# is it illegal to block in a car taking up your space to wait for tow truck? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405 "2018-09-15T20:24:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405/61 "2018-09-16T00:53:24Z")
> [@helpmeout](#): > > I am not renting. I own the house. He is illegally parked. Which may or may not be legally enforceable depending on how the private property is categorized in that area. You are committing the crime of criminal restraint. If the tow truck driver somehow gets the car towed on the order of some random citizen over the objections of the owner he is committing motor vehicle theft. When the cops show up guess which way it’s going to go? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405/62 "2018-09-16T01:00:03Z")
> [@helpmeout](#): > > I am not renting. I own the house. The sign says that the spaces are “assigned”-who assigned your space to you? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405/63 "2018-09-16T01:04:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What state do you reside in? From the photos, Maryland. A quick googling shows that false imprisonment is a common law criminal offense in Maryland, punishable as a misdemeanor. OP, if you think this principle of your parking space is so important to risk prosecution, then that’s up to you. Personally I would be more concerned that the person you are detaining is some kind of maniac. He’s already proven himself the type of maniac that won’t park on a hill - no telling how deep his sociopathy goes. If you have a lawyer at the ready as you say you do, why don’t you direct this question to him and report back? ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405/64 "2018-09-16T01:18:24Z")
There’s no reason to escalate petty situations like this - people have been shot dead over stupider matters. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405/65 "2018-09-16T01:18:29Z")
**Moderator Action** This has been answered factually about as well as it can be. The OP doesn’t want advice, so there’s no need to move this to IMHO. If the OP wants to rant about someone parking in their spot, the BBQ Pit is a better choice. This is closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-block-in-a-car-taking-up-your-space-to-wait-for-tow-truck/821405.md?page=3)