don't get why people rent where there's no parking & they have so many cars. My neighborhood has extremely limited parking & if I didn't have a garage, I wouldn't be living here.
I would have done it the first time they blocked me in. Op is far more patient than me
I can’t believe the OP even had to ask that question. He had far more patience than I would have had. What those people did was clearly harassment. So disrespectful and selfish. I have zero sympathy for them.
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