Don’t Park in Front of My House! What’s the Law in Arizona?

Years ago, my sister had a cantankerous neighbor. The man had lived the house next door for decades, long before she moved in. He had certain habits he took for granted. Anyone who challenged his routine suffered his wrath. Or, at a minimum, got a firm scolding.

He had a big work truck he always parked in front of his house when he got home from work every day. When my sister had a lot of visitors, some of us made the mistake of claiming the spot in front of his house before he could make it home, and that always made him testy.

Somehow, he always knew the offender was connected to my sister. So, he'd march over and demand the offending vehicle be moved somewhere, well, less offensive to him, and if it wasn't moved quickly enough, he'd threaten to call the cops. Was he right?

Is it illegal to park your car in front of someone else's house in Arizona?

Was the Irascible Man within his rights to make a big stink about when anyone parked in front of his house? Would calling the cops have given him the backup he wanted, or was he just blowing a bunch of hot air?

Is It Legal?

As it turns out, he would have been out of luck. It is legal for anyone to park in front of your house on a public street, as long as they are not blocking a driveway or violating any other parking rules.

It's a pretty safe bet that this guy knew it, too, but he was always so irritated, none of us ever challenged him. Just because it's legal, doesn't mean should. It's not necessarily polite or considerate to park in front someone else's house.

We learned that this guy got up and left for work pretty early in the morning. His routine was a sacred part of his day, and even though he was usually pretty grumpy when he demanded asked the offending car be moved, we usually just did as he asked and put our cars somewhere else.

After all, my sister had to continue to live with this guy right next door, and there was no point in making things hard for her.