New House, Parking Frustration

[fowldarr]

Alright, the title *****, but here is the current frustrating situation. I just bought a house and moved in in July. There was a beautiful wooded lot across the street when we made the offer, of course it was promptly bought, and cleared and they are building a house on it. I should have bought it.

This morning my wife went out to pay some attention to the strip of gas immediately next to the road. There is no sidewalk, but we have tree and flower gardens up within about 6 feet of the road and then there is a strip of grass.

One of the workers from across the street was parked on our grass (all four wheels, not just two trying to get off the road). My wife asked him if he would move so she could mow. Without getting into details, the guy was disrespectful to my wife.

Now, I have to go down and talk to the general contractor, and now, because they acted that way I feel like I have to be a jerk and tell them to stay off my property (I actually have a big driveway and if somebody had come over and asked I would have let them use a couple of spaces, now I'm not so inclined).

I don't have any real questions, just a rant. However, if you have any great input on how to handle this, it would be appreciated.

Rant Over, thanks for listening.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Just be civil with the guy... Most construction workers use common sense and know where and where not to park but some can be complete a-holes...

If you have to, put up some temporary "No Parking" signs across the front of your yard.

 

[fowldarr]

That's my experience as well. This guy was unfortunately the latter.

 

[Dragfluid]

Perhaps get some hints from the "Garage Etiquette" thread.

 

[Eslader]

I agree - be civil. But also be firm. "Your guy did this. When my wife asked him to move, he told her ***. I know it's not your fault, but you're in charge, so I'm asking you to tell everyone on the site that if they park on my property again they're getting towed without warning."

 

[crewchief888]

I agree - be civil. But also be firm. "Your guy did this. When my wife asked him to move, he told her ***. I know it's not your fault, but you're in charge, so I'm asking you to tell everyone on the site that if they park on my property again they're getting towed without warning."

some people just have no respect for anyone else's property....

 

[vavet]

First, let me say I don't disagree with you and there is not reason your wife should've been disrespected.

However, be careful about claiming "my property." In many jurisdictions, you don't own the first few feet of your yard adjacent to the road, but you are responsible for maintaining it.

If the GC blows you off, or if it happens again, call the local police. In my county, parking on the street is never legal unless it's explicitly stated. Actual enforcement, however, is another issue on residential streets. Even if you can't get the individual cited, the police will pull him aside to talk to him, meaning the GC is paying him to talk to the police.

 

[jonesg]

I tell my wife to shut up.

Wish my neighbor would tell his wife the same.

 

[garagelogician]

Now, I have to go down and talk to the general contractor, and now, because they acted that way I feel like I have to be a jerk and tell them to stay off my property (I actually have a big driveway and if somebody had come over and asked I would have let them use a couple of spaces, now I'm not so inclined).

I hear ya, and I would be pretty steamed up about it too. That said, as long as the truck was in the right of way, it technically wasn't on your property (you just maintain it) and you don't really have any real recourse. If you want to defend your wife's honor, you could still go talk to the guy, but he could tell you to stick it up your **** and you have to put up with it.

 

[steveo1o9]

First, let me say I don't disagree with you and there is not reason your wife should've been disrespected.

However, be careful about claiming "my property." In many jurisdictions, you don't own the first few feet of your yard adjacent to the road, but you are responsible for maintaining it.

If the GC blows you off, or if it happens again, call the local police. In my county, parking on the street is never legal unless it's explicitly stated. Actual enforcement, however, is another issue on residential streets. Even if you can't get the individual cited, the police will pull him aside to talk to him, meaning the GC is paying him to talk to the police.

Yeah many times the right of way can extend a lot further into your property then most realize. Regardless this is no excuse for parking on "your" grass and being a jerk. Maybe a handful of nails in your grass for a few days will have them parking somewhere else. Grab one of those magnet sweepers to pick them back up when it's time to mow. But be the bigger man and let bygones be bygones, they will be gone in short enough time. Not worth the stress of creating a feud.

