New Neighbors, Already Starting to Piss Me Off

I love to park in front of my house and I hate it when someone takes the place I am used to having. The reality of it is that it's a city street and I don't own it. Anyone can park there. There is no seniority or I own he rents type of deal. It's first come first serve. Sorry.

I know how annoying this is for you, and it would really bug me too. I hate arriving home and someone has parked where I usually park in front of my house. But there's nothing I can do about it because I don't own the street. People have a right to park wherever they want.

I know how you feel--my neighbors have 6 cars because they have a 2 family house and 2 college age kids with cars. But street parking is first come first serve so what can you do other than ask nicely?

not your street, not your parking space! You've been pretty much a demanding neighbor.....& they've been nice enough to try to appease you.

The fact that you are mentioning race & color.... makes you a bad neighbor.

The fact that you feel entitled to privileges on a public street, that you had a vehicle parked in one spot for months, & the fact that you are thinking of ways to "piss" them off in retaliation.....makes you a bad neighbor.

Lighten up....or you'll soon regret your choices & actions. Doesn't matter if you're purchasing your home & they're just renting. Again, public street - no privileges. Peace. (& as a side note: I'm glad most of the other posters feel the same way!)

It's a public street you don't own it and they have as much right to park there as you do.

I live about a block away from a public boat dock and all spring, summer, and early fall I have cars or trucks with boat trailers parked not only in front of my house but up and down the street for several blocks. Yes, it's inconvenient, but I only own my property up to the sidewalk the rest belongs to he city.

Did you know that? The sidewalk and any greenspace or lawn between the sidewalk and the street actually belongs to the city and though you are responsible to cut it -- it is not your property.

Pick your battles this one is not worth fighting.

So in their "itty, bitty two bedroom house" they have enough space to park five cars and you only have enough space for two?? Do you have a driveway?? Is this a city street and are you just possessive about the front of your house or is there truly assigned parking? Unless the HOA (if you have one) has rules about parking and you really have SENIORITY (can't imagine that), it seems like it's first come, first serve. Is it allowed to park a truck there for three years? It wouldn't be in my neighborhood. I wouldn't have been happy having a truck parked there for THREE years.

Just because it is a single story doesn't mean it only has two bedrooms, could be a different floor plan. As far as the number of people living there, in my neighborhood it is two people per bedroom +1.

I think it would benefit you you to find out the rules and not feel entitled. It may be a pet peeve of yours but not the law. You should probably entertain the thought of being more tolerant of non-English speakers (or non-white). If you came over to me with that attitude, I would ignore you too.

Wow. Your neighbors have been really nice in moving their cars for you. Since it's a public street they have no obligation to whatsoever.

If you're handicapped, you can get a disabled spot on a street IF (and only if -in most states- you have no driveway or garage) which will designate the spot as disabled only. But if any driver also has disabled tags, they're legally allowed to park there as well. Since you have a garage, this probably won't apply, but if you're disabled it's something to check out in case Tx has more liberal laws regarding handicap access.

Ditto, the police have been giving you a major break. Any vehicle parked off of private property needs tags, or it's a ticketable offense. Even if it's in your DRIVEWAY (on private property), if the plates are visible, they can ticket you for not having it licensed. Regardless of whether someone reported you, or a different cop drove by, or the same one was just fed up... you got ticketed for something illegal. That's not anyone else's fault.

You're very, VERY lucky, though. In our city a car can only be parked on a public street for 72 hours. After that, it gets towed. SUPER pricey. About $400 for towing and impound fees to get it out again.

I'm not sure I understand; you're ticked about neighbors who are being really nice to you (by moving their cars) and getting a ticket for breaking the law after being let off for months.

You live in a neighborhood where people park on the street. There is no preferred parking or only parking in front of certain houses. And I'm sorry, but there is no such thing as seniority in a neighborhood. What the heck does that even mean? You seem to have a problem with your neighbors because of their ethnicity more than anything. Maybe YOUR neighbors got tired of looking at your husband's non-running truck parked on their street. Works both ways.

Its sounds like you live in the city. You dont "own" a parking spot correct? They can park wherever they want. And yes, with all of your nagging and thinking you have seniority over the street, you probably are getting on their nerves and they are trying to piss you off.
Move somewhere rural with a big driveway thats your own. Im thinking you dont own a street in the city so stop trying to give all your neighbors rules.
Who cares how many people live there? Its not your house. Move or get over it.

You don't own the street.

