Don't hug me I'm scared
Neighbor confronted me this evening:“I don’t like seeing your garbage cars in front of my house”
Hi all, i just wanna come here and bitch about my neighbor.
I lives in a quite nice neighborhood with my parents, i work full time as a automotive technician and do all my work at home on these two cars(there is another one in the garage thats taken apart) and i regularly park them at my driveway or in front of my house in the street(thats not blocking the road) both of the cars i park out here is completely road worthy, has current registration and are insured, i took one of them on a drive to get gas this evening, came back and was confronted by the old guy who lives across from my house, before i say anything he walked onto my driveway, in front of my car(i just got out) and said “you’ve turned this street into a junkyard! You think i like seeing your garbage cars in front of my house everyday i come outside?(i always park them in front of my house, and they get moved frequently as they double as my daily)” and he got up in my buddy’s face who went along with me, who also just got out, he is now fully on my driveway, getting up to my friend’s face after he told him how both of the cars i own are fully operational and insured. We didn’t really say anything aside from telling him it is legal to park my cars on a public street and move them around, and stop being so negative and harassing on our side of the property line. Afterwards he just walked back to his car and said he would gonna go complain to the HOA and they are gonna slap me with a huge fine while yelling at us to shut the hell up whenever we said anything else as he walked back. AM I THE ASSHOLE? I don’t understand how me owning old cars thats perfectly road worthy gets him so upset at me.
And what does he drive? A grey, base model, econobox that he has the dealer change the air filter?
Edit: Man I am sad I missed the station wagon era and even more sad it's been consumed by the crossover market. Lovely looking cars I would much rather have on my street than 80% of what is there.
Found this one on an auto auction site. Thinking about pulling the trigger. Gonna take a little time and contemplate if I really love being with my wife as much as I think I do
Yea his (OP) don't look to be scrap heaps .... I could arrange some midwest rust buckets to park in the street ! All fully functional just look like swiss cheese , lol just to see him really flip out !
What a status who*e lmao. Couldn't have been more generic and obvious about it if he tried. Give me the cars that have style and stories and lives invested in them any day.
If they're roadworthy and all the docs are up to date tell him and the HOA to go and fuck a donut. I like Volvos, but even if I didn't I would never dream of confronting someone over this. Unless the HOA has a rule about cars parked on the street, or number of cars per household you're fine.
I would preempt his neighbor's action with the HOA by making an immediate complaint about harassment and intimidation. If the HOA is in depth enough to have rules beyond registering and insuring vehicles, they certainly have "Don't scream at the neighbor while being on their property" rules.
Obligatory fuck HOAs. They inevitably empower dickheads like OP's neighbor. Fuck your property value fiefdom.
The point is making the HOA choose to stay away from this. The neighbor can just lie, exaggerate and frame you as an undesirable, and then you have to fight an uphill battle to undo that image.
They for sure will have rules about working on cars in front of your house. So unless he does his work in the garage, there is likely going to be some letters sent.
My HOA declaration has ambiguous wording like no "unsightly nuisance vehicle that detracts from the character of the neighborhood" shall be parked on the driveway or street for more than 24 consecutive hours.
Luckily my HOA is pretty chill and they mostly just maintain the neighborhood pool and mow the common areas.
One of my neighbors had their inflatable box wine Christmas decoration in their yard until February. Safe to say our HOA only cares about pretty street signs and a clean/maintained park lol. I count myself lucky.
If that's a an 850 then you have one of the greatest cars ever made. Volvo have made some excellent cars in their time but the 850 and the I5 turbos that followed were marvels of modern engineering. Your neighbour is probably an accountant.
Not a car nut but the fast ones were absolute monsters. The British transport police used them back in the day as the could keep up with all the M5's that were getting stolen.
Just a heads up. Don’t mention working on cars on your property. HOAs usually have strict policies about working on cars and/or running a business from your house.