I have a little grassed area with a pad transformer for the adjacent neighborhood on the front of my property. They re-ran the underground electrical and dug out around the transformer to connect it all. Well the crew left it a complete mess. I was pissed until I starting looking at the property lines and saw that area is within the right of way and not mine. I would have called to complain but its not my property to complain about. I just raked it up and planted some seed I already had laying around. Could have spent 2 hours on the phone or 1 hour fixing it myself.

 

[Eslader]

However, be careful about claiming "my property." In many jurisdictions, you don't own the first few feet of your yard adjacent to the road, but you are responsible for maintaining it.

In general you do own it, and in fact you technically own it all the way to the center of the street. The public right-of-way is usually fairly specific about what normal property rights you give up to it.

You can't stand on the sidewalk and tell people they aren't allowed to walk on it. You can't charge a toll for people to pass your section of sidewalk.

But oftentimes it's worded such that it grants public right of way *for passage,* not for parking/storage/etc.

So you can't stop the construction vehicle from driving on the street, or parking on the street if parking is allowed on the street. But you certainly can stop him from parking on your lawn, even if it's within the right of way, because he's not conforming to the requirements of the right of way, unless the city specifically designates the first X feet of property adjacent to the street as a parking area - and many cities specifically ban parking on the boulevard area between sidewalk and street.

 

[steveo1o9]

In general you do own it, and in fact you technically own it all the way to the center of the street. The public right-of-way is usually fairly specific about what normal property rights you give up to it.

You can't stand on the sidewalk and tell people they aren't allowed to walk on it. You can't charge a toll for people to pass your section of sidewalk.

But oftentimes it's worded such that it grants public right of way *for passage,* not for parking/storage/etc.

So you can't stop the construction vehicle from driving on the street, or parking on the street if parking is allowed on the street. But you certainly can stop him from parking on your lawn, even if it's within the right of way, because he's not conforming to the requirements of the right of way, unless the city specifically designates the first X feet of property adjacent to the street as a parking area - and many cities specifically ban parking on the boulevard area between sidewalk and street.

Not to turn this into a right of way conversation but that is not true. You own up to your property lines as described in your deed or record plat. In some cases this may be the center line of the street, in others it might be 30 feet from the edge of pavement. The right of way may be dedicated to public use but someone owns it, typically a municipality, town, state, etc. If you have a sidewalk in "your" front yard, unless you put it there, I can almost guarantee that you do not own that property. If you do own the property it will be within an easement and all you can do is cut the grass around it so you are paying taxes on property that you cant do anything with.

 

[blair683]

Be a good neighbor and let them park there. It's temporary, if they are not tearing up your grass then why burn a bridge? I recently built a garage in my back yard. Parking was tight for the contractors at times and they parked on my neighbors property with out asking. No one complained, and if they did I would have held it against them the rest of the time that they were my neighbors. Just remember you're going to have a new neighbor and may be on the other end of this situation sometime.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I'm going to see if that worker started a thread about how someone complained about him parking across the street from teh construction site.
Then I'm going to look for the "bang his wife" reply.

I'm betting his vehicle is moved or soon will be. Go mow that 8'x15' section of lawn.

 

[6768rogues]

I would ask the foreman to have the guys stop parking there. If it doesn't happen, put up some sticks with ribbon tape to make a "fence". If they don't respect that, it is time for severe tire damage spikes. I would not let them park there. If it is for more than a day or two, you will have damage to repair. Or seed the area with nails and use a magnet to pick them up later. If they get pissed, pretend you are pissed off about those nails that fell out of one of their trucks.

 

[pop pop]

I'd make it simple and find the AH that disrespected my wife!

 

[fowldarr]

Some great responses. As I said above, I have plenty of driveway they could have asked. I'm all about being a good neighbor, until your an ahole to me or my family.

The General Contractor was a cool guy. His actual employees were parked at the worksite, it was a subcontractor that parked on my grass. But, he was still willing to take care of it. He now knows that if there are too many people and as long as he comes over and asks, they can temporarily park in front of the shop.

