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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Driveway annoyance

213 replies

Newjourney2894 · 18/04/2022 09:16

Hi all, just wanted some advice on whether I was being unreasonable or not about my new home which I have waited several months to move into! 😅

My DH and I have just bought a gorgeous semi detached on a lovely quiet street which has long drive way and 2 x grass patches between each houses. Our house was vacant for about a year until we moved in and as a favour to the previous owners next door would park on the drive now and again.

The previous owners cut one of the patches of grass away to widen the drive so you can fit 2 cars next to each other but still left 1 patch of grass between the attaching houses attached.

Now it is the house not attached that would occasionally park on the drive until we moved in that I have the slight issue with. They use the middle part of the drive which is the original part of the drive to reverse their cars off the drive so they don’t have to ask the other one to come out and move the car.

They’ve kept their patches of the grass intact which is up to them but that doesn’t mean they should keep using my drive to reverse out. AIBU to start parking one of my cars further back so they can’t get out or go and speak to them? Or let it go which is what DH thinks 😂

OP posts:
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SkoolShoes · 18/04/2022 09:57

I am not sure I could be bothered to get het up about this. I may be inclined to occassionally park on my Drive 1 so they couldn't use it - just as a reminder as it were to the neighbours that they do not have the right to do this).

If it was churning up the grass - yes I'd stop it. But if just on a designated driveway....meh

SkoolShoes · 18/04/2022 10:00

Good neighbourly relations are worth more than possessiveness over 0.02% of driveway useage....

C25kBecky · 18/04/2022 10:00

@Newjourney2894

The diagram isn’t great but house 3 isn’t te problem. I’ve drawn theirs to show that theirs has a slightly different lay out but they aren’t the problem. Drive 3 have got rid of 1 and a half of their grass areas so they’ve got 2 full length drives same as ours and then they’ve con created half of their grass area.

My last grass area is in front of my window in front of my house which I’ve labelled house 1. House 2 is the one who is driving their car from drive 3 over our drive 1 to get off so they don’t need to swap the cars around or park on the road.

The houses aren't labelled, unless I'm being blind.
LampLighter414 · 18/04/2022 10:01

Yep would annoy me but I admit I'm quite petty.

Park midway up so that it blocks their ability to do this or put up some fence or large stones along the middle of the drive

zingally · 18/04/2022 10:01

Either start parking RIGHT on the border of drive one and drive 3, pulling your car right up close to their front car, so they can't maneuver out. Or simply install a low decorative fence between the two, making sure, obviously, it's very clearly on your land. That would involve quite a bit of time and effort thought...

Personally I'd go with some crafty parking on your part.

EnjoyingTheSilence · 18/04/2022 10:05

You’ve not numbered the houses, only the drives.

Simple solution, install a fence or hedge. Let them know your doing it but make sure it’s all on your side of the boundary

RandomMess · 18/04/2022 10:05

Park both your cars on 1 and use drive 2 to drive around the other?

Beetlewings · 18/04/2022 10:05

Honestly in the interest of having a good long term relationship with your NDNs I'd go across and say "now that the house is occupied would you mind not using the drive for turning" it doesn't have to be aggressive. But not saying anything or using parking tactics will cause a simmering resentment.
Alternatively you could put a fence up in the interest of your kids being able to play safely out there, but either way I'd keep up the lines of communication

Original poster
Newjourney2894 · 18/04/2022 10:13

I think it is familiarity on their part as the previous owners lived here for 30 + years and so have the neighbours however we are new and young and we have young children who I tell not to cross the boundary and to stay on our side and I don’t want to have to tell them to watch out for cars when they are on our land. 😕

My DH is using the front room for his business so i might start parking behind his car as I come and go more and use driveway 2 for getting round each other.. he could use that drive for clients who are coming and going as it leads to the front door which goes straight into the front room

OP posts:
cataline · 18/04/2022 10:13

We used to have a drive exactly like this.

Lived there for decades with no issue then CF neighbours moved in next door and started using our drive to reverse off so they didn't have to move their other car.

It's extra wear and tear on your drive and really rude!

We started parking further down the driveway so that they couldn't do it.

pradavilla · 18/04/2022 10:14

It's a bit cheeky of them, they shouldn't be doing it but I wldnt get too worked up about it unless they damage something or are actually blocking u in etc. It would have been nice if they had mentioned to you and ask if it's ok.

I've noticed neighbours across the road do this with the other persons drive. Exactly the same situation as urs but they seem to get on so I don't think they bother.

I wouldn't be trying to cause problems by parking further back. Unless you want to fall out with ur new neighbours. If it annoys u that much just ask them not to.

Blossomtoes · 18/04/2022 10:19

@vivainsomnia

So their reversing, which last about 10 seconds doesn't impact on you in anyway.

You're just annoyed because you pay for something and they didn't. I'd let it go. There might be a time you need a favour from them. That will be the time to remind them of the reversing issue.

This. We won’t be popular though because anything except extreme territoriality drives MN batshit.
MagneticRubberDucks · 18/04/2022 10:19

Is this correct op?

The neighbours are reversing their top car across your drive so that they don’t have to get their bottom car out?

I think a lot of people were confused.

Driveway annoyance
MagneticRubberDucks · 18/04/2022 10:20

Can you put in a low fence around your property? That will solve the issue immediately.

Original poster
Newjourney2894 · 18/04/2022 10:23

@MagneticRubberDucks yes! That is exactly it apart from we park one car on drive 1 and drive 2 so directly in front of the door. The drive does lead straight down the side of the house but can’t really fit a decent size car down there these days so it’s gated off.

OP posts:
Noshowlomo · 18/04/2022 10:24

No, you shouldn’t just let them do this to be neighbourly. They haven’t asked you if they can drive on your drive have they? Why bend over to be nice to them. I would never assume I could drive on someone else’s drive for my own convenience!!
So if it annoys you why should you not say or do anything ? Just to be friendly? They’re not worried about offending you

Chely · 18/04/2022 10:25

Erect a fence

LaNozzeDiFigaro · 18/04/2022 10:27

Are they parking on it or simply encroaching on your space as they move in and out?

I share a drive with one neighbour and when I reverse in I have to encroach to get my position right. I then manoeuvre to park right over on my side.

thedisappearedones · 18/04/2022 10:28

Just explain you want to keep the children enclosed so will be putting up a fence.

Blossomtoes · 18/04/2022 10:31

They’re not worried about offending you

Why would they be? They’re only reversing their car.

Rogue1001MNer · 18/04/2022 10:32

I think in your shoes I'd just park differently so they can't do this.
Can you reseed the grass?

Seeline · 18/04/2022 10:34

It would annoy me
Extra wear and tear on my driveway
Additional disturbance (especially if working from the front room)
Risk of damage to other property ( my own car, children's toys left in my own drive)
Risk to child safety ( they should be able to play within their property without worrying about other people's vehicles)
Risk of collision if you happened to be entering your own drive just as they exited via your property)
Sheer rudeness of not asking first!!

I would be marking the boundary in some way - fence, chain, boulders, planters etc

Aconitum · 18/04/2022 10:34

Bit of a contentious one and I could be wrong but if it's not challenged they may legally be able to claim a right of way after after a certain amount of time.

Hont1986 · 18/04/2022 10:34

I wouldn't care about this.

Floralnomad · 18/04/2022 10:35

Just stick some planters / pots or a chain link fence up the edge of your drive .

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