Is it okay to ask someone to move their car?
You peer through the curtain and see Barry’s vehicle parked out the front of your house. You need the kerbside clear for when you’re mowing the nature strip later that day.
If you remember our recent story about whether you can park in front of your neighbour’s house, you’d know it’s totally fine for Barry to be parked here.
In fact, most of you are polite parkers with close to four in five respondents in a recent sa move poll saying they’d only park in front of their neighbour’s house if there was no other choice.
So, when someone does park in front of your house, is it ever okay to ask them to move their vehicle?
POLL: What would you do in this situation?
What the law says
You can politely ask, but don’t expect the driver of the vehicle to follow your request as it’s not legally required. Why? If it’s a public street, anyone can park in front of your house provided there are no signposted restrictions (i.e. parking limits, clearways and no-standing zones), and the vehicle isn’t blocking your driveway.
Obstructing access to and from a driveway is an offence, and you can be fined $100 and receive a $108 Victims of Crime Levy.
If someone who shouldn’t be there has parked on your property, that’s a different story. In this case, you can ask the driver of the vehicle to move.
What you can do
In the words of Gandhi: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
According to RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain, there’s nothing wrong with asking someone to consider moving their vehicle if you have a genuine reason, but you should avoid confrontation wherever possible.
“It’s not uncommon for parking disputes of this nature to unnecessarily escalate,” Charles says.
“If you urgently need a vehicle moved from the front of your house, and you know the vehicle’s owner, ask respectfully.
“But remember, they’re not legally required to move, even if you say please.”