As for the Right of Way conversation; I'm friends with the city manager so I asked. This may differ by state and local municipality. Because I live in an area where the road curves, the RoW actually extends as far as 15 into my property line (6-10 across most of it). Local statute states vehicles can park there for no more than 24 hours as long as they are not blocking traffic. Thereby, there is no legal standing for me to "make them" move. However, due to the way they reacted when we asked them to move he would be more than happy to send over a guy with red and blue lights and a gun to ask them to move if necessary.

It didn't come to that. The situation is resolved for now.

As most predicted, easily resolved with a conversation.

 

[Dragfluid]

I would ask the foreman to have the guys stop parking there. If it doesn't happen, put up some sticks with ribbon tape to make a "fence". If they don't respect that, it is time for severe tire damage spikes. I would not let them park there. If it is for more than a day or two, you will have damage to repair. Or seed the area with nails and use a magnet to pick them up later. If they get pissed, pretend you are pissed off about those nails that fell out of one of their trucks.

Seriously? Good grief.

 

[DblDog]

If it might be a problem again, maybe a sub-sub-contractor, you may talk with the city manager, an ask if there are any conditions that pertain to the contractors who work in that area, most jurisdictions regulate construction activity...like not firing up a compressor at 6 am. The contractors don't like to pay fines....

Best thing to happen, it goes away!

 

[Wanna Ride]

some people just have no respect for anyone else's property....

Yep. And they're usually the ones that don't have ****, so they don't know to respect what someone else has. Screw it. It's mine, I paid for it, and I halfway want it to look ok. I don't have a problem being the grumpy old guy that tells people to stay the fawk off my lawn. And I'm not the picky kind that goes out and manicures everything like a golf course either.

 

[wssix99]

We had a similar problem when we were building our house. People would park in front of our curb cut (despite the no parking signs...) that we used to get construction equipment onto our property.

When this happened, we chose the high road and just didn't say anything to people. Not a word:

My wife would chain their axle to the bumper of our truck, drag their car/*** into the middle of the intersection by our house and the police would eventually stop by bewildered - but they took care of things in a way that the offenses were not repeated by the same individuals.

 

[blair683]

So they can park in your driveway as long as they ask you before they do? They are contractors that will be there for a short time. You couldn't just say "hey if yins need to, go ahead and park in my driveway." Responses in this thread remind me of the sad world we now live in.

 

[fowldarr]

Let me back up because I see your point.

The first time they parked a piece of large equipment on a section of driveway that is failing.

We asked them to move.

The second time (the time in question) they parked on grass that had been watered the night before. And was slated to be mowed and trimmed that morning. Leaving a big skid mark. My wife asked them to move and the guy was a complete **** to her but moved. So I went and talked to the general contractor. Asked them not to do that, and if any of his guys treated my wife like that again we would have a problem. He agreed. Apologized. Problem solved.

Or so we thought.

My wife goes to leave today. Running late to register my kid for school and one of them has their f-350 parked backwards in the driveway nearly bumper to bumper with our truck. No way for us to get out.

We had a nice guy in blue polyester come explain to them the rules around trespassing and malicious intent (the officers words, not mine. Apparently since it was the third instance the local PD considers it willful and malicious)

Hopefully this is the end of it.

If at the beginning they had asked, I would have told them where they could safely park, not ruin my driveway, and not be in the way.

Now they can find their own place to park. I don't care. I don't play friendly after you treat my wife like that.


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[James-W]

First, let me say I don't disagree with you and there is not reason your wife should've been disrespected.

However, be careful about claiming "my property." In many jurisdictions, you don't own the first few feet of your yard adjacent to the road, but you are responsible for maintaining it.

If the GC blows you off, or if it happens again, call the local police. In my county, parking on the street is never legal unless it's explicitly stated. Actual enforcement, however, is another issue on residential streets. Even if you can't get the individual cited, the police will pull him aside to talk to him, meaning the GC is paying him to talk to the police.