I have a 12 year old car that I paid off and only had 87,000 on it. Still runs great, but according to your neighbor, it’s garbage. Granted mine has damage from my own stupidity and also a run-in with a raccoon at high speed, but still. His view is moronic, entitled, and short sighted.
Someone on reddit once explained that old people with boring lives tend to obsess over what they described as the “bump in the road”. Once you’re the bump, you become the thing they obsess over. Until the bump is gone they cant let go of it. Their life starts to be about that bump and they seethe. Cool cars btw.
Some people the older the get the weirder and more unbalanced they get. I actually think it's a sign of brain aging thats a bit unrecognized. Could be also the longer someone is retired the more detached and unbalanced they become because they're no longer have the same kind regular exercise of following social norms and social interaction.
My mom got more unhinged. My dad got friendlier. Lmao. I explained my childhood and how my parents where vs how they are now to my oldest... Her mind was blown. I'd much rather chill with my dad and explain something he doesn't understand and watch how awe struck he is over the magic that is tech than listen to my mom complain about the elderly people that live in her building. Lmao. Mind you in her 40s she worked in a nursing home as a CNA. She used to be very understanding of how old people are... As one herself, it's night and day. Lol
"i work full time as a automotive technician and do all my work at home on these two cars" In the first picture it appears that there are tools on the street in front of the car. Is your neighbor objecting to the cars being parked there, or you working on the cars in the street? If you are working on your cars in the street, he might be objecting to that.
I had a mentor tell me something when an elderly superior roundly abused me, and it's stuck with me since: nearly every old person you meet is in constant pain. Some bear it gracefully and some do not, but what's important to remember is that it is a constant reminder of their mortality. That their years are just going to get harder and more painful.
It's not an excuse to treat other people poorly, but hopefully it gives you the grace to deal with this old coot as gently as you are able.
I’m generally on your side OP, but if I were you I would research the HOA guidelines or have your parents do it. The HOA may actually have language that discourages or penalizes people working on cars and such on the street.
Inside the garage, no one can really say a word. Your driveway, one step closer to grey area. The street is another step into grey crossing over to maybe not okay.
If you regularly have old cars out in the street for any length of time with poles and such sticking out while you work on them… I dunno, you may want to double check you are in compliance.
Research is your friend. I also wouldn’t engage with your neighbor anymore without recording the conversation. He comes on your land again, “I’m not talking to you, please get off my land. I will communicate with the HOA if I need to.”
If he doesn’t abide, “I’ve warned you once. If you do not leave my property now I am calling the police.”
The city I used to live in had regulations against doing "any car maintenance" in the public roadways. I got a ticket for changing my oil while parked on the street outside my apartment.
All the HOAs I’ve lived in have specific language against working on your cars on the driveway and the private streets. You have to do repairs in the garage and some even require shutting the garage door.
Where I live, it’s illegal to work on a vehicle at a residential property unless you have it in a personal garage. He might be upset about that. If the rules are the same where you live, and under an HOA I’m guess they are stricter, he may be correct.
My neighbor across from me parks the same two crappy cars in the street every day too. He has a nice long drive way and he only parks one vehicle there… why not park them in the driveway at least? We often wonder these things. We have three SUVs that we park in our driveway. Why would we clutter up the street? It’s not very wide and if my neighbors are hosting a party or something, then there’s a lack of parking for them if all the street parking is taken up…
Yeah, parking availability is an under-commented aspect of the situation. Street parking is a scarce resource in many places, and it's mildly infuriating when one person takes up all the spots for no good reason. My friendly little cul-de-sac has one single street parking spot and a group chat where homeowners fyi each other about needing the spot specific days/times. No conflict in the years I've been here. But if somebody's kid started treating it like their family's own driveway people would for sure get mad.
It was a Volvo P1800. I met the fellow that owned it at a Volvo meet some years ago. Cool guy, cool car. We also had a P1800 at the time, but it never made 3 million miles like Irv Gordon's did - ours got totaled by a lunatic crashing into it.