If your mailbox is blocked... the mail carrier does not have to deliver your mail. Keep that in mind.

I don't understand why you can't use your garage.. Clean it out.

In our neighborhood a car cannot be parked on the street for more than 24 hrs or it is towed.

I would nix buying this house, get rid of everything that you do not need, and move to another location. It does not sound like a neighbohood that is decent to raise children and live.

The only person that seems to be unreasonable is you. You don't own the street. Yes--it's CONVENIENT to park in front of your house but it's not the law that you "get" to park in front of your house.
Clean out the garage, put the truck in there and you park in the driveway.
What would tick me off is a house with a garage AND a driveway hogging up 2 street spaces!

You're also not allowed to park a vehicle that's out of registration on the street. Ever. 3 months? I'm surprised you didn't get cited sooner.

Now if someone is throwing TRASH into your yard or threatening you, or you see drug dealing--call the police!

I live near Chicago and streets are public property. The bottom line is, if you want to park near your house then you need to use your own driveway or garage. I understand you are using the garage for storage - that's your choice. So if you then have to park on the street, then you have to "deal with" the inconveniences of having someone else park in front of your house.

I can tell you that if you ever went over to someone's home in Chicago and asked them to move their car from in front of your house on the street, they'd laugh at you and close the door.

I'm not saying this to be mean to you or upset you. Just pointing out that streets are public domain, regardless of if it's in front of your house or not.

Honestly, it drove me crazy when I lived in the city and there were cars parked on the street that NEVER moved, either because they were "dead" or people just used public transportation. I felt like if people wanted to permanently park their cars they should use a garage instead of using up the street parking that everyone depends upon. Nonetheless, there was little I could do about it.

I agree, it is annoying when you depend upon street parking and your neighbor seems to be using more than their "fair share" if they do in fact have 5 cars. But once again, there's nothing you can do about that if they are "in service" (plates, registration, etc).

Sorry you're having to deal with this...sounds to me like your pet peeve could be resolved if you found a way to clean out your own garage.

Are they parking on your property? it doesn't sound like it. It sounds like they are parking on public property....and in that case you are SOL. If I parked my car on public property and someone came and asked me to move my car, you better believe that I wouldn't (unless you had an oxygen tank or something)
Don't think you can do anything about it.
And why do you care that they don't speak English (since you brought it up 3 or 4 times)?

Sorry, you don't own the street, even if it is in front of your house. People can park where ever they want. I had a house one time that I only had street parking and it was right across the field from where they played little league football games. Your complaining about parking across the street, try parking TWO BLOCKS away from your house. The most you can do is possibly put up cones or something, but I'll warn you it's a pain to do when your coming and going. If it's that big of a deal though, that's all you can do. I do think the refernce to the "black guy" and the over emphasis on their inability to speak English was a bit much though, but that's another issue and doesn't directly answer your question.

As much as it stinks, the road is public property and they don't have to move their vehicles even if you did ask nicely. They can park anywhere they want just as you can. As long as your driveway is open and you can use it they can park in front of your house all they want. Sorry.

Well yep its annoying, but, you dont own the street and anyone has the right to park there. Its really nice of them to be willing to move a car when asked. They dont have to and Id say no police officer would ever ask them to move either.You have a driveway for the old classic truck, Isnt there any room to park one of your cars on it too? And, as for living there longer, or buying as apposed to renting, it has no bearing on the matter. You have more cars than your property has room to park so you have to share the public space on the street. Just as the others who have 5 cars need to park where they can. It would be nice if we all had all the space we need and no one parked by our home, but it isnt really a law they are breaking. Maybe you can build a nice little shed in the back yard for storage and use the garage for the cars. Also keep in mind, when their friends come over for a party, they may not be aware of which house is vacant. I wouldnt know what homes have people in them and which dont, if I went to another neighborhood. You really cant blame them for parking where ever they can.

I'm confused. So you are upset with your neighbors for parking their car on a public street and because you got a ticket for doing something illegal (not having a tag on your car)? I think your neighbors have been more than accomodating to come out and move their cars, which are perfectly legally parked, so that you can park in "your spot" in front of your home. Sounds like you need to re-evaluate who the bad neighbors are.

Well, we rent and take AWESOME care of our home! So, quit that argument all together. There is no right to any piece of road that you own, so that's just unfortunate. I understand annoying neighbors, but legally, you really don't stand any ground.

