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Original poster

Neighbours think my drive is a right of way

207 replies

Runningonjammiedodgers · 08/04/2024 12:21

Pic attached.

I live in a row of terreced houses. My house (1) has a path to the front door and a drive way next to my house. Houses 2-5 share a path that leads to the road. There is a strip of grass in front of their houses and then their parking spaces.

Neighbours in house 2 used to walk over the grass to their front door to avoid going the long way up the path. They (and their guests) have now taking to walking down my driveway along my path and jumping over the flower bed in the middle to get to their door. It's really pissing me off! It's my property being treated as a right of way and they walk right past my living room window so there is no privacy. But it's also not causing any damage or inconvenience. Just annoying as hell.

AIBU to ask them to stop using my property as a public footpath? Or do I just need to suck it up?

Neighbours think my drive is a right of way
OP posts:
Thread gallery
14
Stripeysocks1981 · 10/04/2024 10:25

They are very rude. No respect! I wouldn’t even bother saying something, I’d just put a fence up where the flower bed is. If they’re cheeky enough to walk past your window every day, it’ll fall on deaf ears.

luluw41 · 10/04/2024 10:10

Something like this would work. Trough with trellis attached. Obviously make sure it’s wide enough to cover the path.

Neighbours think my drive is a right of way
Goodtogossip · 10/04/2024 09:31

Put a little sign up at the end of your driveway saying 'Private Property' it might give them a hint. If it doesn't work mention to the neighbours you know someone that's getting rid of some paving stones, do they want them to make a stepping stone path from the parking bays across the grass to their door. Another hint they may pick up on. If that doesn't work then just ask them if they'd please ask their guests to stop using your driveway/path as it unnerves you having people pass your living room window.

Jigglypuffff · 10/04/2024 09:14

I strongly recommend planting firethorn aka pyracantha. It’s a beautiful thorn bush, hardy, cheap to buy, grows fast (trim it to the shape you like), white flowers in summer and masses of coloured berries in winter that the birds love. Grows faster than berberis which someone mentioned earlier, has more vicious thorns, and is a native plant. Makes a wonderful hedge! Your neighbours will only try to breach it once….

Rottweilermummy · 09/04/2024 22:35

I would definitely grow/ plant something spikey or stingy, bee, bird and butterfly friendly of course , and how about a nice bird feeding station , I would also be tempted to put something like a banana skin or equally slippy down 🤣🤣

Bsgpuss · 09/04/2024 22:16

Plant roses

RawBloomers · 09/04/2024 21:42

YaMuvva · 09/04/2024 21:13

These are your friend OP https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265245253825?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=Cj0KCQjwztOwBhD7ARIsAPDKnkDsOneGf45uhPVy7yhkCxDLxD7O_SSBShoRy2BD4AsvkssmNcABaf4aAqSFEALw_wcB

How are those going to stop the neighbour from walking in front of OP's window? Won't they just step over them?

HollyDollyPollyLolly · 09/04/2024 21:37

If you don't want to approach them as such, could you loiter near the window and when you see them approach to pass to their door, swing your door open and step out and say hi expectedly as if you assumed they were coming to your door (because why else would they be on your property 🙄) that way, you're blocking their way and they would have to explain to you why they're there. It could make them feel awkward enough not to do it again?

smellslikecinnamon · 09/04/2024 21:24

As pp suggested, if yellow arrow is car entry, fence it. Or sling red line if you want the flower bed on your side assuming the flower bed is yours. It's kind of weird

Neighbours think my drive is a right of way
AllRevvedUpWithNoPlaceToGo · 09/04/2024 21:16

Bamboo in pots?

Noodles1234 · 09/04/2024 21:14

Berberis, and lots of it.

lovely little plant, great for birds too. Grows just enough and great for boundaries.

yes CF and would annoy me.

GoldEagle · 09/04/2024 21:08

GasPanic · 08/04/2024 12:31

Its a stupid layout IMO that is asking for trouble.

Why did they just not put the parking spaces in front of the houses and run short paths through the grass to each house.

Stupid layout or not, these neighbours and their visitors have no right to trespass on OP's property.

