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Updated: April 26, 2026
A neighbor who kept parking over the edge of a homeowner's driveway finally got a tow truck called on them—after two weeks of warnings and one missed dentist appointment. The Reddit post is now drawing attention because most readers think the homeowner handled it exactly right.
The original poster, known in the thread as OP, described a frustrating routine. Her neighbors were having their house renovated, so construction vehicles filled their driveway and nearby street spots. That alone wasn't the problem. The real issue was that one neighbor kept leaving the family car hanging about two feet into OP's driveway.
That might not sound like much. But OP said her driveway has an awkward layout and a brick fence. Even a two-foot overhang meant she could not pull out safely without scraping her bumper or risking a bigger collision.
For nearly two weeks, OP said she went through the same cycle. She knocked on the neighbors' door, asked them to move the car, and got an eye roll in return. They would shift the car just enough for her to squeeze out, and then do the same thing again the next time.
Last week, she gave them a direct warning: if it happened again, she would have the car towed.
The neighbors laughed. One of them reportedly said it was only a couple of feet and told OP not to make a fuss.
Then came the morning that changed the situation.
OP had a dentist appointment. She knew her dentist charged a late or no-show fee after 15 minutes. When she walked outside, the car was blocking her driveway again. That time, she didn't knock. She called city parking enforcement, and a tow truck arrived within the hour. The car was gone before OP had to decide what to do next.
The neighbors were not happy. At first, they thought someone had stolen the car. When they found out OP had called parking enforcement, they were furious.
They argued that she should have knocked again instead of calling a tow truck. They also complained that they didn't want to park half a block down while construction was happening at their house.
Some neighbors on the street looked at OP like she was being unreasonable. She said she was the only person on the block who kept getting blocked in. In her view, the tow was not the first move. It was the last move after a long list of ignored requests.
She posted the story to Reddit with the question: AITAH for towing my neighbor's car?
The thread sided with OP in a big way. Most commenters said she gave fair notice, waited longer than most people would have, and only called enforcement when she had somewhere to be.
A few themes kept coming up in the comments.
First, the warning mattered. OP did not quietly suffer for two weeks and then explode. She told the neighbors exactly what would happen. They chose not to believe her.
Second, partial blocking was still blocking. A car does not have to fully close off a driveway to make it impossible to use. With OP's brick fence and driveway design, two feet made a real difference.
Third, the neighbors' excuse did not help them. Being annoyed about a short walk does not justify making someone miss an appointment. Several commenters pointed out that the neighbors could have parked half a block away and walked, just as they suggested OP should have accepted.
The unofficial Reddit verdict was clear: Not the A-hole.
This story is based on one person's account, but it raises common questions about driveway blocking and towing rules.
In many U.S. cities, parking enforcement can ticket or tow a vehicle that blocks a driveway, even if only part of the car extends over the driveway line. The vehicle does not need to create a total blockage if it makes the driveway unsafe or hard to use.
One important detail in this case is that OP called city parking enforcement. That is usually the safest route for an overhang that happens on a public street or near the curb. Property owners generally cannot just hook up a car and drag it away. Local regulations often require a licensed tow company, a city order, or both.
If a car is parked entirely on private property, the rules are different. Many jurisdictions allow the property owner to have it towed, but they still need to follow local laws about signs, authorization, and towing companies.
A tow is rarely free for the vehicle owner either. Most owners have to pay towing and storage fees before they can get the car back. That is probably a more expensive outcome than moving the car two feet would have been.
A situation like this does not always need to end with a tow truck. But if a neighbor keeps blocking your driveway, there are reasonable steps to take before calling enforcement.
Start by taking photos. Show the vehicle, the position of the car, and how much of the driveway is blocked. Take a wide shot that connects the car to your driveway and your address if possible.
Write down dates and times. Keep track of every time you asked the neighbor to move the car. A simple text message works well because it creates a written record.
Check your city's parking rules. Some cities are strict about driveway obstructions. Others treat it as a low-priority issue. Knowing the rules helps you decide whether to call parking enforcement or a licensed private tow company.
Use the nonemergency parking line instead of 911. A parked car blocking a driveway is usually not an emergency. Parking enforcement is the right department for this problem.
Consider giving one clear, written final warning. Say something direct like: "If this happens again, I will report it and have the car towed." That gives the neighbor a fair chance and gives you a stronger record if you need to follow through.
Documentation may feel like overkill, but it transforms a he-said, she-said dispute into a clear timeline. If the situation ends up in front of a judge, a mediator, or a code enforcement officer, those details make a big difference.
Most Reddit readers did not see this as a story about an overreaction. They saw it as a story about consequences.
OP asked nicely for nearly two weeks. She gave a direct warning. She did not call a tow truck the first time or even the fifth time. She called after her final warning was ignored and she had a commitment she could not miss.
Driveways are private property. Just because a car only hangs over the edge by a couple of feet does not mean it belongs there. The person who parked over the line created the problem, and in this case, the problem solved itself with a tow.
If there is one lesson from this thread, it is simple: when someone tells you they will tow your car, don't assume they're joking. The only thing more expensive than walking half a block is paying to get your car out of an impound lot.
