u/figbranch17

i live in a duplex in los angeles. after changing the locks on the last tenant, our building’s owner has started allowing their friend to host airbnbs in the downstairs apartment. parking immediately became an issue as guests started to block our cars in. whenever we ask them to move, they claim that the airbnb owner told them to park in the driveway. whether this is true or not, our neighborhood has street parking. it can, however, be very competitive. because of this, it’s essential that we’re able to park in our driveway to avoiding being ticketed or towed (both happened to me last year).

we have been renting the upstairs apartment for 3 years and were never informed about the plan for the downstairs unit. in addition, we were never told to stop using the driveway or that guests would be using it as well. we’ve tried contacting the leasing company but have gotten no reply. as someone who has had my car towed, i consider it a last result. however, im starting to get fed up. my job starts early in the morning and it’s been a huge pain getting people to get up and move their cars.

what would you do in this situation? we’re essentially being bullied into giving up our parking spaces with no prior communication or discussion. we considered calling the city, but based on the short term rental laws nothing illegal is happening. thank you in advance.

had an accident last weekend where i was rear ended and pushed into the car in front of me. i was thankfully not at fault but my car has been deemed totaled by the insurance company. i did experience whiplash and missed two days of work but am generally doing okay.

the car was lease to own and i still owe money on it. i am currently waiting to hear back from the leasing company on how much the pay out will be. if all goes well, i’m hoping to pocket the remaining money.

while this situation has been frustrating due to the nature of the incident and the incompetence of my insurance adjustor, i am at peace with the situation. my mother however had been pressuring me to hire an attorney to prosecute the at fault driver and their insurance.

to my understanding, hiring an attorney would be a gamble as their fees may eat up a larger chunk of money than im getting back from the leasing company. additionally, my neck pain has mostly resolved itself. thus, i see little need to press charges.

do i need an attorney in this situation or is my mother giving me bad advice? thank you in advance.