I'm sorry, you can't control your neighbors. If I really hated my neighborhood, I'd probably move. One thing though, I've noticed that No Matter Where You Go, There You Are.

:)

Maybe you should think of buying a house somewhere else it sounds like you live in a kind of crappy area.
As far as parking on the street well you don't own the street so I don't know if there is much you can do about it.

Edited: why would you want to buy a house in an area that is known for crackheads and drug deals?

Here's a novel idea........ why not clean out your garage so that you can park in IT rather than on the street?

I'll bet there is a lot of stuff you're storing in there that you could get rid of. Typically, if you haven't used something in over a year, you won't miss it if you get rid of it.

It's annoying and maybe a little rude, but there really isn't too much you can do about it. It's a public street. Maybe the HOA can help you. Their status as renters and moving in later than you does not give you seniority in this instance (or any instance that I know of).

As far as the truck goes, I am not sure exactly what you are implying. I can't imagine anyone reporting your car just to have access to a parking space. Is it possible lenient officers decided it's time you make your car legal?

And unless you have been in the house, you really don't know how many rooms there are. You are assuming things based on what you have seen. In my neighborhood, we are one of the only one story houses with four bedrooms. Even if they have only 2 bedrooms, in Texas, they could rent to up to six adults. Texas allows landlords to rent up to three adults per bedroom. And most renters are allowed to have as many visitors as they see fit.

This is annoying, but it is not worth starting a battle. They may only be renting, but they may decide to rent indefinitely. These could be your neighbors for a long time. And besides, if you park in front of their house, they may not care at all. I know you have them move their cars, but have you taken the time to find a way, that doesn't belittle and attack them, to really explain that it bothers you? You'd be amazed what people will do for you when you ask nicely. This may be an annoyance you will have to live with. You have no recourse. It's just a parking space and not worth losing sleep over. Life is really too short to be this petty,

If I saw someone parked in front of my house smoking crack, I would move out of that neighborhood so fast. Geez. If you don't want your kids around that, you better move. Good luck.

If it is a private street, like many in HOA's, you could fight it by directly contacting your HOA.

If it is NOT a private street and their cars are not blocking your driveway, there is really nothing you can do about it. I would just get used to parking somewhere else. Can you not just park in your driveway? Or are they blocking it?

If it is a true stereotype that everyone in Texas has a gun, I wouldn't piss em off. :)

You could have a sign made up that says parking for your address only & place it right next to your space in frt of your house where you park & get some spray paint for the spot at the curb and mark the location too. That's how I would handle it. Otherwise find a friend or co-worker that speaks their language & try to work it out.
Although there are a lot of people who commented on your request about the legalities of the street parking, it still left you an unanswered question on how to handle it other than getting over it...I don't thnk they realize how much this really bothers you. With that said, I hope I have been able to help which is what I thought this site was for...Have a blessed day & try not to let this upset you too much it's not worth your health!

I am with the rest of the posters if you don't like what is happening MOVE! Crack dealers in the neighborhood tells me this is not a neighborhood I would want my kids growing up in. Having a garage and not being able to use it sucks. How about a storage unit and put the stored stuff in that or is money too tight?

Either way you are going to have to make some adjustments: A your garage and storage to put a car in it; B your being a nice neighobr. Learn a few words of the language or take her something a become friends; C streets are publicly owned; and D find a new place. If you do move you may just run into some other people like these. It's what you make of the situation. Texas is a "country" unto itself so it does things a bit different than the rest of the states (sorry guys).

Good luck.

The other S.

Where we use to live, we had a few rental houses on the street that turned into immigrant flop houses.
Seriously - a house with 3 bedrooms would have sheets for curtains and the house would be filled with nothing but mattresses and sometimes more than 36 people would be living there.
The plumbing would back up and it would be common to wake up and finding a few of the guys peeing on your roses in the morning.
Cars would be parked everywhere up and down the street and come Sat and Sun morning, there's be empty Corona bottles thrown everywhere all over the neighborhood.
The community was having problems in more than one place with this and enacted some maximum housing capacity rules (had to be family members living in a house, no more than 2 kids per bedroom, etc) AND they had laws concerning commercial vehicles being parked on the street in residential areas (LOTS of constructions trucks and yard maintenance equipment were parked up and down the street) and they began ticketing/towing vehicles that were illegally parked.
It helped clear up some of the worst problems, but not all of them.
How do I know for sure?
When some of the houses were condemned, the newspapers listed the reasons why along with pictures inside and out of the properties.
Some of the houses had their sub basements added to existing basements so they could fit even MORE mattresses in to sleep more people and the structures foundations became unstable - the houses had to be torn down.

