Driveway annoyance

[Newjourney2894]

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 😂

Yes the second link you showed is right but the difference is the houses are not connected in any way, it’s just the drives

Sounds similar to mine although mine is two cars wide only and my house is at an offset angle whereas their house is next to it as it's a cul de sac. In trying to find the image, I found this...

homeguides.sfgate.com/create-divider-between-neighbors-driveways-35026.html disclaimer: I only skimmed it. Sounds like the best way is to put a divider to avoid the conversation.

"Beyond cheeky"? I might get mildly irritated as well but that reaction is totally OTT if you've never even mentioned to them it bothers you.

If it does set off your dog that gives you a perfect excuse to bring it up with them in a friendly fashion and without seeming precious. Or the radical option - assuming you don't need the back end of the driveway, have the concrete taken up and install some nice shrubbery.

it is beyond cheeky though.. cut the grass up on the other side to widen the drive if you need more space don’t use mine.

i’m thinking little fencing to separate the grass and the drive, I’m thinking of having the drive redone anyway because it’s got holes in the bottom end (probably from having a lot of high traffic driving over it) 🙄

Just please don't let it bother you! It's not worth it.

The problem is that these things build. My dad also lives in a cul de sac and his house is the middle and has the turning circle. His neighbours used to park in the turning circle, car pointing at his window. He had a front lawn but this bothered him for years but he never said anything to them as he thought they should know it was wrong. They stopped because he parked his spare car there to stop them. In the end it wasn't even taxed and MOT'd. He is lucky they didn't report it. Ten years later he still moans about it and they don't even live there. One day when he was drunk he even poured his chip shop chips on their car. He's an oddball and not always very nice so I'm not saying you'll end up doing anything like that but don't let it get to you.

So, to save the hassle of having two people come out of the house and backing both cars out instead of just one they reverse for a few seconds on to your drive and then immediately move their car?

Unless your kids use the driveway to play I really can't see what your issue is?

What's going to happen t o you or your driveway because of this?

The OP already said her kids use the driveway.

And it sets off their dog and their motion camera (which, if like mine, buzzes their phones.)

Of itself I don't think the driving over would be enough to get me to do something but I would for the reasons above.

@Duettino the OP shouldn't have to speak to them: it's her drive and it's not there for their convenience. These neighbours are CFs and should have the manners to stop. They haven't even asked if it's okay for them to do what they have been doing.

If you are thinking of having your drive redone, get someone out to give quotes and get a fence put up so the neighbours can’t access your drive. It’s beyond cheeky. If you don’t want to do the drive, get a quote for a fence so you can still have your nice wide drive but they can’t access it. If they complain, you can tell them you were fed up with their rude behaviour!

They Are CF . This absolutely is not something that you should allow to go on. Redoing driving is expensive - they are causing wear and tear and trespassing on your property

Don’t put a fence up, put a hedge — better for the environment and you can use that as your reason if anyone on the street queries why you’ve got a boundary division when no one else does.

Couldn't you both park further down the driveway and allow your DC A 'play' area to kick balls around/buy a basketball hoop/area to tricycle/cycle/dump bikes (depending on your DC's ages) at the top? If you limit the space at the bottom, then they can't use your drive?

It's her property. She doesn't need a reason.

The eco-friendly hedge is a good idea.

Definitely change the design of the drive. They are taking the piss. Put them in their place.

these posters had same problem. sorted it by placing large boulders along driveway
i suggest you make them large 🙃
www.quora.com/What-can-I-do-if-my-neighbor-constantly-drives-on-our-grass-to-get-out-his-driveway-instead-of-moving-the-car-in-front-of-his-Now-our-grass-is-full-of-mud-and-tires-tracks-and-we-will-have-to-plant-seeds-for-it-to

Any update, @Newjourney2894 ?

OP changed names at some point. there are updates under the name Choccylab2022

Put some concrete pots down your border, just inside the border so they can't reverse across your land & put a removable penguin bollard at the end of your drive for when you you are both out. Any questions, you have heard there are car thieves in the area.

Thanks @TheMaddHugger

((((((((((((((((((((hugs))))))))))))))))))))

Really this is easy. Don't make it a big thing. Go round and say hey just wanted to let you know that every time you drive on MY drive or wheel your bin down MY drive my doorbell picks it up and sets my dog off. It's really disturbing us so we just wanted to let you know do you can stop. Have a nice day.

This is a good idea. Something like pyracantha as it’s evergreen and spiky. But also put up short concrete posts and green wire mesh fencing. The hedge will attach to this and hide it, but at the same time, will prevent the ndn from ruining the hedge by driving over it.

I was going to say that this one I would let ride, but if it's setting everything off it's that extra level of annoying..

You need to break the habit somehow - I agree with parking a bit further down the drive so the kids can have some kind of play area - are any of them learning to ride a bike? Have a hankering for massive chalk drawings on the drive?

the neighbour came out shouting and saying that they couldn’t get their car out if cars were parked in that corner
Entitled CFs, get some large planters down to block them.

You hope this to be your long term home ? Then surely the very worst way to start your residency is to go out of your way to make your neighbours life more difficult. It's the sort of behaviour that smacks of petty possessiveness. For an action that actually causes you no harm or loss of amenity.

It's like a toddler refusing to share a toy 'because it's mine' . A deeply unattractive character in a neighbour.

@Everyoneishappier Did you miss the bit where every time the neighbour drives on OPs drive or wheels his bin down the drive it sets off their doorbell and gets the dog barking?

One simple conversation could solve all this.