Homeowner knocks down a wall of his house to make his parking bigger, neighbour complains he has taken down the only parking space in the street: 'I told him I was sorry, but this was my wall, and this is what I want to do'

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Sep 12, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

 It's my home, my rule, isn't it?


Sometimes homeowners are right in their decision-making. It's not always when I side with them over a neighborhood dispute. But when I do is because they definitely have a valid point. Like in this case. This homeowner decided to take down a wall that was making his parking space smaller. As he bought a new car, he needed the space. So he did what everyone would have done in his case: take down the wall. Now, everything was fine until his neighbor, who was taking advantage of the wall as if it was his parking space to use, got mad at this.

In this story, I don't believe that anybody would side with the neighbor. I get that it is not ideal to lose your parking space all of a sudden. But that is not reason enough to make a complaint. He was never entitled to the parking space. And the homeowner just did what he wanted with his house, which he is entitled to do. So, in this case, this neighbor will just have to accept the situation and shut up.

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  • 01

    Am I wrong for knocking down my wall in the front garden and creating even less parking on our street?

    I live on a pretty tight narrow little street, not much road parking, if any tbh! Folk are very lucky if they can find a parking space on the road I live on. My next-door neighbour has an open driveway. Then there's a wall at the front (owned by me, not him, it isnt a shared wall), then our smaller entrance driveway. His girlfriend comes over every day and parks in front of that wall, which, I mean, she can. She's not over our drive. Anyway, I passed my drivers test recently, and want to get my
    via Strict-Historian2790
  • 02
    Parking space occupied by different cars.
    via John Matychuk

    Parking space occupied by different cars. 

     

  • 03

    This homeowner just did what he's entitled to do. There should be no issue with that.

    but want my own, and i want to be able to put it on the drive. And figured if we knock that wall down, ill be able to, as it'll make our driveway bigger. So that's what we've done. Today, me and my dad were out front, knocking down the wall, and my neighbour comes outside looking all confused and asks what I'm doing. So I tell him my plans and he says his girlfriend now has nowhere to park. I asked why she can't park over his drive, he said when they go out they use his car, so it would be a pai
    via Strict-Historian2790
  • 04

    This neighbor shouldn't be reprimanding anyone. It's not his property!

    wall and this is what i want to do. He then basically reprimanded me and kicked off at me for "removing one of the very few parking spaces on our road, like our road wasn't sh enough for parking." I again told him that I was sorry, but that wasn't my problem.
    via Strict-Historian2790
  • 05

    If it's a part of YOUR property the you shouldn't be giving explanations to anyone.

    There is a dropped kurb! Whoever was here before me must have put the wall in! I'm now taking it down to make my driveway big again.
    via Strict-Historian2790
  • 06
    A neighborhood full of houses.
    via Zac Gudakov

    A neighborhood full of houses.

  • 07

    This neighbor has literally no reason to complain. He should just be thankful he got to use the space for a while.

    alicat777777 NTA. Not your problem. He can be a little inconvenienced when his gf comes over instead of you, who actually live there.
    via alicat777777
  • 08

    Such a minor inconvenience!

    Dazzling-Amoeba-5800 NTA he can move his girlfriend's car when they want to go out, minor inconvenience.
    via Dazzling-Amoeba-5800
  • 09

    So real! He has no reason to be complaining.

    Any-Expression2246 He literally can go inside and yell at his refrigerator because that's about all there is that he can do about it. Not his property. Not his business.
    via Any-Expression2246
  • 10

    That's true. He never should have assumed that he was entitled to the parking space in the first place.

    Ratbag321 You are not changing the amount if available parking overall, you are just giving your household 2 fixed spaces rather than one fixed and one floater outside your wall which he sees wrongly as his girlfriend's fixed space. Tough old boots. Only thing being, do you have a dropped kerb across that whole area? If not, she can continue to park there and block you in...driveways are specific things.
    via Ratbag321
  • 11

    Oh! I never thought of this!

    Hummingbird Gecko8415 A dropped kerb would mean people can't park in front of your property. A removed wall and you parked in front of your house on the newly widen driveway doesn't stop someone from parking at the kerb if it's not dropped. If you widen your driveway and do not have an approved dropped kerb, you are breaking the Highway Code by illegally driving across the pavement to park on your property. If your neighbour wants to be petty, expect his girlfriend to continue parking there or
    via Hummingbird Gecko8415
  • 12

    It's a valid point, I have to admit.

    they report you to the council. Have you got the dropped kerb in place?
    via Hummingbird Gecko8415
  • 13

    His girlfriend can move the car when they need the other one. It's not that big of a deal.

    LatteLove35 NTA, he's losing the spot either way because you'd park in front of the wall if things stayed the same but by extending your driveway you are guaranteeing you have a spot to park. His GF can figure it out.
    via LatteLove35
  • 14

    They decided to move to a street with almost no available parking.

    BendingCollegeGrad NTA. You are under no obligation to ensure there is street parking. If the neighbor has to pull out to let his gf park ahead of him then he still has room for her to park.
    via BendingCollegeGrad
  • 15

    Good point!

    moxie_squid217 If I was dating a guy who had enough parking in his driveway for two cars, but he insisted that every time I came over to his I should park on a street because he felt it was more convenient for him...I would be questioning the relationship.
    via moxie_squid217
  • 16

    This homeowner should definitely check with the city to avoid bigger problems.

    authorinthesunset NTA Op you didn't mention where you are located but you might want to check with the city. Some locations with very little parking may restrict things like turning your garden into a drive. Just a heads up, your neighbor sounds like the kind he might complain.
    via authorinthesunset
  • 17

    So true! He should never have apologized in the first place. He did nothing wrong.

    Frankifile Your mistake was apologising The answer should have been, yes I know this road has no parking hence why I am widening my driveway to park my car.
    via Frankifile

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street neighbors parking space neighborhood homeowner entitled
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