Neighbor blocks stranger's car after they park in their private spot, leading to a neighborhood dispute when they return the next morning to find their car keyed: 'I was berated'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Nov 30, 2025 5:00 PM EST

I have never keyed anyone's car, but I've definitely met people who deserve it, as I am sure everyone has. Some people, especially drivers, simply need to learn a lesson that will teach them road etiquette, and if you have a key, it can be hard to avoid using it as a lesson tool.

But even though I have met people who deserve it, it doesn't mean I should key their car, right?

The resident in the story below didn't even deserve it, but they still got their car keyed. It happened after a stranger parked their car in their private parking spot, which forced the resident to block that car as they parked in their other spot. When they got to their car the morning after, their car was completely keyed. 

This led the resident to call a tow truck to remove the strange car, but that was not the last this resident heard from the vandalizing thief. The person behind it even had the audacity to blame the resident for blocking and towing their car, as if the resident was the one in the wrong…

Scroll down to read the rest of the story.

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  • Young Woman Checking Scratched from Car at Parking Lot
    via macniak

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • AITA for blocking a car in that was parked in my tandem parking spot and pressing charges when the person keyed my car.

    I have a tandem parking spot for more apartment. The other day, I came home to find someone in the inner spot of the tandem.
    via No-Term3855
  • when I tried to call a tow for the car, the tow company said they need authorisation from the complex manager, but it was a Sunday, so he wasn't in office.
    via No-Term3855
  • so I parked in the other spot, blocking the other car in. When I went to head to work the next day I found my car heavily keyed.
    via No-Term3855
  • Despite the complex manager advising against it, and not wanting to tow the car, I called the cops to report the vandalism and they made the property manager tow the car that was in my spot.
    via No-Term3855
  • Today, i met with the complex manager, one of my neighbors (who I had never met), and her friend whose car I had towed.
    via No-Term3855
  • I was berated for towing the car and then pressing charges for the vandalism. Apparently, I caused the person whose car I had towed "undeserving stress" and I should have tried to find her and asked her to move her car instead of going the "nuclear option." am I crazy here.
    via No-Term3855
  • am I really the asshole ?
    via No-Term3855
  • Adult Man Scratching Car Door With Keys
    via kmatija

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Bad Kitten_115 NTA, but everyone else in this story is. This person 'heavily keyed' your car and then has the gall to attack you for reporting it to police? After they parked in YOUR parking spot? And you are actually wondering if there is some possibility you may be TA?
    via Bad_Kitten_115
  • OP No-Term3855 I mean I just need a reality check. When you have someone who's yelling at you for blocking in their car and then towing it, and then having your complex manager tell you caused issues that could have been better resolved, you question if you are the one in the wrong.
    via No-Term3855
  • CarpenterMom NTA. "Undeserving stress"?!? What about the stress they caused you? You were absolutely correct to have the car towed and to press charges. Your complex needs to have an after- hours person available to manage things like this, so they're TA too.
    via CarpenterMom
  • OP No-Term3855 I agree not being able to contact anyone after hours is not ideal not exactly sure why they stopped allowing tenants to call in tows
    via No-Term3855
  • III-Running1986 Serious question for the OP: how did you know that they keyed your car? (I know, I know - it's obvious that they did it, but without video, an admission of guilt, evidence like your paint on the tips of their keys, what's a cop going to do?) Oh, and NTA, of course.
    via III-Running1986
  • OP No-Term3855 I mean I'm not the cops investigating so I don't know what evidence they have yet. But they did ask the property manager to send over camera footage to them.
    via No-Term3855
  • readergirl35 How were you supposed to find her? Go to every apartment and ask if someone had parked in your spot?! If she didn't want to end up blocked in she shouldn't have parked in someone else's tandem spot. At that point she had 3 choices. Go door to door looking for who had boxed her in, wait until whoever it was moved, or vandalize the car behind hers. According to her and the complex manager it was st :ty of you not to go door to door to find her but it was perfectly acceptable for her n
    via readergirl35
  • OP No-Term3855 That's exactly what they wanted me to do. My building is five floors and and there are at least 30 rooms on my floor alone. While the thought briefly crossed my mind, there was no way I was going to do that.
    via No-Term3855
  • ShadyPossum Dealings NTA Keying your car wasn't going nuclear?
    via ShadyPossumDealings
  • SirChaos77 "Oh, I am so very sorry. The next time someone parks in my spot, I will heavily key their car instead."
    via SirChaos77
  • Top-Entertainer2546 NTA The visitor and the other resident are the AHs, and evidently they are chummy with the manager too. Resident should have told her friend not to park in another resident's assigned space, and guest should not have parked in a spot assigned to anyone except the friend they were visiting. As for finding the owner of the car? Well, how were you supposed to figure out which apartment to offending parker was in? However, since you were parked in your assigned slot (if not the e
    via Top-Entertainer2546
  • JGalKnit NTA. To me, this is like trying to defend stealing a lunch from a work refrigerator. "I didn't know it was yours." No, maybe not, but you knew that it wasn't YOURS. You knew it was SOMEONE ELSE's. They knew that they couldn't park there.
    via JGalKnit

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Tags

aita neighbors towed house neighborhood car neighborhood-drama neighborhood-stories petty entitled parking entitled people
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