Parking next to a driveway

[mykalberta]

IMO if they want to be dicks about it - its mattresses time. Its always good to go to the mattresses once a year just to let off steam IMO.

[troutman]

Mediation is good for cases like this - these people could remain your neighbors for years.

[fredr123]

Semi-related question: What are the rules for storing these blue carts? I know from the City's website that you have to have them off the street by 7pm on collection day, but is it cool to just leave them in front of your house or on your lawn?

This is quickly becoming my new pet peeve. An alarming number of households in my neighborhood have decided it's a good idea to store the blue cart just off the sidewalk on the grass between homes or to the side of their garage. I don't think you're allowed to store your usual household waste in the same manner during the week, but can you keep your blue cart there? It's unsightly and kind of tacky, at least the way most of my neighbors do it.

If it persists, I'll probably call 311 and report my findings.

[Clarkey]

Don't phone bylaw, exhaust your other steps first.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by Flacker

Do you talk to your NEIGHBOURS before calling in the law. People like you are destroyers of community, and if you lived on my street I'm sure I would have a pretty strong hate on for you. Talk to your neighbours politely or leave a carefully worded note, calling in Bylaw Bill just makes your neighbours enemies.

You and your ways madame turn neighbours into spatting little children. Are you also big on litigation!!

P.S. YOU SUCK!!

I had somebody call by-law on me. I had a notice about weeds in my yard.

I had not cut the grass in the back yard for a couple weeks. It was too long. But I am single guy trying to work to cover bills etc etc etc and some things have to slide on occasion.

So anyway, I now wonder which neighbor is the ass who is not man enough to just come over and say they have a problem with my back yard. It would have been a simple conversation.

Neighbor: 'I would really like you to cut your grass. I look out my yard and I like to see a nice yard. blah blah blah

Me: 'I understand. I will get it done this weekend and try to keep it up. Just sometimes I can't keep up with everything blah blah blah.

Neighbor: 'No problem. I understand that.. so hey what about them Flames... "

Me: 'Yes, free agency is coming up. I think they should... "

Simple conversation. Nothing to it.

Now I wonder which neighbor called the by-law on me. And you are correct, I do have some resentment towards them. Should I call about the dog that barks all the time. Call by-law about the people who never clean out that back trough that backs up all the time? No, I won't because if I do have a problem about it I will talk to them. Not the by-law people.

Thank you..

[fredr123]

Talking to a neighbor about their parking habits or lawn mowing skills or sidewalk shoveling prowess can be a pretty awkward conversation. It's the kind of thing many people, probably most people actually, would rather avoid.

For every neighbor like JustAnotherGuy that would welcome a heads up about his lawn, there are probably just as many that would take offense or escalate the confrontation. There are those that probably didn't give an eff to begin with and would likely not give an eff that you had a problem with their weeds. In those situations you've now exacerbated the problem and you've outed yourself as the complainy neighbor.

The ideal situation would be to get to know your neighbors in the first place so you can entirely avoid these awkward situations. Any of my neighbors that I would feel comfortable enough to knock on their door and critique their lawn care skills... actually those neighbors do a good job of not doing annoying things which is probably why we get along in the first place.

[troutman]

Two words - Key Party.

[mykalberta]

IMHO once the neighbour moved your recycling bin all chacne for peaceful mediation was over. What drives some jacka$$ to touch property that isnt his.

When I was at school in Edmonton we rented this house. And one wintery morning I saw the neighbour walk into our backyard and "borrow" our snow shovel. I put on a jacket to ask him WTF he thinks he is doing.

He said "well the neigherbour before you let me borrow his snow shovel. (we had lived there for 18 months so this deal wasnt recent) I went on about a 60 minute rant on how I am sick and tired of older folks thinking they can pull this shat.

Anyone who would move your recycle bin is already a bad apple and doesnt deserve alot of second chances.

IMHO he already tried to peacefully mediate the situation with the note. In my experience normal people only react like his neighbour did if they know they are in the right. What they tried to do was basically intimidate the thread starter knowing that him and his wife are likely quiet folks and they thought they could walk all over them.

