Neighbours gardeners (diagram) [Title edited by MNHQ]

[thesqueezedlemon]

We all love a diagram accompanied thread dont we? We bought this house 2 years ago. It's a terraced house and my neighbours and I share a passage to access the rear of the property. We get on with the neighbours, my problem isn't with them. My problem is with their gardeners. They used to do our garden for the previous owner but we like to do our own gardening so that didn't continue when we moved in.
The neighbours have two unlocked gates (as shown in diagram) so they decide to use our driveway to drag their heavy lawnmower and various other equipment numerous times (represented by stars) This happens every fortnight. Back and forth back and forth....
We have a newly installed gravel driveway (used to be a garden) and the lawnmower etc leave deep tracks in the stones and drags stones onto the pavement.

Today I heard them arrive. I immediately went and moved my car to block the shared passage entrance from my side. Yes it was very passive aggressive but I don't like confrontation.
They still squeezed past my car and walked over my driveway 6 times but they had to take the lawnmower down 'their customers path' you know the one that wants them there. Unlike me!
Today feels like a small victory. I want them to know it is unacceptable to use my property like this.

To make matters worse. We removed all our hedges at the front. Our properties are now separated by next doors hedge. The gardeners cut their hedges but on my side leave a one inch overgrowth on my side. Presumably because we don't employ them. The hedge doesn't belong to me. I don't expect them to cut the entire side but to leave a small overgrowth on the top is pathetic.
This is another reason why I'm now making a stand.

AIBU?

Oh and I would leave the hedge too, it is fast growing at the moment and will soon look so untidy that the neighbour will hopefully tell them to trim it properly.

Have a gentle word with the gardeners and tell them that they need to unlock the gates of the property to which they are attending and bring everything in through there. Point out the marks in the gravel if necessary. It doesn't have to be confrontational - at this point, it's a polite request, with which they should comply.

The area of uncut hedge may well not be their fault. When I cut the top of my hedge, I can't reach right to the other side with the trimmer (even though it looks as though I ought to be able to, the angles don't allow it), so I often end up leaving an area on their side that isn't perfect.

but to leave a small overgrowth on the top is pathetic.

And moving your car to block the shared passage entrance from your side isn't?

How about using your big girl words and just asking them to stop.

Sorry but yabu in how you handled it.

Yes you have every right to ask them not to use your drive way, but you actually have to ask them, not move your car as soon as you see them which could be considered a dick move.

There's another thread - here where the MNer's neighbour's dd's boyfriend (still with me so far), has been cutting across the MNer's garden - even pushing her windows closed so he can get past, and barging into the MNer's dh, making him spill coffee down himself.

Despite being asked not to do this, several times, he carried on doing so, so the MNer moved two heavy plant pots to block his path - and the next time he came past, he called her a bitch for doing so. Unluckily for him, her dad, who is ex Army, was there, and tore him off a strip for the trespassing and the insult, made him apologise, and told him not to do it again.

It is hilarious, and well worth a read.

Maybe ArmyDad could sell his services to all MNers with garden trespass problems?

I knew I was being 'a bit' childish. And at the risk of sounding more so. He started it! Haha! Seriously tho, I didn't want him dragging his massive equipment across my driveway so I moved the car so he couldn't do it. It's my property and I can park my car where I want. I didn't want to and shouldn't have to have an uncomfortable conversation with people who have no common decency or manners.

I knew I was being 'a bit' childish. And at the risk of sounding more so. He started it! Haha! Seriously tho, I didn't want him dragging his massive equipment across my driveway so I moved the car so he couldn't do it. It's my property and I can park my car where I want. I didn't want to and shouldn't have to have an uncomfortable conversation with people who have no common decency or manners.

I'll have a read genius sounds hilarious. Muwahahaha

tell gardeners not to do it.
if they persist tell your neighbours.
do it with a smile and friendliness and it doesn't have to be confrontational.

toughen up love!

You have gravelled your front garden for parking, when we gravelled a drive the contractor informed us that we needed to have a strip of concrete between the pavement and the drive so gravel did not go on the highway and into the drains. Are the gardeners doing this when they disturb the gravel?

You say you don't want to put a gate in at an angle, what I would be tempted to do would be to square off a metre, space permitting, and put a piece of fence or trellis and a gate locked with a padlock, which could be numbered. Of course if you don't use the gate often you could put pots there in that space.

The gardeners are employed by your NDN, and it is their responsibility to tell their gardeners what access they must use, it may simply be that if they have used this for years with the previous owner they haven't changed their route. You could also speak to the neighbours re ensuring their hedge is cut.

I always find if there is a problem with neighbours the best policy is to speak to them without anticipating a negative response. Alternatively you could hire Army Dad to help you out!

Yes bella there is a section of bricks all the way around the gravel. The gravel is also reinforced with a thick pocket like sheeting underneath the gravel. It's pea shingle and with all the good will in the world it moves. His lawnmower pushes off more stones than the cars do in a week!