Rude? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jason Beal · #1 09-07-2002, 07:35 PM

Ok, I have this neighbor of mine who keeps parking in front of my house. He did it the other day (and has been off and on), and I thought it was kind of weird. I wouldn't park in front of his. I didn't want him to think I was flying off the handle, so I asked him politely if he planned on keeping it there. He said he was switching cars around and he'd move it. I didn't mention the fact that he has a doublewide driveway and plenty more room in front of his house. Now today he has his friends over and they have this rat looking mini-van parked in front of my house.

Personally I think this is kind of rude. I'm not sure how to go about this, because I don't want to start a feud with a guy over where he parks the car. I'm not really that mad (Just annoyed), and I hate to seem petty. But especially after I asked him nicely and he's doing it again two days later.

Would this irritate you? What would you do?

J

ymsin · #2 09-07-2002, 08:48 PM

We had one of our neighbours doing the same : parking right in front of our driveway.

Mom said to him, very politely. that one of us have a very bad eye sight and should we ever drive into your car, we're not paying a cent!

It worked.

BENZ-LGB · #3 09-07-2002, 11:52 PM

...with many members.

Jason...you are NOT being picky, your nieghbor is rude and inconsiderate.

I've had to deal with the same problem for several years with my next door neighbor.

We have three cars (my wife's Yukon, my daughter's 300TE and my 420SEL). Our garage (like most people's garages) is filled with exercise equipment, bikes, tools, etc. so we can't park our cars in the garage (besides, the Yukon would not fully fit in). We park two cars in the driveway and one in the street.

Our next door neighbor has three cars. But he parks all of them on the street!!! His wife's POS Ford Explorer (it is white, but it is always dirty); his own POS Toyota truck (also white but also always dirty); and his daughter's POS Honda (color unknown because the clear coat has been long gone and the paint has oxidized beyond recognition). He often parks his crappy cars on both sides of my driveway! and when his relatives visit, they too park their own POS vehicles all over the street.

Like Jason I tried talking to him, but to no avail. He just told me that I did not own the street and he'd park wherever he felt like it. EVERY OTHER neighbor in the street cooperates, by parking as many cars in their driveways/garages and not on the street. This jerk is the only one who insists on parking ALL cars on the street.

We live in a very nice neighborhood, with very strict HOA rules. But the HOA board that sometimes needs a little prodding to enforce the rules.

For example, my pig of a neighbor used to leave his trash cans out for days after trash collection. This went on for about a year. This is against the HOA rules so I finally got fed up and reported him to the HOA (I hate to rat people out). The HOA eventually took action and he now takes his trash cans back inside on time, but he still waits until the very last possible minute. And while everyone lines u the trash cans neatly as close to the curb as possible (so as not to block the sidewalk for joggers, walkers, people pushing baby strollers, etc) he piles his trash cans all over the sidewalk, forcing people to step into the street.

But his rudeness and lack of consideration do not end with the parking issue or with the trash can issue. His trees branches used to overhang my yard, dropping leaves during the winter season (you know how messy birch trees can be). I keep a neat yard (I am as fastidious about my yard as I am about my cars...OK, so maybe I am a bit anal about it). I asked him if he would go halfway with me in trimming the trees that went over my wall. He told me that he didn't feel like it, that the branches overhanging my yard were MY problem. So I had my lawn guy chop off every single of his tree branches at the point that the branches met my wall. (If it wasn't for the fact that I do love all living things I'd have choopped the roots too, at the point where they cross my property line, but I didn't want to permanently hurt the trees themselves). He then complained that his trees now look lopsided. I told him to sue me if he didn't like it.

Jason, the bad news is that guys like your neighbor (and Tak's) are plain rude, inconsiderate and totally cluless. The good news is that eventually they get tired of being the sore thumb and move out, or drop dead from natural causes.

I have seriously considered buying a fourth car and just leaving it parked directly in front of his house, just to p*** him off, but I have better things to spend my money in.

Good luck....

P.S. As I predicted, this is becoming a long and lively thread

Jason Beal · #4 09-08-2002, 12:03 AM

Well, it feels great not to be alone on this subject. He is parked right behind his truck. So I took a car I've been working on and parked it right behind his, so essentially it's snug between his truck and mine. He'll have to move his truck in order to get that one out. Maybe he'll get the clue. Then again...maybe not. I just don't want to make some crazy guy mad and have my tires cut at night, or my car keyed. You just never know with people. This is a middle class neighborhood, so you have quite a cross section of people (For Salt Lake City: white, lilly white, and transparent) living here. So it’s not like a HOA or anything.

He doesn't have a tag on his van; I could call the police and say there is a van in front of my house with no tag that I've never seen before. (Now I've got myself thinking...)

elau · #5 09-08-2002, 12:33 AM

I had a neighbor a few years ago when I lived in a townhouse parked his car right in front of my driveway (I had a garaged townhouse) all the time. He used to live two houses down with his wife and kid. When he seperated with his wife, he moved next door to me. That's already telling you what kind of person he is.
After he moved into the house next to me, he started parking his car on my side of the driveway and sometime blocking me from entering/leaving. I tried to politely point that out to him, and he replied that the street is common area and he can park anywhere he pleases. I called HOA and complainted, but it did no good. Finally, one time he played his music loud past midnight, and I called the law on him. I did that a few times and he finally moved away.
I could never figure out why he liked to park his car blocking me instead of using his own driveway. More importantly, why would someone move next door to his ex-wife.

