Need Neighbor Help!

[Tigger&Belle]

OK, before I go out and give my neighbor a piece of my mind I figured I'd post here. I'll try to simplify it or it will be too confusing.

Two goals--one, to calm down so I don't say something that I might regret and two, to get some advice.

In a nutshell, my neighbor is a nut! We've had lots of problems with him over the years, that I can go into more details about in a later post, but our problems always revolve around the same issue--his property line.

The current situation is that we have 3 vehicles--our new van, our old van, and our car, which my DD will be bringing to college with her. The problem is parking them. The 2 vans are kept in the driveway (my van can fit in the garage when I need to put it there, but it's a very tight fit getting it in so I don't normally do that). The car is kept in front of our house so as not to block either of the mailboxes. There is only room for one car to park there without blocking the mailboxes.

We live on a cul-de-sac and we are not supposed to park on the other side of our house because the street is narrow and the fire department paints the curbs yellow where they don't want people to park and that area is painted yellow (never mind that it hasn't always been painted yellow and that the street is not narrow there--we are trying to get the yellow paint removed there, but so far no luck).

A couple mornings ago our neighbor parked their car in front of our car, blocking our mailbox and part of our driveway (3-4 feet). They left the car there for hours and when the wife went to work, he pulled his SUV out of his garage to park in that same spot. I printed out a USPS flyer stating that mailboxes cannot be blocked and the penalty for blocking one and making mail delivery difficult. I then put that flyer on his windshield and he moved his SUV. Understand that his SUV is normally parked in his garage, so he was doing this for no reason.

The next time my DD drove the car, they took the spot. Our car was then parked in the yellow marked area--we don't like to leave it there, though, because we can get a ticket. Today after she drove the car she parked it back in front of the house since the spot was empty. Tonight they had a visitor who parked in back of our car--no problem since it's long after mail delivery. Our neighbor then parked his SUV in front of our car, blocking us in. His half of his driveway sat empty, so he had no reason to park there other than to piss us off.

When I had to get my son from basketball practice tonight I could barely get my van out of the driveway to pick him up.

So, should I approach the neighbor? Like I mentioned before, this is the last in a string of events like this that have been going on since the day we moved into this house 6 years ago. It has come to a head because of us now having 3 vehicles.

He has a very hot temper and there is no reasoning with him. I really believe that he has mental problems to be reacting the way he has reacted throughout the years.

If I approach him what should I say. I thought of simply telling him that I'm in a tough spot because we have 3 vehicles and that the only place to park our car is in front of the house. Then get his suggestions on how to solve the problem.

Oh, one more thing--there is room on the other side of his house that he could park, but he doesn't want to park there. No good reason that I can think of and it's just as close for him as what the area in front of our house it.

ARG!!! I really could use a good, strong drink right now, but I would then get a migraine, which would not help anything!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Here's some pictures I took a couple days ago when they parked their car in front of ours and then their SUV.

 

[tiggersmom2]

2 words....roofing nails.

 

[Tjaleks]

2 words....roofing nails.

I like the way your mind works.

 

[belle_of_the_ball]

2 words....roofing nails.

genius!

but seriously..if you are too frightened to approch him than call the police and tell them that he keeps on parking his car where it doesnt belong. And if they talk to him and nothing happens...go with tiggersmom2's idea!

that would teach him one heck of a lesson!

 

[golfgal]

If the roofing nails don't work, is your old van in such a shape that you could "bump" into his car when it is blocking your drive way? What a pain in the rear. Do you only have a 1 car garage?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

2 words....roofing nails.

Don't think I haven't thought it!!! The other day I found some long nails in our backyard and figured that they were from some siding that blew off. I thought about putting them under his tires. I told my DD my "plan" and she got this excited look on her face. I had to break it to her that I was only kidding.

He has his Christmas tree outside so that recycling will pick it up and yesterday he put it blocking the spot (when nobody was parked there). Tonight I thought about moving it in front of his SUV so he'd run over it when he pulls out...

No, our old van is in good shape so I don't want to damage it. And my MIL told me that if we hit his car that is blocking our driveway we're liable for damages.

No, we have a 2 car garage. Not that we can fit 2 cars in it, with all the kids bikes, etc. But the driveway fits our 2 vans side by side.

