Unknown car parking in my driveway.without permission. What would you do?
Our home check visited our home in TV today to made sure there was no problem from the storm. In her email she stated that there was a white vehicle parked in our driveway. I don't know anyone who has a white car nor did anyone ask for permission to park there nor did I give anyone permission. With no one being with the car I'd suspect it may be one of our neighbors or one of their guests. I only have the email address of one neighbor although I met and gave my information to a number of them, and would hate to put it on the one I have the email address for, to try and find out who it was and let them know that I'd like them to get permission before parking there, or at least email me that they will be parking there and making sure it was ok so I don't report it to the sheriff's office. I could have just contacted the sheriffs, but at the same time I don't want to start a problem with a neighbor if I don't have to! What would you do in the same situation?
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It probably is as you suspect, a guest of a neighbor. One way to look at it is they make it appear that someone is at your house, Skyguy. We have neighbors that visit not all that often and we use their driveway when needed. We do have keys to their home and car so maybe that makes a difference. It's not something we do with any regularity but have done so on occasion. If you are really bothered, can you talk with your neighbors when you are here? I know they will respect your wishes.
Location: From Ohio, now happily live in Laurel Valley
Posts: 15,205
We have the same thing when we leave too. Sometimes someone is having a driveway done and know that we aren't there...or
We have a neighbor who bought a couple of years before retiring and their home sits empty. Most of us have parked in their driveway for one reason or another for a short time; a garage-driveway party, extra guests, etc.
If you are really anxious, call the sheriff and ask him to run the plates.
I wouldn't hesitate to email the neighbor that you know.
My first reaction is that it is probably something innocent.
Did your house sitter say whether it was a regular van or a service type van? If it was a service type van, than I would really be worried.
If it were me, I'd ask my home watch person to check back in the morning. If the vehicle was still there, I'd ask if they'd mind putting a note on the car explaining - in a polite way - they'd like to know whose vehicle is parking in the driveway. Perhaps leave the home watch person's telephone number or your number.
If they didn't call and still parked there in the future, I'd have the home watch person call the police. That's just me. I'm like you. I wouldn't want to cause trouble with my neighbors, but I wouldn't want to have someone on my property without my permission either.
I don't think you need to be overly hesitant to call the police and have them run the plates, as Gracie says. The vast majority of officers are very professional and can help to handle the mystery very diplomatically. You have no intent to create trouble, you're just trying to find out more information, so you can better determine what to do next. You pay the police to protect you and your property and you're just trying to find out how innocent or not the circumstances are regarding an unknown vehicle parked at your house when you're not there.
We have the same thing when we leave too. Sometimes someone is having a driveway done and know that we aren't there...or
We have a neighbor who bought a couple of years before retiring and their home sits empty. Most of us have parked in their driveway for one reason or another for a short time; a garage-driveway party, extra guests, etc.
If you are really anxious, call the sheriff and ask him to run the plates.
I wouldn't hesitate to email the neighbor that you know.
My first reaction is that it is probably something innocent.
Did your house sitter say whether it was a regular van or a service type van? If it was a service type van, than I would really be worried.
I will drive by tomorrow and look.
Our next door neighbor's boyfriend parked in our driveway when we weren't here. We came one weekend and he was in our driveway. We could get by his car and pull under the carport. He came out within minutes as we were unloading the car, apologized and said he'd move the car.
We told him we didn't mind if he parked there at the end of the drive. Asked him not to block us in and asked if his car leaked oil. lol He never parked there when we were home, but he did when we were gone (before we were FROGs-that sounds nice. We are FROGS!)
Anyway, I felt more secure knowing there was a car in our driveway making it look like someone was home. I told our other-side-neighbor she could let her overflow traffic park in our drive when we aren't home. She thanked me and said she'd be sure to let me know before they did so if we got any phone calls about strange cars in our drive.
Location: From Ohio, now happily live in Laurel Valley
Posts: 15,205
Oh..and another thing. One of our neighbors made a list of names and addresses and telephone numbers for our street and included the make and model of car.
Location: Village of Palo Alto. Before: Canada, NY, VA, AL, AK, NV, DE & France, Germany
Posts: 2,065
When our snowbird neighbors fly north in the Spring, they ask us to please park in their driveway so it looks like someone is home.
But, if you don't want any cars in your driveway, you can do what some folks do . . . put a planter or other object smack dab in the middle of the driveway so that no car can park there. But . . . that does tell prospective burglars that the house is vacant.
Location: grew up in NYC and lived my adult life in Northern NJ; and now a resident of TV in Bonita
Posts: 6,004
On my block when one of my snowbird neighbors leave for the season other neighbors often temporarily park in their driveway if there's company or they're working in their garage or whatever. We're a "small community" and everyone knows each others business, pretty much, and we all know each other's cars and watch out for each other. I'm guessing it's someone you know who knows you're gone and didn't think you'd mind. Call one of your friends here and I'm sure you'll get the lowdown pretty quick.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania (1759)
Unknown car parking in my driveway.without permission. What would you do?
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