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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Another CF neighbour parking one...

316 replies

Lillipops · 14/10/2020 08:43

Hello fellow Mumsnetters I have for you a CF neighbor parking issue I have included a diagram so I hope it makes sense. We live in a semi detached house which has a driveway. At the end of the driveway a footpath cuts across and then there is another drive which goes down to the road. It is long enough to fit at least 4 cars because the house is set back from the road. Relatively modern development but ours and next door are the only ones in the street with such driveway. Our boundary runs from the edge of our garage down to the main road as shown in our deeds, there is a line where the concrete has been laid on the 2nd bit of the drive but other than that there is no visible division if you see what I mean. We park our car on the drive just in line with our house. A new couple have moved in next door with 3 cars. Instead of moving one of their cars off the drive to move them around they have taken to just driving across our drive to get around it. AIBU that this is so cheeky? It's really winding me and especially my partner up. This is NOT a shared drive and they are driving across our land because they are so lazy rather than just move their cars. I wouldn't mind if they had asked or queried it but they just seem to do what they like. I've attached a picture so you can see.....hit me mumsnetters

Another CF neighbour parking one...
OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Cassilis · 14/10/2020 21:28

Bi-weekly not weekly!

HeavyHeidi · 14/10/2020 21:32

I own my drive. It's a decent drive, so I don't have to be precious about it and worry it will be damaged if it's driven on.

MasksGlovesSoapScrubs · 14/10/2020 21:34

This would wind me up and it is rude!
We have a CF mummy's boy who still lives at home and is an inconsiderate asshole. He has about 6 cars and a van. Every single one parked on the road. Everyone is sick of it. He parked like such a c**t the other day he blocks me from getting out my own front garden with my pushchair. He's a twat.

ilovepixie · 14/10/2020 21:40

Who owns the footpath in the middle of the drive?

PumpkinetChocolat · 14/10/2020 21:43

@HeavyHeidi

I own my drive. It's a decent drive, so I don't have to be precious about it and worry it will be damaged if it's driven on.
good for you. Why don't you invite the OP's neighbour to drive on it?
Original poster
Lillipops · 14/10/2020 21:49

@ilovepixie it's a public footpath goes right along the street, it crosses through our boundary as our house it set back from the road

OP posts:
Cruachan31 · 14/10/2020 21:49

Hope they don’t decide to park on the top bit of your drive, when your car is on the bottom bit, so they can leave their bottom drive free to drive over! A thought to prepare you, just in case.....

Original poster
Lillipops · 14/10/2020 21:56

@Cruachan31 I have seen them actually drive onto our drive at the top to get around car no 2! Unbelievable, they must think we aren't in because the car isn't there but I'm WFH and office looks out to the top of our drive by the garage.

OP posts:
ilovepixie · 14/10/2020 21:58

[quote Lillipops]@ilovepixie it's a public footpath goes right along the street, it crosses through our boundary as our house it set back from the road[/quote]
So you couldn't really put fencing all the way down as that would block the path. Could you fence both parts of the drive separately?

Original poster
Lillipops · 14/10/2020 22:01

@ilovepixie I don't think we could fence the bottom section as it would just look silly but I think if we fence the top part it would stop them being able to swerve over to our side if you see what I mean

OP posts:
Arthersleep · 14/10/2020 22:04

You need to mark out the edge of your boundary more clearly for them, whilst leaving the footpath clear. I would suggest that a nice row of rocks along the side of your drive way would suffice. Alternatively block their course with either wheelie bins or by parking your car on the lower portion of your drive. Or you could get hold of a plastic chair, a payment bucket and a Toll Road sign and start charging them £1 per crossing. Excellent diagram btw!

raddledoldmisanthropist · 14/10/2020 22:15

You need to mark out the edge of your boundary more clearly for them, whilst leaving the footpath clear. I would suggest that a nice row of rocks along the side of your drive way would suffice. Alternatively block their course with either wheelie bins

Nah. Use bright yellow paint to write 'my precious' in huge letters on the drive.

12309845653ghydrvj · 14/10/2020 22:41

OP have you considered getting a hobby? If you were my neighbour, I would think you’re totally insane! Why anyone would even have a reaction beyond “urgh, they have too many cars” I don’t know.

