[S2!!!]

Hi everyone,
This problem may seem a bit familiar to some and I request the readers to give me an honest opinion/solution to it.
In my building my neighbour's (Mr. V) and my car is parked one behind the other in such a way that who ever's car is inside has to remove the other to go out. Now my car is out from morning 8:30 till about 4 in the day generally and his is just parked there in the day. The problem began when Mr.V, who commutes on a bike in the day began going out every night in his car. Well, its his car!!! But ringing our door bell for the car key every night at 10 and even later, seemed a bit unethical to us. We had told him to adjust the car earlier if he has to a million times but he did not listen. His actions made my dad really frustrated due to which one of the nights we did not open the door when he came to ask for the key (mind you the time was 11pm). The next evening he came all agitated and we went to the police station with him where the solution was that he gives us his duplicate key and we give him our key. Fine!! One week, what peace of mind!! There he comes again and says he has lost his car keys and needs his duplicate back. What mistake we made was we did not take our key back while returning his duplicate key.
After that day it was living like hell!!! They would go out often with their car in the way and leave no option for us to use a cab. On confronting them they said well our duplicate (ford fiesta) keys cost Rs.4000/ and we are really sorry for the inconvenience. They would park their car in the middle when our car would not be there and make us climb 2 floors to call him down and he says sorry for the inconvenience but I have to go out. Mind you this chap has our duplicate keys so it is really really convenient for him.
Then after 2 years he comes and says that he has lost our duplicate key and accuses us of having taken it!! After that came our new car and obviously we did not give him our duplicate keys cause he had taken his back and lost ours. All the problems we faced kept repeating again and again. BTW on several occassions through several ways we have had the feeling that he has his duplicate keys which he had taken away along with his original set. Well our doubts were confirmed 3 weeks ago when I saw both his keys hanging together on the same hook in his house.
Cut to yesterday...His servant usually comes to wash his car at 8:30 when my dad leaves so we remove our car that time. Since 2 weeks this guy began going away with the keys of his car for certain errands leaving my dad waiting there getting late. We had sternly told both Mr.V and his servant to leave the keys with the watchman and go but these people never listen. My dad was getting late for a meeting yesterday and this guy was missing from the compound. He comes after 10 mins and tells my dad "aap rukko, mujhe bhi kaam hota hai" (you wait, even i have work) when my dad told him why the hell did he not leave the keys, upon which my dad gave him 2-3 welll deserved slaps. Mr.V calls and threatens to lodge a complaint at the police station for my dad's actions. My dad wanted this only so that we get a solution to our problem but Mr.V did not complain.
Now team-bhp, after reading this long story can you please help me come up with a solution for my problems??

please note: In my building there is no other spot left to park and parking on the streets is not acceptable by my parents as there have been plenty of vandalism cases and those of theft.

[Gansan]

Buy a jalopy as cheap as possible. Park it between his car and the gate before he wakes up, take your new car and go out of station for 10 days!
Jokes apart, if it is an apartment complex, a solution should be sought through the association.

[prince_pervez]

Hearing your side of the story I think you guys need to sit together and mutually agree upon the key sharing with a signed agreement covering key loss liability and ownership. Now that the slaps have softened him up he should be ready for a compromise and a peaceful solution. Love Thy neighbours.

[v12]

Option 1 : You 2 will need to mutually agree on the terms and conditions of the parking space.

Option 2 : Since it is a building, am sure there would be parking slots for other cars / members as well. Are these slots fixed for everyone - or is a free-for-all parking lot. If its a free-for-all parking, you could also have your car parked in another slot (or have him do so).

It would be helpful if you could post a pic of the parking lot.

[sachinj12]

Originally Posted by v12

Option 1 : You 2 will need to mutually agree on the terms and conditions of the parking space.

I think they have tried this option and it has failed.

BTW, posted in the wrong section, should have been in shifting gears.

[nandans2005]

All said & done, i wouldn't agree with the fact that your neighbour was slapped. This would have angered him all the more & wouldn't come to an agreement easily. You have raised hands & you are more at fault. I firmly believe that "Clapping happens only when two hands meet"

Any complicated issues can be sorted by spending lots of time and discussing. There is no need to get aggressive, after all the problem is not very serious.

I would suggest, sit with him, discuss and sort the issue amicably. Its not only you having a problem, even he has , isn't it?

Discuss and see through it ASAP. Live harmoniously, it really helps. Even a dry straw on the road will be of some use. Build good relation, though difficult, enjoy the different characters you meet in everyday life.

[aargee]

I like to say that your neighbour's attitude is a clear negligence, carelesness & cunningness. But I don't really know the other side of the story unless you hear from Mr.V of what he says on you.

But seems like Mr.V is having more of night life & late mornings while you're early birds. One peaceful way is, have his car keys, put your car always parked in the front so that there's no disturbance for Mr.V to take out his car. When you want to take your car, move out his car with the spare keys. Like Gansan says, move with association, but then I guess you're staying in a duplex flat where there's no association. Correct me, if I'm wrong.

