Woman's roommate's boyfriend kept taking her $210 parking spot despite warnings — then she hit him with a $75 lesson
Living with a roommate can sometimes turn things awkward when there is a lack of understanding about boundaries. One college student found herself in that situation when her roommate's boyfriend repeatedly started using the parking spot she had paid $210 for, even after she asked them to stop. The student, who posts on Reddit as u/angelicxxxx, shared the situation on October 5, 2026, but after the boyfriend ignored her warnings, she made one move that left him with a $75 ticket.
AITAH for getting my roommate's boyfriend ticketed for using the parking spot I pay for?
by u/angelicxxxx in AITH
The apartment allowed one car per unit, but the parking spot came with a separate $210 fee, which she had paid herself. Her roommate didn't drive, but her boyfriend kept parking in the same spot when the street was full. After coming home late one night to find his car there, she warned her roommate that she needed the spot after her shifts. She was told it wouldn't happen again, but a week later, his car was back. This time, she snapped a photo, reported the plate, and watched the complex hit him with a $75 ticket. After being ignored twice, she figured it was time to let the parking rules speak for themselves. She said she had paid the $210 semester fee specifically so she could count on having the spot after her late shifts, and after being ignored repeatedly, she decided to let the complex enforce its own parking rules.
The $75 ticket did not go over well with her roommate. She argued that the student stayed at her boyfriend's place three or four nights a week, so the spot often sat empty and shouldn't be treated like "private property." She also complained that two texts weren't a real conversation and pointed out that her boyfriend didn't have $75 to spare. But from the student's perspective, that missed the point. She had already warned her roommate twice, including telling her that she would report the car if it happened again. She said her roommate limited interacting with her and even said that if the situation became a lease problem, "she isn't the one who should move."
Still, the student admitted that she does stay at her boyfriend's place several nights a week, leaving her wondering whether she had been too harsh by reporting the car. The people who read the story, however, largely sided with her. u/OrcEight said, "You pay for parking separately, so it's not reasonable for her to expect to share it." Another commenter, u/Content_Distance5623, put it even more bluntly, writing, "You pay for it. What does she pay for that you don’t? Take it." u/clxz2106 stated the obvious and wrote, "If he doesn't have $75 for the fine, he should have found another spot."
Parking disputes can get frustrating fast when someone repeatedly ignores a space another person is paying for. Previously, a resident paid $40 a month for an assigned parking spot, only to find a neighbor's truck parked there again and again despite repeated warnings and a complaint to the apartment office. After coming home from a 10-hour shift and finding the truck in the spot yet again, the resident finally had it towed. The neighbor was furious after learning that he had to pay $250 to get his truck back, but the resident felt the repeated warnings had already given him plenty of chances.