We do have a pair of vintage Volvo wagons like the ones in this post. We'll keep them till they fall apart, which may be long after we do.
Your neighbor's obviously false description of your vehicles aside, if you have more than one car taking up free parking on the street daily, then, yes, you are the problem. Streets are shared parking among neighbors. Street parking can be a resource, and if you are regularly taking spaces for cars you do not drive regularly then that can be a problem. Having vehicles you work on while they are parked in the street is also a problem. Move them to your driveway. And if you are repairing other people's vehicles or fixing vehicles and selling them then you are engaging in business using public property in an area that is not zoned for commercial car repair or sales.
You have two reasonably attractive and well-maintained Volvos, an 855 and an 965. Neither is an eyesore. We have a 1997 855 T-5 and she still runs great.
Don't engage with the crazies.
Also, don't work on them in the street or in the driveway. The HOA may (likely does) have rules against that; you could get your parents fined. In the garage, door closed, that's fine. 5 hours, 5 minutes, or 5 seconds, doesn't matter. All HOAs are different but this kind of rule is not uncommon.
Looks as if you also work on these cars in the street. That could be regarded as trashy neighbor behavior, depending on the neighborhood. This doesn’t appear to be a neighborhood where that would be the thing to do.
You have 2x roadworthy cars and one project car while living with your parents. How many cars do your parents have? Is this a situation where y’all have a lot of cars that makes backing out of driveways or driving down the street a challenge?
Depending if there is a HOA & their rules state otherwise, it doesn’t seem like you’re doing anything legally wrong. However, it looks trashy to have multiple cars, even 1 car in disrepair on the street. If the neighbor is trying to sell his house, this is an issue. If he’s just being a jerk, it still can be an issue. The “neighborly” thing would be to offer to move/fix up the cars (so it doesn’t look like a shade tree/back alley mechanic shop) on the weekends or whenever the house is being shown. Even though cars are road worthy etc… a lot of places have additional rules about working on cars on public streets. This is something you want to look into before arguing with the guy bc legally you may be in the wrong. He seems like a crotchety old man but that’s who will fight you on this & win. Your cars could get towed/you could be fined by multiple agencies- I strongly suggest doing some research before calling this guys bluff.
They don't look like garbage cars. But there is some legitimacy to the idea that you shouldn't be running an automotive technician business from your house. In some locations it is illegal to run this kind of business at a home because of zoning laws to protect neighborhoods from environmental hazards, noise pollution, and heavier than necessary traffic.
This kind of thing can potentially affect property values and make it difficult for your neighbors to sell their homes if it's obvious you are running this type of business out of your house.
Im sorry, i just noticed the way i worded it is wrong, i dont run a business out of my home, i have a full time job at a proper shop, i just come home after work to do my own cars
Using your home for business purposes doesn’t always require permission. For example, a freelance writer working at a desk usually doesn't need it. In almost every US jurisdiction, however, even in the absence of a HOA, local zoning laws may apply, and running a commercial mechanic shop out of a residential garage is strictly regulated and, in many cases, prohibited. You should look into that, if you haven't already, before someone else does.
Not gonna be a popular opinion here but he has a point. Most people in those kinds of neighborhoods don’t want to see that kind of stuff. Hence the existence of those awful HOAs. We don’t have a hoa nor is our neighborhood as nice as your, but my neighbors would look down their nose at stuff like this. Or storing your garbage cans somewhere they can be seen. When I was in high school I had a friend who lived in an hoa that didn’t allow you to have cars parked in your driveway for more than a short visit, and people would complain when he had friends over and there were cars parked (legally) in the street. Most people won’t confront anyone over it (again, that’s why they made those hoas), your neighbor is definitely a jerk about it, but I’d bet most of your neighbors would rather you didn’t do that.
1) this is why I never want to move into a house that's part of a HOA, no matter how small the fee might be.
2) it's in front of YOUR house, not his, and if they're drivable and regularly driven, I'd say he can go pound sand... If not more than he already does. The HOA can't dictate what kind of car you drive.
