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.

That flowerbed is probably part of the shared infrastructure.

Just like the parking spaces.

You could just not worry about it. Presumably your dog barks every time they go out of their front door, if he is that territorial. I doubt the dog knows about the tarmac/not tarmac boundary. Our neighbour’s dog barks at me if I go outside my front door. It doesn’t actually bother me at all, but our neighbour is always apologetic about it.

It’s remarkably well cared for then.

I would have assumed that was just communal parking?

After seeing the pic I think it's one of these things you have to let go.

I wouldn’t consider that a private driveway. It’s more of an assigned parking space area. I don’t think they’re being unreasonable in walking across it.

Given that one of those spaces overlaps the front of the neighbours house, it probably is.

OP, did you confirm what you actually own? I suspect it's less than you think

ignore chatgpt

@Blossomtoes

Is it hell. It's a load of bark chips and a few doomed shrubs.

I agree, moder housing with few boundaries to give the illusion of lots of common space. Think it is not really worth bothering about. After all they aren't causing any damage.

Allowing them will eventually create a right of way. It’s not selfish to take steps to prevent this from happening.

I was thinking the same. There's a big difference between the space being 'your drive' clearly marked as owned by you on your title deeds, or it being land owned by the development of houses that's been allocated to you for parking.

I am afraid I think so too - it looks similar to the plan when my son bought his new Bellway house, colours, lay out. I am not saying they don't own the land on which the 3 spaces fall but they may not. The £3 Land Registry charge is a small price to pay to be sure.

Do you actually OWN the parking spots? Or is it allocated parking? Are you obliged to re-tarmac etc, and maintain the parking spot? Can you dig up the tarmac and put down lawn, for example? I think you may be in for a shock, OP. Your house is a new-build, the developer was free to have a straight border between properties but they chose this (many feasible reasons why). I strongly suspect your parking spots aren't your land.

I will have a look at the land registry because I can’t find the deeds.

if it is allocated parking and not my ‘land’ as such, am I not allowed to put plant pots ect on there as it is for my house only to park on still? It’s got a badge with my house number on. Is it just a case that I cannot alter it but should allow peoole to walk across it if they feel like it?

When did you buy it? You’ll likely have the plan on an email somewhere.

Also re the dog he’s fine if he hears someone come on the drive, come to the door ect as he knows what they are doing.
He doesn’t like hearing people outside and then they don’t come to the door if that makes sense. He doesn’t bark when they are outside their door, only when they are stood on our parking bit he can hear them talk and the shadows I think.

But not if they’re on their own property, a mere 10cm away?
What a clever dog.

This should have all been made clear when you were looking to buy the property.
You could contact your solicitor and ask their advice.

It would kind of explain why there are so many parking spots per house - they are normally pretty frugal with these.

OP, is there a service charge associated with the property ?

Not surprised to see this at all - I used to work with developers and quite often they’d come out with a daft layout for the parking or shared access. I remember one had a visitor space in front of two houses - dead in the middle of the boundary. I did say to them it would cause a massive row! Especially as there was never enough parking.

OP - really surprised you have so much parking (you and your neighbours). Good luck with getting the information about your boundaries and finding a solution.

If it's allocated parking, you do not own the land. It's not yours.

You can park your car on it.

That is it.

You cannot block it off or put pots on it or alter it in anyway.

Nor can you prevent people from walking across it.

Check land registry.

If its allocated parking then it's nothing more than a car park and ye people can walk across it.

As it stands, that looks like a reasonable area for neighbours to walk through anyway as it's directly outside their front door. And you aren't using it.

Park the car further over to close the gap up, you've left space essentially FOR them. If they try to then squeeze past and damage the car, then complain

It's the land registry documents, in particular the filed plans, that are the definitive answer. Don't go by any emailed plans and certainly nothing from the developer's sales office.

As to whether you can put plant pots etc on that land if it's not owned by you: look at the document that gives you the right to park on those allocated spaces. Perhaps you have a license agreement? Perhaps there's something in your conveyancing documents? That document will tell you what your rights and responsibilities are wrt that land. There's no "right" answer to this, it's whatever you agreed to when you signed your purchase documents.

If those documents are silent, there will be other documents which you may not have that govern what can happen on that land. It's owned by someone, possibly the developer or a management company. Good luck getting answers from them, they'll tell you whatever is in their best interests (which is likely to be nothing at all, because it's too much of a headache to work it out). So, consider it something you do at your own risk. And remember, if you're seen as "wasting" valuable parking space, someone somewhere in your road/cul de sac is going to get to the bottom of this for you if they want those spaces for themselves. Pick your poison.

The way to resolve this problem is (1) train your dog (2) put up whatever boundaries you can on your own land (planters, fencing, chain etc) and consider it the best possible outcome (3) accept this is going to happen. You live literally cheek by jowl with these people and it sounds like you plan to stay. That relationship is more important than your irritation, imo. You never know what might come down the line.

Also
Your dog sounds super clever. Get him on BGT
They could literally stand on their doorstep talking and it would be the same as them stood on the parking!