Neighbour Parking in Front of My House – Am I Overthinking This?

RobotWizard on 06/09/2025 - 00:14
Last edited 06/09/2025 - 11:28 by 1 other user

My neighbour recently bought a new car and has now started parking their work van directly in front of our house. They do have space in front of their own place, but he’s mentioned a couple of times that he doesn’t like parking there because of bird droppings from the tree.

They’re good Neighbours and we generally get along well. On our street, everyone kind of respects each other’s space, so this feels a bit out of the norm.

What bothers me is:

The van blocks our view when pulling out of the driveway.

We like to keep that spot free for guests.

There’s plenty of parking literally ~10m further up the street, in front of a side fence where nobody ever parks.

I completely understand that no one technically “owns” the street in front of their house, but it feels like an unspoken rule not to park directly out front if there’s easy alternative space nearby.

I know it shouldn’t bug me, but it does, and I’m wondering if it’s rude if I ask them to shift the van further up, or whether I should just leave it alone.

TL;DR:
Neighbour avoids parking in front of their house (bird droppings) and parks their work van in front of mine instead. It blocks my view and takes up the spot we usually keep for guests. There’s plenty of space just a few metres up the street. Would it be rude to ask them to park there instead, or should I let it go?

Automotive Parking

Comments

    • OzzyOzbourne on 09/09/2025 - 23:57

      Neighbour has water, washing the bird poop off won't kill them either.

  • 55chevy on 08/09/2025 - 23:04
    +1

    Sell your house in the city and buy a house twice as big for half the price in the country.. problem solved

  • daft009 on 09/09/2025 - 06:52
    +1

    Went to park on a public side street just like this. The person at the house was sitting on their front verandah and yelled out to me.. if you park there I'll key your car

    I just moved

    • RobotWizard on 09/09/2025 - 20:58

      Hahaha that's bit extreme

  • thrillhouseozb on 09/09/2025 - 08:04

    Keith?

  • fatherofcats on 09/09/2025 - 10:38
    +2

    You're over thinking it. He's just another human living his life.

    I used to park in front of my elderly neighbours place because the paperbark trees trashed my car. One day she asked if I would mind parking somewhere else because my car blocked her view while backing out of the drive.

    Fair enough.

    From the next day on I avoided parking there if I could. Sometimes parked in front of hers or under the tree if it was busy on the street.

    I always like to imagine if the roles were reversed, would you be understanding if he explained the situation? If yes then there's a good chance they will too. Remember all the times in your life you thought to yourself "oh, they should have just said something".

    Maybe you have a solution to his tree/bird problem? Maybe he'll offer to install one of those convex safety mirrors for you?

    • RobotWizard on 09/09/2025 - 21:03
      +1

      Dude, thank you, first person who actually read the post and given a proper answer, will have a chat to him on weekend.

      • fatherofcats on 10/09/2025 - 16:16

        No worries, I had that exact experience but from the other side so I had to share!

        Most people are pretty reasonable as long as it's a reasonable request. Half the time what ever it is didn't even occur to them in the first place.

        He probably thinks your the most reasonable guy on the street, and that's why he parks there…

  • Nebargains on 09/09/2025 - 11:51
    +1

    I feel your pain. My neighbour (well actually a couple houses down) has like 3 adult children, plus mum and dad and between them they have a sedan, a hatchback, 3 4wds and a work vehicle. Usually only one, sometimes two parked in their garage, usually none on the drive way but sometimes there is. So on a typical day there is at least 3 cars parked either side of my driveway and legit makes it difficult to get out, then on top of that they often have friends staying so that adds more cars to the street. It's crazy IMO, its a small street and there is typically only 1 or 2 other cars on the entire street from all the other houses.

    But what can you do?

  • Randxyz123 on 09/09/2025 - 12:47

    Dated a girl while I was at uni who was completely convinced the neighbours "owned" the parking spot outside their house, next door to hers. Completely freaked out at me parking there. Only did it once. Apparently someone started issuing citizens fines to those not complying. Whatever the heck that means lol

  • sticky8anana on 09/09/2025 - 14:16

    just move to a new place and hope it isn't the same

  • SkMed on 09/09/2025 - 14:39

    There is an ongoing battle for parking on my street, inner city Melb and right next to a park.

    The two boomer houses across from me think they own the street to the point where they started parking their 2 cars across 3 spots (even though one house doesn't even own a car) claiming it was because they don't have any parking for their property and they keep it free for guests. They almost killed another neighbor by hitting their car while jacked up and she was working under it by trying to squeeze into one of these spots despite other ample parking spots and when confronted denied it all and claimed the spots are theirs. Anyone who parks in any of those 3 spots gets boomer blasted if they catch them.

