Neighbours using our drive as their path

[Peedoff24]

We live in adjoining terraces, both with driveways. All other houses in our terrace have walls or hedges between them. We don’t but there is a decorative border type thing to delineate them. So it’s very obvious when you step off their property into ours.

They fit 2 cars onto their driveway but this is only possible because we don’t have a wall. They need to open their car door across our drive to be able to get in and out. This I don’t mind.

However, because it’s a squeeze to get between their cars they and their visitors, deliveries etc use our drive as a pathway to get to their front door. It’s got to the point that people literally step out of their door, step over the decorative stone thingy and then walk across our drive to the street.

We have a ring doorbell so get alerted every time somebody does this. It’s now got to the point that our drive is used as their pathway even when they only have one car parked and therefore plenty of space on their drive.

These are neighbours that don’t acknowledge my presence if we see each other since I complained when they had builders dumping rubbish on part of our garden.

WIBU and petty to go and buy some trellis and put it up to stop them from doing this? It would also mean they’d have to rethink their parking!

The minute they stopped acknowledging you after you (rightly) complained about their builders dumping rubbish on your garden - I would of stopped this entitled barshittery.

Ask them to stop using your garden as an add on to there’s, if they can’t respect that boundary get a fence.

People’s sense of entitlement amazes me.

Obviously it depends on the situation. If I built the biggest garden wall possible, just to be petty and it blocked all my neighbours sun, most neighbours would be pretty pissed off. And Iv seen posts where people have done this. It completely ruins the others enjoyment of their home.

If a few people stepping on your drive is your biggest problem, life is pretty good 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm surprised people would have the energy to rock the boat.

The amount of post on here about neighbour disputes, surely people would learn. Don't expect to drop a match and not get burnt. There will be repercussions. If OP doesn't care, then go for it.

@EmpressaurusDeiGatti

So OP says.... There is always 2 sides to every story

I think there is a rule that if you have been using a path for a certain number of years without objection then it becomes a right of way and they can prevent you putting up the fence. So I would block it sooner rather than later.

Obviously you should be able to do what the hell you like but I agree with you about putting a similar fence on both sides - so it’s not a case of you showing very visibly that only the neighbours on one one side are pissing you off - is a good idea. You can make it look pretty - trellis, baskets, bird feeder etc - so it doesn’t look purely like a perimeter fence to keep CFs off. Even though that’s exactly what it is.

I would post a letter saying that you wish to put a fence up to stop them and their visitors walking on your property, but that you are aware that they will no longer be able to keep two cars on the drive .

Tell them that unless they stop it then that's what you will do. They can have time them to get over their cockiness / anger and think rationally about it.

I definitely wouldn't because you are firing across the bow and there is more chance of falling out with them.

If you put up a fence, especially if you do a few other home improvements at the same time, then they might just keep the status quo of ignoring OP.

I've lived somewhere with parking disputes before and it's absolutely awful coming home every night to somewhere you are supposed to feel relaxed and feeling tense because you don't know what a neighbour is going to do.

Regain your exclusive use of your own property by putting up a fence. They have not bothered to say that they know they are walking on your path as well as delivery people. They should have acknowledged this and asked if it was ok. They could have offered to power wash it twice a year or something else helpful.

@Peedoff24 - you wrote "Once we put something up that’s going to make it very tricky for them to park two cars"

That's not your concern. Your concern is not allowing a right of way to be established over time via your driveway/front garden space.

If you can afford to do it, do go for the fences down both sides of your property. At least, as you also posted it will look like you were just doing some home improvements rather than putting up a barrier to them taking liberties.

What about a fast growing hedge of something that flowers and has berries?

Spiky, pretty hedge. Hawthorn or Rosa rugosa.

Holly bushes. In pots if needs be. If that doesn’t work, build a wall.

I think a low fence might be the answer.

Extend the wall would be the simplest way to go.

They would remove trellis - go for the fence or a decorative planter wall.

Get some kinda Fence

Try putting planters down first to see what their reaction is. They may get the hint & stop using your drive. If that doesn't work put a fence up or plant a small hedge that will grow along.

That's going to cost her an absolute fortune. Planters and plants, substantial enough to discourage just stepping over them and then a fence if it doesn't work.

In the short term why not reverse your car in so its passenger door is right up to the stone divide. That way you are still on your land and pretty much mirroring the neighbour. You would have a huge amount of space to be able to get out of your drivers door. Visitors would then not find it so easy to walk up your side of the divide.

Is there enough room for you to park 3 cars? If so has a family member or friend got a spare car the could lend you for a couple of weeks to park there?

These kind of issues are usually about the other party not realising what a CF they are being until it is demonstrated to them. It sounds like you dont particularly want a wall or fence. Maybe this would let them realise its going to be them that lose out.

Slim planter with high trellis attached

Planters or parking one of our own cars close to the divide would make access to our own door tight. It would have to be a fence.

Many new builds have open fronts with no real garden and driveway or parking etc adjacent. Lots of people stroll over these areas

Invest in some large upright boulders!

This wouldn't bother me. They are just stepping on your property. As long as people aren't parking or leaving their property on my property I wouldn't mind them walking on it.

I think it is fine to put up a fence if you want to though.