It took nine months for residents of Oakland's North Neville Street to get a few new parking spaces from the city. It took politically connected developer Walnut Capital a week to take some of those spaces away.

Though a few parking spaces may not seem like much, in student-clogged Oakland it matters.

"There are times when we are just so squeezed for space," said Patricia Edgar, a research center director at Carnegie Mellon University. She can handle a two-block walk from the nearest available parking space to her home in The D'Arlington condominiums, but with groceries or a suitcase "that's quite a hike."

The hiking started in 2006, as Walnut Capital built The Metropolitan, 42 luxury condos on the same block as The D'Arlington.

Prior to construction's start, the site was vacant for years, with on-street parking in front. In talks with the neighborhood, Walnut Capital "said we would lose no parking," said John Becker, a D'Arlington resident.

During construction, though, Dumpsters and contractors' trucks clogged the on-street parking. Seventeen residents of The D'Arlington, which has no parking lot or garage, wrote to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Councilman William Peduto in March, asking for four sign changes that would free up spaces.

"Never one word back from the mayor," said Mrs. Edgar. Mr. Peduto's office met with the residents and the developer.

When residents parked in front of The Metropolitan, they found warnings on building letterhead on their windshields saying they had "parked in a reserved parking area. Your license has been recorded. The next violation will result in vehicle tow and impoundment at your expense."

Private landowners can't reserve city streets, said city Public Works Director Guy Costa. "They had no right to do that," he said of the warnings.

Walnut Capital Chief Executive Gregg Perelman denied knowledge of the warnings, but residents said he defended the practice when they called him.

Last month, the city began implementing suggestions made in residents' March letter. The area between the ends of The Metropolitan's U-shaped driveway became residential parking. Walnut Capital's 22-foot-long Dumpster took up part of that space. Residents used what was left.

"People were parking right up to the curb" where the driveway meets the street, said Mr. Perelman. His firm told Mr. Costa that people leaving The Metropolitan couldn't see oncoming traffic.

"It's not a car that's blocking the view, it's the Dumpster," countered Mr. Becker.

Mr. Costa said state law bars parking within three feet of a driveway, but the city is allowed to increase that distance as needed. He visited the site, and his department created a 42-foot no-parking zone next to the driveway. He said he would have made such an inspection and change for any property owner.

Residents wrote to officials that they fear the developer may be getting "special treatment."

Walnut Capital's executives gave $16,000 to Mr. Ravenstahl's campaign. They're getting a city subsidy for their Bakery Square development in Larimer, plus a ruling that exempts a hotel there from a labor neutrality rule.

Residents report aggressive ticketing, once rare on the street. Mr. Becker, an 80-year-old retired music director, is tired of the hassle. He's moving to Cranberry.