I'd check out your local codes about occupancy and become familiar with parking laws in your area.
In theory there's nothing wrong with owning 40 cars but it would be unreasonable to think an owner could store them all on the street even if it is all public parking.
It might be it's all legal and there's nothing you can do, but knowing the laws can help you feel better about what is out of line and what isn't.

I'd google the owner of that house and contact them about the parking issue.

I get how you feel as our neighbors are always having parties and their guests park in front of our house too. This is an excellent neighborhood, no trash or drugs but I don't like having my space taken either. I just park further down the street and deal. These neighbors are white and speak English perfectly. Strange that I would mention that, right? It just seems that your post has an undercurrent of prejudice. It sounds like your not happy in this neighborhood, why are you buying the house?

Find a friend who speaks Spanish to go over with you and request that they not park in front of your house. Or, go by yourself and ask if there is someone there that speaks English that can translate. Also request that their guests not through trash in your yard.

If they continue to park in front of your house, there is not much you can do about it.

Call the police when they have loud parties and for any suspected drug use or dealing.

Start looking for a new place to live.

Our neighbors are foreign and they have parties all the time. We have called the sheriff and asked if they are parked on the street there is nothing you can do. Streets are public property. Sorry.

If they are renting, hopefully it won't be for long! Sadly, renters don't take care of properties like owners do.

It woulld not be wise to park right in front of their house. Then you are ALL pissed off and things will just escalate. Best thing to do is try to diffuse the situation and nip it in the bud NOW. Go over there (you and hubby?) when you are CALM and there isn't a car in the place in question. Let them know they can park across the street and what have you, but you two want THAT spot. Calmly. Smiling. This is probably a "you get more with sugar" kind of thing. (Speaking of which, bring them cookies or a loaf of banana bread or something. They can't turn you down then! The way to someone's heart is through the stomach, right?)

BTW: What language do they speak? Maybe have something prepared, like an index card with your POLITE request if it is in a language you can be reasonably sure you are asking the right question (and not insulting them in some way...lol).

I'd probably look into moving out of there. It's probably only going to get worse the more you confront them. Keep in mind that most of these "types" of people don't pay their bills because it's just not in their culture to do so, so they'll be evicted soon.

Can you speak to the person who is renting to them? They might be able to talk to them and see what they have to say. And possibly tell them to park elsewhere.

That would annoy me badly too. I cant stand when people do that.

Though streets are public parking, I don't blame you for being upset that you don't have a place to park near your house... and that people are partying and throwing trash in your yard. And that you have people smoking crack in front of your house. I'd be pretty unhappy about that.

The bigger issue to me would be that you're planning to buy this house and you have all this riff raff renting all around you. I don't see an easy solution for you if you plan to stay. You can't control who lives next to you and it sounds like, rather than be angry with your neighbors in an area that sounds as though it doesn't match your standard of living, you should consider choosing another place to live.

Just my two cents. If you plan to stay it looks like you have a lot of frustration ahead of you.

Have you tried looking up the landlord & getting them to explain that they can't park there? That you need to park in front of your home? What if you threaten to have the cars towed at their expense?? It doesn't matter if it's a 'public street'. If that's the only place you can park, you should be able to park there. Let the police know that you feel there's illegal activity there due to the number of cars there all the time & they're not allowing you room to park. Perhaps enough parking tickets or maybe a look in their background via police will help?? It's the principle of the thing. It pisses me off royally when 'everyone' knows that is 'our space' or spaces but still choose to park wherever they want. I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. Maybe you can ask the city if there's anything you can do to somehow mark some parking spaces?? Not sure on how that would go but it's worth a shot. I'd start with the landlord first...you do have a right to at least protest to the landlord & maybe get some 'good neighbors' along w/yourselves to try & get them evicted if protesting doesn't work...good luck!!

I am guessing that he orange ticket was a coincidence, I mean if the inspection was expired you had to expect that eventually you would get one. As for the street parking, yes, it is rude to park in front of someone's house if there is available parking elsewhere, but you do not have some special "seniority" just because you own and they rent. Also, you do not own the street just because you own the house. They are not breaking any laws or trespassing when they park on the street, even if it is in front of your house. You can keep talking to them about it and hope they realize how rude they are being, but other than that I am not sure there is much you can do.