The neighbors have several vehicles--the car she drives, his SUV, a car that is sitting in the driveway that literally has not been moved once in the 6 years that we've lives here, and sometimes a truck that belongs to a boarder, but I haven't seen that one lately.

 

[golfgal]

In our town any car that hasn't been moved in a week is ticketed and towed away. Maybe you could see if there is something similar in your town and that would free up some parking space for them. Do you have a covenant about cars being left out and not moved for a period of time (mainly so people can't put a car up on blocks in a driveway or park and RV for months at a time)?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When I left to get my son from basketball I told my DD to go over and tell him that I hit his car when backing out, not realizing that it was there.

Just checked--it's still there, even though the only car in his driveway is the non-operational car. Jerk, to put it nicely! Actually, that's not how we refer to him--we use the acronym FOAD, but I can't say here what that stand for.

Hmmm, that tree is still there, too....

 

[aprilgail2]

In our town any car that hasn't been moved in a week is ticketed and towed away. Maybe you could see if there is something similar in your town and that would free up some parking space for them. Do you have a covenant about cars being left out and not moved for a period of time (mainly so people can't put a car up on blocks in a driveway or park and RV for months at a time)?

Holy crap! half my block would be towed..including my moms car!! She doesn't drive it from Dec-April LOL..it stays in teh street in front of our house for the snowy months! What happens if you go away for a few weeks...you come home and your car is gone??? My neighbors go to Florida every winter and leave one car in the driveway and one in the street!

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'd probably just ask him if there was a reason for his new parking pattern. If it doesn't make sense (which I'm sure it won't), I'd suggest the spot on the other side of his property. Tell him it is inconveniencing you (as if he doesn't know it). Try to be cordial. If he gets testy with you, ask him if you should park in front of his driveway as there is plenty of room there.

Document time and date of his antics. Continue taking pictures.

If he does it again, contact the police as belle_of_the_ball suggested and let them do the rest.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm not sure about our community rules for parking cars. We have rules for everything else, so probably that (no trucks that are not in a garage, etc).

LOL, about asking him if I can park in front of his driveway since there's room there!!!

Laughing about this is good for me--the alternative is me getting too worked up, which is a big migraine trigger for me.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I didn't find any rules about his car being left in his driveway for 6 years unless it's unlicensed. As far as I know it is, but I'll have to go take a peek when it's light and see if the stickers are up to date.

 

[OceanAnnie]

It might be fun just to park your vehicles next to his mailbox/driveway like he's doing. When he breaks down and asks you what you are doing, say something like, I was taking your suggestion. You're suggesting it's ok for you to park in front of mine. j/k

 

[Tigger&Belle]

One time he had a fit when my DD had friends over and one of them parked in front of our houses. Not blocking his driveway, but just in front of the houses. He came banging on our door, telling them to move the car and telling my DH that he was going to call the police and that his property line extends into the street. My DH told him to go ahead and call. The neighbor was FURIOUS! I had to hold back all the teenagers that were over--they wanted to go out and give him a piece of their mind. When my DH came back into the house they all clapped for him.

I'll give some more of his wonderful examples tommorrow.

 

[RitaZ.]

Maybe he doesn't like the "look" of having his vehicles parked in front of his house, so he parks them in front of your house. That doesn't really explain the car in his driveway though. Are the tires flat on that vehicle? If so, then your community probably won't allow it there and you can report it.

Do you have a dog? If so, just "let" your dog do his/her business by the driver side door of his SUV, maybe that will deter him from parking there again.

Good luck! Neighbors that cause problems are a real pain, it all really stems from a lack of respect toward other people. I really hope you have a dog!

 

[kilee]

Honestly he sounds a bit off his rocker. I think if you are really blocked in and can't get out- I'd just call the police. Let them deal with this nutcase.

 

[Regina]

If they're partially blocking your driveway, call the police and let them handle it. There's no reason for you to have to go around their cars.

 

[Colleen456]

Seems strange that he owns part of the street. Our property line ends at the sidewalk before the street. We are still expected to keep the sidewalk clear from snow, ice etc but we don't own anything past it.

Someone also told me that if you're parked directly behind someones driveway and you hit them you are not liable. I'm not sure if its true or not but I've wondered.

 

[hentob]

You have a nut for a neighbor!