Cars Parked In Front Of Your Home? Block Talk Explores What To Do

ACROSS AMERICA — It’s not carved in stone anywhere that your neighbors can’t park wherever they choose on public streets. It is, however, the unwritten law of the universe that the people who live in the house can claim the public street parking in front of it.

Or is it?

We passed along a reader’s question for this installment of Block Talk, asking our Facebook audience: “Why do my neighbors keep parking in front of my house when the whole street is open? What can I do about it?”

The bottom line:

“Just because it’s in front of your house don’t mean it’s your personal parking space,” a Salem, Massachusetts, Patch reader wrote.

“Unless they are blocking your driveway, mailbox, or sitting in the car stalking you, I'm not sure you can do anything,” a Waukesha, Wisconsin, Patch reader wrote.

Homeowners association covenants may address the issue in some instances, “but … that’s probably a stretch and not going to make you popular in the community.”

“Not sure why it’s such a big deal,” she continued, “but hey, whatever.”

“Is it annoying?” a Temecula, California, Patch reader wrote. “Yes. Can you do anything about it? No. Some things you just gotta let go of.”

‘All The Kids Are Doing It’

Some readers offered creative, and sometimes crafty, solutions.

Stake your claim on the parking spot with lawn chairs “like they do in South Philly,” a Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Patch reader advised, adding, “All the kids are doing it.”

“Do you have a tree in front of your house?” a Toms River, New Jersey, Patch reader wrote. “If so, hang a bird house/feeder on it. They’ll get tired of cleaning bird crap off their car.”

This’ll fix them, according to another Toms River Patch reader: “Block them in, so they can't get out. Do that a few times, and they will stop.”

A Temecula Patch reader resorted to turning on the lawn sprinkler just a wee bit too close to the offending car. Yes, a Tinley Park, Illinois, Patch reader agreed, strategically place the lawn sprinkler, so it will “wet his car.”

Or, someone else in Tinley Park wrote, wait until the grass needs cutting and “let the grass blow on their car.”

“Make a sign that says WET TAR,” added a Marietta, California, Patch reader. “They’ll stay away from your house.”

Or, a Milford, Connecticut, Patch reader advised, send a strong hint with a no-parking sign, found at home improvement and hardware stores, that sticks in the ground, even if it doesn’t carry any legal weight,

“They are not official government ones, but my neighbor has them and nobody parks there anymore,” the person said. “He lined his whole property with them.”

We can almost see the twinkle in the eye of the fellow from Toms River who wrote this: “Park in front of their house with an old truck.”

And lest you think he’s the only one thinking that, a Sachem, New York, Patch reader had the same thought. “Buy an old, rusted out pickup truck,” he wrote. “Park it in front of his yard.”

Is This Really A Problem?

Oh, sweet mother-of-pearl, some readers said — or words to that effect.

“Smile and be happy this is the only thing you have to worry about,” a Concord, New Hampshire, Patch reader wrote. “You are blessed because you do not have to carry all your belongings on your back, have shelter and food.”

Right, a Tinley Park Patch reader agreed.

“Give the matter some perspective,” he wrote. “Jot down the five most important things you are dealing with in life right now. I’m hoping this does not appear on your list.”

And besides, another Concord Patch reader chimed in, your neighbor may be doing you a favor.

“Look at it as extra security,” the person wrote. “When a car is parked in front of your house, your chances of being robbed are reduced.”

There’s this, too: “Thank them for the extra steps keeping you healthy,” a Concord Patch reader wrote.

“Maybe you have a tree, and it's the only shady spot on the block?” an Oak Park, Illinois, Patch reader wrote. “We must live and let live. Living in the city, you would be lucky if you ever found parking in front of your house!”

‘Is It Really Worth The Battle?’

If it bugs you that much, several readers said, talk to the neighbor. Just don’t be a jerk about it.

An Oak Lawn Patch reader said he is “not sure why, but people nowadays are afraid to confront others about stuff.” He added, “As long as there’s no bad intentions, [it] should be fine.”

“Ask them in a nice way to please park elsewhere,” a Joliet, Illinois, Patch reader wrote. “I get this if you have elderly parents, kids” and others who use the parking, he continued, but said “most people will try to be accommodating.”

“Just be nice, sweet & wave,” a Bel Air, Maryland, Patch reader wrote. “Once they see it doesn't bother you, they will stop. If they don’t, at least you might find it really doesn’t bother you after all.”

Sometimes, though, it’s hard to connect a person with the car parked in front of your house. Rental properties are a bane to some readers’ existence.

“I put a Post-It-Note on my neighbor’s tenant’s car window after they parked in front of my house for the millionth time,” a Lindenhurst, New York, Patch reader wrote, her exaggeration of attempts to rectify the situation a reflection of the frustration that it happened so often, “my husband couldn’t even park there.”

“Aren’t landlords supposed to provide sufficient off-street parking for their tenants?” she asked.

That generally varies by lease agreement, but in general, nothing legally requires rental unit owners to provide parking, according to various websites that deal with landlord-tenant relationships.

But it gets worse, said a Cranston, Rhode Island, Patch reader wrote.

“We have a problem with our neighbor’s tenant’s guests parking their car in front of our house. They not only park there, they put the car half on our strip of grass on the sidewalk, and the other half in the street,” she wrote, adding, “As far as we are concerned, they are damaging our property.”

Police tracked down the owner of the car, who moved it. But moving forward, “if you want to prevent your neighbors from parking in front of your house, pull yours out at 5:30 a.m.,” she wrote. “We had to do that.”

Property damage is one thing. But if it’s just an annoyance, “let it go,” a Livermore, California, Patch reader advised,

“Seeing people battle it out is frustrating,” she wrote. “Is it really worth the battle or your time and energy? I’ve seen neighbors get petty and get the whole neighborhood involved.

“It’s not good."

About Block Talk

Block Talk is an every-other-week feature on Patch offering real-world advice from readers on how to resolve everyday neighborhood problems. In our first installment, you told us what to do about barking dogs. If you have a neighborhood etiquette question or problem you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com, with Block Talk as the subject line.

Catch up on Block Talk:

• What To Do About Barking Dogs
• What To Do With Stuff Neighbors Unload On You
• Let’s Talk About Waving To Each Other

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