Neighbour complaining about our garden lights

[Slave2love]

Very petty and silly subject I know but here goes.
We have a small hedge on the edge of our front lawn to separate our garden from the neighbour's driveway. (Only recently planted, very small at this stage) further in on our lawn we have put a few small solar lights. Next doors drive is only just wide enough to squeeze 2 cars side by side and there is very little room to open doors etc. Until we put the hedge and lights in they were opening their car door fully over our garden in order to get out (also stepping on our land at times). Now I appreciate that we have made it awkward for them to open the doors fully now but surely they are not entitled to use our garden in order to get out of their car? They are new to the street but we knew of them previously and children are actually in the same class at school. Neighbour has asked this morning if we can move the solar lights. All has been pleasant with them up until now despite them being quite selfish neighbours. I could understand if the lights were on the boundary line but they are much further in. I feel it is them who have created the problem by parking 2 cars on a drive only really suitable for one. AIBU to not want to move the lights?

The neighbours are clearly CFs who will take a mile if you give them an inch, literally in this case. Leave your lights where they are, and point out that if there isn't room for them to park safely on their drive, maybe they should either extend it on their own land, or park elsewhere.

Put up an electric fence.

Or build a perimeter wall with gun turrets and barbed wire.

Cheeky fucking bastards.

(Yes I'm a bit overtired).

What's on the other side of their drive beside the other car? Is it their lawn?

Their garden is split level with rockery so if they wanted to extend the drive their side theyd have to dig in to rock and soil. Bit tricky but not impossible. I doubt they will want to do that though.

I can't believe people are siding with your cf neighbours! build a fence as high as you're allowed. 4ft for front garden is it?

even better, move. they are only going to get worse :(

In that case the next time they ask about moving the lights I would suggest they move their rockery.

I've had this problem. I stood my ground. It's my garden and my neighbour doesn't have a right to park on my lawn. He complained to my landlord who told him to jog on.
I'd put planters between the lights if I were you. Or a low fence on their side of the hedge so the hedge won't infringe on their side. Then decorate with pretty Christmas lights. They sound like inconsiderate entitled twats.

Seriously OP, they get to have a rockery and space for 2 cars by using YOUR garden to facilitate, and you don't get a fence or even solar lights to mark YOUR boundary?

Don't be so submissive! Why not put some nice long trough planters along the boundary ON YOUR OWN FECKIN GARDEN!

If they don't then have room to park 2 cars - TOUGH

Move those boring lights.

Replace them with a flock of flamingos www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S73ZD4B/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Obviously putting your hedge in a raised border or one of those trellis beds would make the point that it's your garden not their driveway too.

The fact they have a rockery makes things worse. They have the land, they just don't want to do the work when they could take advantage of you!

YANBU at all. Their parking is not your problem.

You could buy some rectangular planters and replant your box plants. You would get the height straight away but won’t need to replace the box plants.

Box look nice in planters and are easy to shape and maintain. If you leave some spaces in the planters you could plant up some seasonal flowers in between eg cyclamen at this time of year. Have a look on Pinterest for ideas. You get planters that look like stone but are plastic or resin, also galvanised ones look good. You could put your lights in the planters.

Endless possibilities and something NBC lovely for you to look at.

nice, not NBC

OP, stop allowing them to use your garden space to get in and out of their cars. The hedge does need moving, but a light fence or railing right up against the edge (the type you just push into the ground is cheap, temporary and would do the trick of marking your boundary and deterring them from trespassing, which is what they are doing. If they do it long enough, then they will get an easement by default. Maybe get some legal advice about that. Nip this in the bud now.

Box Tree Caterpillars are rampant in my area.
Stripped my topiary bushes completely

I would buy some more of those nice woodsleepers and put them all along the side. That hedge will take a very long time to grow.

As someone who is surrounded by neighbours planting right against the boundary, I agree those hedges are far too close.

They will grow about half a foot a year (in all directions ) and I Les you keep them at about a foot high they will look really lopsided.

You will also have to trim them about every week coring growing season to stop them encroaching on your neighbours driveway.

Talk to your neighbour, explain you dont want them walking in your lawn, it’s a bit petty but it’s the truth. Two, then you have no good will left.

Build a fence or a wall. That hedge it totally i practical and you will have to rip it out in a couple of years.

if you move the lights, next they will be insisting you do something about xyz, or abc, if the solar lights are well within your boundary and they are hitting them with their car doors, you know the hedge will be next on the list of things that annoy them, there is no way a subtle weak glow from a solar light is going to be light enough to piss them off at night, so say no and if the hedge grows and they ask for it to be removed tell them if you do it will be to put in a 6 foot fence.... if you give in on one thing its likely they will push and push for other things

Don't make baby quick decisions but seriously consider your options, if you move the lights you are saying feel free to step on my garden.
If you don't you risk an awkward atmosphere with neighbours and it could escalate.

any not baby **

Change the hedge into a soil border (which can get very muddy to stand on), and plant rosebushes along it at intervals. They wont want to stand on that.

You could plant rosa rugosa and have the best of both worlds - you can grow it as a hedge. It has huge red hips in autumn and birds love it.

Why are people such dick heads.

So they've got room... The rockery... but they want to use YOUR GARDEN... We've too had varieties of this low level cheeky fuckery before... .

They could also buy smaller cars....

@SassenachWitch I would definitely be putting some rocks on the edge of the grass. They must be able to see the damage they are doing.

I watched someone go to park on a grass verge with huge white painted rocks on it, took the skirt off their car

Slave but surely even if you remove the lights and move the hedge over the issue just gets pushed down the line. Why not tell them exactly why you are doing it? For both privacy but also because they just walk on your grass. I would move the hedge over but put the lights where the hedge was. I would also manure that hedge, just to help it grow.

Your neighbour is a cheeky fucker. All passengers can get out the other side of the car and she can also reverse on meaning she never has to step on your garden again. Can she not extend her drive on the other side to give her more room?

Big plant pots

I can't believe the amount of posters saying for OP not to rock the boat, to keep the peace, just let her neighbour step into her garden!!

OP, keep your lights, change the hedge if you like. The next time your mentions the lights/hedge/lack or door opening space, just tell her if she needs more room to park, she needs to find that in HER garden.

As the saying goes, good fences make for good neighbours.