Neighbors need to be nicer to each other.

This man and his household had just recently moved into a new complex. They were told that the parking area is free for all residents, but conflicts with their neighbors started arising soon after they moved in.

Read the full story below for more details.

AITA for parking wherever a spot is open in my complex even after my neighbor confronted me

I moved about three months ago, and everything has been great until this past week.

It’s a small townhome community where there is a parking lot in the middle, surrounded by four-wide townhome buildings, with one entrance and exit road and one side not lined with homes.

When moving in, I specifically asked about parking because my household would have three cars. We were told there are way more spots than townhomes, no limits on cars, and no assigned spots.

Since moving in, my household has rotated parking spots to wherever one is open. Sometimes there’s one right at our door, sometimes all the way across the lot, or sometimes in one of the side spaces behind other buildings in the complex.

With the way the parking lot is set up, there is not a situation where each unit has a space right at their door. There are multiple units that don’t have a spot in front because they are on the corners.

An angry neighbor confronted this man and his family over parking.

Just this past week, one of the neighbors pulled up honking repeatedly after dark, and when I went to look out the window, she started yelling at me for parking in the spots at the back of my unit.

I kept my voice at a normal volume and explained that there’s no assigned parking and I park wherever a spot is open, even far in the back sometimes, and she continued to yell.

From what I gathered, she was mad that my wife’s car was parked next to mine because we were “taking up all the close spaces and park there all the time.”

I’ll admit the cars hadn’t moved over the weekend because one is my work truck, but as I said, we constantly park wherever there is open space. I closed my door and did not move a car for her.

I brushed off that encounter after talking to other neighbors and hearing that she is constantly trying to direct neighbors into other parking spots, even before I moved in.

Then a similar encounter happened again.

However, another encounter happened today. This time, it was different neighbors from the farther, perpendicular building. I had parked in that row because there were no spots in front of my building, like multiple times before.

A couple I had never seen before came and knocked on my door, told me I parked in the spot on their lease, and confirmed it was my car by saying the make and model.

I explained I was told there were no assigned spots when I moved in, and the couple mentioned the “confrontation” I had with “their neighbor” about parking before (I was confused because they are multiple units apart).

I moved my car for them because they were calm and semi-polite, but I am annoyed.

I guess I just want outside opinions on whether AITA or the first neighbor is. Am I wrong for parking two cars in front of my unit? Am I wrong for parking behind someone else’s unit? Where else do I park?

First to arrive gets the parking spot.

Other people in the comments are chiming in.

Some valid points from this person.

Here’s a fair suggestion.

Some sensible advice.

Be a good neighbor, says this one.

And lastly, here’s a different perspective.

The early birds get the best parking spots.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.