Neighbours walking on our driveway

[Mumof3andlab]

Hello,

I will try to add a pic if it’s helpful. We are a semi detached end house, we have 3 parking spaces outside our house which is our driveway. Next door has a side path and massive drive to the SIDE of their house, they fit 4 cars on there.

however, they keep walking on our drive to cross to the neighbours opposite, or just stand and have a chat. For starters I think it’s just rude and secondly my dog is very territorial and it sets him off barking as he can see someone is there through the glass.

Previously we have told their friends/visitors it’s not their drive as they used to park on it! Now to stop that we park closer to their side of the house and leave our other side free (I get a lot of parcels, Asda van, my own visitors ect) we used to have 2 cars but only one at the moment. I’m sure if we have more cars they wouldn’t do it but just feel like they think we only have one so we don’t ‘need’ all that space.

I wondered if I could decorate the outside of our driveway with plants, or something else? To stop them crossing over or am I just being petty.

I’d expect the boundary to carry on in a straight line from the wall, not to kink around the parking space. But you never know - the design is terrible. You can easily park at the edge and leave the other spaces empty if the deeds show it’s your land. But expect the neighbour to consider you petty.

If the land is used by others for an extended period of time 10/12years then they will have acquired a legal easement over it.
To avoid this either

• put up a sign
• segregate your area with a physical barrier ie planters

It’s nice to share but when you come to sell you want to know the land you bought is still yours and doesn’t have an easement over it.

Thing is they could dig up the flowerbed and put a path down the side on their land.

Which presumably would still set your dog off if they walked on it. Unless it has some sort of border protection detection system.

TBH if there is a gap there where you don't park and it is convenient for them I can see why they use it.

If any one is being unreasonable here my money would be on the house builders for coming up with an "interesting" layout.

Do you have a copy of the title plan? This will show your property with a red line around it. The site plan you’ve posted doesn’t really tell you anything.

Based on that picture, it isn't the best in terms of ways you can avoid them doing it, if they are going to be unintentionally rude. As I think someone said which is a good idea, maybe put some plants in the way, are they town houses? they are always difficult ones when the driveway are put up like this

I would park at the very end of the drive. Why go to the expense of plants etc.

So if they didn’t walk over your drive they’d have to go all the way round to the side and down? I can see why they do it tbh, it’s a ridiculous set up. Honestly I couldn’t get worked up about it but if you don’t want them doing it, stick some pots down or park further to the side.

Are you freeholders or leaseholders?

Who is permitted to walk on the path between your house and allocated parking spaces?

The issue is that isn't a driveway, it's allocated parking. A driveway you are able to do what you want to, change it into a garden , fence it off whatever you fancy. Allocated parking will.come with rules, ypu couldn't for example just choose to paint it orange would you? People regularly walk on and cut through allocated parking.

I suspect when you do look at your deeds you will find you do not own the path and are allocated the parking spaces without ability to do much with them as they are part of a wider estate.

It's a very odd design (lovely house though) and it probably irritates the neighbours equally that there's tarmac in front of their house that doesn't belong to them. That corner planter would work well to cordon it off.

I know how irritating it is though, we have a side bay window in our living room with a smallish piece of grass in front that's ours. Doesn't stop the neighbours son from parking there, standing on it and chatting, letting his dog use it as a toilet, stubbing out his cigarettes on it etc etc, right in front of my main living room window, on my grass! Argh!

Check the deeds before doing anything.

No standard parking spaces for a 4 bed

op just plant pots down the side so they can’t access from their door

I can understand why they do it tbh even if it is annoying.

Another vote for planters or similar.

You mean in front of their flowerbed? That’ll go well. 🙄

Get a couple of these positioned down that edge of the drive and plant them with something that has some height. I really sympathise with the reactive dog thing. It will drive you mad if it continues.

www.primrose.co.uk/1-8m-wooden-patio-trough-planter-by-rowlinson?source=google&medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjwscGjBhAXEiwAswQqNPkK1okavGkztxXwUVnI4kuLZgedKVqDR12LcKFYzTG9Qm0GF1SQFBoCxfMQAvD_BwE

I would put planters there and ensure the plants nearest their door are spikey.

I'd just fence it tbh

I think it is really petty to not want the neighbours to walk in front of their own house or stand in front of their own house and chat. You say they do this when going to/talking to the neighbours how often does this actually happen? For the sake of neighbourly relations(especially seeing as these neighbours appear to be friends with other neighbours) I would let it go. They aren't going to wear out your tarmac by standing on it.

You can get these at B&M!

its about 12 inches high, made of wood (I painted mine)

Forgot the photo!

I too was also going to suggest trough type planters like the pic someone else included.

Surely a putting a picket fence onto tarmac would be very difficult? It doesn't look like the OP owns the gravelly, bushy bit. Hers gravelly bushy bit seems to be on the other side?

I agree with this. I wouldn't be putting fencing there, I'd just let it go. OK, the dog barks, which is irritating, but I'd rather be on friendly terms with neighbours than make an issue over this.

No you would just have to dig up the tarmac and put a fence in and re line it. People replace tarmac drives all the time. The question is how much cost you want to go to to stop your neighbours annoying you.

Although if it is a new build there may be some convenants against installing fences.

And the thornier too, I have an evil one in my garden, lovely yellow but the thorns are an inch long! It seems to grow quickly too.

This is my reaction.