A RESIDENT who complained that her neighbor was allowing visitors to use her driveway to park took matters into her own hands.
After approaching him directly about the situation and it still not improving, the owner placed a ‘No Parking’ sign in her driveway.
She asked if she was wrong for not allowing her neighbor to use the driveway in front of her house, MSN reported.
“I (34F) have lived in my current home for about four years,” the resident explained.
“It’s a lovely neighborhood and I generally have a great relationship with my neighbors. However, there is a neighbor, Dave (45 million), who has been causing some problems lately,
“And I need some perspective on whether or not I’m the idiot here.”
More About Blocked Sidewalks
The homeowner went on to say that her neighbor “and his family moved in next door about a year ago.”
“They have a narrow entrance where only one can fit. carand their house doesn’t have much parking available,” she shared.
“This wasn’t a problem until recently, when Dave started hosting large gatherings at his home. During these meetings, Dave’s guests parked their cars on the street, which quickly became overcrowded.”
Because of this, she explained that “some of her guests” started using her driveway “without asking permission.”
“Initially, I let it go because I didn’t want to cause any conflict,” the owner admitted.
“However, this started to happen more frequently and on some occasions I was unable to move my own car when I needed to go to work,
“Or go out and mind my own business, forcing me to go to Dave’s house and play a guessing game for someone to change their car.”
The woman turned to her neighbor, Dave, “explaining that I didn’t mind your guests using my garage occasionally.”
“But I would appreciate it if he could ask permission first,” she added.
“Dave seemed understanding and apologized for the inconvenience.”
Why is it illegal to block a driveway?
Blocking a driveway is illegal in the United States due to limiting access to emergency care.
In addition to being reckless, blocking a driveway is a serious safety hazard, cops say.
Blocking someone’s entryway is illegal in all 50 states, with fines and penalties varying by state.
For example, blocking a driveway in San Francisco, California can net a driver a hefty $286 towing fee and a $110 fine.
This does not include food to recover the vehicle from an impound lot, which costs on average more than $600.
In an emergency, a blocked entrance can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.
“In the United States, it is illegal to block a driveway, even your own,” says Parklio’s website.
“It’s a matter of public safety: emergency services like fire trucks, ambulances or police cars need this space to enter and exit.
“An obstructed driveway can also prevent vehicles from getting out onto the road to seek emergency services.”
Source: San Francisco Police Department, Parquelio
Unwanted and excessive parking by the neighbor’s visitors in his garage continued.
“I decided to take matters into my own hands and posted a ‘No Parking’ sign in my driveway, along with a polite note asking Dave’s guests to respect my property,” the resident said.
“Also with a warning that their vehicles would be towed. Last weekend, Dave had another party and his guests were forced to find alternative parking due to the sign.”
When Dave spoke to the owner, he said she was “being unreasonable” and also said the woman “should be more accommodating to her guests.”
“He argued that it was only for a few hours and that I was creating unnecessary tension in the neighborhood,” the homeowner said.
“I stood my ground, explaining that I tried to resolve the issue politely and that my driveway is my private property.”
Although this drove a wedge between their relationship as neighbors, the resident also told him that “he should have respected my request for permission and made better parking arrangements for his guests.”
“Dave and I haven’t spoken since then,” she confessed.
“With him and his family looking down on me most of the time.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
