Neighbour passing through my driveway to get on and off theirs

[parkingcars]

I bought my house October last year and had the driveway fixed a couple of months later. Recently, I’ve seen that my next door neighbours, who are not attached, pass through (couple of times a day) the upper half of my drive to access theirs. They run side by side with a fence (in red) on the boundary line, but it’s not a shared drive. Additionally, their garage was built up to the boundary line.

I only have the 1 car, but they have 2 - a van parked on the road and a car on the drive. They are unable to drive immediately on and off since the van slightly overhangs their drive. They’re unable to drive the van forward to create extra space because their neighbour parks his car close to it to avoid blocking his own drive, which has another car parked on it (also a 2 vehicle household)

I understand it’s not my neighbours fault / intention to cause any issues, however it is frustrating that they are using my drive, which will lead to faster wear and tear without any contribution to maintenance costs. Ultimately, I think it’s up to them and their neighbour to find a resolution instead of using my drive.

My drive extends along the full length of my house, and I typically park towards the end. However, I’ve considered parking at the top of my drive to prevent this issue from happening. My concern is that they might bump my car while moving in and out.

AIBU? Am I being petty? Diagram attached…

If vision is an issue could you get one of those giant boulders that are decorative at the end of the fence?

You could even paint your house number your side and offer your neighbours to paints there’s on then other side as if this is exactly why you’ve purchased it!!!!

Is the van a work one? Sign written? Have a huge planter put there.... Not your issue to solve if they can't park on their own drive properly..

They should really park their van on the drive, but if that’s not possible I couldn’t get worked up about this.

Our driveway has a very similar set up with our neighbours. We often use each others driveways to get the car parked at the back in and out without moving the other vehicle where possible, and never had an official discussion about it, it’s just the easiest way to do it so no one complains.

We did replace part of our front garden to give an additional space, to avoid us having the issue of always having to have the cars in the right position for going to work in the morning.

However in our case both neighbours are doing this so I can understand why it annoys you a bit, but alternatively they’ll have to shuffle cars around every morning/evening, so personally I’d just let them to make their lives easier, and maintain a good relationship going forwards. Blocking them is a little bit petty I think.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/154238303#/?channel=RES_BUY

I think they don’t have a car and get on with the neighbors, or were coerced. But that picture would put off anyone looking at RightMove.
Estate Agent is not doing their job allowing that one.
I immediately blank anything with anything shared.

Nonsense. She paid to repair her drive and now they are causing more wear & tear to it than she does. Purely for their own convenience.

Very petty. It's hardly causing wear and tear just walking on it. The world has gone mad. I think having a good relationship with your neighbours is more important. I would think you were very weird if I lived next door to you and you complained about this.

Let them shuffle, or park elsewhere.

My neighbours tried this nonsense when they acquired a third car for their teens to use; the whole family are lumbering lazy sods. I merely started parking near the entrance to my drive. Problem solved.

I wonder how long it will be before the NDN mentions the OPs car and asks her to park further up again so that he can squeeze through?

OP, if this happens be sure to point out that you've paid to have the driveway repaired and don't want the additional traffic constantly going over it.

OP, are they driving over the pavement outside of your driveway (i.e. where the dropped kerb is) or on your actual driveway?

Our house is at a different angle to our neighbours, but our driveways are the same direction. They have 2 spaces and 2 cars and we have 2 spaces along with other stoned areas that we park on as we have 3 cars. They have their own path and the driveways are separated by a bush, minus one small opening and they constantly use this to cut through when leaving the house even though it makes absolutely no sense and tbh it really boils my piss and I’m not sure why. I think its largely due to the fact it saves no time and they have to weave between our cars so it seems illogical.. I get it OP.

ETA a terrible diagram - credit to you OP yours is fab.

Yes this is v cheeky of them. It would annoy me too

Diagram!

I don’t think you are being petty and I would hate this.

But just doing this and not saying anything is quite passive aggressive. I think you should say, you’ve paid a lot for your drive to be done and don’t want them driving over it. That is a reasonable thing to say.

And if they ignore you, then park so they can’t.

OP we have the exact situation. We park our car really low down our drive now so it can’t happen and people stop walking and using it as a path .

But also, will he not just park the van in front of your house? And would that not be worse?

Agree. It sounds like they need to find somewhere else to park their van than Infront of their own drive.

I think you might find the van parked in front of your house every day if you ask them to stop. It looks like the space in front is public road and large enough for a van without blocking any driveways.

When they are parked on their drive - go out and drive round the block and come back and park behind their van - blocking your own driveway.

Do this regularly - this will mean each time they can't get out of their drive without moving the van. This will then mean they have to move the van, eventually they'll have to stop parking the van blocking their own drive. Habits are formed and you effectively want to get them out of the habit of blocking themselves in their drive

If they knock on your door - be confused - its your van blocking your drive not my car, thats blocking my drive not yours

We have a similar set-up and I wouldn't be remotely arsed about additional 'wear and tear' from a car driving on part of my driveway. Maybe if they're driving a monster truck or steamroller in and out constantly, but a normal car going over part of the driveway a couple of times a day is nothing in the grand scheme. This really isn't something I could get bothered about at all.

But also, will he not just park the van in front of your house? And would that not be worse?

why would it matter who is parked outside your house? Its a public road and anyone can park there

Personally I would not be falling out with my neighbours over this. Who waters the plants or keeps an eye on the place when you are on holiday? Or accepts a parcel?
Neighbours make or break your quality of life.
It’s not like they are inconveniencing you.

We had this and put a fence up, although our drive is much wider so no impact on us. They built a big garage where the car would have traditionally gone and then had to park on the narrow strip between their house and our drive and get out onto our drive.

The neighbours would often be stood on our drive chatting with friends or clients right outside our lounge window. I felt really uncomfortable sat working with strangers stood right outside the window! We did fence the whole garden with gates all at once so the front was secure for our children so it didn’t seem like it was specifically to stop them.

I think put something at the top of your drive for a week or two (eg a large plant pot) and park a bit further back so you block them but not right at the bottom of the drive. Then ignore the whole thing.

If its at the top and you park at the bottom then pop a heavy planter in

I would definitely be putting planters along my boundary there-are the neighbours that lazy they can’t park on their drive and walk the 2 metres to the front door?