UPDATE on page 4 - I want this to be JAWM, but I'll take opinions.... parking issue.

[Cinder]

Well, in our county is *is* illegal to regularly park on the street though a lot of people do so in subdivisions and no one gets too bothered about it. But here, the neighbor *could* be reported to the marshal for illegal parking. And we have experienced a mail carrier who refused to deliver mail if any car was anywhere near a mailbox. So if I wasn't getting mail delivered because my neighbor was blocking access to my mailbox and asking them nicely not to park there didn't work then, yes, I probably would report them.

 

If I was still getting mail delivery because the neighbor was parking after the mail came then I probably wouldn't do anything about it.

[Stacia]

Hey, at least they're not parked directly across from your driveway, making it hard to get in & out.

 

(That's my complaint when people park on the street around here or at my parents' house -- they always park directly across from the driveway. Considering there are utility boxes on one side of the driveway & a mailbox on the other side, there is no room to get out when someone is blocking half the street directly across from the driveway. Grrrr.)

 

In your case, I'd probably be out excessively mowing the one strip of grass at the edge of the street. Every day. ;)

[alisoncooks]

OP - I get it and it'd totally bug me.

[Samm]

On the bright side, it always looks like your house is occupied.  

 

Yeah unless there's a law against it, they can park wherever they want. Their 3rd car choice probably points their car in the direction they want to go.  Of course you can park there too.  I'm not even seeing occupying that space yourself as passive or aggressive behavior.  They have no more or less right to the space in front of your house than you do.

 

Oh, I missed the JAWM part ...  I would not like it though.

[Plink]

Grew up in the city - parked on whatever side of the road I happened to be driving on, regardless of who lived there.

 

Yet

 

I still think I'd be miffed if I was constantly having to walk around the neighbor's car to get to my mail.

 

Vent away

[Reefgazer]

I dunno...public street means anyone can park in any spot, unless it's decal-controlled.  I don't get the upset. 

[EmseB]

I get it. All else being equal, why park in front of someone else's house instead of parking in front of your own house?

 

I think urban parking is a different animal, but in a suburban neighborhood with driveways and space in front of each house...why park in front of someone else's place?

[UCF612]

I'm surprised your mail carrier still delivers. At our last house the garbage men alerts dropped our can directly in front of our mail box. Mail was never delivered on garbage day. I wouldn't be surprised if yours stops soon when it becomes chronic.

[Bluegoat]

I doubt this would bother me unless it actually called me a problem.  I actually kind of like it when people park on the street here as it tends to make the traffic slower.

 

My guess is there a reason they park on that side.  Maybe it saves them from turning around or they want to get out onto a sidewalk or something.

[Guest]

I don't understand why this bothers you. 

 

I agree parking in a space just to be a stickler is passive aggressive. 

 

Maybe because in lots of cases like this, a mail carrier won't continue to go out of their way to put mail in the box, when the path should be clear for them to do so.

[Bluegoat]

Maybe because in lots of cases like this, a mail carrier won't continue to go out of their way to put mail in the box, when the path should be clear for them to do so.

 

Yeah, but so far the mail carrier hasn't even complained.

[rocassie]

In our town it is illegal to block access to a mailbox or fire hydrant.  After asking our neighbors on several occasions to be mindful (to which they chose to ignore the requests), I finally called the local police dept to ask about the situation.  They came out and ticketed the car three different times before they stopped parking in front of the fire hydrant (which just so happens to be directly across from my driveway.)

[Tsuga]

So, we live in a neighborhood with double or triple garages and good sized yards.  A neighbor added a third car to their family about 2 months ago, and instead of parking it in front of their house (I realize that their 2 other cars are in the garage or driveway), it's parked in front of ours - about 1 foot from our mailbox.  (Our mail carrier travels by car, not on foot.  He has to park, get out of the car, and put mail in the box.) 

 

I'm feisty today, so I parked my car in that spot (after the mail had come  :tongue_smilie:).  

 

I realize it's a bit passive aggressive, but at least I didn't park my car in front of their house....right???  

 

We have had other issues with these neighbors in the past, so talking to them politely about this issue isn't an option yet.  

 

Anyone been there, done that?  Or something similar?

 

Good lord. That is legitimately irritating.