Around here, the grass between the street and the sidewalk is called the "terrace" and the homeowner does not own it. The homeowner has to maintain it, which I find really stupid, but nonetheless that is the way it is. The city plants trees on the terrace which grow and the roots get bigger and screw up the sidewalk, then they want the homeowner to pay to have the sidewalk replaced. I have never understood that and I have asked the city council about it. They could not give me a good answer, at least not an answer that makes sense.

 

[fowldarr]

According to the city manager that stretch of grass is in the right of way. However, that does not give the public the right to destroy my property (the grass in this case).

But like I said, it looks like it's taken care of. But I thought that before


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[PugetDude]

According to the city manager that stretch of grass is in the right of way. However, that does not give the public the right to destroy my property (the grass in this case).

But like I said, it looks like it's taken care of. But I thought that before


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You need to water that strip of grass. Vigorously and Frequently.

 

[Spire]

I think this all comes down to disrespecting the wife. That is never acceptable from anyone, anywhere.

Discuss politely, agree to disagree, etc. But never disrespect MY wife.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Get the guy's cell phone number...

Post up on CL that he has lots of free chickens to give away... Call or text any time... See Habla Espanol....

 

[woodturner9]

Get the guy's cell phone number...

Post up on CL that he has lots of free chickens to give away... Call or text any time... See Habla Espanol....

I really, really hope you were joking and not really suggesting OP commit a felony.

One CANNOT legally disperse another person's contact information or identity without their permission. In the US we call that "identity theft".

 

[NUTTSGT]

Asking politely for permission to park goes along way around. Still sitting in my driveway this morning after asking to park there yesterday....



Local contractor chip sealing the county roads.

 

[05r50]

I really, really hope you were joking and not really suggesting OP commit a felony.



One CANNOT legally disperse another person's contact information or identity without their permission. In the US we call that "identity theft".

Sorry. Not true. Information in the public domain is not considered identity theft.

 

[nh_yota]

Okay, this is how we handle this type of situation on Garage Journal:

1. First you need to start a thread about the mixture and PSI of concrete needed for the moveable barricades you are going to put along the street. Don't forget the rebar configuration and lifting points.

2. Then you need to figure out what color to paint the barricades. Do you want to leave them natural concrete gray? Or paint them green so they blend in with the streetscape? But what if someone hits them and sues you? Maybe bright orange and white is the way to go.

3. You're going to need to be able to move them, so you should start a thread on whether you need a material handler with a 10k lb capacity or can get by with a bucket loader or tractor.

4. Finally after you get tired of trying to make decisions you decide to sell the house and move out to the woods where you can build a new shop to store your recent acquired bucket loader.

 

[willy (traer)]

I seem to remember a video of a guy pissed at an AT & T trucked parked somewhere that he was upset about. Not sure how that worked out for him. I'd at least cut their valve stems

 

[Jinks]

I seem to remember a video of a guy pissed at an AT & T trucked parked somewhere that he was upset about. Not sure how that worked out for him. I'd at least cut their valve stems

I'm probably not the guy you're talking about & I don't think there were any video's. ****, you reminded me of an incident from about 25 years ago....

I was an AT&T tech working in the heart of the city. Nearly no meter free parking. Several of us would meet at a popular restaurant for our morning break. Some walking, some driving. The restaurant was on the second floor of a bank building I did a LOT of work in. As usual a lot of the bank executives saw us as dummies with tools. They related us only to their communications problems, not the solutions.

One morning as we're leaving the restaurant one of the bank VP's is on the sidewalk with a woman African-American police officer. He's pointing at me, & I can hear him say "THAT'S HIM!!" The officer steps up, grabs my left arm, & proceeds to berate me LOUDLY right there on the sidewalk. Pedestrians are gathering, drivers are slowing, she's shouting, & he's grinning like a Cheshire cat! That DAMNED AT&T truck is parked in the banks loading zone, & there's this rule, that law, & several regulations that I am apparently breaking!

