Neighbours think my drive is a right of way

[Runningonjammiedodgers]

Pic attached.

I live in a row of terreced houses. My house (1) has a path to the front door and a drive way next to my house. Houses 2-5 share a path that leads to the road. There is a strip of grass in front of their houses and then their parking spaces.

Neighbours in house 2 used to walk over the grass to their front door to avoid going the long way up the path. They (and their guests) have now taking to walking down my driveway along my path and jumping over the flower bed in the middle to get to their door. It's really pissing me off! It's my property being treated as a right of way and they walk right past my living room window so there is no privacy. But it's also not causing any damage or inconvenience. Just annoying as hell.

AIBU to ask them to stop using my property as a public footpath? Or do I just need to suck it up?

In that case it would be quite reasonable for you to plant/re-plant that area with some nice prickly hedging or bushes, rosa rugosa is tall strong growing really thorny with nice flowers and big hips in the autumn ideal, and not as pointed (pun intended) as planting Pyracantha.

@GasPanic lots of new builds seem to have these silly layouts nowadays and they seem to set up asking for issues when it would of been easier to work another way, but prob saved them £100 and they don’t have to live there

They may or may not see OP as a walk-over (pun not intended!) but she is acting like it if she won't go and have a normal, polite conversation with her neighbours.

Who knows if you may or may not need to take further steps after you say something - but it seems very silly to me to pay out for fencing, plants, trellis etc if a simple "Please don't use my driveway" would suffice.

Yanbu! If that was my house my dog would bark every time they did it and drove me crazy! I’d put something in the flower bed to prevent this.

This is an excellent idea 😂

This stuff is evil and quite pretty

https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/mahonia-japonica-bealei?ff=10&fp=18999&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4smqveGyhQMVCZRQBh3kog8REAQYAyABEgLefvD_BwE

I would think that they dont really care if the OP was living alone, its more that they just dont care

Trellis and a climbing rose, within a year it will fill the trellis, look beautiful, neighbours won't complain because it will look beautiful for them too. Don't mention why you are doing it, they won't have any gripes that way

I can see why they do it to be honest, what a ridiculous set up, who wants to triapse over wet muddy grass to get to the front door, or go the long way round, but it is their issue.

I’d put a note through the door, or text them, and just say please can you refrain from using my drive as a right of way to your front door as it invades my privacy , please use the path provided.

It’s more it’s just easier I suspect.

I wouldn't bother to talk to them.

I can see how people that think this is an OK thing to are worth trying to reason with.

It's your garden-plant what you want or fence it as you want!

If delivery men are also using the short cut I think a physical obstruction is the only way to stop it.

And you don't know how the neighbours will take being asked not to do it, some people get really offended over things like that, thinking, I'm not doing any harm, what's she complaining about, making me walk all the way around what a difficult awkward person she is. In a new neighbourhood you can quickly get the reputation as a grumpy neighbour. The pragmatic approach is just to block the route and in a new build that shouldn't be controversial at all.

I don't think this would even cross my mind as being an issue!

If it bugs you, ask them to stop.

From your picture, I'd put a gate across the bottom of your drive. They still might cut across the shared grass from their parking spaces, but they wouldn't be near your windows.

I had a Postie that used to do this - right past our living room window and step over a low hedge as a short cut to next door.
I challenged them and asked them to use the drive and pavement route to next door like everyone else did. The hedge has grown now so no longer a problem.
I'd go with a trellis (with or without a planter attached).

This

I would get some tall pot plants or planters and put them down the edge of your driveway, or plant a large shrub (hydrangea?) in the flower bed so that it's too high to jump over.

Native hedging including hawthorn.
“Just doing my bit for wildlife”

Could you put up a few low wooden bollards or as others have said a fence or plant some higher shrubs.
Just something to mark the boundary
Or go for the classic ‘keep off the grass’ sign 😆

Amazing 😂😂

OP
Did you not think about that problem before you bought the place?
As others have suggested, fence/hedge etc etc.

I do not and would not walk across peoples paths/gardens but sadly too many people feel absolutely entitled to do as they wish. If you have a quite, polite word with them, some can turn nasty

I’d plant a prickly hedge. Holly would be good, or pyracantha, which grows like mad in spring and summer, though, so you’d need to keep it pruned.

It may but the visitors could be the problem. As it winds up OP so much,, best to put up fence etc.

I hear the OP and too would be upset/etc

The delivery men are using the grass in front of their house as a short cut. I know this because the Amazon man slipped spectrally the other day

YANBU. However, I'm guessing people in houses 3,4 and 5 also have people walking passed their windows on the official path, if your map is correct? Maybe that is why they are all thinking it's not such a big issue.