 

They could park in front of their own house, but they chose yours. They must like it.  :001_rolleyes:

 

I think it's mildly irritating to have someone park in front of your house if you aren't already on good terms (our neighbors sometimes park near our home but we are on the "right" side of the street when they come in and they have two work and two transport vehicles and we don't mind and they help us out at times and so on).

 

However, with respect to the mailbox, I guess I'd be tempted to say, "The street doesn't belong to us but we'd appreciate your not parking directly in front of the mailbox as it's inconvenient for the mail carrier." 

 

Considering that this is an ongoing issue... maybe the mail carrier can leave a note on the mailbox? If you give the carrier a Starbucks gift card?  :D

[Evergreen State Sue]

Yes, we would like it moved before winter because snow will be an issue here too.  Our plows do a wide swing around parked cars, so the street in front of our driveway wouldn't get plowed.  

 

Maybe that is why they want to park on your side of the street, so the area in front of their driveway won't get plowed.  I'm agreeing with you, this would really bug me. 

 

[EmilyGF]

I haven't read all the responses, but our mail carrier came to us and told us it was illegal to block a mail box and that we had better get the car out of the way. It was (usually) our car, so we had control. 

 

I live in a place where parking is hard to come by so I understand being picky about parking!

 

Emily

[Paige]

We have the same situation. Everyone has 3 car garages and big driveways with room for at least 3 cars. When we moved in, we were freaked out a bit because some white truck was always parked right in front of our house and only our house. Eventually, we figured out it is the neighbors across the street- who have street in front of their house too, you know? And, street parking is against the HOA rules! Whoever uses that car only works or goes out 2-3 times a week so it's there 90% of the time.

 

But whatever....we have decided that good relations are worth ignoring it. I have no idea why they do it. I would prefer they didn't, but it's really not a big deal. Also, their driveway is steep. They have quite a hike to get to their door from our side of the street. I noticed when it rains that they park in their own driveway or garage. I'm hoping they'll stay up there through the winter. 

 

They don't block the mailbox, though. I think if they did I'd say something to them about maybe being mindful and moving down a few feet. 

 

Ugh. I had moved on with my annoyance but you brought it all back!  :glare:

[Word Nerd]

The adult thing would be to ask them not to park in front of your mailbox, not tattle to the mail carrier as others have suggested. Are people completely incapable of handling simple conflicts without involving another party?

[Laurie]

 

 

Anyone been there, done that?  Or something similar?

 

Yep.

 

My neighbors started a home business and their clients have often parked right in front of our mailbox (which is in a no parking zone marked with a no parking sign!)  or even blocking our driveway. 

 

I got really, really tired of being the "polite neighbor" who tries to talk nicely to people like this.  And our mail carrier won't deliver when there's a car parked there.

 

I haven't had a problem with them since the day I went over to their house, asked if the car blocking our driveway belonged to someone there (yes, it did), and I told them to move it immediately or I would be calling the police.  (I needed to get out of my driveway soon.)

 

Maybe they have a sign inside now warning their people about the "female dog"  next door who will come over and "bark" at them.

 

Oh, this is the same neighbor who had the nerve to call me when we had a lot of snow one winter and ask if his clients could park in our driveway!   My dh had been having health problems and I was doing a lot of shoveling to keep our driveway clear in case we had to make a trip to the ER!!!!  I told him no.  If he's too lazy to shovel his own driveway that's his problem!!!

 

[KungFuPanda]

I read about ten responses then skipped to the end, but I got impatient and wanted to respond. If it's legal to park on your street and street parking is unassigned, your neighbors did nothing wrong. Of course, you also did nothing wrong, but you're probably way more annoyed about it than they are. It would be nice if neither of you inconvenienced the mailman. I'd rather my neighbors parked in front of my house than in front of theirs and directly across from my driveway because it would give me more room to pull out.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

The adult thing would be to ask them not to park in front of your mailbox, not tattle to the mail carrier as others have suggested. Are people completely incapable of handling simple conflicts without involving another party?

