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Neighbour damaged his car on my drive

1000 replies

lghtnght · 10/02/2026 16:16

I moved into my new house 3 months ago and after a few weeks, I noticed that the neighbours across the street were reversing onto my property when they left their house. The road is pretty narrow, so they can't really turn around without reversing onto my drive. Plus, another neighbour parks his car (in blue) on the pavement by their house, which makes it harder for them to pull forward and turn around.

It would be much easier if they just reversed onto their own drive and drove out from there. I don't know why they haven't done that yet. I didn't want to start any drama or fall out with them. I had never talked to them before today and wasn't sure how they'd react if I brought it up, so last weekend I decided to put some garden rocks in the corner instead. Just to clarify, they're on my drive, not on the pavement, in case anyone wonders. So, the neighbour knocked on my door earlier and said that his car got damaged because of the rocks. He insists that they were half on the pavement (not true) and half on my drive.

He asked why I didn't tell him I was putting them there so he could avoid driving over them. He said if there was a problem, I should have just talked to him. I told him it's my drive, on my property. Why would I need to inform him? His car wouldn't have been damaged if he wasn't using my drive… He got really aggressive with me, saying that the previous owners never had any issues and that he's going to call the police and a solicitor about the damage to his car. I haven’t heard anything since. I can't believe I'm even writing this. I’m not sure what to do now! I do feel a bit intimidated by him. Am I being unreasonable?

Neighbour damaged his car on my drive
OP posts:
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8
echt · 10/02/2026 22:06

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:02

because it's such a non issue maybe?

he's using it for a few seconds to turn around, not parking on her driveway.

If you're routinely accessing a neighbour's property, It has the potential to be an issue. As the neighbour has discovered.

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:07

Therunecaster · 10/02/2026 21:42

Reading posts like this make me happy that I live in a street where neighbours talk to each other, make allowances for the small stuff and look out for each other.

Yeah. Me too.

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:08

SyntheticFluff · 10/02/2026 21:42

No. It's been said by OP that she hadn't spoken to him or been introduced to him. He hadn't been glaring at her from his front door or subtly intimidating her from the day she moved in.

Nobody knows what he would've done if she'd politely asked him to stop doing the manoeuvre because it didn't happen. He may well have kept on doing it. Equally, he may well have stopped.

Edited

Yep.

freakingscared · 10/02/2026 22:08

To be honest I think what you did was pretty petty too . Why did it bother you if twice a day he needs to reverse a bit on your drive if you don’t mind me asking.

SyntheticFluff · 10/02/2026 22:08

OnlyMabelInTheBuilding · 10/02/2026 21:45

OP shouldn’t have had to have this conversation, as he shouldn’t have been doing it.

Well...he did do it so she did need to 🤷‍♀️.

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:09

freakingscared · 10/02/2026 22:08

To be honest I think what you did was pretty petty too . Why did it bother you if twice a day he needs to reverse a bit on your drive if you don’t mind me asking.

Are you for real? Have you not read any of this?

goldylock · 10/02/2026 22:09

I think the proof is in the pudding tho as to why random people shouldn't be using other people's properties for anything, without consent or permission.

Because you are potentially liable for what happens on your property. I was asked by neighbour if they could use my drive to park cars for a party and I said no, because if one of them fell or something.....no thanks.

If I was driving on a road and needed to turn and the only option was to turn in someone's drive and I did something to damage my car or their property, I'd be mortified.

But, am not entitled to think the world revolves around me.

However, you will now never be friends, let alone acquaintances from this moment on.

Mischance · 10/02/2026 22:09

Therunecaster · 10/02/2026 21:42

Reading posts like this make me happy that I live in a street where neighbours talk to each other, make allowances for the small stuff and look out for each other.

Me too ...
It is a two way thing.

CalmTheFuckDownMargaret · 10/02/2026 22:11

He’s a dickhead who is angry because he knows it’s entirely on him but he’s hoping he can shift the blame and costs onto you. Tough. He shouldn’t be quite so entitled!

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:13

SnuggleReal · 10/02/2026 21:57

I don't think you're liable and you are allowed to put anything you want on your driveway. However, knowing they do use the driveway to reverse, would a knock on the door telling them, "I've noticed you use my driveway to turn around. Just letting you know that I've put some rocks on the side, so you don't hit them accidentally," hurt at all?

And yes, randoms sometimes use the bottom of my driveway to turn around and I don't care. People sometimes need to turn around and use the bottom of other people's driveways.

Lovely to see there are still some of us normal people around.

