not sure what to do about this, but I feel like it’s the only thing I can “control”, even though it is kind of petty.

My neighbors are very much an industrious hoarding type of Neighbor.

They like to repair small engines and small devices to make a few bucks. They work on their cars in their driveway, which is just fine. I would do it too, except their placement of the small engine repair portion, the impact wrenches, tire changing machine, air compressor … is within 5 feet of the edge of my property line which also happens to be 5 feet of the edge of my house: i.e. my house edge is on my property one so when they run their engines at any hour of the day, I have both engine noise and exhaust, or air compressors/impact guns in my living room or my bed room.

This means I cannot use those windows when they have those engines and air compressor running.

I was OK with them having six vehicles i.e. four cars, two motorcycles in a two car spot and using the street for the rest even though that meant they parked closer and closer on the street to the edge of my driveway, making it hard for me to get out of my driveway.

But I drew the line at all of those engines, making enough noise so i could not have quite enjoyment of my house. I even went so far as to put film up on the window so I could have the blinds open let light in but not have to see piles and piles of car parts, exhaust, various snowblower and lawnmower and other things in the alleyway between our houses.

I’ve complained to their landlord because the piles in the backyard that they are creating actually extend over the property line. I know if I don’t say something about that and “you snooze you lose” that property (i own).

But when I asked the neighbors to please stop at the engine noise right next to my house they doubled down.

I went to the landlord nothing happens. I even asked the town and nothing happened there.

So I’m doing a petty thing and I park one of my cars in front of my house.

It’s not blocking their driveway in any way shape or form it’s not even blocking my driveway. There’s about one car length for a two door wrangler in front of my house. So now they cannot park all of their vehicles on the street without getting very good at parallel parking.

It’s petty, but at least I’m doing something with the only thing I can control and that is making it so I can get out of my driveway by only worrying about my car in the street, not they’re car. Because last year they claimed one of my cars hit theirs.  Even so far as to have a cop issue a “left scene of an accident” charge; the prosecutor laughed and threw it out…

So the neighbors have taken to playing “poor me” with the other neighbors; seen them outside pointing at my car and lamenting. They even went so far on Facebook to complain in our town community page but they complain in a way that makes it seem like they’re afraid of hitting my car and they’re asking for a place to rent, which is honestly something that should’ve gone a long time ago because they have four more vehicles and two motorcycles. They have so much stuff they had to tarp their porch so that nobody could see the blight that they have accumulated.

Anyway, there’s not much I can do but I feel petty about it. It’s really hard. I am reluctant to talk to them again about this because I just don’t trust that they won’t claim I’m harassing them for something like that. They seem very much a litigious sticky tar pit of a scenario.

Heck 6-8 months ago we were sharing meals! We were giving each other different foods from our cultures. They’re from Ukraine as immigrants from a war, they’re trying their best. They’ve got five adults living in that house in an infant baby and they’re trying their best to make things happen here in the US. I get it, but I can’t abide by having motor vehicle noise in my living and bedroom.

Ugh.  Thoughts?

  • ThePowerOfGeek
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    14 days ago

    Parking your car on the street in front of your house as a way to ensure there’s enough space for you to safely pull out… If there’s nothing parked in your driveway now then it’s arguably a bit petty. But if there’s still another car parked in your driveway (which sounds like this is the case) then imo there’s nothing wrong with that. You are within your rights, and it sounds like you’ve asked them politely on other things and they haven’t complied. So you’re taking a practical and legal step to protect full access to your driveway.

    Your complaints about their noise and pollution haven’t come to anything, and you haven’t escalated those in a crazy way. As someone else said, the time of day off the noise is an important factor. But complaining on its own isn’t a sin.

    It looks like some people here are very critical of you, based on downvotes. But as someone who has been in a similar situation with noisy/messy neighbors, I can empathize with you. It’s easy to take the ‘people have the right to do their things’ approach. And I agree with that in most situations. But when you are stuck next to people who are not respecting distance and who are making noise all hours it’s not pleasant to be on the receiving end.

    Imo, you aren’t being an asshole with your neighbors.

    ETA: Although I don’t think this is the right community for this post, and that might be the reason for the downvotes.