Imagine coming home tired and hungry after a long work shift, only to find another car parked in your driveway. Not once or twice, but several times.
That’s the reality for one nurse, who has the misfortune of living next door to a very entitled guy. He’s been using her driveway as a free parking spot for his guests and has even gone as far as telling the woman to “just park in the street, it’s no big deal.”
She initially let it slide. But the nurse reached the end of her rope recently, and decided to teach her neighbor a lesson that turned out to be quite a big deal.
Many nurses have the patience of a saint, but push them too far and you might regret it
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
One man learned that lesson the hard way when he kept using his neighbor’s driveway as a free parking spot
Image credits: fr0ggy5 (not the actual photo)
Image source: Gotenks972
Can you get a car towed for parking in your driveway?
Many of us have been there. We arrive home to find some inconsiderate fool parked in our spot, driveway or blocking us from entering our property. It’s highly annoying, tspecially if the car stays there for longer than a few minutes.
Some people might let it slide, others take the polite route of finding the offender and asking them to move. Then there are those who take no prisoners and do what they must to remove the vehicle and reclaim their rightful spot.
But is it legal to have a car towed from in front of your house? The answer isn’t always clear cut, say the experts. It all depends on local laws, property rights, and, of course, the situation.
“If the car is parked on a public street in a legal parking zone, you cannot tow it just because it’s in front of your house,” explains the Long Distance Towing site. “Public roads belong to the city, and any legally parked vehicle has the right to be there.”
However, if the vehicle is violating a parking restriction, you have every right to call local authorities and report it. This includes things like parking in a no-parking zone, blocking a driveway or fire hydrant, or having an expired registration.
What if the car is parked on your private property or in your driveway? Well then, that’s a different story…
“Most cities allow property owners to call a towing service to remove an unauthorized vehicle from their driveway,” notes the site, adding that some areas require you to place a notice before towing. So it’s best to check local laws before taking any action that you might later regret.
The tow truck company suggests first knocking on nearby doors or leaving a polite note on the windshield asking the owner to move the vehicle. If you get no cooperation, the next step would be to call your city’s non-emergency police line or parking enforcement.
“Many cities consider blocking a driveway illegal, and police can issue a ticket and call a tow truck to remove the car,” explains the site.
If you decide to tow the car yourself, or call a tow truck without following correct procedure, you could find yourself in hot water. “If you tow a legally parked car without permission, the vehicle owner may take legal action against you,” say the experts at Long Distance Towing.
You could also be responsible for paying damages related to the towing or any harm done to the vehicle. And you could be slapped with a fine. “Many cities prohibit unauthorized towing, and attempting to remove a vehicle without proper authority could result in fines or penalties,” reads the site.
Then there’s the matter of ongoing drama and conflict with your neighbors, should the vehicle belong to one of them. “Always attempt polite communication first before resorting to towing,” advises the Long Distance Towing company.
People praised the nurse, but many said they would have acted sooner
There seems to be no shortage of people using other people’s parking spots for free…
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