    4 years on and I now know they DO have rear laneway access and parking and choose not to use it, and I've never seen a single guest drive/visit them.

    Further down another boomer spray painted "No parking" on 1.5 spots in front of his place too despite having ample space in his driveway because he works on his car every day and needs the extra .5 of a spot for his far arse and his tools etc. I have no (profanity) idea what he is doing out there every day on his car (literally hours and hours every day for years). They're the only boomers on the entire street and every other neighbor I've interacted with hates them.

    Point being, don't adopt the entitled boomer street parking mindset unless you're okay with your neighbors thinking you're an entitled knob.

    • smartazz104 on 09/09/2025 - 17:03

      Point being, don't adopt the entitled boomer street parking mindset unless you're okay with your neighbors thinking you're an entitled knob.

      It seems like the neighbour has adopted that mentality already…

      • DiscountForThee on 10/09/2025 - 07:28

        the entitled boomer street parking mindset

        Did we miss a post from that neighbour where they said how they felt entitled to certain parking spots?

        … or is that neighbour clearly using publicity available spots since no one is entitled to them?

    • nwa on 09/09/2025 - 17:41

      Its the Boomer mentality. They are used to things a certain way and they take longer to accept change.

  • dynamic007 on 09/09/2025 - 16:03
    +1

    If you feel you have a good relationship with the neighbour, just speak to him. I am sure they will understand

  • dogboy on 09/09/2025 - 17:33
    +3

    Pretty obvious the people in this thread that don't own their own house or are just oblivious to common courtesy. There is an unwritten law of the suburbs where you don't effing park in front of someone's house when you can park in front of your own.

    • jleang on 10/09/2025 - 02:14
      +1

      Unwritten laws are unwritten for a reason. Even though they make sense 90% of the time, there's enough scenarios that they don't make sense.

      "can" is kinda subjective. Neighbour can park in front of his own and get shtted on every day. No reason he should have to endure that because of an "unwritten" law though.

      Thinking of another unwritten rule of public toilet urinals where you should not urinate right next someone and go further away if possible. If the only other free urinal has a turd in it… You "can" still urinate there… but why when you can get a urinal (next to someone) without a turd in it?

    • DiscountForThee on 10/09/2025 - 07:29
      -1

      There are entitled bogans in every thread 🤦

  • Hugh G Rection on 09/09/2025 - 19:06
    -3

    KAREN ALERT!!!!!

    its on the PUBLIC street, and anyone can park anywhere on a PUBLIC road. it is open to the PUBLIC

    lmao, leave it open for guest. no one is visiting you often enough to even save that spot. if they can come visit you, then they can walk. walk from down the street where there is open parking available.

    • b0son on 11/09/2025 - 22:12

      we must live nextdoor to peak Karen… she tries to restrict how we park in front of our own property

  • Antikythera on 09/09/2025 - 20:18

    plant a tree and the problem will solve itself in ten to fifteen years.

    • DiscountForThee on 10/09/2025 - 07:32

      Except in areas where "Council does not permit residents to plant trees on Council land."

  • isidore12 on 13/09/2025 - 10:28
    +1

    We like to keep that spot free for guests.

    If you needed the spot for yourself, I would understand, but just asking to keep it free is a bit pushy.

    There’s plenty of parking literally ~10m further up the street

    You could ask politely your neighbour to park further away.

    The van blocks our view when pulling out of the driveway.

    It is an excellent reason, if the issue is real.

    Finally, in residential areas, depending on the size of the truck, the parking is limited to two hours.

    Check you local council rules.

    • Make it so on 16/09/2025 - 11:51
      +3

      Try not to take it personally, and look at the upsides: there is activity in front of your house, such that when you're not home, it looks like you are, which can be a deterrent.
      Having a neighbour you are on speaking terms with is a blessing. Best to keep it that way if all it costs you is having to look at a van sometimes.

      And as someone who cares about clean cars: I can relate to not wanting to park it under a tree.

  • kobeduck on 15/09/2025 - 15:37
    +1

    "The van blocks our view when pulling out of the driveway.

    We like to keep that spot free for guests."

    Both sound like BS but if it legitimately blocks your view when pulling out just have a chat. It sounds like you're in speaking terms.

  • tonka on 19/09/2025 - 14:58

    Park there yourself and have your guests park in your driveway, for a while. If the neighbor chooses their driveway as plan B, they will likely develop that as their habit after a while.
    Or get really fussy about your lawn. Mow, blow then sprinkler, really getting whipper snipper into those gutter edges. Every week random days. Give them a call and opportunity to move the car so doesn't get dirty.

  • MrPresident on 19/09/2025 - 19:02

    You are overthinking, bird poop is the problem, not your neighbour.

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