Neighbor complaint - people using his drive to turn

[HarveySherlock]

Sorry I can't add diagram.

So we live on the cul de sack with a turning area. Each house has a driveway. No one parks in the turning area as we have large driveways and there is in shot parking as well.

Since we moved in earlier this year for some reason people use our drive to turn rather than going to the end of the road and use the turning area. This was particularly annoying in the dark evening with car lights.

We got a new fence with automatic driveway gates added last week. This now means people can't use our drive to turn. Our next door neighbor came over yesterday to complain that people are now using his drive instead of ours. We told him there isn't anything we can do. We suggested he put up a sign saying no turning.

He has now posted a note through the door (even though I'm working from home) saying he will be complaining about us at tonight's residents meeting.. He thinks we should have discussed our fence/gate plans with neighbors before installing them as they now have to deal with what was our problem. We didn't need permission for the fence or gates.

Aibu to think that people turning on his drive isn't our problem?

[CruCru]

MIght be quite an interesting meeting.

[Sprinklestar]

I’d go and ask very pointedly if he’d ever had a problem with you turning round in his drive. He’ll obviously say no, at which point you can ask what his issue is! He’s clearly directing his anger at the wrong person. What a dick.

[Emerald92]

Oh no OP... You have a CFN!

[KeepServingTheDrinks]

You HAVE to go to the residents meeting and post frequent updates it's the only way to redeem yourself. Otherwise you'll be drummed off MN for not providing a diagram

[Notonthestairs]

What Shifty said. Please go to the meeting and report back .

[Andrewofgg]

Penguin billiards?

You will have to report back!

[Serin]

Good Lord, he is bonkers.
Hope the rest of your street are not as mad as him.

[RhiannonOHara]

I've got an image of the residents' meetings in Frasier.


YANBU, obviously. What a silly little man.

[Viviennemary]

It's your drive and you can put up a gate if you wish. I'd post a note through everyone's door and say you put up the gate because of people using your driveway for turning and you weren't happy with that. I think it's really cheeky to use people's driveways for turning.

[Neverexpected2]

Oh id still be laughing now if he'd approached me about this. In fact I'd have laughed in his face thinking it was wind up

[Cantuccit]

^I'd post a note through everyone's door and say you put up the gate because of people using your driveway*

Why would you post notes to people who aren't bothered by OP's gates? That's just inflaming the situation.

[CotswoldStrife]

I'd find that irritating too, so I can see why you would put up a fence and gates. Your neighbour finds it irritating too - no surprise there, but the fact that he thinks it is due to the fence and gates is!

So who is doing all this turning in the drives? Visitors? Because I'm thinking it is more likely to be the residents themselves, in which case bringing it up at the meeting is likely to solve the problem for a short while anyway. Job done!

[MrsExpo]

We had a similar problem, but like the poster upthread are all "open plan" in our cul de sac. DH got round it by buying 6 traffic cones and coning our driveway off. A total PITA when we want to back out or driving in but stopped every tom, dick and harry using us as a turn round. Suggest a similar approach to your neighbour.

[SparklingSnowfall]

As pp have said, he needs to install his own gates then! Not your problem OP!

[Ikanon]

So you should have put up with the annoying turning, despite him acknowledging it's annoying, so people could use your drive to turn in instead of his and annoy you? Or he could just do what you've done and move the problem along! Soon the whole close will have gates. That company is going to get a lot of business

[origamiwarrior]

His approach is so bat-shit that I have to ask, are you SURE you don't need residents association permission for fence/gate - I don't mean planning permission, but through a restrictive covenant on your deeds; a surprisingly large number of developments do have these.

[ButchyRestingFace]

He thinks we should have discussed our fence/gate plans with neighbors before installing them as they now have to deal with what was our problem.

Genuine LOLZ.



I'd go to the residents meeting to hear what is said. Hellfire and brimstone wouldn't keep me away.

[Pearlsaringer]

Thank you OP for the Christmas gift of a parking thread! Do go to the meeting, Sounds a riot!

[ijustwannadance]

So at the residents meeting he can surely just tell the other residents to stop using his bloody drive to turn on?

[Funnyface1]

Why is it ok for it to be a problem for you but not for him?

What planet is he living on? What you do with your property is nobody else's business unless they have a right of way.

[CocaColaTruck]

Ridiculous man. Go along to the meeting to point and laugh at him.

[MillennialFalcon]

You've done nothing wrong and hopefully the residents meeting will tell him that, he should be blaming the people using his drive, not you for taking steps to prevent them using yours. I would go along just to listen to what is said and make sure he is not making anything up though. I bet he has pulled stuff like this before and other people are probably sick of his behaviour so hopefully they will side with you.

[redshoeblueshoe]

So what time is this meeting?

[amusedbush]

[EdithFinch]

Was he using your drive too? He's nuts, good luck with him. Please do go the meeting but don't engage!

There are so many people who are happy with anything as long as it doesn't involve them...