AITA for punishing neighbors who block my driveway during their party?

Two years ago, a new family moved into our once-peaceful neighborhood, and everything went downhill. We’ve lived here for over twenty years, and up until they arrived, this place was wonderful. But these new neighbors? They’ve been nothing short of a disaster.

From the start, they’ve been a major headache. They’re loud, and disorganized, and their dog barks incessantly. They host wild parties that go on all night, steal our elderly neighbor’s newspaper (their rottweiler fetches it—impressive but completely wrong), and toss their dog’s waste into other people’s yards. They’ve even cut our elderly neighbor’s cherished roses. Who does that?

We’ve tried every approach talking, inviting them over, and doing nice things—but they’ve shown no respect in return.

One major problem is parking. With our narrow 1950s driveways, parking is tight. This family has four drivers but only enough space for two cars in their driveway. Instead of using their own space, they regularly fill up the street in front of other homes, often leaving their driveway empty. They’ve even parked in ways that block driveways or make it hard for others to get out. This has been happening for months and feels like a deliberate attempt to make everyone’s lives difficult.

After enduring this for months, an older retired neighbor discovered a city code about parking restrictions around driveways. Soon, yellow lines were painted around every house on the block.

A few weeks ago, my husband’s car broke down and needed towing. While talking to the tow truck driver, he mentioned that if we reported illegal parking, the vehicles could be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. My husband and the driver bonded over beers and discussed the issue in detail. We also reached out to a police officer we knew from a recent meeting, and he agreed to keep an eye on the area during his shifts.

The officer ticketed three of their cars on Saturday, but the family didn’t seem to get the message. Then their teenage son threw a huge party, and every guest parked in the yellow zones, blocking driveways and cars. I decided it was time to take action.

I called the tow truck driver and informed him about at least fifteen cars parked illegally. We came up with a plan: the tow truck drivers would start towing the cars, and I’d call the police to report an underage drinking party. Meanwhile, our officer friend would patrol the area and issue more tickets.

That night, the officer and his team cited the cars, while the tow trucks moved in swiftly, removing the illegally parked vehicles. My husband and I made an anonymous call about underage drinking. As the police arrived to investigate the party, the tow trucks worked their way through the street, towing the remaining cars.

By Sunday, only three cars were returned, and they were all parked just shy of the yellow lines. We saw this as a win.

My husband and a few neighbors also spent Sunday installing new security cameras. They were quite pleased with the outcome, and the family seemed to get the message.

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AITA for punishing neighbors who block my driveway during their party?

In a once peaceful neighborhood that had thrived for over twenty years, the arrival of a new family marked the beginning of significant disruption. The tranquility that had defined the area was shattered by the newcomers, whose behavior turned them into a notorious source of problems.

From the outset, their presence was problematic. The family was known for their noise, disorder, and incessantly barking dog. They threw raucous parties that lasted well into the night, stole a neighbor’s newspaper (using their rottweiler to fetch it—an impressive yet inappropriate trick), and littered other people’s yards with their dog’s waste. They even cut the cherished roses of an elderly neighbor, showing a complete lack of respect.

Despite efforts to build a rapport through conversations, invitations, and friendly gestures the family remained indifferent and disrespectful.

Parking became a major issue due to the narrow driveways typical of the 1950s homes in the area. The family-owned four cars but only had space for two in their driveway. They regularly parked their vehicles on the street, often leaving their driveway empty, and parked in ways that obstructed others’ driveways. This deliberate behavior persisted for months, adding to the frustration of the residents.

After enduring this for a significant time, a retired neighbor discovered a city code concerning parking restrictions around driveways, leading to yellow lines being painted around every home on the block.

When the user’s husband’s car required towing, a conversation with the tow truck driver revealed that illegally parked cars could be ticketed and towed. This led to further discussions and a plan involving a police officer friend who agreed to monitor the situation.

Although the officer issued tickets to some of the family’s cars, the disruptive behavior continued. The tipping point came when the teenage son hosted a large party, with guests parking illegally and blocking driveways. This prompted the user to escalate the response.

The user and the tow truck driver coordinated a plan involving towing the illegally parked cars while simultaneously reporting the party for suspected underage drinking. On the night of the party, police cited the cars while tow trucks swiftly removed them. An anonymous tip about underage drinking led to police arriving just as the tow trucks were in action.

By Sunday, the family’s cars were parked correctly, and new security cameras were installed by the neighbors, signaling a successful resolution. The family seemed to understand the message.