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.

The width of the path doesn't matter. The neighbours have their own path and don't need to trespass on someone else's property.

I’ve had my own problems with my neighbour using my drive, and (rightly or wrongly) went against your suggestion and put up barriers without talking to him first (it’s a long story, I have my own thread about it). There’s another thread here that I’m keeping an eye on where someone is dealing with a similar situation with her neighbours using her drive. She’s already politely asked them to stop, but they haven’t listened, so sadly, just asking people to stop doesn’t always do the trick. You seem like a considerate neighbour, but not everyone is like that and some will just keep doing what they want because it’s easier for them. I understand why people hesitate to bring things up, fearing they’ll be seen as petty or that their neighbour might react badly, because that’s how I felt.

I am sorry you're dealing with this, it can't be fun. And if you ask something and they don't comply, all's fair. I was just making the point that the neighbours might think it's a public right of way, or not have realised it's something that might be bothering the OP, so a non-confrontational conversation in the first instance might yield the best result. People aren't mind readers.

If the paths are the same size then YANBU, but theirs does look smaller from the picture ,
possibly the plants/ greenery are taking away some of their space ?

no just speak to them - a letter is too formal

i think on house designs such as these with the paths there should be signs put up so it says who can use the paths

Our neighbours do similar - there's a wall between us, but we have a shared alley so there's a gap at the top to allow us both access. The bus stop they go to means they need to walk past our house, so they just cut through the gap in near the alley gate (we can't put anything in the way as we do actually need the access) and walk across our drive. The problem is it sets our Ring doorbell off every sodding time one of them leaves the house, which we have told them. Absolute pain. And we need the bell because I spend a lot of time in the back working in the garden office - the number of times I've been expecting a delivery and legged it to the door only to find it was one of them.. and there's no time to check my phone to look at the camera if it IS the delivery, because they don't give you enough time to get to the door.

ANNOYING.

And that's the OP's problem, why? They bought the house on the right with a narrower path, they can't just decide to use OP's because it's wider or, more likely, because it's a quicker route out to the road!
My neighbour has a wider drive than me...I might park my car on it, I'm sure they won't mind 🙄

New tactic if she is setting off your camera- freak her out about the fact you keep seeing her by commenting when you say hello.
"Hi neighbour, are you OK? You looked like you were in a rush yesterday."
"I love the coat you were wearing this morning."
"You look like you had a good shopping trip with all those bags."

Put a rectangular flower pot by your door blocking the way to their house from your path if its bothering you.
If you dont want to be too pointed you could put up a hanging basket and a smaller one further along too

Just talk to them, ‘how are you settling in? I have been wondering why you are using are path, it’s not public access. is there anything that we can help you with?’

The path over by the fence is much slimmer and I can completely see why they are using wider path what I can only believe is a shared path

I think OP your property is straight onto the street and it’s a shared path because the path far side is much slimmer and also would take the long way round - that’s why they are using the path that runs along your property

A long bench under your window and large planters for some lovely climbers like wisteria or clematis for the front of your house would look great and not deliberately obstructive or petty. Trellis on the walls to send it over the door and window so it looks like a proper gardening design/wildlife improvement decision. All this would make it very difficult for them to still use that way when it obvious you’re filling it. Hanging basket - strawberries/tomatoes? between your door and theirs also - as they’d have to duck under it. Do you have a floodlight set up - that would deter them also.

Don’t be ridiculous - the most logical outcome is that OPs property is on the street - that flower bed was obviously planned by the developers

dont put plant pots op until you research yours AND their deeds

i would think there is a right of way clause

That would look awful - it’s obv it’s a right of way - no signs needed

as Someone has already explained they experienced this - not on their deeds but on their neighbours deeds

you need to know where you stand first - especially if you want to block a right of way with plant pots

The fact that there is a tiny path the other side to me means the developers intended the path to be access to both houses

Have you read OP's posts? She clearly says that she parks on her drive close to the house and thats why they have to squeeze past? It's her drive, her frontage, her path. The neighbours have their own to the right of the property.
How difficult does this have to be??!

Someone talking sense at last!

I really don’t think that’s your path OP - it’s clearly the same design as the paths that go round the estate

its prob not in your deeds because it’s a public path - why would it be

I'm with you OP. It would really annoy me too. It's totally unnecessary for them to use your path when they have their own.

I personally wouldn't say anything in case they think you're being petty (as many posters on here seem to think). I would just put a planter or two with the fence on the back to create a physical barrier.

Get some big plant pots!

It's not a shared path and that's shown on the deeds.

I'd say something (in a friendly way). I wouldn't care if they thought I was being petty. I don't want people walking past right outside my window.

Why don’t you understand that it’s the OPs front path adjacent to the OPs parking space and the neighbours have the same their side. Width of path is completely irrelevant but actually have you ever heard of perspective? The paths are the same width.

And ye gods if I was ever remotely tempted to move into a new build this thread would soon put me off when half the bloody neighbours think that a path right outside the window is a public footpath just because it hasn’t got divider lines between the houses. WTF!

Because it doesn’t look like a private path and very much a shared path

I think you should start walking past their window and they will get the message. Get a large pot plant to fit in the space.