Man furious as neighbour escalates petty parking war with extreme act

Parking disputes rank amongst the most common sources of friction between neighbours.

Whether a vehicle repeatedly obstructs your driveway access or you simply want to use the kerb space directly outside your property, it becomes immensely aggravating when circumstances beyond your influence prevent you from parking your motor.

Numerous parking feuds between neighbours typically originate from street-side parking. These areas are generally unrestricted parking zones, meaning absolutely anyone – including those who don’t even reside on your road – can position their vehicle outside your home.

There’s absolutely nothing you can do to prevent this, yet it still sparks heated exchanges between neighbours who believe they possess entitlement to the space.

One man on Reddit is currently confronting this very predicament.

He explained he lives in a block of flats without a designated car park, so when he requires vehicle maintenance, he must park on the street to work on his car.

This infuriates the residents of the house across from his apartment block, as he alleged they consider themselves to have “ownership of the entire street area.”

The situation has deteriorated so severely that his neighbours have resorted to drastic measures – repeatedly contacting the police, demanding that the man relocate his car. This behaviour seems rather extraordinary, considering the roadside remains public property and he’s committed no wrongdoing whatsoever.

Reflecting on when the troubles began “a couple of years ago”, he explained: “I was helping someone fix a spot of paint on their car, so we were in the street doing some bodywork, and the cops showed up and said the neighbours called them. They basically told us that the street is public property and that we were not doing anything wrong.

Warning: The below Reddit post contains strong language.

“We talked cars a bit and [they] told us to carry on, but they pretty much f***ed my gig. What p***es me off is that I actually approached [my neighbour] before to tell him what we were gonna do and that if we are in his way, just to let me know, just to be nice. Instead, he calls the f***ing cops on me?”

The row has continued ever since, reaching a peak when the man received a telephone call from police which led to officers visiting to inspect his parking once more – only to discover yet again that he had committed no offence.

He went on: “Last week, I had to jack up my car and do a quick repair under the tires. The entire time, the whole family were playing in the street [and] surrounding my car like they own the place.

“Then yesterday, they’re all ganged up hanging out in the street again and I had to move my car from the spot at the end. I backed up slowly and with awareness, and didn’t come close to them, but they were all staring at me, annoyed. I ran a quick errand then parked in the same spot.

“Soon after, I got a call from an unknown number. They say it’s the police, and my heart dropped. Like, what did I do? [The officer] tells me she’s been called, as I’m parked illegally. I told her no, that’s a spot, everyone parks there every day, and the traffic enforcement comes by multiple times daily and wouldn’t hesitate to ticket if it were illegal.

“[The officer] came down and [I] showed her that it’s a spot and that I have my parking [permit] on my windshield. She was shaking her head with me, and said ‘and this is on OUR time’, rolling her eyes.”

The motorist continued by explaining how he now feels “unwelcome” in the area due to his neighbours’ behaviour regarding the parking situation. Matters have deteriorated to such an extent that he’s contemplating “moving location entirely”.

He’s also concerned his neighbours might attempt to have his vehicle towed, prompting him to consider fitting a dashcam to document any potential interference with his car.

Those responding to the post advised him to continue parking in the space outside their property, pointing out that if it’s lawful to do so, his neighbours are powerless to stop him – making it ideal “petty revenge”.

One individual commented: “If you want to ‘get them back’ just keep parking there. Clearly, it p***es them off, and the cops will eventually get tired of it. Get dash cams for sure. Overall, if it’s legal to park there, they can’t do anything. They can call all they want, but it won’t change anything.”

Another chimed in: “The next time they call, ask the police if they’d consider filing a nuisance complaint against the neighbours because they are harassing you at this point.”