When she finally wound down, I smiled & said I agreed with everything she'd said except for one. I wasn't driving THAT truck, I was driving the one around the corner parked legally......... As I left I wondered if African-American women can blush, or if she was just that mad? I didn't stay around long enough to find out, but the bank VP was listening to a pretty serious discussion from her. He also invited me to his office several weeks later to apologize. That was about the time his phone quit having random problems....

 

[graffix000]

Be a good neighbor and let them park there. It's temporary, if they are not tearing up your grass then why burn a bridge? I recently built a garage in my back yard. Parking was tight for the contractors at times and they parked on my neighbors property with out asking. No one complained, and if they did I would have held it against them the rest of the time that they were my neighbors. Just remember you're going to have a new neighbor and may be on the other end of this situation sometime.

You would have held it against the neighbors for this? That is crazy. You should have asked if it was ok for them to park on their lawn.

It is THEIR lawn, not yours. I would have been annoyed if some random parked on my lawn.

 

[wssix99]

Okay, this is how we handle this type of situation on Garage Journal:

1. First you need to start a thread about the mixture and PSI of concrete needed for the moveable barricades you are going to put along the street. Don't forget the rebar configuration and lifting points.

2. Then you need to figure out what color to paint the barricades. Do you want to leave them natural concrete gray? Or paint them green so they blend in with the streetscape? But what if someone hits them and sues you? Maybe bright orange and white is the way to go.

3. You're going to need to be able to move them, so you should start a thread on whether you need a material handler with a 10k lb capacity or can get by with a bucket loader or tractor.

4. Finally after you get tired of trying to make decisions you decide to sell the house and move out to the woods where you can build a new shop to store your recent acquired bucket loader.

Where do we debate the structural integrity of the pavement and if the heavy barricades will cause the street to cave in, or not???

 

[wssix99]

We had a nice guy in blue polyester come explain to them the rules around trespassing and malicious intent (the officers words, not mine. Apparently since it was the third instance the local PD considers it willful and malicious)

Hopefully this is the end of it.

What kind of place do you live in? The police came when you called them for this? They didn't cuff the person before talking to them?

 

[JazzBlueRT]

Alright, the title *****, but here is the current frustrating situation. I just bought a house and moved in in July. There was a beautiful wooded lot across the street when we made the offer, of course it was promptly bought, and cleared and they are building a house on it. I should have bought it.

This morning my wife went out to pay some attention to the strip of gas immediately next to the road. There is no sidewalk, but we have tree and flower gardens up within about 6 feet of the road and then there is a strip of grass.

One of the workers from across the street was parked on our grass (all four wheels, not just two trying to get off the road). My wife asked him if he would move so she could mow. Without getting into details, the guy was disrespectful to my wife.

Now, I have to go down and talk to the general contractor, and now, because they acted that way I feel like I have to be a jerk and tell them to stay off my property (I actually have a big driveway and if somebody had come over and asked I would have let them use a couple of spaces, now I'm not so inclined).

I don't have any real questions, just a rant. However, if you have any great input on how to handle this, it would be appreciated.

Rant Over, thanks for listening.

If the jerk was parked on your lawn, you should have slashed the tires that were on your lawn and called the police. Nice does not work with @ssh@ts.

 

[JazzBlueRT]

According to the city manager that stretch of grass is in the right of way. However, that does not give the public the right to destroy my property (the grass in this case).

But like I said, it looks like it's taken care of. But I thought that before


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It is called an easement, it is your property and it is not a public roadway.

What that means is that a cop, fireman, city worker and utility company can park, dig it up etc... but not the general public.

 

[ozyborn]

At least for my property I know the easements. There are none. So go ahead and try to park on my lawn or in my driveway. I will ask you to move once nice. After that I Will tell you to move or I will move you. Then start bring up the tracked bobcat and log chains.