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Leaky Truck
updated: Jul 06, 2012, 5:25 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Can anything be done about a neighbor who NEVER parks his truck that leaks a lot of oil on the street in front of his own house or in his driveway? He parks in front of my house or the next door neighbor's and we are sick of the oil slick he leaves behind. We think he knows and does it on purpose. He won't talk to either of this. Can it be reported to some city agency?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 294920	2012-07-06 06:08 PM
Yes, you park in front of your own house.....do it for awhile......then he wont be parking in front of your house and leaving oil. I have a neighbor who used to fix his car in the street in front of my house, made a big old mess and was extremely noisy (loud radio...heavy bass). I just started parking in that spot, and the problem stopped, and he did his car maintenance in his own driveway.
COMMENT 294928	2012-07-06 06:34 PM
Have you tried talking to him about it? I know it sounds rash, but sometimes works.
COMMENT 294931	2012-07-06 06:40 PM
Tracy has the perfect solution. Just park there right before he usually does and then move your car into the garage later after he has parked his truck. I guess another way to approach it would be the old" you attract more flies with honey" routine. Bake him some cookies and be really nice and just ask him if he could please park somewhere other than in front of your house. Every once in awhile the "nice routine" works, he just might be someone who has never had a kind word from anyone....probably with good reason. Worth a try!
COMMENT 294932	2012-07-06 06:42 PM
Commenter states the neighbor won't talk to him/her in their post! I like the suggestion of parking in the space yourself. I can't think of an agency to help out, this isn't breaking a law, unfortunately.
COMMENT 294935	2012-07-06 06:54 PM
Discharging motor oil into a storm drain carries a stiff penalty!
COMMENT 294937	2012-07-06 06:58 PM
I had a similar issue recently. I left a pleasant note for my neighbor and the next day the problem was solved. You might as well at least try the polite, direct approach first. Should the situation ever escalate, it speaks to your civility and good-faith effort to solve the problem.
COMMENT 294939P	2012-07-06 07:13 PM
937 - like 932 said - the poster said that the guy won't talk to them. Jeez!
COMMENT 294946	2012-07-06 07:36 PM
Yes, the guy won't talk to them. Hence the note...
COMMENT 294953P	2012-07-06 08:04 PM
Call creeks dept report it
COMMENT 294954	2012-07-06 08:05 PM
If it's a public street and a registered/insured vehicle, there's not much you can do other than take the space first. If it's got a serious leak and it gets into a drain, you could make a case that your neighbor is polluting the environment. However, it doesn't sound like this is a "sprays oil everywhere" situation but the kind of slow drip just about any older vehicle has. Honestly, it's a public street and you have no right to demand that the public doesn't park on it. You can ask but your neighbor has no legal obligation not to park on a public street. You can take the space yourself if it's open but you can't reserve it. Don't be that crazy neighbor who thinks they can tell everyone where to park. I actually had a neighbor like that once who decided it was her job to assign parking spaces to the entire neighborhood. Didn't work very well. Fortunately, she was too busy to be much of a pest.
COMMENT 294957	2012-07-06 08:15 PM
Call Channelkeepers! They'll initiate a class-action lawsuit against him for leaking oil into the ocean!
COMMENT 294960P	2012-07-06 08:25 PM
Paint your curb red.
S.B.RON	2012-07-06 09:19 PM
@958....Huh? I'll have what you're having.
COMMENT 294969P	2012-07-06 09:25 PM
Forget the honey crap. Passive aggressive is the way to go inthis situation! We had a neighbor doing some work on their house and they parked all 5 of their cars plus all the workers leaky trucks in front of our house for several months. The workers had dogs roaming around pooping in our yard, they left their trash and cigarette butts in our planter. I waited until the workers left and parked our cars there at night so there wouldn't be space in the morning. It worked but they started parking up street. Suddenly lots of flats were occurring apparently one of the workers kept dropping nails in the street...bummer. It turned out to be safer to park on the property they were working on...
COMMENT 294970P	2012-07-06 09:49 PM
Subscribe to the city's new promotion, the let's-get-neighborly web site, Nextdoor.com, and exchange neighborly notes. ;)
COMMENT 295056	2012-07-07 10:15 AM
I have a neighbor with a barking dog, when we mention it or complain the barking increases. After years of this and other noise problems we defined the type of people that we live next to...they are Bullies. An albeit basic notion, it helped define these people and divest ourselves of hope of normal behavioral expectations. Bullies are bullies because they were bullied, they are usually react like imps to sensible requests and it is not likely they will change, and they probably bully their children...or taught them to bully...so I suggest moving and go meet your prospective neighbors before inking the deal on a dwelling next time... Neighbors can be great...but when they aren't it really sucks.
COMMENT 295068	2012-07-07 10:42 AM
5056.... I like your classification strategy. It allows you to accept "difficult" neighbours and lets you drop the expectation that they might actually have a civil bone in their body. Civility is not a human right, unfortunately, and as you've noted bullies take pleasure in the displeasure they cause others.
COMMENT 295089	2012-07-07 11:10 AM
its called 'creating a public nusince" (sp?) and they can be cited. You can be cited for a smokey fireplace/backyard BBQ so why not oil in the street?
COMMENT 295110	2012-07-07 12:08 PM
Drip pan nailed to his door?
COMMENT 295228P	2012-07-07 09:04 PM
@5056 and 5068. Right on. We have a neighbor like that. You mention an issue, and you will pay! Their attitude is...nobody tells me what to do!
COMMENT 295274	2012-07-08 09:59 AM
Sprinkle a some kitty litter on the oil. Maybe he doesn't notice how much oil is there and/or make him think about the possible objections of this from neighbors, the law, our NGO's etc..
COMMENT 295292	2012-07-08 10:58 AM
Put a mirror on your house directed at his car. I guarantee it will take away this negative neighbor.

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