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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours walking on our driveway

195 replies

Mumof3andlab · 26/05/2023 10:35

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
BirminghamNewStreet · 27/05/2023 17:38

It's not difficult to understand @Dontworkmondays
And no, OP doesn't sound like an awful petty neighbour at all 🙄.Her concerns are valid.

Cacla · 27/05/2023 17:54

80% say YANBU. Wow, I can't believe that that many people care. Literally could not care less about someone standing on my drive, it's doing me no harm whatsoever.

GrinAndVomit · 27/05/2023 18:17

Dontworkmondays · 27/05/2023 15:36

I don’t quite understand… what’s the big deal?
You sound like an awful and petty neighbour

Completely agree. It’s a particularly ugly part of our culture.

Cookiedough22 · 27/05/2023 18:30

GasPanic · 26/05/2023 10:43

The sort of person who is entitled enough to walk over someones driveway when they feel like it is hardly the sort of person that is likely to listen to reason. They clearly think that they have the right to access the other property as they wish.

Just get a border fence or grow a hedge.

Show quote history

I got this sort of person next to me. She was even trying to tell me where/ how to park my car to allow her enough room on my drive to get her pushchair past, nearly scratched my car several times and all on my own driveway. I put a border of plant pots along boundary line. She called the police on me and I had to show them my deeds that it was MY property!

Scousefab · 29/05/2023 08:13

i had a separate drive and neighbour thought it was okay for there kids to play on mine. Despite having massive driveway herself. Was a complete nightmare of a person. Get barbarous hedgerow growing nice and sharp lol x should do the trick

DataNotLore · 29/05/2023 08:17

Scousefab · 29/05/2023 08:13

i had a separate drive and neighbour thought it was okay for there kids to play on mine. Despite having massive driveway herself. Was a complete nightmare of a person. Get barbarous hedgerow growing nice and sharp lol x should do the trick

Why do you care?

Scousefab · 29/05/2023 08:24

DataNotLore · 29/05/2023 08:17

Why do you care?

Show quote history

What’s with your bullying message! This site is for discussing! And suggestions

DataNotLore · 29/05/2023 08:37

Yer what? If you post something on discussion board you might get a response.

The response might not agree with you. That is how discussion works.

Why do you think I'm bullying you?

Scousefab · 29/05/2023 08:44

DataNotLore · 29/05/2023 08:37

Yer what? If you post something on discussion board you might get a response.

The response might not agree with you. That is how discussion works.

Why do you think I'm bullying you?

Erm the fact other people have commented and you have singled me out would your comment not apply to everyone on this post! Looks like you just like to disagree with people fine to have an opinion but why single people out?

DataNotLore · 29/05/2023 08:46

So you don't want people to respond to you directly?

GasPanic · 29/05/2023 10:53

DataNotLore · 29/05/2023 08:17

Why do you care?

Show quote history

The problem with most CFs is that they never stop.

If you don't challenge one of their actions it's just a greenlight to them to try to get away with more and more stuff.

I suppose either you believe that you should respect your neighbours property and space or you don't.

Personally I would prefer to live in a world where everyone respects each others property and space, but I guess there are people out there who would prefer to live in a free for all.

toobusymummy · 29/05/2023 22:15

I think a closely packed row of planters along the edge would probably do the trick, that way they'd have to actually step over them and there's a better demarkation between one property line and the other - I can see how this happened though! Also just a thought, could you get some paint markers on the 'spaces' for your property like they do in flats so its clear these 3 spaces belong to house 12 or whatever?

Blossomtoes · 29/05/2023 22:48

toobusymummy · 29/05/2023 22:15

I think a closely packed row of planters along the edge would probably do the trick, that way they'd have to actually step over them and there's a better demarkation between one property line and the other - I can see how this happened though! Also just a thought, could you get some paint markers on the 'spaces' for your property like they do in flats so its clear these 3 spaces belong to house 12 or whatever?

OP has yet to ascertain that she owns those spaces.

Bunnybeeee · 30/05/2023 08:09

While the suggestions for plants, shotguns and other petty bs could be a plan, have you ever considered simple communication with your neighbours? Not everyone has the same idea of what is and isn't rude and if you haven't told them you have a problem with them standing on your driveway, how are they supposed to fix the issue? Just good old fashioned talking will usually fix any kind of relationship issues much faster than petty 'revenge' 🤷‍♀️

WhatAmIDoingWrong123 · 30/05/2023 12:38

GasPanic · 29/05/2023 10:53

The problem with most CFs is that they never stop.

If you don't challenge one of their actions it's just a greenlight to them to try to get away with more and more stuff.

I suppose either you believe that you should respect your neighbours property and space or you don't.

Personally I would prefer to live in a world where everyone respects each others property and space, but I guess there are people out there who would prefer to live in a free for all.

Show quote history

There’s a difference between a free for all and not kicking up a fuss when someone is standing outside their own house because it’s somewhere you might park a car in a couple of years time.

The OP doesn’t even know if this is actually her property or just allocated parking. Personally, I couldn’t care less about this stuff, I’ve got more important things to think about.

Hairpinleg · 30/05/2023 17:09

It's an impossible question to answer without knowing if it actually is your driveway or not, or if it's allocated parking owned by the development. If the OP doesn't know, then the neighbour probably doesn't either.

SgtBilko · 30/05/2023 17:47

Mumof3andlab · 26/05/2023 10:35

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 start walking across theirs and see how they like it.

BodegaSushi · 31/05/2023 10:44

Hairpinleg · 30/05/2023 17:09

It's an impossible question to answer without knowing if it actually is your driveway or not, or if it's allocated parking owned by the development. If the OP doesn't know, then the neighbour probably doesn't either.

I take OP's silence as confirmation that it's nether her driveway nor does she own it

Disolusionedteacher · 31/05/2023 10:58

Whilst I agree the set up isn’t the best I think you will find that these parking spaces are not classed as driveway, especially if it is a relatively new estate. It looks like the set up in my previous house. We had a front door onto a path and then parking spaces immediately in front of the path. It used to annoy me when neighbours walked along the path right next to my front door but when I looked into it I found that they were entitled to do this. One of the neighbours who parked his car over the path to prevent people walking past his house actually had a visit from the police!

Captzal · 19/07/2023 17:02

You’re not being unreasonable nor petty. Unfortunately in todays society boundaries are fluid through all walks of life. Personally I think it’s rude and selfish to assume that it’s allowed to use someone’s else’s drive without permission. The majority agree.

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