to find this really fucking annoying even though it doesn't really affect me much

[walkway8]

I live in a detached house with a walkway between myself and the neighbours to access both our gardens at the back (diagram attached).

The neighbour has a front garden whereas I have a driveway. They have a gate that opens to the side of my house to allow them access to the walkway to get to their back garden. The walkway is shared land according to the deeds but stops at the top of my driveway (basically my driveway isn't shared but the walkway is).

Whenever my neighbour is doing anything in their garden, bringing this in / out of the garden/ taking things from the garden to their car on the road or whatever, they will go up and down my driveway instead of going through their gate and then down their garden.

It really annoys me. I don't really know why but AIBU to think this is just an odd thing to do?

My living room window looks onto my driveway and some days they will be working in the garden and making multiple trips up and down my drive and I feel awkward and like I need to close my blinds.

I don't even have a bad relationship with them, not friends or close but fine neighbours and we say hello how are you etc when we see them.

But I just find the whole thing really weird. I would never dream of strolling up and down their garden path repeatedly.

We also have cars on the drive so when they are bringing things in and out it worries me they will get scratched.

Aibu to find this annoying and tbh a bit rude?

@Icanttakethisanymore
Thank you ☺️
No have had plenty of practice as you say!

OP I totally understood you from post 1 - and I feel your irritation - just because I have t seen the answer (apologies if I've missed it) how long have you lived there compared to them ? just thinking that if you're newer that likely your predecessor just let them do it (or moved because it annoyed her too!)

Whilst waiting for the fence to go in I would put big large planters up to stop this "traffic"

It's ok for people to say about the postman nipping across driveways but at least that's once a day at most not countless times a day

It would drive me mad but it is also a very strange design, however, fairly typical of new builds these days.
If they don't have any right of way over your driveway then I would be incensed, however, at the same time if you say anything it is going to cause tension as they have obviously been doing this for some time and, for the sake of maintaining a cordial relationship, I wouldn't say anything.
I would imagine there might be something in the deeds which could prevent you from putting up a fence/gates but hopefully not and I would do so as soon as possible.

I think your thread title is not right, it actually does affect you and justifably so. It is unsettling the way they are taking liberties and not knowing when they are going to be out their with their bins or garden waste whatever. You should not feel overlooked in your own house by people striding about on your land to the extent that you feel you need to close your blinds! I would prefer not to speak to them about this myself. People like that do not take kindly to being challenged and they will see this as an admonishment, it will needle them to be inconvenienced. Just stop it at source with the gate.

Do they actually know it's your land or do they assume as it's a straight line to the road that it's part of the shared path? Not everyone looks at their deeds or knows exactly what/where the boundary is.

My guess would be they are unaware and would be embarrassed if you told them.

I would find it irritating too - YANBU. But as others have said- pick your battles - it's not worth damaging relations with your neighbours.

I misunderstood originally, but with the clarifications, YANBU, OP. I think you need to have a conversation with them before putting in a fence or containers. I would start by giving them the benefit if the doubt and assuming they may not know where the boundary line is. Even if they do know, it may be easier to have a friendly discussion if you approach it that way. If they want easier access to the walkway, they will need to redesign their own garden once your fence / containers are in place.

I think any fence or gate at the front may have to be only a metre tall due to planning regs (visibility splays) but as this will be set back a bit OP may get away with a new fence or gate being higher.
OP I would definitely check this out before installation in case disgruntled neighbours decide to report it!

Rather than a gate at the top of the drive(assume you mean the road end why not as suggested planters roadside of their gate to the walkway at right angles and down to the house. You don’t lose drive space and they have to use the gate but don’t be surprised if it causes bad feeling if they have been using the drive for years. Best not to keep letting them establish a right of way. Could cause problems selling if viewers saw them marching up and down

No it doesn’t, it goes up to the neighbours gate. OP has drawn the boundary line quite clearly.

YANBU, I totally understand. I wouldn't like them so close to my cars or my front windows either. They are taking the piss.

Get the gate erected; it will be worth the money.

I have a driveway that abuts to that of the neighbours, with a narrow line of bricks in between.

They had teens so had four vehicles and were constantly moving their cars around to get in and out.

I arrived home one day to find the son merrily cutting across the line of bricks and reversing down my driveway. He hit his brakes hard when he looked in the mirror and saw my car sat nose into MY driveway. His dad was watching and I saw his shoulders slump like "we have been caught out." They were vile in many other ways; I installed a ring camera the next day and told him the driveway is now monitored. Such users.

Ugh!!!
That is annoying! I mean you can either put a gate or talk to them ... either way thay will affect the relationship as I think it will be sort of obvious why you are gating your drive. This would REALLY piss me off and I think they are CF for walking on your drive.

Another thing is to park so close their fence that they can't walk between your car and the fence but not sure this is doable.

Can you park your car close to their fence so it’s not possible to easily walk down the drive?

Could you put some plants in a raised bed or pots along the side of your driveway? That way it would force them to realise it’s your land (and that they’re trespassing) you could just say it’s to improve curb appeal or whatever and not come across as petty. They might then start to come further across your drive however, between your cars etc whereby you would definitely not be unreasonable to tell them not to.

This - I would go for a display of strategically placed ( heavy non moveable ) large planters. The added bonus to this approach rather than a gate is you will actually get a nice view as you drive into or walk up your drive and depending how green fingered you are feeling you can change the display periodically to match the season

I totally get this OP.
It feels inconsiderate and an invasion of your privacy, literally.

I have a situation a little bit like this, although it's not to do with a shared area but rather imagine your neighbour had a door open down the side of their house all the time so you can hear everything inside their kitchen for 6 months of the year even when your kids are asleep.

Basically they are old, a bit deaf and set in their ways. I wonder if your neighbours are older too? I think what's weird is people like this, If the shoe was on the other foot, wouldn't mind you walking on their area, because they're weirdly laid back, IMO anyway.

I would just get that gate fitted, and say oh sorry we just want to keep the boundaries in the right place. I'm sure if they think about it, they'll be able to make sense of it.

Do this and say it's for better security. Good fences, as they say, make good neighbours

YANBU at all, this would drive me mad! Absolutely block them off.

@goodgirlwannabe probably because OP is a decent person and doesn't want to cause ill feeling by bringing it up. Sometimes with neighbours it's better to subtly deal with something like this.

I think this will go down in history as the most misunderstood thread MN has ever had.

Soggy feet.

"The access goes all the way to the street" reminds me a little of cancel the cheque

I bought the house about 2 years ago, neighbours moved in about a year ago.

Soggy feet too... they aren't walking bare foot to and from their back garden?

Definitely needs blocking off in some way I agree. I just cannot ever imagine coming from my back garden, going through their gate and down their garden to the street. I'd feel like a twit doing that.

@walkway8

Great news that they moved in after you.
Definitely go for the fence and planters!
Keep us updated 😁