I would have no futher direct contact with the person other than to print out the bylaw code with a picture of the car in question, measuring tape from the driveway and circle in RED the fine amount.

Give it a week, if they continue to break the law, then call bylaw and keep calling until they get the message. I might even go so far as to call a tow truck (check what the legalities of that are first though).

[DOK]

Oh calm down.

No brooms and no I don't keep kids balls if they come over my fence.

That was a short and sweet reasoning as to why bylaw is there. Yes, I always talk to my neighbours first and try to get to a good situation. I call after all other ways of fixing are exhausted, GEESH!

The tree was destroyed and the kids were back in school - so I called bylaw to clean it up. I didn't think I needed to go nag kids who were clearly only trying to have fun as they were 10 years old and didn't know what they were doing.

The semi parked out front to me was enough to just not be done. I didn't call to be a bitch, I called because it was clearly not something that is permitted.

The dumping call was because there is a field in my neighborhood that I don't want to turn into a dump and I don't know who's been dumping there. Again to have it cleaned up and signs put up would be helpful.

For the record you guys could have contacted Bingo and had him write me a professional cease and desist pm about my harsh opinions instead of telling me I suck. Now YOUR the one who's started the war!!! (good lord, I'm kidding seriously.)

My point was more that you are permitted to call bylaw and that's not a terrible thing. Your note clearly didn't work (but most of the time they do), your wife was upset, you are annoyed and the car is still parked there. What now? Call bylaw. THAT was my point.

[SportsJunky]

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I don't take out our trash or set out our blue bin.

However, my wife parks in the back where the garbage goes and I park in the front. When our downstairs 'tenant' moves out and I am able to park in the back again I will most certainly be taking the responsibilities up again.

Wow, Mrs. Rathji, you're a cool chick. When I lived with my ex, she never took out the garbage even once. Good girl and all, but there were two chores that I couldn't escape: taking out the trash and cleaning up the dog crap in the back yard. No way, no how, nuh uh.
And if she asked me to do, golly gee I'd better do it within 10 minutes or else the passive aggressiveness would begin.

"Hey babe, can you please take out the garbage"
"Ok, in a minute. I'm ranting on CP about bad drivers"
"Please? It stinks"
"One sec, hon. These idiots don't know how to drive and I'm schooling them"
......
clickity click click
10 minutes later
click click click *stupid morons, that'll learn 'em
......
5 more minutes
click click click
.......

"Babe, you should hear what this moron on CP just said... First I said blah blah blah, then he said blah blah blah... Can you believe this guy?"
.....
"Babe, seriously, what a tool, eh?"
"Yeah. What a tool."
"Whatsa matter, hon?"
........
"Babe?"
........

*takes out trash*

"Holy crap, I read what you were talking about while you were taking out the garbage and that guy's an idiot!!"

*sex*

[flip]

I have alley garbage pick up so maybe I'm in the minority but does anyone actually park 1.5m away from all driveways?

I'm about a foot off my driveway and so are all my neighbors from their respective driveways. When someone parks in my spot out front I don't leave 1.5m when parking near my neighbors driveway.

Even with front garbage pick up I can see not parking within 1.5m on garbage days but the rest of the time I wouldn't give it a second thought.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by flip

I have alley garbage pick up so maybe I'm in the minority but does anyone actually park 1.5m away from all driveways?

I'm about a foot off my driveway and so are all my neighbors from their respective driveways. When someone parks in my spot out front I don't leave 1.5m when parking near my neighbors driveway.

Even with front garbage pick up I can see not parking within 1.5m on garbage days but the rest of the time I wouldn't give it a second thought.

The science of parking in a residential neighbourhood is not cut and dried. There are a few things to consider.

First, how close do you need to be to the mouth of the driveway? It's unnecessary to park right up against it unless you're trying to keep your back end from blocking the driveway behind you, or unless you're trying to conserve enough space behind you for another car to park.

Second, how long are you going to be there? Parking like a ###### is only ok for a few minutes. Leaving your car right up to their driveway overnight is not cool. They need to come and go, and making a hard turn around your car is a PITA. Remember the golden rule.

