Neighbor disputes can start over surprisingly small things — a parking space, a trash bin, or a single complaint. But one man says what began as minor annoyances has slowly escalated into what feels like an all-out “parking war” with the family living upstairs.
And the most frustrating part, he says, is that he spent months trying to be the good neighbor first.
How the Neighbor Relationship Started
The man explained that a single mom and her two teenage kids moved into the upstairs apartment around October.
From the beginning, he says he tried to make things easy for them.
Since he and his partner only have one car, they even gave the family the larger parking space in front of the yard.
He also tried to help out in other small ways, like:
- Introducing their dog so the neighbors would feel comfortable around it
- Taking care of their trash bins when possible
- Salting the driveway during the winter
After having difficult neighbors in the past, he said he simply wanted positive interactions this time around.
Small Annoyances Began Adding Up
At first, the problems were minor.
The neighbors sometimes left gates and doors open, took up most of the shared space, or played loud music late at night.
He tried to ignore it.
But things escalated one week when the mom was gone and the older teenager was left home alone.
According to the post, that week included:
- Loud late-night noise
- Trash being thrown out of the window
- Doors being left open during strong winds
Eventually, one of the doors blew off its hinges and ended up wedged between the man’s car and the wall.
Thankfully, his vehicle wasn’t seriously damaged, but it was enough to involve the landlord.
The landlord quickly fixed the door and reminded the neighbors to keep it closed.
But that’s when the tension seemed to begin.
The Situation Started Getting Worse
After the landlord stepped in, the man says the neighbors began causing more problems.
One issue involved the shared trash and recycling bins.
The neighbors would park their car in a way that blocked access, making it difficult for him to move the bins.
Soon, a second vehicle belonging to a frequent guest began parking there as well — a large GMC pickup truck that made the space even tighter.
One day, the man returned home to find that truck idling directly in his parking space.
After waiting several minutes, he honked to get the driver’s attention.
Instead of moving quickly, he says the driver gave him a passive-aggressive glare.
Then Came a Complaint About the Dog
A week later, the landlord forwarded him a complaint from the upstairs neighbors.
They claimed his dog barked whenever they made noise and that the dog was left alone for hours every day.
The man says that accusation isn’t true.
He works from home, meaning the dog is usually with him all day.
Still, he tried to compromise by keeping the dog in the back half of the apartment whenever they left.
But he believes the neighbors then began making even more noise intentionally, almost as if they were trying to trigger the dog to bark.
The Trash Bin Incident
Things reached a breaking point when garbage day turned into another conflict.
Because the neighbors’ car blocked the path, he couldn’t return the trash bins to the yard.
Later, when he came back home, he noticed something strange.
Their bins had been put back in the yard — but his were left out by the road, with the path still blocked.
He moved the bins as close to the yard as possible and took photos in case he needed to show the landlord.
The next morning, he discovered the bins had been knocked over even closer to his car, creating a risk of damage.
That was the moment he finally contacted the landlord again.
What Happens Next
The landlord told the neighbors to keep the path clear going forward.
But according to the man, 24 hours later the situation still hasn’t changed.
The path remains blocked, and the trash bins are still sitting in the yard instead of their usual spot.
Now he plans to involve the landlord again — though he’s frustrated that things reached this point at all.
After all, he says he genuinely likes the apartment and has always had a good relationship with the landlord.
It would be a shame, he says, to lose a good place to live because of neighbors who moved in long after he did.
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