Neighbours walking past our front door to leave the house

[Bluesea14]

our new neighbours keep walking past our front door and squeezing past our cars when they go out. We have checked our deeds and title and this is part of our property, not a public footpath. We would never dream of walking past their house when we go out so we can't understand why they think it's acceptable to do it. They recently had furniture delivered and this was also carried down the path past our front door instead of going in between their cars.
I have attached a image which is similar to the layout of our house and the blue line is where they keep walking. Any advice on how to deal with this please? We haven't properly met them yet so we don't want to come across confrontational but we also want to make it clear that we don't want people regularly walking on our property and setting our ring doorbell off.

Yes. This was an issue we had with a neighbour who we’d always got on well with and who we thought was reasonable. When we asked if he’d stop allowing his visitors to park in the entrance to our shared drive, competely blocking our access, it resulted in our home and cars being damaged, threats being made to us and verbal abuse whenever he saw us.

OP, is there anyway of having railings fitted along the boundary? Not just to stop your neighbours walking in front of your window but perhaps to stop their visitors thinking that the frontage is a free for all parking space.

a couple of nice big pots between the two houses will do the trick I’m sure, just make sure your not standing on their side getting to your door!

Until this thread it had never crossed my mind that this would even be an issue, let alone something someone would be bothered by.
That's why I commented, I find it really interesting!

If you need to ask this question then I can't help you.

It baffles me why people write these comments.
There is zero logic to them.
A postie is not a neighbour. The postie is doing a job and does not live next door.
It's totally different.

OP has bought a house with its own footpath and access to her front door.
The adjoining house has its own access.

I don't think anyone would mind a postie taking a short cut unless it was in some way damaging property- like ours did (before we moved in) by walking across two lawns belonging to 2 detached houses. Sorted by the owners at the time putting up a 3 ft fence.

If a neighbour uses your right of way where does it stop? Do they allow their kids to use it on bikes or scooters? Or to play in front of your window? To bounce balls along it?

Saying a postie might use it as short cut is missing the point.

I would look at it from the viewpoint that they just haven't thought about it properly and just made an assumption. Check your deeds and make sure it is not public access.

Nip around with a little welcome gift and introduce yourselves. And when it feel right, just ask if they could use their own path not yours as its a bit disconcerting when people are walking past your window and it sets the sensor off on your door alarm.

However as to bringing furniture and stuff in, simply from the layout it does look like it is much more practical to either move their car from their drive so the delivery can be brought up the drive and if for some reason that is not possible, they can ask and they can use your path?

Try leave it on a positive note.

If they continue then buy yourself a nice long trellis planter and stick it lengthways inbetween your houses, effectively blocking the path between you. But first check you do not have to allow them access.

If I lived at the house that has the fence at the side of it, it would never enter my head to leave by walking past the door and window of my neighbour. I’d walk down my own path on the side of the fence or straight down the tarmac in front of my door if I was feeling lazy.
I genuinely don’t understand how anyone can possibly think that the way the OP’s neighbours are leaving (and presumably returning ) is the intended way that they should. Each house has its own path.

You also can't explain!

Most reasonable people wouldn’t buy a house is access was so limited they had to rely on using their neighbors path and driveway.

If there is indeed such limited access to the property then this would have been reflected in the price

It looks to me like there is a continuous path at the front of the houses all along, and no pavement - so I would think you are supposed to walk along the path along the length of the road. OP says her house is set back from the road but I don't think the houses in that picture (which I appreciate isn't her house exactly) are away from the road; they're right up against the road, it's just that the road has some dedicated parking bays along it.

You keep saying that you've checked your deeds and you own the land but have you read them in depth to find out if there is a right of way clause - an easement? Several people have asked you this and you haven't answered them. It's perfectly possible to own land that has a right of way for third parties over it. They might have read their deeds and discovered that they are entitled to do this.

Did no one read the thread about the man who was turning in the poster's driveway and then damaged his car when she put some stones on her driveway?
The message from that thread would be speak to your neighbours. If you can't face telling them not to walk in front of your house (if I was doing this, I would stop if you asked me but would try to avoid ever speaking to you again - even though you are in the right!), tell them you are getting a big planter delivered just so they can be aware. Or tell them about the Ring doorbell.
Don't write a letter, I think this is a bit pettier than the driveway thread but you are still within your rights to stop this.

@Bellyblueboy they might just have assumed the path by OP’s house is a main path? Has it been clarified whether that path is wider than the one on the neighbours side?

I wouldn't send a letter. That kind of formalises a complaint before you've even introduced yourself and they might be perfectly reasonable if you just ask.

Just introduce yourself and politely explain that you would like them to use their own path as using yours sets your ring doorbell off and you keep having to rush downstairs etc to answer the door when there's nobody there.
Hopefully they will take the hint and that ends the matter. Of course it's more irritating than that, it impacts on your privacy but a polite low key request might be all it takes. 💐

It looks like there is a continuous path running the length of the road directly in front of everyones' houses. If this is in fact not a public path it's really not at all obvious. Is there is a residents association? It would be worth raising the issue and adjusting the layout somehow. Presumably the postman uses that path and walks in front of all of the houses.

@Bluesea14 what do your deeds say about the path going between the parking spaces (if you have that set up)?

Speak to them!

If they have some reason, then suggest they start leaving an (informal) path directly along the driveways/boundary line leading straight from front door to road. Point out that you always put planters out for the summer so youll try and make sure the central path woukd be useable if theyd like.

I'm wondering if Postie walks up & down every path, or does the sensible thing & walks along what really looks like a footpath?

What do your deeds actually show/say? Even if you own it, presumably there is some sort of easement giving access to your other neighbour, at a minimum?

I can't believe people have an issue with things like this. See so much of it online. Does it really matter ffs.

It’s not about hating each other.

HTH

We have the EXACT same house and set up. Except we aren't detached from the house on the left as per your pic. All three houses are joined.

My partner is friends with the guy next door (the terrace at the end on the right as per your pic) and yet he does the exact same as in your case - in addition, his gf has horrid, feral kids who run and up and down our path every time they're here, kick footballs, etc. We have asked them to stop and they state that the kids have autism and ADHD and "can't help it" and just keep on doing it. Some people are inherently selfish and DGAF. You have those as neighbours, unfortunately for you, and so do I.

One of my neighbours' car spaces is outside his living room window as per your pic, yet he feels the need to drive right up to where the alley is in your pic, and reverses onto his space so he passes our living room window. Multiples times a day as he doesn't work and is in and out all day. He's already dislodged a brick.

Another neighbour tried plants for her similar issue, and they were destroyed and crashed into.

I really don't have an answer as I've been here a few years with the exact same issue and am yet to remedy it with anything which works. People have no manners these days and I totally understand and sympathise with you. Yes it DOES affect you when it's ALL the time, and no it is not petty to be upset by it!

I wish you were my neighbour. You have manners and understand boundaries.

Well having a word would be best - not a letter yet - or you could put some kind of planter -Lattice Wooden Garden Planter - Large between the properties.

I can kind of see why they are doing it from photos - but if it's bothering you have a word - they may not realsie they are on your ring camera either.

What has 'respect' got to do with walking past your house? Honestly that word is thrown about sometimes but this is one of the most ridiculous applications I've heard in a while.

What in the world are you talking about? You don’t want someone walking down a path near your house? Get a grip! You know that you sound ridiculous which is why you haven’t spoke to them about it.