Didn't get in a yelling match but

[wdfifteen]

I had a parking issue with a new resident in our neighborhood. The guy kept parking in the curb-cut access to my parking lot. That's not a problem unless a delivery truck needs to get into the lot. We had a big truck waiting to unload and I tried to find him to tell him to move his car but couldn't so I had his car towed. He went ballistic on me, which I ignored, and then deliberately parked his car in front of my dumpster for a week. I was out in the street talking to the cops about it and he came out and started yelling. I told him to move his car and keep it moved and he said, "I would be happy to comply if you would apologize for having my car towed."
I told him, "You're going to comply whether I apologize or not and I don't give a f**k if you're happy about it."
The cop started laughing. Then he told me to put up some signs, so I'm having some made. I still crack up every time I see the neighbor.

People often mistake my curb-cut for public parking, but there isn't much turnover in the hood and most residents understand.

[Tobra]

Do you mean in front of those little evergreen trees or the obviously a driveway part?

[wdfifteen]

^^
He parked his car in the middle of the space between the yellow posts. After he got towed from there he started parking in front of the dumpster, claiming it is public parking. It ain't, and there is a yellow "no parking" sign on the dumpster.

[Arizona_928]

Can't block a drive way. That'll get you towed anywhere including third worlds...
Let him park in front of the trash, maybe the trash collector will have him towed again...

[stomachmonkey]

What kind off assbucket parks in the middle of the driveway, thinks it's ok. And then *****es when towed.

F him.

Nice retort.

Asswipes like that require direct and unambiguous feedback.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

What kind off assbucket parks in the middle of the driveway, thinks it's ok.

Character flaw, I assume...as in a sense of entitlement.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

What kind off assbucket parks in the middle of the driveway, thinks it's ok. And then *****es when towed.

I think it comes from them just moving into the 'hood and acting like the new sheriff in town instead of laying low and getting the lay of the land. I try to be a good neighbor. I used to have "No Parking Weekdays 8AM to 7PM" signs hanging on the rope until some kids spray painted them. Parking is pretty tight back there and there was so reason not to let neighbors park there on the weekends or evenings. I think Dr. Twit and Dr. Mrs. Twit (they are English professors at a local college) saw some cars there on a weekend and decided they could park there any time they felt like it. When they were told different, they got their backs up instead of listening.
The rope is there pretty much all the time because my employees use the adjacent alley to access the lot. Dealing with the parking lot has been a real lesson in human behavior. About once a month someone comes down the alley and takes a short cut and drives through the rope, so I started attaching it to the post with a zip tie. The tie breaks before the rope does. Zip ties are a lot cheaper than rope.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

"I would be happy to comply if you would apologize for having my car towed."

That strikes me as a rather reasonable deal, sort of offering an olive branch, so to speak. Even if he did come out yelling at first. He likely didn't know you tried to find him before having his car towed and costing him a good deal of money. Might have been a good opportunity to put this to rest once and for all, without alienating your new neighbor.

But, no, Pat likes to keep it classy:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I told him, "You're going to comply whether I apologize or not and I don't give a f**k if you're happy about it."
The cop started laughing. Then he told me to put up some signs, so I'm having some made. I still crack up every time I see the neighbor.

Of course anyone can be a tough guy when he's hiding behind mama's skirt:

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I was out in the street talking to the cops about it...

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

He likely didn't know you tried to find him before having his car towed and costing him a good deal of money. Might have been a good opportunity to put this to rest once and for all, without alienating your new neighbor.

Very well put.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

About once a month someone comes down the alley and takes a short cut and drives through the rope,

Sounds like a continuous problem.
Fix it.
You might need reflective "NO PARKING" signs hanging off a CHAIN.
Buy four or ten of them in bulk.
(keep the zip tie and make it wimpy)
That=BARRIER AHEAD! Warning! Danger! Turn your stupid speeding drunk ash now!

[jwasbury]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

Can't block a drive way. That'll get you towed anywhere including third worlds...

^I wish this were true. People block my driveway on almost a daily basis. Usually the driver remains in the car which we tolerate because they can move when we ask them. Over the years we've lived here there have been several occasions where someone parks in front of our driveway overnight. The record so far was over 48 hours. It took that long to get the city to tow them. That's life with a private garage 2 miles from NYC.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

That strikes me as a rather reasonable deal, sort of offering an olive branch, so to speak. Even if he did come out yelling at first. He likely didn't know you tried to find him before having his car towed and costing him a good deal of money. Might have been a good opportunity to put this to rest once and for all, without alienating your new neighbor.

But, no, Pat likes to keep it classy:



Of course anyone can be a tough guy when he's hiding behind mama's skirt:

Thanks Jeff. I knew you'd come through.
There had been a note on the windshield for days asking him to move his car. He ignored it. After the trouble he deliberately caused, I wasn't in the mood to hand out olive branches, so that wasn't going to happen. If an apology was due, he should apologize to the truck driver who sat in the street for 45 minutes while we got the twit's car out of the way.
And it did cost him a lot of money. He got a ticket for parking an unregistered vehicle on the street, even though it was partially in my driveway. So he got to pay that and the towing bill.

[john70t]

jwasbury, are there any private towing companies available and legal on-call?
(I'm not familiar with NYC city law)
It's your residence.
And it should be fully within your right.


48 hours? Parked in front of your drive?

You could purchase four(4) wheel dollies and toe that sucker off a major intersection.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

^I wish this were true. People block my driveway on almost a daily basis. Usually the driver remains in the car which we tolerate because they can move when we ask them. Over the years we've lived here there have been several occasions where someone parks in front of our driveway overnight. The record so far was over 48 hours. It took that long to get the city to tow them. That's life with a private garage 2 miles from NYC.

You need to take a page from dolly mans book.

If it were my house those people would find their car in the middle of the street.

Watch how fast the city comes and tows them.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by john70t

Sounds like a continuous problem.
Fix it.

Sometimes it pays to fight human nature and sometimes it's easiest just to go with it. A zip tie costs a couple of pennies and it takes a minute once a month to change it. You gotta pick your battles. I am putting the no parking signs back up though. At one point I had the no parking sign and six of those softball size, glow in the dark whiffle balls on the rope. They still drove through it.

[jwasbury]

^I've considered the dolly thing. Just never pulled the trigger. There are security camera everywhere and physically messing with someone's property (even though they are infringing on MY property rights) strikes me as something that could backfire.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Sometimes it pays to fight human nature and sometimes it's easiest just to go with it.

Agree, usually.

But sometimes human nature needs a little bit of help.
Help guide those that are blind onto their proper way.
As you have done

[wdfifteen]

^^

Good idea. He is an English professor. I could put a copy of Proust in the trap and he'd go in after it. I could post a CAD drawing of the trap on the wall and he would starve while trying to figure it out.
Brilliant!!

[john70t]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

^I've considered the dolly thing. Just never pulled the trigger.

It's not emotional. It's your right.

You are paying huge property tax/rent.
There should be a system in place.
Someone should be available, or held accountable.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

There had been a note on the windshield for days asking him to move his car. He ignored it.

Of course a lot of folks would conclude, if a note had sat on his windshield for days, that he probably had not seen that note. You know, like he had not used that car during that period of time. That would be a reasonable conclusion.

But, alas, I forget who I'm speaking with - you seem to think he drove around with it on his windshield, and kept returning to the same parking spot, ignoring the note right in front of his face (and not removing it) just to spite you.

Neighborly relations take work from both sides. And a level of reason and understanding of which you appear to be incapable. I feel sorry for your neighbors.