A fed-up Sydney resident has taken neighbourhood parking wars into his own hands, unleashing a can of spray paint directly over cars that dare to block his driveway.
The homeowner in Freshwater has marked his territory with a bright pink painted boundary line that traces the gutter and goes straight over the black car blocking the driveway entry.
Obsessed with neighbourhood wars? Download our new app and never miss a headline
The picture of the vigilante paint job quickly circulated online, showing lines running over tires, panels, and windows, instantly dividing Aussies between those cheering on the petty revenge and those warning he has landed himself in serious legal trouble.
Social media reacts
“Not the smartest thing to do. You never know who owns the car. And they sure know where you live,” one person warned on Instagram.
“Property damage does not justify a parking issue,” a second person pointed out.
Others praised the local as a “genius”, claiming his retaliation was “fair” but also “outstanding”.
“This is a FANTASTIC idea! People have zero respect. I can understand if you are going to be 5-10 minutes, but people leave their cars blocking my driveway for hours,” one user commented.
“Totally warranted,” a second user wrote.
“Great idea,” a third joined in.
Many people criticised the driver, questioning why they would park there in the first place.
“Don’t block the driveway. Simple really,” a person claimed.
“Why park over someone’s driveway?” another questioned.
However one person criticised the homeowner, calling him out for taking drastic actions because the car was a “foot” over the driveway.
When news.com.au contacted Northern Beaches Council regarding the dispute, a spokesperson referred the matter to NSW Police. When approached, NSW Police directed inquiries to the NSW Police community portal.
What the law says about spray-painting cars
While blocking a driveway is infuriating, taking a can of paint to someone else’s vehicle is a criminal offence that carries severe consequences.
Avinash Singh, Principal Lawyer at Astor Legal, warned that using spray paint on a vehicle could quickly land the vigilante in court facing charges for malicious property damage.
“Whether the prank is serious enough to warrant a malicious property damage charge will depend on whether the physical integrity of the property was altered in some way (Grajewski v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2019] HCA 8),” Mr Singh told news.com.au.
“This includes if the alteration was temporary.
“The fact that people are not able to easily remove the graffiti from their vehicles suggests that this would likely amount to malicious property damage.”
The penalties for damaging property are severe nationwide, but particularly in NSW, damaging property carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment (or up to 10 to 12 years if caused by fire or explosives, and six years if committed in company) under Section 195 of the Crimes Act 1900.
What does the law say about parking over driveways?
While the resident’s paint reaction could land him behind bars, the drivers who obstructed his access aren’t off the hook either.
Under Australian Road Rule 198, drivers are strictly prohibited from stopping on a road in a position that obstructs access by vehicles or pedestrians to or from a driveway or passageway, unless driving a public bus dropping off or picking up passengers.
Across Australia, the maximum penalty for breaching this road rule in court is a fine of up to $2200, alongside council infringement notices and the risk of having the vehicle towed at the owner’s expense.
Read related topics:Sydney