28-year-old medical worker gets revenge on single mom neighbor after she repeatedly ignores his requests to stop parking in his assigned spot: ‘I was tired of giving up my spot’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
May 16, 2026 1:45 PM EDT

How many times can someone "borrow" your assigned parking spot before it stops being a favor?

At first, this medical worker genuinely thought he was just helping out a stressed single mom neighbor trying to juggle groceries, sleeping kids, and apartment parking logistics. Since he worked overnight hospital shifts and usually got home exhausted around sunrise, having his assigned spot close to the building mattered a lot. Still, when the neighbor first asked if she could occasionally use his spot, he agreed because it sounded temporary and reasonable.

Unfortunately, "occasionally" slowly evolved into "basically whenever she felt like it." According to him, her car started showing up in his spot three or four times a week, often after brutal 12-hour shifts where all he wanted was to park and collapse into bed. At first, he would text her, and she'd apologize and move the car. But over time, the responses apparently became much more casual and dismissive.

Instead of treating the parking spot like a favor, the neighbor reportedly started acting as if he should simply adapt to her situation. Sometimes she'd ask him to just use the guest parking for the night. Other times, she'd mention the kids were already asleep in the car. The problem was that overnight guest parking filled up quickly, forcing him to occasionally park outside the complex and walk back home exhausted in scrubs after work.

Eventually, he says he finally tried setting a firm boundary and explained that he really needed reliable access to the spot he literally pays for every month. While the neighbor apparently agreed at the time, things didn't exactly improve for long. After yet another especially rough shift ended with her car still sitting there again, the entire situation finally reached the point where frustration completely outweighed politeness.

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  • Male medical worker wearing a white coat and stethoscope posing in a studio portrait
    via Unsplash+ (via Usman Yousaf)

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

  • I (28M) live in a small apartment complex with assigned parking. Each tenant gets one numbered spot, and guest parking is very limited.
    via Ok-Prize-9472
  • I work night shifts at a hospital, usually getting home around 6:30am completely exhausted. Because of that, having my assigned parking spot close to my building honestly matters a lot to me.
    via Ok-Prize-9472
  • About 4 months ago, a new tenant moved in across from me. She's a single mom with two young kids, probably around 5 and 7. At first we got along fine. A few weeks after moving in, she asked if she could occasionally use my parking spot when she had groceries or the kids were asleep in the car because her assigned spot is farther away.
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  • I said sure occasionally because I was trying to be nice. But it slowly turned into an everyday thing.
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  • I'd come home from a 12-hour shift and her car would be in my spot probably 3-4 times a week. At first I'd text her and she'd apologize and move it. Then it became, Can you just use guest parking tonight? or The kids are already asleep.
    via Ok-Prize-9472
  • The problem is guest parking fills up fast, especially overnight. More than once I had to park on the street outside the complex and walk back half asleep in scrubs.
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  • A few weeks ago I told her politely that I really needed my spot consistently and couldn't keep giving it up. She seemed annoyed but said okay.
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  • Then last weekend I came home after an especially rough shift and her car was there again. I texted her and got no response. I waited about 20 minutes before calling the towing company listed on the apartment signs, Her car got towed.
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  • About an hour later she started pounding on my door crying and furious because apparently getting the car back cost over $200. She kept saying I could've just knocked and that I have no idea how hard it is with kids.
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  • Mother sitting on a couch with two young children using a tablet together at home
    via Unsplash+ (via Alexander Dummer)

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

  • I do feel bad about the money situation, especially because she's raising two kids alone, but at the same time I'd already warned her multiple times and I was tired of constantly giving up something I literally pay for every month.
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  • Now a couple neighbors are acting like I'm heartless for towing a single mom's car over a parking spot, while others say she took advantage of me for months. AITJ?
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  • The story quickly divided people online, especially because both sides had circumstances many readers found understandable. Some sympathized with the exhausted medical worker constantly losing access to the parking spot he paid for, while others felt the situation became harsher once the struggling single mom and her kids were pulled into the conflict.

  • OneEyedC4t nope you are not the j
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  • Rubberbangirl66 Actions have consequences
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  • Aggressive Photo5411 NTJ yes being a mom (single or not) is rough. Being a nurse working night shift is rough as well. The bottom line is: The person who pays for the parking space is the one who gets to use it. She has been taking advantage of you for too long and was trying to bring up the advantage taking a notch. Good on you for not letting her!
    via Ok-Prize-9472
  • bluesubok Mom of 3 here who has lived in apartment you my dear are 100% NTJ
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  • cooled4 Ntj. But you're a 2 minute old account. And I've heard similar story to this. So you're likely a bot
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  • G-reeper66 NTJ Tell the neighbors that you are glad that they are offering her their parking spaces and you will tell her that! You warned her and she still took your space, FAFO she did and has!
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  • GrowinMoney Tree NTJ you gave her months of grace here. this wasn't a one time mistake, she basically turned your assigned spot into her backup parking and expected you to just deal with it
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  • Modern apartment building parking garage with assigned indoor parking spaces and vehicles parked inside
    via Unsplash+ (via Aalo Lens)

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

  • FollowThisNutter I read his exact story a few weeks ago. This is karma farming.
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  • Poutiest Penguin I think you should stop karma farming with fake posts.
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  • Medusa 7898 Ntj. You tried to be nice and she took advantage. Hopefully her lesson is learned.
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  • For a lot of people, the situation ultimately became less about parking itself and more about what happens when repeated kindness slowly turns into expectation. What started as a small neighborly favor eventually reached the point where one person felt completely taken advantage of, while the other seemed shocked that the patience finally ran out.

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neighbors parking space single mom parking entitled people
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