To fight out, there're so many options.

[v12]

Regarding the timing. What you could do is when you are back at 4PM, thats the time you inform him to remove his car so that you can park it behind. And he would also need to ensure that he is able to do the same at 8-30 AM when its time for you to leave.

One thing that I would want to highlight here :
Sharing duplicate keys is not the solution at all. Agree it is very convenient but can be very problematic too. Imagine if your car were to get a scratch or dent - who would be responsible. Your neighbour would definitelt deny doing it and say that the dent was already there.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by v12

What you could do is when you are back at 4PM, thats the time you inform him to remove his car so that you can park it behind. And he would also need to ensure that he is able to do the same at 8-30 AM when its time for you to leave.

But you may want to check the feasibility; by the time our friend comes home, Mr.V might be in office & the question would rise as who will move the car? But this is really a good way of giving back; I agree.

Originally Posted by v12

Sharing duplicate keys is not the solution at all.

Personally, I wouldn't share my car keys, if I were in the same situation. However, looking at the point where my Dad is woken up at 11:00 PM everyday is something I cannot tolerate too.

Originally Posted by v12

Imagine if your car were to get a scratch or dent - who would be responsible. Your neighbour would definitelt deny doing it and say that the dent was already there.

Strongly agreed.

[ariesonu]

S2: We recently had a huge issue when a resident slapped a servant & then security, in their attempt to stop the resident, got involved. Both parties spent a night in police lock-up. The issue was bike parked in the way of car.
If you are living in a building then you must be having registered soceity. You have not mentioned anything about taking the matter to society office or secretary.
If not so then I guess that you live in Worli/Dadar area. Majority of buildings in suburbs have alloted parkings. I stand to be corrected.

Raab Rakha.

[Gansan]

This is how cars are parked in our complex. Each car goes in/out through it's own gate. There is space to park 8 cars, 9 at a squeeze. There are 16 flats. If more cars are added (right now there are only 5) they have to be accommodated in a central passage between two blocks of apartments, one behind the other. Four cars can be accommodated this way.

There are no reserved parking lots. It is agreed among residents that if the number of cars exceed 8, cars will be parked in these slots on first come basis. Those coming late will have to go into the passage. Those parking in the passage will have to come out and move the cars if a car parked deep inside has to go out. Else, they will have to leave a key with the secretary (me). Choice is theirs'.

[bblost]

@S2!!!

A couple of pics or diagrammatic representations might help.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by bblost

@S2!!!

A couple of pics or diagrammatic representations might help.

I think the picture may help. This was my old car and his car is behind mine. Now there are 2 other cars parked beside us which are not visible in the picture therefore it is not possible to remove the car from the side either. And in the second picture in the front right of my car is the gate from where we remove our car.
Friends please note my father did not slap Mr.V but his servant for being at fault and then back answering.
As some of you have asked regarding the society, well it is a really old building and therefore there is no association or society or even a secretary. The parking have not been allotted to any members but have been that way since the beginning therefore we cannot inconvenience some other resident for our good night sleep.
Guys even we have never wanted to fight and have been polite with them all along and this was the first incident when my dad lost his cool and raised hiss hand.
1 thing I forgot to add is that we have to remove his car if we want to go out and similarly he removes our car when he goes therefore the risk of getting scratched or dented is always there but has never been the case/ concern till date.
And guys thank you soo much for your response. Please keep the solutions flowing.

[im_srini]

Originally Posted by nandans2005

All said & done, i wouldn't agree with the fact that your neighbor was slapped. Any complicated issues can be sorted by spending lots of time and discussing. There is no need to get aggressive, after all the problem is not very serious.

I support Nandan's view in this regard - getting physical, except to return the favor, does not solve anything & will only make any kind of future reconciliation difficult. That said, faking the loss of the duplicate key is rather disingenuous on Mr.V's part - shows he doesn't trust you with free access to his car.

Originally Posted by v12

One thing that I would want to highlight here : Sharing duplicate keys is not the solution at all. Agree it is very convenient but can be very problematic too.

Hi V12, not having an "out" is also risky, for example, in the event of a medical emergency in the middle of the night, when every minute is of the essence, the last thing you'd want to be doing is trying to rouse a neighbor who's in deep slumber !

Hi S2, is there enough space between the 2 cars beside yours & the building's facade for all 4 of the cars be parked at an angle to the wall (like so / / / / ) ?

[pramodkumar]

I faced the same problem, but this was with a lady, who used to drive the car all the way till her home and not even a bike could pass after that, every time she goes out every ones sleep is disturbed due to blaring reverse music" om jai jagdish hare". trust me it was the worst kind of the music to be heard at 12 in the night. i started parking outside on the street and lastly we lost both our ORVMs finally i was lucky i found a parking spot behind our building, we could not see the car but at-last i didn't have to confront her any more. try and figure out for an alternate location, people like these dont change, so you would be wasting even more time and energy with him. if you leave your car keys with him it would cause more issues(vandalism or even theft).


Pramod