I've always had good neighbours, my current ones are fab. I'd like to move to somewhere bigger, but I'm feeling wary of moving now. Maybe I'll just stay here after all.

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:14

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:07

Yeah. Me too.

Make allowances for small stuff? Fine. This isn’t small stuff!

BudgetBuster · 10/02/2026 22:14

freakingscared · 10/02/2026 22:08

To be honest I think what you did was pretty petty too . Why did it bother you if twice a day he needs to reverse a bit on your drive if you don’t mind me asking.

Read the thread.

Damsonjam1 · 10/02/2026 22:16

You're both being unreasonable. You for not letting him know you'd put a rock there in case he didn't see it; and him for not asking permission to reverse on your driveway and threatening you with police. It's far better to get on with your neighbours and behave with consideration. You never know when you may need them. For example one of my neighbours saved the life of another neighbour by performing CPR until the paramedics arrived with a defib.

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:17

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:14

Make allowances for small stuff? Fine. This isn’t small stuff!

Of course it's small stuff.

using the bottom of a driveway to turn around is about as small as it comes.

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:17

Damsonjam1 · 10/02/2026 22:16

You're both being unreasonable. You for not letting him know you'd put a rock there in case he didn't see it; and him for not asking permission to reverse on your driveway and threatening you with police. It's far better to get on with your neighbours and behave with consideration. You never know when you may need them. For example one of my neighbours saved the life of another neighbour by performing CPR until the paramedics arrived with a defib.

He didn’t need to know, he shouldn’t be there in the first place!

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:18

FrozenFebruary · 10/02/2026 22:17

Of course it's small stuff.

using the bottom of a driveway to turn around is about as small as it comes.

You allow that on your own drive then?

Blogswife · 10/02/2026 22:19

Even if he had a case ( which he doesn’t ) it’s a civil matter so police won’t be interested . If you get a solicitors letter then reply that he was trespassing on your property and ask them to tell him to stop harassing you

tachetastic · 10/02/2026 22:22

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 21:58

Then why didn’t he have the decency to speak to OP when she moved in? It was wrong to assume he could just keep doing it.

He may have got into such a habit it never even occurred to him.

I'm not defending the neighbour continuing to use OP's driveway. He should have stopped. I just think that maybe mentioning the stones might have been nice.

She didn't need to of course, and people will point that out I am sure. But in a community we all do things we don't need to, just to be nice. Neighbourly, even.

TakeALookAtTheseSwatches · 10/02/2026 22:24

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:14

Make allowances for small stuff? Fine. This isn’t small stuff!

What would you call small stuff if this isn't? He's taking about 5 seconds to turn around, no inconvenience to op whatsoever. What happened to being neighbourly?

Traitorsisontv · 10/02/2026 22:27

I thought that what mirrors and windows were for - avoiding incidents such as this. And on a newer car reversing sensors.

Dollyparton3 · 10/02/2026 22:27

I’ve always loved the phrase I learned on Mumsnet OP which is “No is a full sentence”. I think that the next time this bullying male ogre of a man thinks he can do as he pleases in his own neighbourhood and everyone has to fall into line approaches you with his latest entitled rant, all you have to say is “ok” and smile. Then embrace the uncomfortable silence that bullies psychologically struggle with when they feel they’re not controlling an argument.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 10/02/2026 22:29

NotAnotherScarf · 10/02/2026 20:21

And the intimidating bit is shit. No question. Hitting the rocks, what a twat.

But he can't reverse into his drive without using her drive.

Him being able to reverse into his drive at all, whether or not he uses someone else's drive to do it, is entirely unknown, because he doesn't reverse into his drive. He reverses onto OP's drive in order to drive forwards into his own.

SyntheticFluff · 10/02/2026 22:30

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:18

You allow that on your own drive then?

I'm not the one you asked but I wouldn't give a shiny shite. I've got better things to do than watch someone from over the road reverse their car and make contact with my driveway for a few seconds every day and then get aerated about it.

If I was that bothered I would park my own car on the drive in such a way that there is no space for anyone to reverse on.

Allseeingallknowing · 10/02/2026 22:32

TakeALookAtTheseSwatches · 10/02/2026 22:24

What would you call small stuff if this isn't? He's taking about 5 seconds to turn around, no inconvenience to op whatsoever. What happened to being neighbourly?

He doesn’t need to go on her property in order to access his own drive.
I don’t meander across my neighbour’s garden in order to reach my front door!

AgnesMcDoo · 10/02/2026 22:34

this is the second thread in a week with an OP that is precious about a neighbour’s car touching their driveway

it’s just such a weird thing to be bothered by

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