My new neighbours told me I've been 'breaking the street rules' - WTF?

“I’ve tried to respect the local dynamics as much as I can but this whole parking situation is really bizarre and unsettling.”

The politics of the neighbourhood can often make or break a living situation. 

Often, your neighbours can be one of two people:

1. The sweetest people you’ll ever meet who leave treats at your doorstep, always wave hello in the morning and never exceed noise restrictions.
2. The bain of your existence.

For one woman, it appears many people in her street fall into the latter as she took to a local mum’s community Facebook group in search of answers when it comes to some street parking drama.

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Parking wars

“I’ve just moved… and I’m learning that people are very territorial around street parking - despite there often being an abundance of spots,” the mum started her post.

The anonymous poster revealed despite parking close to her own home, she’s breaking the “rules” of her street.

“Several days this week, I’ve had different neighbours knocking on my door lecturing me about parking in “their spot” (street parking) and demanding I move my car somewhere else,” she wrote.

“I’ve tried to respect the local dynamics as much as I can (i hate making waves!) but this whole parking situation is really bizarre and unsettling.” 

In an attempt to keep the peace, she even parked way down her street to ensure her neighbours weren’t turning up on her doorstep to educate her on the parking dynamics of the street.

“The other day I ended up having to park way down the street (w a baby and what felt like 700 grocery bags) because all the empty spots near my house all seemed to “belong” to specific neighbours.”

How does everyone else deal?

Unsure how to navigate this dilemma took to the Facebook group in search of some advice.

“I am new to this suburban social landscape and [not] sure how to handle this. I don't want to disrespect the long-standing residents of this street, but also not inclined to be a doormat,” she said.

She ended the post with a poignant question, “How does everyone else deal with this?”

RELATED: Mum receives bossy note from neighbour about 4yo's voice

This looks like a case of self-entitlement to me. Source: Facebook

One hundred comments and counting

Many mums in the group were quick to jump onto the thread and help the poster tackle the parking problem she was experiencing.

“You live there too! You should park in the closest available spot to your home,” one mum wrote. 

“They do not own the street. Perhaps you could offer to call the council next time they knock on your door to help clear this up for them…!”

Another questioned, “Just wondering - who is parking in the spot outside your house?”

And one left short but blunt advice, “Reset the boundaries. Anyone can park in the public street.”

How to deal with neighbour drama

Living in different settings, be it a big house, city apartment, or suburban townhouse, can lead to clashes with neighbours over various issues like noise, fences, pets, and, like in the above instance, parking. 

In Australia, private disputes must significantly interfere with property use to be legally recognised. 

To avoid costly and time-consuming litigation, try addressing issues directly with your neighbour however, if problems persist, consider mediation through government agencies or organisations like the Conflict Resolution Service. 

And if all else fails, you could put a proposal into council to add a driveway to your property or just hope they decide to move streets!

Originally published as My new neighbours told me I've been 'breaking the street rules' - WTF?