Falling out with new neighbours before we move in

[Regalparade]

We have recently just bought an end of terrace house with a driveway on the side. The lady who lived there previously did not drive or have a car. Next door have turned their front garden into a driveway...they can fit one car in but they have two cars and they park their other car by driving over our driveway into theirs. Obviously if we park then they are blocked in.
Actually we have to park our cars at an angle so their first car can come out easily. Their house didn't originally come with the driveway but ours did.
They have taken advantage of the fact the neighbour was elderly and didn't drive to suit their own needs. We have two cars to park. It's in a small cul de sac so no actual parking bays for non driveway users.
Any advice welcome on this. We don't want to fall out with neighbours but obviously want to park our cars on our own driveway. We drove past today and they had three cars on their driveway.

Definitely need a diagram.
Unless they have a legal right of access I would just park my car whatever way suited me. I would probably consider a fence or wall too.

Have they dropped their kerb too? Park how you want, not your problem that they can't get on their drive

Yes I am afraid it doesn't sound like you'll avoid falling out in this case. Knock and let them know you'll be erecting a fence or something, give them time to arrange to extend the dropped kerb and sort their access out.

It's your driveway and you can park two cars on it, they'll have to deal with their car overcrowding.

Agree that a diagram is needed. I can't picture the set up.
I would park as you want to on your drive.

It's your drive.

Big girl pants on and park on it.

You have paid for it remember!

Agree with pp , unless there is something in the deeds about them having access just park as you like and they will have to live with it . Do not start moving cars and making concessions , start as you mean to go on , it's not your problem.

Move in, park in your drive and then suggest that they need to make their own arrangements to park as your drive will be in use daily.

Not only would I use my driveway, I'd be putting some sort of fence up to prevent others driving over it.

Poor woman who used to be their neighbour. I bet she hated them driving over her driveway. Cheeky fuckers.

I am sorry OP. I cannot understand the scenario of NDN having to drive over yours to get to theirs. How do they get on to their driveway at present ? I am a bit puzzled.

I think a diagram is essential. Absolutely.

I'd put a fence up

And gates

Agree that a diagram (fully labelled with colours ) is needed please!

Maybe some cctv to cover your drive area in case they start driving over your garden. .

I'm also confused.

Park on your drive. I doubt there is anything in the deeds if they have added their drive recently.

Just start parking on your own drive when you move in.

It's not your fault or your problem that they have parking dilemmas.
If they complain just say "I'm sorry, are you asking us not to park on our own drive?".

I'm struggling to visualise though so yes to a diagram!

Agree with putting a fence/wall up to separate. Also a dropped bollard to avoid them using your driveway for their second car. Just make sure that they have no right to access before the work is carried out. I'm also guessing they don't have a dropped kerb or maybe a wall in front of pavement, so putting a wall up would prevent them from moving their car?

I would just park on my driveway and if they complain then politely point out that it's your driveway. They won't have any legal right of way if they put a bodge drive in. They need to sort a proper dropped kerb so they can access their driveway without going across yours.

If you are happy to park so they can get one car on so this and suggest if they are unhappy you could always stop accommodating them at all.

They built themselves a driveway with no access save for that provided by the goodwill of a non-car owning neighbour.

It's not your job to afford them access. You need your driveway.

Just park on your own driveway. They've been lucky so far. Not your problem!

When you say their house didn't come with a driveway", do you mean they've just paved over their garden to fit one car, and park their second car in your^ driveway? Or they still have a garden wall / raised kerb on their frontage and use your garden for access to theirs?
It doesn't actually matter anyway, they must know that when the house was sold, it couldn't continue.

you don't know it'll be a problem. I've parked on my neighbours drive for 8years. she is an elderly lady and it makes her feel secure as she thinks, whether rightly or wrongly, that it'll put robbers etc off thinking there's a active person living there. suits me as well... but I know fine that if she moves on that the new people own the drive and that I will no longer park there. many people are reasonable... give them a chance!

It sounds confusing! Is there some thing where if you have access for a certain amount of time it is then yours? How long have they been doing it?