Third, consider the well being of your ride. Pulling up too close to a driveway is a gamble. For all you know, the person that's going to pull into the driveway is a *insert your least favorite race here* and a *insert a gender here*. Do you really want to leave it up to that person to not scrape your car while parking?

[ricosuave]

Originally Posted by Flacker

Do you talk to your NEIGHBOURS before calling in the law. People like you are destroyers of community, and if you lived on my street I'm sure I would have a pretty strong hate on for you. Talk to your neighbours politely or leave a carefully worded note, calling in Bylaw Bill just makes your neighbours enemies.

You and your ways madame turn neighbours into spatting little children. Are you also big on litigation!!

P.S. YOU SUCK!!

Um, they did talk to the neighbors. That didn't work, big guy,

P.S. The bylaws are there for a reason and are for everyone. You don't want bylaw bill around, don't break the rules, and don't be an ass when someone comes over and talks to you about it...

[flip]

Originally Posted by 4X4

The science of parking in a residential neighbourhood is not cut and dried. There are a few things to consider.

First, how close do you need to be to the mouth of the driveway? It's unnecessary to park right up against it unless you're trying to keep your back end from blocking the driveway behind you, or unless you're trying to conserve enough space behind you for another car to park.

Second, how long are you going to be there? Parking like a ###### is only ok for a few minutes. Leaving your car right up to their driveway overnight is not cool. They need to come and go, and making a hard turn around your car is a PITA. Remember the golden rule.

Third, consider the well being of your ride. Pulling up too close to a driveway is a gamble. For all you know, the person that's going to pull into the driveway is a *insert your least favorite race here* and a *insert a gender here*. Do you really want to leave it up to that person to not scrape your car while parking?

It has never been an issue with my neighbors. The space of my neighbors front yard and my front yard is joined so there is room for 2 vehicles but that means I have to park fairly close to my own driveway. No biggie, my dad knows how to back out of a driveway without hitting a car. My neighbors even drive large trucks and we don't have problems.

If someone is in my spot I park on the short side of our house (which is also the short side on my neighbors house) and just let my car stick a couple of feet out, over my driveway. And since my mom knows how to back out of a driveway (although I usually tell her just in case) my car never gets hit and no one has ever complained.

I even moved my car last week, at my neighbors request, so that he could park his camper there for a couple of days and clean it or whatever, I didn't ask and I don't really care. I didn't mind moving.

My neighborhood isn't really tight for space. Most houses have adjoining front yards so there are numerous places where two cars can fit. I hate areas where it is way too big for one car but not big enough for two.

[4X4]

^^There you go, folks. This is how neighbourhoods are supposed to work. Perish the thought that your neighbour kindly request that he use that spot for a camper!!

[HalifaxDrunk]

Originally Posted by 4X4

*4X4 takes out trash*

"Holy crap, I read what you wrote about me in the Parking next to a driveway thread!!"

*No sex for you*

Updated

[Peanut]

These neighbour relation issues are always touchy. After the note and you trying to calmly explain the situation to them, I'd say it might be time to give bylaw a call.

As an aside... we have alley garages where I live, but does anyone know if there a rule about people parking in front of your house/yard?? Our neighbours across the street have 1) a big extended family that apparently comes to visit all the freakin time, and 2) run some sort of electrolosis/waxing business out of their house.

So all their family/clients park in front of our house for some reason, even though the street in front of their house is wide open for parking. It drives me bonkers. And we're in a cul-de-sac, so all these people are actually driving past their house and turning around before parking in front of our house and walking across the street.

I know it probably shouldn't bug me. But it totally does.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by Ryan Coke

Couldn't find it in your link ken, but does anyone know if there is an actual law/bylaw about parking in front of supermailboxes? I haven't been able to find anything specific, but I thought I had seen something at some point.

Well if not there should be dammit. According to our postal regs here if a box is blocked we just don't deliver your mail. Although some of us do on occassion. What is a supermailbox? Is it a cluster box? I don't know what happens if a nonpostal vehicle blocks the mailbox. Maybe there's some clause about preventing someone from getting their mail.

[Phanuthier]

I would have just bought a ty ass, dirt cheap car and put it in front of my house so he couldn't park there.