When your neighbors have blocked your driveway, you can try the below top 7 simple ways that truly help you get the illegal parking car out of there. In the post we will help you on how to report the illegal parking or call the tow companies to move the cars away,
Before you dive into the article, you can watch the video below to have a general overview of Stop Someone Parking in My Driveway, and then you can find the detailed steps in the article.
Top 7 Effective Ways to Stop Someone Parking in Your Driveway
1. Talk to the Person with Skills
If your neighbors park in your driveway, you can take the step-by-step guide below:
1 . Visit them and talk to them about the issue politely. Most people will actually stop doing this. A polite talk doesn't help? Take Step 2.
2 . Paste a "friendly" note on the car’s window.
You can write a note like this one:
“Hey buddy, this is a PRIVATE driveway! Next time we will call the tow company to get your car towed!”
2. Put up Signs & Traffic Cones to Stop Cars Blocking Your Driveway
You can use “No Parking” signs and traffic cones to stop your neighbors from parking in your drive. In the comment below, a reader said, "No one has blocked me in since putting the deterrent parking sign".
Don't put up the signs randomly.The sign needs to meet several standards when putting it in a private and non-residential driveway:
- Set the sign up near the entrance of the parking driveway.
- Make sure the sign is clear and visible without any barrier.
You can purchase this type of "No Parking" signs like the picture below. It's one of the best signs to use for people not to park in your driveway.
A lot of car or truck owners will remove their cars and would not park in your driveway again in fear of their vehicles being towed or being fined. Traffic cones are also another deterrent to stop people from illegally parking in your business or private driveway.With the traffic cones, you can set up the barriers for your parking space.
3. Install Security Cameras to Stop Cars Blocking Your Driveway
Security cameras are really effective to stop people's cars blocking your drive, while preventing car theft and vandalism.
You can use the security camera to record the videos that people have blocked your driveway, and keep the video tapes as evidences for later investigation.
With the evidences, your neighbors or other people who have blocked your driveway cannot deny their behavior. Also put up an obvious sticker stating "24/7 video surveillance here".
People would not dare to park their cars in your driveway since they don’t want to be caught in the act.Furthermore, security cameras can also be useful if your car is stolen in the driveway.
4. Call the Tow Companies to Help Stop People Blocking Your Drive
You may have come out with an idea to call the tow company to get the illegally parked car out of your driveway.
But you would also ask: Is legal to call a tow truck to tow the illegally parked car in my private land?
The following circumstances are conditions when cars will be legally towed from your private property without a charge (under Washington State Law).
- When the car is illegally parked in residential property: it can be towed at once.
- When the car blocks your private and non-residential property with a "No Parking" sign: you can call the tow company to remove the car immediately.
- When the car is parked in a private and non-residential driveway without a sign: it can be towed after 24 hours.
Don’t forget to provide the illegally parked car’s license plate and other details for dealing with the problem as soon as possible.
It would be an effective way to prevent unauthorized people's cars from blocking your private land.
5. Contact the Police and Other Authorities
If someone parks in front of your driveway, or roadwork and construction is blocking your drive, you can get the police and other authorities involved. For example, if someone parks in the entrance of your driveway (he or she didn’t park in your private property), which blocks your car in or out, you can call the police for help.
Please note that under such a circumstance, you would not have the right to call a towing company to tow the car, since it’s not your private property. The police will ticket the car and tow it, which can help you prevent people’s vehicles from blocking your drive.
If you live near the church or school, you can contact the church and school administrators when there are cars parking in your driveway without your permission.
You can check the below table to see who to call in your local country when someone blocks your driveway, and how to report the illegal parking.
6. Paint a Line for Your Driveway
If you find someone is blocking your driveway constantly, paint an obvious line for your driveway to remind people that this is a private drive.
Please take the below 3 steps to paint a line for your personal drive:
1 . Contact the city building department to survey the driveway is your private property. The department will issue a letter that it’s a valid drive.
2 . Send a copy of the letter to the parking authority who will paint the lines.
3 . Get the yellow street paint, and paint a marked-off section that is labeled “TOW AWAY ZONE” in the middle.
People will get the hint that it’s not allowed to park there.
This way can help stop someone parking or blocking your driveway. (A poster on Reddit forum said this way helped cut down the issue by about 80%.)
7. Install a Gate to Prevent Someone Parking in Your Driveway
You can stop somebody’s vans blocking your driveway via locking your private drive. Have a gate installed at the end of your drive and lock the door with a padlock. If someone breaks into your driveway and parks his or her car thereafter you’ve locked your private driveway, that’s a type of crime.
You can call the police and hand over the videotapes recorded by your security cameras (if you’ve installed one).
FAQs
Can I Park an RV, Commercial Vehicle, Boat, Trailer, Motorhome, etc. in Front of My Own Driveway
It depends. In some states, you can park your devices across your own driveway as long as they are less than 20 feet long without blocking the sidewalk or the street.
Below we list some regions you can park in your private driveway.
In some areas, it is against the law to park in front of a private driveway, even if it's your own driveway. Violators can face a $35 fine.
How to Report a Car Blocking My Driveway?
No one can park in your own driveway without your permission, unless there is any emergency. If someone's car is blocking your driveway, you can report it to the local police, providing details such as the type of violation, street address, and cross street, etc.
You can also call 311 to report the vehicle blocking your driveway.
No matter where you live, Los Angeles, NYC, New Jose (SJ), San Diego, Oakland in San Francisco (SF), Sacramento in California, Enfield, NZ, Scotland, Essex, Calgary, North Ireland, Toronto, etc. you can use the above tips to report the cars illegally parking over your driveway.
You may also file a complaint online to report the unknown car parked on your driveway, using this online form. Click Start to fill in the necessary information and then someone in charge will see into the blocking driveway issue.
What are some blocking private driveway laws?
Parking on someone's driveway counts as trespassing. You can contact the local authority for help. The police can get involved if the driver threatens you.
Blocking driveway counts as obstruction and a penalty charge could be issued. The charge can be up to £130 in London and £70 in other areas.
How do you ask someone to stop parking in front of your house?
It’ definitely inconsiderate to park in someone else’s house. However, it’s not considered illegal to park the car in the public roadways.
Is it rude for your neighbor to park in front of your house?
Public roadways are exactly that – public. Therefore, no individual has the right to reserve spaces in front of their house. However, while it may not be illegal to park in front of someone else's house, it is widely regarded as inconsiderate behavior.
How do you deal with bad neighbors parking?
- Communicate respectfully about the issue.
- Collaborate on solutions like schedules or designated spots.
- Know local parking regulations.
- Engage with the community if needed.
- Keep records of incidents.
- Seek mediation if direct communication fails.
Conclusion
If you want to stop someone from parking in front of your house, the best way is to talk to your neighbors. If the car is unknown and parked there for a long period of time, you may call the police to have it checked out.
If you have any questions or have any tips on how to stop someone parking and block the driveway, share with us now!