Neighbour told me to stop parking in front of my house - her reason blew my mind
People who live on a street with tricky or limited parking will know all too well how challenging it can be to secure a spot. If you've lived there for quite some time, it's possible you'll have gotten into the routine of parking in a specific space near your home. So when neighbours start making demands regarding your regular parking, it can cause tensions to rise.
This was the case with one homeowner, who claimed their neighbour was demanding a specific parking space outside their property. The situation made its way to Reddit, as the homeowner wanted to see if they were truly in the wrong.
They wrote: "So I parked in front of my own house yesterday, like I always do. It's a regular street, nothing reserved, nothing blocked. While I'm carrying in groceries, my neighbour comes out and goes 'Hey, can you not park there today? I've got people coming over and they'll need the spot'.
"I just stared at her for a second and said: 'You want me to move my car... from in front of my house... for your guests?'" Apparently, the neighbour saw no problem with the request and said it was "just for today".
The Reddit user continued: "I told her no. Her friends can figure it out like everyone else does. She walked off muttering something under her breath, like I was the one being rude. Honestly, if your party depends on controlling someone else's parking space, maybe rethink hosting."
People were somewhat divided on the issue, with people seeing both sides of the argument. One person said: "I'd ask how much she plans on paying you for the inconvenience." Another, siding with the Reddit user, added: "Neighbours really are wild sometimes! The balls to ask that like she owns the road!"
Someone else commented: "Asking your neighbour not to park in front of their own house because you don't want your guests to walk a little bit is ridiculous!" A fourth said: "I'm down to do nice things for neighbours when they ask for help in advance - but why can't the guests walk the distance I would?"
And, one more put: "It'd be neat if they asked politely, but it sounds like she assumed." However, a handful were siding with the neighbour, claiming that both sides of this argument seem valid.
One Reddit user said: "If you get along well with your neighbours, it's perfectly reasonable to see if people are willing to park a little further away one day to make parking for an event easier, especially if it's not a street where every spot is usually full."
Another wrote: "This doesn't sound like one of those cases where the neighbour always parks in front of your house and yells at you when you park in front of theirs. And it seems like such a small favour, too!"
What does the law say about parking outside residential houses?
Generally speaking, you can park on a public road outside your own house if there are no parking restrictions. You must also take care not to cause an obstruction, such as blocking access to a driveway or crossing a dropped kerb.
While it's completely legal to park outside your house, you don't have an automatic right to a specific parking space, even if it's directly in front of your own property. Anyone can park there if it's a public road, and it should not be restricted.
If you are dealing with a specific issue involving illegal parking, such as blocking a driveway or violating parking restrictions, report it to your local council, as they can take enforcement action. If the problem is happening on private property, the council cannot help, and the matter will need to be handled legally through potential civil action.
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