-
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
-
"This has been building for months and I genuinely can't tell if I'm being unreasonable."
"I live in an apartment building and have an assigned parking spot. My neighbor "Dana" across the hall doesn't have a car, so when I travel for work she started parking her boyfriend's car in my spot while I was gone.
At first I didn't mind. She asked nicely the first time, I said sure, it seemed like a reasonable neighborly thing to do.
The problem is it became an assumption. She stopped asking. I'd come back from a trip and have to text her to move the car before I could even pull in. A few times she didn't see my message right away and I sat in the lot for twenty minutes waiting.
Last month I came back a day earlier than planned and her boyfriend's car was there. I texted her, she took 40 minutes to respond, and when she finally moved it she seemed annoyed at me. At me. For needing my own spot.
Now I'm considering just telling her upfront that I won't be available for ad hoc parking anymore, and that if she wants to plan something she needs to ask me each time with the exact dates, and I reserve the right to say no.
My friend thinks that's harsh and that Dana clearly relies on it now so pulling back suddenly would cause unnecessary conflict.
But its my spot. I pay for it. And I'm tired of feeling like an inconvenience in my own parking situation.
WIBTA if I just took my spot back and made her actually ask every single time?"
-
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
-
It feels good to help a neighbor. You're not using your parking spot, so why not share it? Sounds reasonable. Now, the moment you are left waiting to access your own space, the situation stops being fair.
That's where boundaries come in. People can't use something that belongs to you just because they assume you would lend it to them. Especially if they never ask, which is actually quite disrespectful. If you don't ask for permission, you're not acknowledging that the other person has control over their own property. You're not leaving room for a yes or a no. In fact, you're skipping that conversation ENTIRELY, treating a favor as guaranteed, as if you were entitled to it. That's why this woman has now lost her authority and has to fight with her neighbor over something that actually belongs to her and shouldn't be negotiable. Suddenly, the owner is the one sending messages, waiting around, and being forced to negotiate access to something that was never supposed to be up for debate.
Being a good neighbor doesn't mean sacrificing your own comfort or convenience. You pay for your spot, so you deserve to have access to it whenever you want to use it. Period.
-
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
-
G-reeper66
"NTA
Just tell her going forward that she cannot use your space and if it's blocked any vehicle will be towed with no warning. I now require my space to be available 24/7."
-
gardengirl99
“She was already inconveniencing you. But then she started acting entitled to the favor from you. Time to assert your rights to your leased property. NTA.”
-
Specialist_Wind_6488
“Tell her that the arrangement is no longer working for you and that she can either pay for a spot for her bf or they can find an alternative. If/when you catch his car in your spot again, send a text saying she has 5 minutes before you have it towed. And follow through.” -
Ornery-Average-6202
“When she became annoyed at you for wanting to park in your spot she lost the privilege of parking there. NTA.”
Like what you see? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.