Driver blocks neighbor's city driveway daily, expects her to ask permission every time she wants to back out: 'I don’t feel like I got a say in this matter'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Mar 4, 2026 9:00 AM EST

A place to park a vehicle is not the sole requirement of a parking space.

Generally speaking, those who require parking also want to be able to get their car in and out of wherever that is with ease. There is not much point in a parking space unless it is a drive-out-and-go space as well. There is a reason that so many people choose to park in places where they can manoeuvre their vehicle without much of a struggle.

The annoying thing for many drivers is that there are so many other drivers out in the world who are plotting the exact same thing when it comes to their car. All anybody wants is a place to put it that makes their life easier, and sometimes, people feel like this is acceptable to do at the expense of others. 

Plenty of drivers have experienced this irritation in a public place, but what is even worse is when it happens at home. Everybody should have the right to get in and out of their own parking space without a struggle, but when space is tight, that can prove to be a point of contention between neighbors who feel that their right of way matters more.

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  • A small red car parked on a narrow cobblestone city street
    via Michael Loftus

    A small red car parked on a narrow cobblestone city street

  • In this story, a pair of roommates renting a city house with a garage were faced with the annoyance of a neighbor who insisted on parallel parking right outside their garage door. She claimed that her vehicle was too large for her garage, and she had gotten into the habit of parking there as their house had stood vacant for some time.

    She assured them that she would be willing to move it any time they needed to get their car out of their garage, but the tenant whose car it was had her reservations about this. She needed to use her car on a daily basis, and the arrangement was very awkward for her.

  • Neighbor blocks my driveway every day and wants me to ask her for permission to come and go

    My roommate and I currently rent a twin house on a busy city street with tight parallel parking on both sides.
    via throw-away-17271
  • A major part of the reason we rented this house was because it has an attached garage to store my car.
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  • My family and job are both outside of the city, so I'm coming and going at least every other day if not daily.
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  • The other half of the twin house has been owned outright by the same person since we moved in.
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  • The garages for the houses share a driveway curb cut to pull in and out of which is a No Parking Zone.
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  • About a month after we moved in, we noticed that the same car continued to park inside the curb cut, blocking at least half of my garage door.
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  • When I went out to get the vehicle's information one day, the neighbor quickly came out and introduced herself.
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  • Her explanation was that she had recently bought a new car that couldn't fit in her garage, and she had been struggling with the lack of available parking in our neighborhood.
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  • Since our house had sat vacant for a while, she had gotten in the habit of parking in front of the garages and wanted to continue for convenience.
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  • She gave us her number and told me I could call her anytime day or night and she would move the car so I had unrestricted access to the garage.
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  • While I can't say our neighbor has been uncooperative, frankly, I'm annoyed because I don't feel like she's making a good faith effort to make things work on her end for a few reasons: 1.
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  • She will eventually move the car whenever, but she takes her time to come outside to the point that it causes traffic issues on our street, which has made me self conscious about needing to go out.
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  • 2. While she claimed that her biggest concern was parking too far from her house at night, it's obvious she doesn't make an effort to look around.
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  • I've gotten home at 4:30-5 and she's already parked there while it's still daylight and there's ample parking on the street.
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  • 3. While she was out of town, I recently went car shopping and after measuring our garage (which is identical in size), purchased the same car she has.
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  • It's a tight fit in the space, but ultimately, it fits! I don't know if she is trying to get away with using her garage for storage but I don't. think she's being truthful about being able to park in her garage.
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  • 4. Most importantly, I'm still a bit annoyed that I don't feel like I got a say in this matter.
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  • It doesn't seem like she's doing me a courtesy but rather I'm expected to defer to her because she was here first, which annoys me even more.
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  • My neighbor splits her time between here and another city for work. We haven't had this discussion since the summer because she had to relocate back out of town unexpectedly right before I reached my boiling point, so once the car was gone, life here was great!
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  • However, today, she's back, and I'm blocked again for as long as she's here. Reddit, AIO here, or is it time to finally call in professionals or give her an ultimatum?
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  • A woman in business attire looks in her windscreen mirror while driving in the city
    via MAK invo

    A woman in business attire looks in her windscreen mirror while driving in the city

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • jallisy Is she the owner or another tenant?
    via jallisy
  • throw-away-17271 Original Poster's Reply Both halves of the twin are owned separately. She owns the one half and our landlords own the other half. I believe they technically are considered their own "HOA" and split expenses that are for both properties like the roof
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  • Impressive Rush5018 NOR. Tell her that her time blocking your access is now at an end and that if she blocks you in again, you will have her car towed. She can only get away with what you allow her to get away with.
    via Impressive_Rush5018
  • TicoSoon Tow her. Every. Single Time. NOR
    via TicoSoon
  • Shortestbreath Stop around and have her towed. You are being ridiculous. Why would you ever agree to this???
    via Shortestbreath
  • Accomplished_Tax7674 Start going to the store at 3am, every day. Call until she wakes up and moves the car.
    via Accomplished_Tax7674
  • Goalieguy17 Talk to her, and explain what you just said. There is ample parking on the street, AND THAT YOU HAVE THE SAME CAR AND IT FITS IN THE GARAGE. Tell her that it's not acceptable that you have to call her anytime you want to leave or come home. She is not your mother. Tell her straight up that she needs to find other parking, and that you DO NOT care if it's convenient for her, it's INCONVENIENT for you. Ultimately tell her you will not be calling her to move, and that if it continues to
    via Goalieguy17
  • Classic_Cauliflower4 You're not overreacting, but I would make this your landlord's problem.
    via Classic_Cauliflower4
  • shestipsy NOR times a million this is unreasonable and entitled of her.
    via shestipsy

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neighbors parking space car parking drama driving parking entitled people
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