Driveway wars - awkward petty neighbour

[Tarytino]

We live on a shared drive way (shared with 3 houses). We’re in the middle. Yesterday we had a friend over and I told him to park just outside of our house (on the shared driveway) as house 3 was out. An hour or so later house 3 arrives home - instead of simply asking him to move the car they sat there honking on the horn. It’s a short driveway, they could have parked at the end and walked down to their house (plenty of parking on street at end of driveway) but no. Friend went out and moved his car - no thanks, no acknowledgment. Once they had got passed friend moved his car back where it was.

10 mins later - horn honking outside. House 3 had decided to go out again. Friend goes out to move car. 20 minutes later more honking outside. I went out and approached neighbour asking why she is honking her horn rather than using her words. She said “I need to get to my house and there is a car in the way” 🙄 I said “yes, but you don’t need to honk the horn, just knock”. She said “can’t be arsed getting in and out of car”. I left her to it and friend moved car. Needless to say, 20 mins later, more honking outside.

now it was very obvious that neighbour was deliberately going in and out of driveway to make some kind of point. So we played her game and this went on for about 2 hours before she eventually got bored.

Today, we are having gravel delivered and they will be parking on the shared driveway. Normally I’d warn neighbour to let her know to get her car out of driveway so she doesn’t get stuck but because of yesterdays performance - I’m not going to bother. This isn’t the first time we have had issues with this neighbour btw. AIBU to let her get her car stuck? Chances are she won’t be going out anyway but no doubt as soon as she sees someone parked there she’ll suddenly develop an urgent need to go out 🙄

YABU, I'd be livid if i didnt have access to my own drove at will of i'd bought a house with one - you should have 'used your words' and checked if it was ok to use her drive that day.

But you say "once she got passed" so you admit they blocked her access and then instead of moving their car away, knowing the neighbour was now home and may need access again, put their car back exactly where it was!

No reason at all for your visitor to do this other than being selfish and lazy. They should park where they do not inconvenience people accessing their property

You can’t be blocking people’s access to their homes. If you have guests, without sufficient private parking to offer them, then you or they need to park elsewhere and walk. It’s not the neighbours fault. Nor should they need to constantly knock and get you or your guests to move.

You are the cheeky fucker OP, not them.

Blocking someone in and out of a shared driveway is really unreasonable

My MIL recently moved into a new estate and it's a shared driveway between four households. Everyone has two car spaces each. Her and her son (my BIL) have one each so when we visit we park in front of their cars, making sure there is no obstruction for the neighbours.

If she has my dad or her friends over too then everyone just parks on the street. Whenever there has been a cause to park in a neighbouring space, she always checks first with the neighbours. They have said no in the past and that's fine, it's their spaces! I don't understand why people do this. The poor woman whose thread I read the other day who is being blocked in by neighbours' visitors was awful.

I can't understand why people are so entitled!

It's shared access you don't have the right to block it.
Beeping the horn is exactly what she should do.
You're the horrendous neighbour.

If you/your guests parking on the shared driveway block your neighbour from getting to or from her own parking spot then of course you are unreasonable!

A diagram would be useful but it sounds like each house has a parking spot outside their house which doesn't block the driveway (except perhaps the end house which is fine as no one needs to pass) but a second car "double parking" on the driveway itself does block access - not fine! Shared driveway is for access only not for guests to "park outside your house".

So there is plenty of parking in the street but you thought it was okay for your friend to park on your neighbours space on the shared drive????? You are very unreasonable

It’s a short driveway, they could have parked at the end and walked down to their house (plenty of parking on street at end of driveway) but no.

So your guest parked on the shared driveway meaning you neighbour couldn't?

If that's the case YABVVVU and should apologise profusely to your neighbour! Your guests can park on the street - the neighbour must always have access without having to ask your guests to move!

I'm sure you'd object if your neighbour had guests who parked on the drive and you couldn't.

It sounds like you have a shared driveway for access only. It isn't available for parking on, as this obviously prevents others from being able to use it.

Shared doesn't mean that sometimes you can park on it and sometimes they can; it means that you can all drive over it to get to your own individual parking spaces.

I can’t upload a diagram. Basically as you turn left into the shared driveway way you have house one on the left (who has a tiny driveway enough for one small car), house 2 on the left which is us - we also have a tiny driveway enough for one small car and then at the end - house 3 who has a huge driveway that goes around in a semi circle - enough for 3 good sized cars. Theoretically friend could have parked on her driveway and she would still have been able to park her own car on there but you can imagine the outrage if we’d done that. She has more space than anyone.

She often gets Tesco deliveries which block the shared driveway but we don’t complain, it’s just what you get with a shared driveway.

Maybe because she has just had enough after years of putting up with you

I don't understand the shared driveway but you can't park on it. Is that a thing?

Otherwise it reads like you're the UR one.

Theoretically friend could have parked on her driveway and she would still have been able to park her own car on there but you can imagine the outrage if we’d done that. She has more space than anyone.

Is there something wrong with you?

Doesn't matter how big her driveway is, if she was blocked from using it then you and your friend were out of order

Op, in your first post you said something along the lines on neighbour could have easily parked further down the drive or on the road and walked up....

Why should your neighbour do that rather than your guest?

Your neighbour should be able to park on their drive and should definitely be able to drive in and out of their drive.

Your guest should have parked on the road.

Hard YTAH from me!

Shared driveways have a right of access over them and zero parking, a delivery is the only time it’s acceptable to be on a shared driveway. The vehicle isn’t being left on it and the person is around.

You are completely and totally in the wrong.

Your friend should have parked down the road. YABU. Also, yes it would be polite to let her know you have a delivery so she can move her car.

You shouldn’t park on your neighbour’s drive or block their access. You are completely wrong. Friends need to park on your drive or on a public street. I’d be furious if I was your neighbour, also you need permission to block their drive for building work.

You're being ridiculous and a CF.

Fair enough

OK I get it now, you blocked her access to her drive. Of course YABU.

Sorry I have a shared drive and you are unreasonable!

Neighbours need to get in or out 24/7, with no explanation to you.

Why should they park on the road? Why couldn’t your visitor?

You sound entitled and oblivious.

With the vast majority telling you that you ABU OP, will you “use your words” and go to the neighbour today (preferably with a bunch of flowers or something) and apologise for being an utter dick and promise never to block her access again without her expressed permission?

house 3 who has a huge driveway that goes around in a semi circle - enough for 3 good sized cars

Is this part of the shared driveway or part of her private land? If shared then you could also park there if it's not blocking any access. If it's private then no you (and your guests) cannot, regardless of how big it is. That house probably has a premium value because of the big 3 car driveway compared to your tiny one small car driveway. If you wanted a bigger driveway you should have bought a house with one!