 

Clementine said that they'd already had some other issues with these neighbors. In my experience, antagonistic neighbors, or neighbors who feel that they're being antagonized, are not generally willing to work together to find a reasonable solution in cases like this. Depending on what the prior issues have been, yes, having the mail carrier be the bearer of the bad news might indeed be more effective. Neighbors with an "I do what I want" attitude tend to ramp that attitude up when asked to make any kind of accommodation *sigh*

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I think I maybe missed something. Are these neighbors across the street or next door? I'm picturing next-door neighbors who are just preferring a nice, unobstructed front view, so they park in front of your house instead. 

[KungFuPanda]

I read about ten responses then skipped to the end, but I got impatient and wanted to respond. If it's legal to park on your street and street parking is unassigned, your neighbors did nothing wrong. Of course, you also did nothing wrong, but you're probably way more annoyed about it than they are. It would be nice if neither of you inconvenienced the mailman. I'd rather my neighbors parked in front of my house than in front of theirs and directly across from my driveway because it would give me more room to pull out.

I have students over for classes a few times a week. In the winter we shovel extra street spots, run a shuttle from the nearby grocery store, or cancel class. I can't imagine asking neighbors to use the driveway they shoveled!

[clementine]

I think I maybe missed something. Are these neighbors across the street or next door? I'm picturing next-door neighbors who are just preferring a nice, unobstructed front view, so they park in front of your house instead.

They are next door.

[Guest]

I'm with ya.  I let my next door neighbor park his truck in my carport...but in front of my house?? No way.  That bugs me.  I don't even want to see my own car out in front of my house.

[Supertechmom]

when the house next door was being sold, the lookers would park in my drive, walk across the yard to go look at the house next door.  No one ever used the driveway attached to the house.  I couldn't figure it out.  More than once, I would open the garage with a  load of kids in the car to find the driveway filled with cars or blocked at the end.   I think I scared off a few potential neighbors with my demands they get out of my driveway and finally had to call the selling realtor and ask her what the hell was up with using my driveway.  Out in neighborhoods with large yards and driveways with garages, parking in front of someone's house as a matter of course is a no.  

[KungFuPanda]

when the house next door was being sold, the lookers would park in my drive, walk across the yard to go look at the house next door. No one ever used the driveway attached to the house. I couldn't figure it out. More than once, I would open the garage with a load of kids in the car to find the driveway filled with cars or blocked at the end. I think I scared off a few potential neighbors with my demands they get out of my driveway and finally had to call the selling realtor and ask her what the hell was up with using my driveway. Out in neighborhoods with large yards and driveways with garages, parking in front of someone's house as a matter of course is a no.

WTH? Did they tell you WHY they did that? That's just weird.

[melmichigan]

This thread is making me appreciate the fact that you can't park on the street in front of my house.

[Tsuga]

The adult thing would be to ask them not to park in front of your mailbox, not tattle to the mail carrier as others have suggested. Are people completely incapable of handling simple conflicts without involving another party?

I think it's the mail carrier's problem as it's the carrier's job. It's not tattling. If it's not illegal, there will be no note.

[StephanieZ]

I agree that if there is space available in front of their own home, they should park there. Also, parking near your mailbox is obnoxious. Not only does it inconvenience the mail carrier, but also YOU if you like to grab the mail from your car.

 

It's one thing if an occasional visitor parked on your curb, or if they were having a party or some other need for zillions of cars, but to routinely park in front of someone else's house is rude, IMHO. When I visit folks and are parking on the curb, I go to every effort to park in front of the house I am visiting and would only park in front of a neighboring house if it was much more convenient and/or a very short stop.

 

I think you parking there is perfect. I'd make it a habit for a while until, hopefully, they get the hint and find a new spot to park.

[Word Nerd]

I think it's the mail carrier's problem as it's the carrier's job. It's not tattling. If it's not illegal, there will be no note.

If it's a problem for the mail carrier to have a vehicle parked there, the mail carrier already knows.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Mail carriers won't deliver here if there isn't enough room to pull up to the mailbox, so I would be annoyed.  It is also common courtesy in this area to park in front of your own property if you can.

[Amy in NH]

I might plunk down $100 for a really ugly beater car and park it in front of their house.

[Tsuga]

If it's a problem for the mail carrier to have a vehicle parked there, the mail carrier already knows.

 

In our case, they would not know it was not our car, and would make an allowance for us because we give them a big tip at Christmas!

