Had to call cops on neighbor after third time parking in my driveway (despite being told not to) (Seattle: appointed, HOA)

[Tac-Sea]

Of course he didn't move it when I asked him to...until the Police showed up, and when I'm talking to the Police he yells out, "Do you need this car moved?"

This guy has been told twice before today even not to do it and he keeps doing it. First time I called the cops on him. I'm sure he things I'm the bad guy, as do all his little buddies in the neighborhood. I don't know what it is with some people, no respect for others. If I parked in HIS driveway he'd get bent out of shape, but when I tell him not to park in my driveway without permission each time and he keeps doing it, and refused to move his vehicle, this is where we end up. Actually it was his guests vehicle this time.

I don't want his drunk guests littering their cigarette butts in my driveway or dinging my car when they are trying to get out. Nor do I think it's unreasonable to expect people to respect my property and not park their cars or their guests cars in my driveway without permission. Of course when I mentioned this to him last he responded by threatening to revoke a sewer easement that doesn't exist...

[Yeledaf]

This doesn't sound like Seattle at all. Are you sure he wasn't just disappointed in your choice of artisan blood oranges?

[Ruth4Truth]

So, what happened, OP? Did you tell the cops the problem was chronic? Did he get cited for trespassing?

[elkotronics]

Yeah, ya can't just bait us like that and not tell us what eventually happened with this latest incident!

[canadian citizen]

Would it be possible to put in a barrier gate at the entrance to your driveway ? Or a portable tire deflator, that can be laid down on the surface, along with a warning sign ?


The type that I am talking about, allows the idiot to drive in OK, but when they back out...the tires are shredded. Remove when you want to enter or leave YOUR property.


I know.... its tough but it will work.


Jim B.

[AK76]

If it happens again, call a tow company. Your neighbor cannot control, other than himself, who parks in your driveway (wink wink). After one or two of his victims, err, friends gets towed, they will not participate. The cops can do nothing if it is a different car each time.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by AK76

If it happens again, call a tow company. Your neighbor cannot control, other than himself, who parks in your driveway (wink wink). After one or two of his victims, err, friends gets towed, they will not participate. The cops can do nothing if it is a different car each time.

This is standard procedure in some neighborhoods. You have to call the cops first, to let them know that illegal parking has occurred on your property, then they'll allow a tow company to impound the vehicle. The trespassing parker has to pay the tow fee to get his car back, but there's usually no traffic ticket or fine. You could consider putting up a sign warning that unauthorized cars will be towed.

[AK76]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

This is standard procedure in some neighborhoods. You have to call the cops first, to let them know that illegal parking has occurred on your property, then they'll allow a tow company to impound the vehicle. The trespassing parker has to pay the tow fee to get his car back, but there's usually no traffic ticket or fine. You could consider putting up a sign warning that unauthorized cars will be towed.

I suppose that is true if one is willing to relinquish their rights to an HOA. I am not one who will tolerate an HOA.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by AK76

I suppose that is true if one is willing to relinquish their rights to an HOA. I am not one who will tolerate an HOA.

There are lots of neighborhoods that don't have one, and the OP hasn't mentioned one. If there were one in his case, I imagine he would have already taken the matter up with them.

Another advantage of having the offending vehicle/s towed is that it saves you the considerable expense of building a gate. And probably, you'd only have to do it once (call cops & tow company) to get the trespass parking to stop. The OP can discuss it with his local police to find out how it works; if he already called the cops once, he may have the responding officer's card. At least the issue is now on their radar.

[Tac-Sea]

Cops came out including a supervisor. Funny thing is they asked for a plat map which I had handy. As we were standing there talking the neighbor who had stood out there with his guest for a long time gesturing to my house and the driveway but not moving the vehicle BEFORE the cops come out, all of a sudden yells out, "do you need this car moved?" as if I had never spoken to him about it at all. I actually have it on video (the no parking without my permission part), along with my conversation with the police.

They went out and spoke to him and they looked over the plat map, gestured, etc. for several minutes and he moved the vehicles. Then the cops came back to me (it was at this point the supervisor actually arrived) and changed their story several times. Perhaps I'll post the video, but essentially they first came back and said that it's a civil issue. I told them again as I had told them earlier, I spoke with an attorney and they said it's a criminal issue/trespassing. Cops then said well the spirit of the law, blah, it's a concern for street parking as in we can't have them parking in the street either, blah, etc. I essentially told him that just because they (the police) don't want them parking on the street doesn't mean it's ok to use my property without my permission and that it's not up to the PD to decide whether my property is sacrificed so people don't park in the street, and that I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people to respect my property rights. I didn't pay half a million dollars for this home so others could use it whenever they wish without my permission. I told him I will discuss with the attorney again but she has already said it's a Police matter.

At this point the supervisor said well, and that's what we're doing you can call us if it happens again, etc. (even though they just had said it's a civil matter). At point point the junior Officer said my comment was ignorant because I told him I would expect something like this in a lower class neighborhood like Tacoma's east side (I've lived there before) but I would expect people in such an expensive neighborhood to be more respectful and considerate, respect known property bounaries. He said he thinks that's an ignorant statement to judge someone based on their financials. I told him that may be his opinion but it's backed up by statistics (less educated and lower income neighborhoods have more crime and 80% of prison inmates are high school drop outs), but that I appreciate their time today and they went on their way.

After all, this isn't a dispute over boundaries, he knows where the boundaries are and even the cops agreed that although they are not experts, they appear to be pretty clear and straightforward. I've documented that this has happened twice prior. I documented that I went out there and asked them to move and they didn't.

To answer an earlier question, there is no HOA thank goodness. I've found them to be utterly useless any ways, they have extreme power to decide what they enforce and what they don't due to their limited resources.