No I’m not a property owner, but I don’t think I could ever bring myself to care about something so petty, that literally does no harm to anyone, let alone get enraged about it! And taking this kind of bizarre action comes at a cost: your neighbours will think you are (a) a fruitcake (b) leave your parcels out on the doorstep in the rain/ call noise complaints in rather than tell you, etc in the future and (c) be inconvenienced by you each morning, and get more pissed at you each day! For literally zero payoff? Because you want to assert ownership of a bit of tarmac? Congrats, you own it. Whoop de whoo.

thegcatsmother · 14/10/2020 22:43

@Howloose It stopped after dh decided to go out in my car every single time someone parked there. The reason I am strict about it is that a previous neighbour ran a childminding business from next door, and I would often come home to find random cars parked down the side of my house on what is clearly my drive as you have the side of the house, a cars width of drive, and the fence for the NDNs garden; and on the front drive, and all hell would break loose when we objected. Dh was so cross one day that he blocked the offending vehicle in and went and had a bath. I wasn't insured to drive his car, so refused to move it when the person wanted out and they had to wait for dh. The air was blue when he finally moved the car. It was the assumption that their clients could just use my drive as a car park without even asking that pissed me off.

Voice0fReason · 14/10/2020 22:43

My previous house was exactly like that. I had to double-take to check it wasn't the same house!
We had 1 car, the neighbours had 3. They use our drive if they needed to get one of their cars out.
It never bothered us in the slightest because we're not that petty.

The wear and tear is negligible in comparison to the value of having a good relationship with your neighbours.

If a neighbour put bollards or planters between the drive, I would think they were utter knobs!

SquirtleSquad · 14/10/2020 22:55

Is it kind of like this (ish) with the footpath running through the two sections of driveway but just double width for the two houses and I guess the footpath is much smaller?

Another CF neighbour parking one...
BlankProfile · 14/10/2020 23:14

It wouldn't bother me - I'd rather they did that than move cars around late at night/early in the morning.

AibuTellMe · 14/10/2020 23:22

Yep would piss me off op

applesauce1 · 14/10/2020 23:54

OP, this would REALLY annoy me too. I'm sure the PP are right that the wear and tear will be negligible compared to the value of good neighbour relationships... but that probably wouldn't stop me from being wound up to the point of acting on it.

My parents' neighbours would 'cut the corner' to get off their drive by driving across the end of my parents' drive. It started to really damage the paving edge, so they put in a narrow strip of flower bed and planted with small grasses and seasonal flowers. Looks lovely. Drive no longer being damaged. Neighbourly relationships maintained.

Would a narrow bed planted with lovely things either side of your drive be an option?

Original poster
Lillipops · 15/10/2020 00:07

Hi @applesauce1 no we couldn't plant anything, the top drive is gravel and the bottom is tarmac. People might think I'm being petty but it really annoys meConfused

OP posts:
KatharinaRosalie · 15/10/2020 09:00

So if the question is asking, how about:

  • dear neighbour, just in case you haven't realised, that bit of driveway you're driving over is also part of our property.
  • Oh dear, so sorry, is it OK if we use it as it would make our lives so much easier?
  • sure, no problem, but just for road access. Please make sure all your builders and tradesmen are also aware of this.

Easier than starting the Berlin Wall construction recommended by many posters, ruining the relationship in the process.

KatharinaRosalie · 15/10/2020 09:04

Oh and if you really don't want them to use it, why don't you tell them, instead of some passive aggressive garden elf placement? They'll get the message either way.

billy1966 · 15/10/2020 09:22

Yea OP, this is you being petty.
You should also have had a conversation with them re them using YOUR drive to mix concrete🙄.

Only the dregs of society need to be told NOT to mix concrete on their neighbours drive.

OP YANBU.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 15/10/2020 09:53

We had a natter when they first moved in why didn't they just ask or mention it?

Because they realise that it's very cheeky and know that, if they ask for permission, you can very easily say No. Who is going to ask for permission (which might not be granted) and risk jeopardising their 'rights' to something that they believe they already have?

lyralalala · 15/10/2020 10:12

A few strategic planters would likely stop them accessing your drive, and would be much cheaper than a fence.

One at the end of the first part of your drive and one of the start of the second part would stop them swerving from your side to theirs.

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