 

So I'd want them to know that is not me parking in front of your work space. Darn tootin'. And at this point, I don't care if it's tattling. You know what? I'm not afraid to speak with my neighbors (well certainly not my actual neighbors, but even a hypothetical rude neighbor) but sometimes it really is best to find a way around it for the sake of neighborhood peace.

 

Diplomacy is not all 100% telling the straight up full truth to their face every time. Sometimes you get what you want by making it work with others.

 

Then if the neighbors come out you can always say, "That's right, I did tell the mail carrier it's not my car. What of it? I want them to know I wouldn't bug them. If you don't want to be called on it, don't park your car in front of a mailbox." But it might not get that far.

[kitten18]

when the house next door was being sold, the lookers would park in my drive, walk across the yard to go look at the house next door. No one ever used the driveway attached to the house. I couldn't figure it out. More than once, I would open the garage with a load of kids in the car to find the driveway filled with cars or blocked at the end. I think I scared off a few potential neighbors with my demands they get out of my driveway and finally had to call the selling realtor and ask her what the hell was up with using my driveway. Out in neighborhoods with large yards and driveways with garages, parking in front of someone's house as a matter of course is a no.

That is so weird.

Did the realtor have an explanation?

[shage]

I might plunk down $100 for a really ugly beater car and park it in front of their house.

 

Now that's the spirit!

 

Parking is a competitive sport in our neighborhood and parking in front of someone else's house when your own is open will bring down wrath.  Like trashcans lined up in front of your place.  Or skateboard jumps accidently left on your sidewalk.  Oh...my favorite...Notes! 

 

Yes, life is too short for drama.

 

But sometimes it's both annoying and hilarious.

[8circles]

I wouldn't ask for anyone to park in front of my house.  But if it isn't actually hurting you - your mail is still getting delivered? - then I call it community tax.  You share your world, and neighborhood, with other people.  Sometimes they bug you.

[LMD]

Reason #327 I am glad I don't really have neighbors.

Hehe, yup. I have literally acres of parking space now!

 

Eta, I'm surprised by all these picky mail carriers! They can leave a note (I presume, in your mailbox?) but can't leave your mail (also, I presume, in your mailbox??)

[Callie]

Reason #327 I am glad I don't really have neighbors.

Sometimes I hate living so far out and all the work 60 acres makes but then I read WTM and all is well. Closest neighbor over a mile away and a 1/4 mile driveway in the middle of nowhere is bliss.

[plansrme]

There are levels.

 

This one, to me, is actually very silly. I find it silly because I fretted about the exact same thing, myself, when I was a sillier person. So I thought I'd tell the OP my perspective from a few years down the road. Thought it was pertinent...you'll notice I don't always tell people that they've lost their sense of perspective. Doing it once or twice per year, at the most, over silly things is probably not excessive.

Wow, a whole new level of condescension on this board. Congratulations.

[Guest]

Sometimes I hate living so far out and all the work 60 acres makes but then I read WTM and all is well. Closest neighbor over a mile away and a 1/4 mile driveway in the middle of nowhere is bliss.

A few days ago, I took DS to a friend's house. As we turned into the housing development where the friend lives, DS says, "See this neighborhood? This is exactly the kind of place I want to live. Look how great it is! You walk out the door and say, 'Hey, Bob! Hows it going?' You have friends right here, all around you."

 

I just smiled and said, "Yeah...but it doesn't always work out so well."

[marbel]

Hehe, yup. I have literally acres of parking space now!

 

Eta, I'm surprised by all these picky mail carriers! They can leave a note (I presume, in your mailbox?) but can't leave your mail (also, I presume, in your mailbox??)

 

In neighborhoods near mine, where the mailbox is at the street and the carrier drives from house to house and does not have to get out of the truck to deliver the mail, the carrier will leave a note warning the household that mail delivery will be stopped if the box continues to be blocked.

 

Yes, the mail carrier can get out of the truck to put the note in the box, so the carrier can also put the mail in the box.  But they don't put the note in every day, forever.  One or two notes, and then bam, no more mail for you. 

 

They shouldn't have to keep getting out of the truck if their usual work calls for them staying in the truck.

 

(In my neighborhood the boxes are on the houses so the carrier walks up and down the street.)

