Neighbour damaged his car on my drive

[lghtnght]

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?

Another thread where everything could potentially have been avoided if neighbours had just spoken to each other.

My brother did this - his neighbour's guests always drove on his grass and parked on his drive, so he put rocks round the grass. One set of guests totally wrecked their car trying to drive over the rocks. Never did it again.

He isn't going to phone the police or a solicitor because he knows he's the only one at fault and to blame for the damage on his car. Heis hoping you will be terrified.
Honestly don't worry about it. You have solved the problem.

I think I’ll come round whenever I like and sit on your sofa and watch your TV. I’d have to do that for about a thousand years before I wear it out.

It had better give good support. If I get any back problems, I’ll be contacting my solicitor.

I would have put a nice bollard or 2 so he couldn't get on the driveway.

I so agree with this!

We lived in a situation where people often found they needed to turn in our drive and we were only too happy for them to do so as there was little other option. We would just smile and wave.

If there is some sound reason why your neighbour doing this might be to your detriment then the thing to do would have been to explain this to him and ask him not to.

The fact that he damaged his car is clearly down to him and a bit of bad driving, so I do not think you need to worry about that - what you do need to woorry about is souring relations with a very close neighbour alongside whom you are now going to have to live. That will be unpleasant, and you have brought it on yourself by failing to be neighbourly.

You have been there 3 short months and have made yourselves an enemy. I do not think that was wise.

Sounds like he's good at reversing in to driveways, just not his own.

No need to ever discuss it with him again. He is a twunt...
You are not.
Leave him to it but if he gets aggressive suggest calling the police is a good idea.

Well, I reckon the solicitor and the police had a bit of a chuckle following that conversation! What a knob!
Just because the previous home owner didn’t mind people using their driveway as a turning circle does not mean that you have to follow suit OP.
Smart move on your part for placing the rock on YOUR garden. The neighbour would be wise to follow the Highway Code advice to ‘always look into your exit’!

That will be unpleasant, and you have brought it on yourself by failing to be neighbourly.

Surely it's the neighbour who is the unneighbourly one for assuming & then shouting at Op for putting something on her own driveway?

Well, he’s required not to drive into things.
It’s pretty simple really.
If he can’t see, he should get an eye test. If his eyes are that bad, then he shouldn’t be driving.
Is this is chosen defence if he knocks over a small child?

Yeah, I think it waa cowardly and snide as well

If the previous neighbours had let him use their loo would he walk in and shit in it now it belongs to you? Of course not.

You sound very petty. Why on earth wouldn’t you speak to him first?

Is this is chosen defence if he knocks over a small child?

"It has never been there before"

Are you male? I usually find someone calling a stranger ‘mate’ is male. Flog me if I’m wrong!

I think you should have warned him.

Not worth kicking neighbour wars off over something so trivial.

100%. You are NBU, and @lghtnght you are absolutely right that he should just reverse on to his drive instead of going in forwards. Take photos of the rocks and wait for his solicitor to (not) be in touch.

Warned him? I am quite certain the cheeky fucker knows the drive isn't his to drive on.

He could have knocked on OP door, I produced himself and explained his issue and asked her permission if he could reverse over her drive. He chose not to do this. Instead he thought he would be entitled and drive without seeking permission. OP does not have to give permission for people driving over her drive. I wouldn't like someone driving over my drive. OP was perfectly reasonable to put a few rocks on her drive to protect it from infringement. Her neighbour couldn't have even been looking properly if he didn't see rocks big enough to damage his car. Let him claim on his insurance. He won't do it again.

Had you painted them white?

I also think you were a shit neighbour and it would have been nicer to talk to him or send him a note.

Having said that you are entitled to use your own property in any way you wish. The police are not going to turn up (crikey, they don't even turn up if there is an actual domestic crime), and if he wants to waste his money on a solicitor then he is welcome to - he doesn't have a case against you.

Yes

In fact I'm pretty sure NotAnotherScarf isn't using their spare bedroom, so I'd make yourself at home! Also there's a portion of lasagne in the fridge which is probably going to go to waste, so help yourself to that if you're peckish. And while you're at it there's a nice bottle of Merlot no-one seems to be drinking...

@NotAnotherScarf - how do you know the OP isn't being inconvenienced? Perhaps she's being woken up when her neighbour turns in her drive, or perhaps she has a car which is her pride and joy and she's anxious about it getting scratched.

Or perhaps she just doesn't want random cheeky fuckers using her property!

My response to "that he's going to call the police and a solicitor about the damage to his car."

Knock yourself out sunshine!

This. Although technically you are correct it was a passive aggressive thing to do instead of just having a conversation with him.

Could have given them a chance to stop doing it and if they didn’t put the rocks there.