I agree there is nothing passive aggressive about the note and that it doesn't mean the person who left it is a pu$$y. It depends on the circumstances. If I knew the neighbor at least somewhat on a personal level, then I'd talk to them about it in person. If I didn't know them at all or thought there is a chance they'd react confrontational and possibly retaliate with damage to my car or property, then I'd probably leave the note.
For those that insist that you must have the face to face conversation rather than a note, what would you do if the person responds either like a dick, doesn't care at all or even worse, retaliates in some way?