 

ETA: OP, I do get you.  If a person has room to park in front of their own house, they should.  That's just common sense and being polite.  Sometimes our neighbor will park in front of our house if they have no room in front of theirs due to visitors.  When the visitors leave, he doesn't move his car and I don't expect him to.  But we don't have the mailbox complication.

 

ETA2: The bigger problem comes in fall, in the weeks the leaf pickup truck comes through to vacuum up our piles of leaves.  Right now there is very little parking space in our neighborhood because of the huge leaf piles! 

[plansrme]

Have you checked your local zoning laws?  There was a case in an Atlanta suburb recently in which a family was given a ticket for a zoning violation for something like having more resident cars than garage spaces.  That wasn't quite it, and they were in a weird zoning classification, so it's a long shot, but plenty of municipalities have restrictions on street parking that might be of help to you.  

 

For what it's worth, legalities aside, I completely agree with you.  What they're doing is not cool.  It is probably legal, but it is hardly neighborly.  If you or your neighbors had a party, of course guests would park all along the street for the evening, but this is someone who lives there.  Park in front of your own house.

 

 

[Valley Girl]

And then there is the neighbor who moves his car when it snows, doesn't clear the space, and is only too happy to park in the space YOU spent a couple of hours clearing. Or the one who takes up TWO such cleared spaces when parking is at a premium. That's a whole different level of rudeness. They aren't breaking any laws, but they certainly are uber-rude.

[elegantlion]

I grew up in the suburbs, I don't think there was a law, but there was a code.

1. If you park on the street, it's in front of your own house.

2. Never block the driveway of another person.

3. Never park directly across from someone else's driveway so as they cannot back out correctly.

4. Don't block the mailbox. 

 

 

I realize not everyone has that much space to make it work, but those were pretty much a given when and where I learned to drive. 

[Sarah CB]

So, we live in a neighborhood with double or triple garages and good sized yards.  A neighbor added a third car to their family about 2 months ago, and instead of parking it in front of their house (I realize that their 2 other cars are in the garage or driveway), it's parked in front of ours - about 1 foot from our mailbox.  (Our mail carrier travels by car, not on foot.  He has to park, get out of the car, and put mail in the box.) 

 

I'm feisty today, so I parked my car in that spot (after the mail had come  :tongue_smilie:).  

 

I realize it's a bit passive aggressive, but at least I didn't park my car in front of their house....right???  

 

We have had other issues with these neighbors in the past, so talking to them politely about this issue isn't an option yet.  

 

Anyone been there, done that?  Or something similar?

 

Our neighbour was doing this for a while.  It was before we enlarged our own driveway and I had to park across the street or in front of my neighbour's house (whose car was in front of mine...) when dh's vehicle was in our driveway.

 

Eventually, he saw me struggling to carry multiple bags of groceries from in front of his house to my house and he apologized and offered to move his car.  I don't think he's parked in front of our house since.  

 

It would bug me if he started parking in front of our house again - even though we have lots of room on our driveway now.  I think I'd probably start parking on the street just to discourage him.

 

[Tammyla]

:iagree: Op, I agree it is irritating, and will be 100 times worse when the plows are out and the plow-driver avoids clearing your walking / parking / available clear road space and of course getting out safely.   Blocking the mailbox would bug me a lot esp. in the winter or raining days, when I sometimes  pick up the mail from my car window on the way home.

 

I think you parking :auto:  there is an easy way to let them find another spot to park in and hopefully they will develop the habit of parking somewhere else permanently.

[Tsuga]

Hehe, yup. I have literally acres of parking space now!

 

Eta, I'm surprised by all these picky mail carriers! They can leave a note (I presume, in your mailbox?) but can't leave your mail (also, I presume, in your mailbox??)

A note is one day. Mail is twice a day, every day, and there are laws about where the mail carriers themselves may park / stop.

[EmseB]

A note is one day. Mail is twice a day, every day, and there are laws about where the mail carriers themselves may park / stop.

 

tangent, but:  where are people getting mail delivered twice a day?

[Word Nerd]

A note is one day. Mail is twice a day, every day, and there are laws about where the mail carriers themselves may park / stop.

 

Huh?

[Sarah CB]

tangent, but:  where are people getting mail delivered twice a day?

 

I'm pretty sure I got my mail twice a day when I lived in the UK.