Neighbor's vehicle parked in front of home on 'public street' for years, but expired tags may get it towed

A homeowner turned to Reddit when a neighbor's car sat in front of their house for years, while the neighbor said, "It's a public street."

Here's what to know

When the homeowner bought the house, the vehicle was parked at the curb out front. The neighbor fixes cars and also keeps a daily-use vehicle and work van nearby. The original poster said the car in front of their house, a Chevy sedan with 2019 tags, "has not moved since then."

In a Reddit thread on r/homeowners, the homeowner said the neighbor explained that the Chevy needed major repairs before it could be moved. But, the OP added, "It has been literal years since he's done any work on it." They also said the car was on their side of the street and obstructed their driveway, forcing them to back out at an angle.

"He probably doesn't have a right to park a car with expired tags on the street," one commenter wrote. Others urged the homeowner to contact code enforcement or use a police non-emergency line.

"I checked my county laws, and yeah, the car is considered abandoned after five days. It's been there for more than three years," the OP said in a comment. 

More background

Users said that even if a curb is public, that is different from leaving a vehicle in front of someone else's home for long-term storage.

"If it doesn't move occasionally, it's not parked. It's stored," someone wrote. Another person said a public street "doesn't mean it's one person's permanent storage."

What can be done?

Because speaking directly with the neighbor did not solve the matter, the homeowner said the next move would be a report to county officials. "I will be submitting an anonymous complaint to the county code enforcement office," they wrote. "Hopefully they will follow through at some point."

One commenter said, "It's a derelict vehicle if it is not operable and can be tagged and then towed if he does not move it or get it running."

One user mentioned a 311 app for submitting photos of abandoned vehicles. The person who referred to "permanent storage" also argued, "If he's adamant to keep it and work on it, it should be in his driveway or otherwise on his property and then he can park his daily driver in the street."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.