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…

Is it? Oh my goodness I didn't realise. 🙄

Only read a few posts but you say further down that they only 'slightly' cross over your drive. If they were parking slightly over it/slightly blocking it etc etc then that's different, I wouldn't get worked up over that. As it is bothering you so much though then the only solution is to go and actually tell them it's bothering you 🤷‍♀️

If you have a word, might they start parking the van outside yours?

We do this with our neighbors. Easier to turn the car in a larger space.

I’ve had neighbours cause all sorts of issues in regards to parking. To be honest, I wouldn’t get wound up over this. They aren’t causing significant wear and tear.

It takes at least 20 years, but yes, it’s a technical possibility.

ironically, if you give them permission you can later withdraw it.

@TheGrimSmile They’re driving on it, not walking!

Get a bollard installed!

Yes.
OP which would you find more annoying, them driving over a bit of your drive or the van being parked on the road outside your house?

@parkingcars do you have room for something like this on the gap at the end of the den I g on the driveway?

www.argos.co.uk/product/4846741

I would get some plant pots scattered and grow some flowers

Also, it's their property. I wouldn't like it either.

Why can't one of them move the car to sit across your drive, the other can then drive the car onto their drive, then the one in the van moves it back. They're just being lazy. It would irritate me too. Having said that, bear in mind there may come a time when you do something to irritate them and they may let it go, because you've let this go.

I looked at a house for sale recently with a similar set up. The edge of the driveway paving that bordered the neighbours had become sunken and crumbled from the neighbours reversing over it for years. It would be an expensive and annoying repair.

Yes it’s petty, but I can also understand the annoyance.

But be careful what you wish for… I’d definitely prefer this to having their van parked outside my house just so they could access their drive without encroaching on yours at all.

Yes it's silly and harps back to Cave man days and hunting. Don't wreck the neighbourhood balance by causing a dispute. How are you going to ask them to refrain without causing unrest. Honestly I have been through exactly this myself. After 5yrs of unrest, i have finally made peace with them. And I'm happier for it. What if the shoe were on the other foot??? Life is too short to make any part of it unhappy with something that there's no need for.

shut the gate?or maybe I don't understand

Not everyone wants to go through life as a doormat.

Life is really too short - both drives look narrow…if they are good neighbours otherwise don’t sweat the small things. If they rent and leave you may find that the next people are more annoying as you have no control on who rents next door.

First world problems. 🤦🏻‍♀️ If they were crossing immediately in front of your door or front window I'd see an issue, yes it would be an annoying, but the far end of driveway, YABU.

They’re driving over it.

Fab diagram

You say you have a fence, so is it just the end bi that is not fenced that they drive over?

So you've realised that if you stop them from doing this, their likely solution will to be to park the van in front of your house right?

Maybe best to just leave it be...

I know this isn't the prevailing view, but I'd be tempted to leave it be.

Firstly, neighbour disputes are one of the worst things you can have in your life.

Secondly, it's not affecting you other than annoyance.

By doing them a favour you're preventing an escalation to parking wars of some other kind. Like them parking the van in front of your house or similar.

Just from past experience, don't poke the bear!