Keeping the space in front of your home free has its perks. You may need it to park your car, receive guests, have delivery trucks stop by, or have kids play there. So, it is bothersome to lose that space to other people. How do you stop neighbors from parking in front of your home?
Your first instinct may be to get aggressive, especially if your neighbors have space in front of their homes. However, calling a tow company or reporting to local authorities may not be the best solution, at least not at first. There are other things to try before settling for this as a last resort.
Let’s discuss possible solutions to this problem, particularly if the front of your home is a public street. In such a case, you may be restricted by local laws from keeping your neighbors away from the front of your home.
How to Stop Your Neighbors from Parking In Front of Your Home
You may want to try the following ideas to keep your neighbors or strangers from parking in front of your house, even if it is a public street.
1. Have a Conversation
Talking with your neighbors may be the only solution you need. Without conversing with them, there is no point assuming they are malicious in their approach. The arrangement may only be temporary as they need that space for other people, or their house may be undergoing renovation.
Of course, you would expect them to speak with you ahead of time if that is the case. However, there might have been some extenuating circumstances that kept them from having this conversation. So, talk with them and find out what is happening.
If a lack of space is not the reason for the intrusion, try having a friendly and adult conversation with them. Point out how you need the space for you or your visitors and how they have space in front of their homes. While your neighbor reserve the right to refuse, speaking calmly and kindly may change the mind of the most inconsiderate neighbors.
2. Use the Space In Front of Their House
You can try parking in front of your neighbor’s house if they insist on parking in front of yours. Do not do it out of spite but out of necessity; make them understand that you have no other choice, especially if they block the entrance to your carport or garage. It saves you the time of talking about it over and again.
Blocking the space in front of their own house out of spite may only escalate the parking dispute. It is important to be civil when explaining the situation to them. If it is a constant issue, parking in front of their house may lead them to understand what they are doing and may cause them to resolve to park in front of theirs.
3. Post a Note on Their Car
Another way to speak with your neighbor is to post a note on their car. This works if they are not readily available to converse with you. Ensure you leave the note on the windshield so they do not miss it or the wind carries it away. Write a clear message explaining your need to park in front of your house and how they keep you from doing so.
Avoid being rude or insulting; keep the message as simple and cordial as possible to break the barrier. While you do not necessarily have to tell your neighbor why you need to park there, it may help change their mind if they know the reasons.
For one, you may be in emergency services and must be ready to leave within a few minutes of summons. Also, you may have a health condition or live with someone who does. Therefore, state a valid reason they should leave that space for you but do not sound commanding.
4. Reserve the Space
If your neighbor keeps parking in your space and nothing else seems to work, consider reserving the space ahead of time. You can do that by putting a significant item in the parking space when you are not there. Something like a traffic cone should work because it is not out of place but stands out, and your neighbors cannot miss it.
If the cone is unavailable, consider using a trash can. Typically, the trash can should be in an area where the collection trucks can easily reach it. But for the sake of reserving the space. Move it a few inches out of its usual spot to ensure no other, but yours can park in that space. Your neighbors may get the message within a week or two if they are observant.
We must point out that this solution only works if the parking space is on private property or a private street. The law does not allow you to reserve public space; anyone can park wherever there is available parking space. That includes the front of your home, whether or not it is convenient.
5. Take Up the Spot
While the solution of parking your car first in front of your home before one of your neighbors does so, it may not always be possible or convenient. If you have only one car and come home after your neighbors are home, securing the parking spot first becomes near impossible. An option would be to leave without your car, but that would be using a public means of commuting.
However, if you have more than one car, you may not have the problem of neighbors parking in front of your house. Simply secure the spot with one car and leave with the second. Keep alternating it to avoid getting a ticket for parking too long in a public space. Your neighbors should get the message over time.
Note that you must tread carefully in this situation to avoid looking like a ‘grabber’. You may not see your neighbors every day, and they may not be your friends, but they will always be there until they or you move away. You do not want a bad reputation because of a parking space.
6. Build a Fence
You can only build a fence in front of your property if it is private. In other words, if the space is public, you cannot erect a demarcating structure or fence to keep people from parking in front of your home. The law does not allow you to do that.
But if you have the permit to build a fence, it may be an excellent way to stop your neighbors from parking in front of your house. This is especially necessary if you have your own driveway or garage, and they keep you from getting into it. If you must erect this fence, ensure its structure complies with the local fence regulations.
7. Get Creative
When talking, conversing, leaving notes, and other methods seem not to work, it may be time to get creative. Now, you can only do so much on public property, but you can do much more on private property.
Create boundaries with washable spray paint around the area where you do not want your neighbors to park and obstruct a private driveway. Put the markers on so they do not obstruct other cars from parking or cause problems with people’s cars when you need to reverse your car.
But they must also be clear enough that your neighbors know there are boundaries and they must keep off the space. Sometimes, you can get a permit from local authorities to create these markers, which may even help you make them look more professional.
8. Get a Resident-Only Parking Permit
Some states and cities allow street parking in residential areas only for the residents. You may know about it, but consider applying for a permit to reserve the space in front of your home strictly for your use. It helps if you have a special reason for requesting such a permit, such as ill health or the nature of your job.
Note that you must provide proof of the reason for the special request before you can get the permit. However, the permit should save you time and prevent parking sorrows as long as you live in that area or similar neighborhoods in the local government.
9. Involve the Police
When all else fails, you may have to make a complaint to the police. This only works if a car or cars park in front of your home for long periods without movement. That is against the law, and while it may look like nothing but a nuisance, the police may find an abandoned vehicle suspicious. So, speak with the county sheriff or other local law enforcement.
Many towns and cities rule that no car should park in one spot for more than 72 hours without a special permit. Therefore, reporting parked cars to the police may help solve a crime, such as theft, apart from creating convenient parking space for you. It may not be the most friendly solution for your neighbor, but it solves the problem for good.
Bottom Line
Solving the problem of keeping neighbors from parking in front of your home is not one-size-fits-all. What works in one situation can fail in another, so you must determine what works best in your specific situation. That is why we have listed and explained several possible solutions to try.
You can make a legal claim, especially if your annoying neighbors become offensive or aggressive. Check the laws that apply to your locality and see how they can favor you to stop the aggression and free the parking space in front of your own house.