Sarah, a woman living in a lovely neighborhood, faces a dilemma when her neighbor Dave’s guests begin using her driveway without permission, causing her to take matters into her own hands and leading to a confrontation that leaves her wondering if she was in the wrong.
A Happy Start
A young woman named Sarah had been living in her lovely neighborhood for about four years.
Dave’s the Problem
She had a great relationship with her neighbors, except for one neighbor, Dave, who had been causing some issues lately.
A Small Space
Dave and his family moved into the house next door about a year ago. They had a narrow driveway that could fit only one car, and their house didn’t have much street parking available.
Uh Oh!
This hadn’t been a problem until recently when Dave started hosting large gatherings at his house.
They Did WHAT?
During these gatherings, Dave’s guests would park their cars on the street, which would quickly become overcrowded. As a result, some of his guests started using Sarah’s driveway without asking for permission.
She Didn’t Want Conflict
Initially, Sarah let it slide because she didn’t want to cause any conflict. However, it began happening more frequently, and on a few occasions, she’d be unable to move her own car when she had to go to work or leave for her own business, forcing her to go to Dave’s house and play a guessing game for someone to move their car.
He Understood
Sarah decided to address the issue with Dave, explaining that she didn’t mind his guests occasionally using her driveway, but she would appreciate it if he could ask for permission first. Dave seemed understanding and apologized for the inconvenience.
It Didn’t Help
However, the situation didn’t improve. Dave continued to host gatherings, and his guests continued to use Sarah’s driveway without permission.
No Parking Zone!
Sarah decided to take matters into her own hands and placed a “No Parking” sign in her driveway, along with a polite note asking Dave’s guests to respect her property, also with a warning that she’d have their vehicles towed.
Tension in the Neighborhood
Last weekend, Dave hosted another party, and his guests were forced to find alternative parking due to the sign. Dave confronted Sarah, saying she was being unreasonable and that she should be more accommodating to his guests. He argued that it was just for a few hours and that she was creating unnecessary tension in the neighborhood.
She Stood Her Ground
Sarah stood her ground, explaining that she had tried to address the issue politely and that her driveway was her private property. She added that he should have respected her request for permission and made better arrangements for his guests’ parking.
Tension Has Been Caused
Ever since then, Sarah and Dave had not spoken to each other, with him and his family most of the time shooting her a bad look.
Sarah wondered if she was the jerk for not allowing her neighbor to use her driveway.
The Internet’s Opinion
This person wrote, “Your whole question boils down to: ‘Am I the jerk for wanting to be able to go to work, run errands, and leave in case of an emergency, even if it might inconvenience someone attending a party I wasn’t invited to?’ No. No, you are not the jerk.”
More Internet Opinions
Another commenter said, “You did everything to compromise with Dave, and he still wasn’t willing to budge. What if you had an emergency and your car was blocked?”
A Final Comment
This commenter posted, “Find a tow company that responds quickly and keeps their number on hand. Add language to your signs along the lines of “Cars parked here will be towed by company name.”