Jason Beal · #6 09-08-2002, 02:37 AM

Since it had no tag, I called the police and said that there was a vehicle with no tag in front of my home. I asked that I remain anonymous and they didn't ask for my name. Squad car is right outside as I write this. Maybe it will get towed. I think it is illegal even to have a car parked on the street with no tag, but I'm not sure. I moved my car that was behind it too. I'll see what happens.

Jason Beal · #7 09-08-2002, 04:35 AM

Car is gone now. I can't believe they towed the thing. They brought out a flatbed (after a squad car sat behind it for about fifteen minutes) and off it went. LOL-freakin' crazy! What a Saturday night, so exciting. Can you guys believe it? Cool huh? (still laughing here).

Kuan · #8 09-08-2002, 07:46 AM

You should have got some pics Jason.. LOL! And don't forget to have your camera ready when he comes out and finds it missing! LOL!!

Kuan

drbrandini · #9 09-08-2002, 09:27 AM

You should put a matchbox car where it was parked and then stand nearby with a ray gun...he will be real confused

#10 09-08-2002, 10:34 AM

Yes, people like this are rude. My folks live in a gated community with a HOA. They had a longstanding agreement with one of the neighbours as there is literally no parking available in front of my folks house. Some new people moved in and started parking their vehicles in front of this persons house. Thanks to this person, the parking agreement is dead.

Threads like these make me all the much more glad to be living in a rural area. Problems like this don't exist.

Good job on the towing thing. My guess is that your neighbour will finally get a clue and park his junk in front of his own house.

#11 09-08-2002, 11:36 AM

People visiting my parents's neighbors always park vehicles in front of our house; but fortunately, our driveway has never been blocked. It's kinda irritating though...they have a one-car garage which the 380SE always gets, and the Volvo 940SE gets the driveway. Sometimes, thanks to visitors, I can't park in front of the house I lived in when I went to high school when I visit my parents. That irritates me.

Once,someone parked an old POS Chevy Beauville van in front of the place, and this van proceeded to puke up about a quart of antifreeze before it left. That was a couple years ago, and to this day, there is this HUGE antifreeze stain in front of their house.

Props on the towing of the neighbor's van!

-Sam

BlueBabyBenz · #12 09-08-2002, 12:06 PM

Here's an alternate view of the issues.

There seems to be three topics here, contained in the original message AND in the responses.

1) People parking on the street in front of your house...

2) People parking POSs or dirty cars anywhere....

3) People parking either on the street or in driveways without consideration for others.....

I believe that the first issue is irritating but in fact since it is common area, there is nothing that you can do about it. Except maybe park in front of his house. I'm assuming you two do not have the kind of relationship that would allow discussion and resolution of this problem.

The second issue is one of taste. Would it be more acceptable behaviour if he washed and waxed the cars that are parked where you don't want him to park?

The third issue is one of common courtesy. I'm not sure how you get through to numbskulls after reasonable discussion fails. Maybe we should have a special forum for creative ways of dealing with inconsiderate neighbours!

Fanatic · #13 09-08-2002, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jason Beal
Car is gone now. I can't believe they towed the thing. They brought out a flatbed (after a squad car sat behind it for about fifteen minutes) and off it went. LOL-freakin' crazy! What a Saturday night, so exciting. Can you guys believe it? Cool huh? (still laughing here).

Jason,
Props to you.

:p

I've considered the same thing for a so called 'neighbour' that blocks my garage as well. The only reason I haven't done the same is that he's always coming and going so the truck is not there long enough at any one time. However he does this quite often (too lazy to proper park his POS) and just says that he will be a few minutes. Usually I don't mind if I don't notice but he has blocked me in several times when I need to leave for work or meet up with some friends.

Love to see the guys face when he finds out that it is missing. Imagine the conversation that he will have with the police when he reports it stolen. :p

Jason Beal · #14 09-08-2002, 05:03 PM

Talk about laughing. The camera and the ray gun thing had me in stitches! I own two cars and (currently) have two Subaru’s I fixed up and are in the paper now. But I have all my cars pulled up neatly in my driveway. It is a matter of common courtesy really. I despise rudeness in any shape or form. Once I saw it had no tag, I realized that it really could go bye-bye. Great stories. Man you gotta love this message board!

JCE · #15 09-08-2002, 05:43 PM

Yes, we have all owned junkey cars at some point in our lives, and no, it isn't illegal to park it repeatedly in front of someone elses house, even when there is room at your own house. Forcing your neighbors to look at them in front of their houses when you have ample storage at your property is arrogant, rude, and obnoxious purely for the sake of being obnoxious. It is a challenge, and invitation for confrontation. Manners are the lubrication of society, and these people are a couple quarts low!