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 🙄

it’s not your neighbour being petty, it’s you.

I have the middle house in exactly the same situation. You are being very unreasonable. I would never do that to my neighbour.

Why can't your visitor park in the road?

You should NEVER be blocking anyone else from coming or going, OP.

She doesn’t have to use her words, because you shouldn’t be putting her in the position to ‘use her words’

This.

You cannot just block someone's access. Your visitors need to park elsewhere. You are ridiculously entitled and I hope you realise that now.

Neighbour should be able to come and go as they wish as many times as they want. Each time without having to come and get you. YABU

Keep being reasonable, considerate and polite.

Don’t stoop to her level.

After your neighbour had been in and out a couple of times, I’d have suggested your friend park elsewhere.

Yes, part of the driveway is for access so you can't park on it.

I have exactly the same and it makes me appreciate that my neighbours aren't like the OP.

They could have parked at the end and walked down to their house ...

Surely your visitor could have done the same to avoid all this?

I'd never live anywhere with a shared drive access again - been there, got the t shirt - but they're hardly a suitable place for visitors to park, and if the neighbour had already honked their horn wouldn't that have been a good time to move the car instead of sticking it straight back there once they'd gone?

Blocking her in with a tonne of gravel is going to cause you more problems than it will her!! I hope you have a shovel 😂😂

Time to lose your shit every time the Tesco man comes

Assuming this isn’t a reverse, you are completely unreasonable. Don’t allow your visitors to park on/block your neighbours. Just drop the attitude.

Apologise to neighbours and explain about the upcoming delivery. Hopefully they will be kind and accommodating, despite your behaviour.

We have the exact same set up we are house number 1. I would never dream of blocking access in or out of the driveway. Occasionally the morissons van does but that's once a week and for a couple of minutes only. If a car can't fit past when your friend parks outside you simply don't have a big enough driveway for your friends to park on your drive and they need to use the street like most traditional house/drive set ups

you caused the whole issue and are now vexed that your neighbour raised this, rather than putting themselves out to accommodate you. Unbelievable really. You stopped a neighbour accessing their own home.

Unless by prior arrangements, you do not block anyone in. You do not park on the shared bit. My brother has shared a driveway with his NDN for years and they have managed with a few rules.

You are being unreasonable. Your neighbour needs to be able to access their property/parking space without getting out of their car, walking to your house and knocking on your door.

Is there anywhere for your guests to park that doesn’t involve pissing off neighbours?

Is it perhaps only recently that have got fed up of you using the shared drive as if it is just yours, with little to no consideration for your neighbour getting in and out?.
The way your post reads I would suspect this isn't the first time they've been annoyed with your use of the shared drive.

with your neighbour on this one - they don’t need to ask to get on and off their driveway.
Using it without their permission is trespass, if you are enabling it repeatedly that’s also classified as anti social behaviour
you may want to rethink the gravel blocking revenge tactic - blocking / obstructing their access is an offence & can be passed to the police to deal with

I agree with PP, I think you need to use your words and apologise to your neighbour

Just get your visitors to park on the road and there won't be a problem.

Jesus stop blocking your neighbours access! YABVVVVVU and I’d lose my absolute shit if I lived next door to you. You sound like a complete nightmare

The only person being more unreasonable than OP is OP's friend. What kind of maniac spends the whole afternoon merrily taking part in someone else's feud with a neighbour by repeatedly moving their car out of the neighbour's way, and then putting it back? I would be mortified if someone's neighbour kicked off after I blocked their drive at someone else's suggestion, and I would park well out of the way after that.

We had this with a previous neighbour. I don't want to ask permission every time I need to access my property. Sometimes I am in a rush. It doesn't matter that the neighbour has a larger drive, she likely paid more for the privilege. Tell your friend to park on the street.

YABU. Your guest was blocking her so while it would have been better if she had knocked initially your guest should not have parked back on the drive - to suggest your neighbour could have parked elsewhere and walked while your guest parked on the drive is ridiculous.