Alwaysbloodytired · 09/04/2024 20:42

Do you enter your drive from the yellow arrow? If so, could you put a fence along the right hand side all the way round to your front door. If the CF’s do walk up your drive then they can only follow the fence round to your front door

Neighbours think my drive is a right of way
ArchaeoSpy · 09/04/2024 19:14

a fence or barriers would or may help

mumoftinyterrors · 09/04/2024 19:02

Assume there’s a management company if it’s a new estate? Call them and tell them what’s going on. They will write to the neighbour

Rhaenys · 09/04/2024 18:53

YANBU but this happens at mine too, not just with my next door neighbours and their guests but with delivery drivers and postal workers too. I just suck it up because everybody seems to do it and I don’t see what I can do about it.
I think it must be quite common with these types of property set ups.

Barney60 · 09/04/2024 18:51

Would annoy the hell out of me. i would get a fence put up a low one is no good they will just jump over it, something high then prickly shrubs!

Original poster
Runningonjammiedodgers · 09/04/2024 13:45

ggggggooooo · 09/04/2024 08:10

@Runningonjammiedodgers

So they do this? Hmm. That is so annoying. They cross over your car parks and your path. I know it sounds petty but most of us would find this annoying. You just feel intruded upon. We like our private space to be private and respected. God knows we have little enough privacy these days.

Your parking up against your flower bed works but as you say it means your passengers are forced to crawl out of your side.

Anything you put there will also affect your passengers so it's tricky

It's about making it more^^ annoying for them to go your way than the other way. Can you get a grit tub or some other big but not ugly thing to put across the end of your car park space? Or a sack of compost that you are planning to use for the flower bed and leave it there a few weeks or just something that establishes a new habit from them?

And create something tall in the bed between your two houses. So they have to go over onto the grass anyway thus negating the benefits of going around your car parks? And continue with the squeezed parking for a bit. Just make it so it's just too much hassle for them so they develop a new habit of going the other way around.
I take it the ground is tarmac so you can't put a little chain fence along the end of the car park to block the route?

Quite like the idea of a few bags of compost as the end of the drive so I can still on the drive but it's difficult to walk between the back of my car and the compost sacks

OP posts:
Original poster
Runningonjammiedodgers · 09/04/2024 13:43

ggggggooooo · 09/04/2024 08:12

These two ends. Can they be blocked. Is the end of the car park space onto grass or paved. If it's grass can you put in a fence of some sort?

Can't block the end of the car parking space as that is how I access my drive from the road. But think a fence or some pushes or booby traps would be good for down the middle of the two houses

OP posts:
IncompleteSenten · 09/04/2024 11:14

You can generally guess how someone will be based on how they have been. Given they've ignored neighbour requests in the past re noise I would assume they will ignore your request too.

Then when you put up a fence or trellis, they'll likely have a bad attitude because they'll know exactly why you've done it.
Whereas if you just put a high trellis or fencing up and grow plants along it, you're just improving your garden.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 09/04/2024 11:05

Ultimately they need to pick it up with the developer and either put a second path in front of house 2 or put some paving stones in. Simplest thing is probably to remove the grass entirely, put down permeable cover, lots of pebbles and plant something drought proof that will look nice and sculptural but be practical underfoot. The footpath is still there as a surface for heavy loads.

Mersey76 · 09/04/2024 11:03

If you can I would advise fencing the area. I’ve just had a nightmare with a neighbour doing this and because they made what looked like a footpath across my grass I’ve been told by the Land Registry that ownership isn’t clear. They also pointed out that the area wasn’t fenced in. I asked my neighbour politely not to do it but was ignored. Solicitor’s letters achieved nothing.

ggggggooooo · 09/04/2024 08:21

OP when you figure out something that works, if the neighbours get pissy tell them you got sick of lots and lots of people cutting through. Make out it wasn't just them. It was delivery drivers, visitors all manner of people, visitors to the other houses who couldn't figure out the right way and agree that the layout is stupid. Make them feel it's a problem with the development. Not a you against them problem.

ggggggooooo · 09/04/2024 08:17

ek20 · 08/04/2024 15:26

YANBU. However, I'm guessing people in houses 3,4 and 5 also have people walking passed their windows on the official path, if your map is correct? Maybe that is why they are all thinking it's not such a big issue.

But it's a designated path. They bought the places knowing this.

It's like saying some people have a pavement right outside their houses so people with front gardens should be ok with people walking across their garden

I think most people wouldn't like people walking through their private car parking/garaging area anymore than people walking across the end of their gardens. It's just not normal behaviour

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