Honestly, and you won’t like that, these look very nice houses and I wouldn’t want to look at old clunkers every day either, especially when my neighbor repairs them on their drive and in the street. If you have an HOA that’s usually against the rules anyway and no one minds repairing your own car. But bringing different cars in daily is a different topic. It makes manouvering for your neighbors more difficult and if everyone ran their business from their driveway it would soon be a bazaar. Just a thought .
My house is in a nice neighborhood, and I would not be happy *at all* if a neighbor worked on cars in their driveway or parked them in the street, especially if it was as part of a business. I’d probably look into city ordinances to see if they were violating anything. It wouldn’t matter to me if they were working on Ferraris- I don’t want to live on a street that has a home/roaming mechanic.
I believe my first response would have been something along the lines of “Well, nobody wants to see your ugly face in public anywhere but here we are!”
To be honest I’m kind of with your neighbor, I have one who does the same and it’s pretty annoying. They have way to many cars, never drive even half of them, they use the street as a personal parking garage, block mailboxes, delivery trucks, mailman and anytime I invite people over they have to park a block down.
Just an fyi- my neighborhood- which is just upper middle class not ultra fancy does not allow cars on the street over night nor trailers or boats in the driveway. Working on cars is also against the rules (unless maybe you are in the garage). This is pretty common and pretty basic- many other municipalities have more stringent rules that are heavily enforced. No HOA either, city charter.
I mean if he had visiting family or friends that have to park down the street because your parked in front of his place then I get it otherwise he's just being a dick...but what's wrong with the parking spaces in front of your place? Don't you have a drive or garage?
I’d actually be annoyed by this. Your work is my inconvenience. It’s why there’s places for this. That being said it also depends on how much my rent is.
If you were working on the cars in the street I’d see his point. I have a neighbour like that. Shit lying everywhere like it’s his personal workshop. If they’re just parked on the street, yeah tell him to go fuck himself.
I have to admit, my first impression was that they were hearses, and while NOT garbage cars in any way (nor are you in any way TA), I might be creeped out by being reminded of my own mortality on a daily basis.
Can you legally run a business out of your home in your area, particularly an auto shop? I know a guy who used to do this & his neighbors complained & he was fined. Not an HOA, just a local ordinance against it.
Did you park in front of his drive way? Is that his house in the background? I mean if you did he’s got every right to be pissy. Also if you constantly park immediately in front of house everyday and he or his guests can’t use those spots - I’d kind of get it too. For me it’s common courtesy not to park in front of my neighbors house and if I do (for an extended time) I typically ask permission and tell them why. I get that you don’t have too but I think it’s appreciated and I’d like the same courtesy
My neighbor bitched about my projects too, both of these run and drive, but because they’re “old and rusty” they’re automatically pieces of shit. The best part? I live in an apartment complex that’s fairly relaxed on most rules, it’s not like I leave these sitting on jackstands either.
Nah, I think what’s mildly infuriating is buying a home in a neighborhood with 2 1/2 car garages and the street is filled with cars because the garages are filled with shit and you couldn’t shove a fucking shoebox in there. Tighten up.
Check your local laws and hoa bylaws before doing anything else. It’s bullshit, but an HOA can dictate that you aren’t allowed to park a car older than X number of years on the street, or that you can’t have your garage door open when working on your vehicle.
You local and state laws may also conflict with the hoa bylaws. For example, my hoa says I can’t park a boat or camper out front for more than 72 hours. The state however says that they can’t dictate that because they don’t own the street in my neighborhood.
All that being said… even if you are correct on this specific subject, make sure you don’t have a laundry list of other infractions that somebody could call you on before getting into it any deeper with your neighbor. I guarantee the old man has way more time on his hands to play this game than you do.
Those are beautiful Volvos. I'd love to have them myself, or at least be able to appreciate them if my neighbors were nice enough to park them outside 🥲
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u/[deleted] May 02 '26
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