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.

OP don’t say they were looking in, she said they are “ setting off her ring doorbell” and “squeezing past her car” which in the grand scheme of things, aren’t really life changing issues are they?!

I get multiple people walking past my living room and bedroom ( I live in a bungalow).. dog walkers, delivery drivers, my neighbours, people he really going for a walk and I’ve never noticed anyone trying to get a look into my property. I have two ring cameras which I’ve changed the settings on ( it’s quite easy to do) so that I’m not notified of every single motion that’s detected.

I think sometimes people have far too much time on their hands

They are squeezing past the car inbetween the bush. So if anything their path will be a lot more spacious. I have no issue speaking to them I was just asking what would be the best way.

Is it worth you paying to download their deeds? It's just a few pounds on the land registry. Just to double check that all us in order.
Then a simple polite conversation of "i don't think you realise....it sets our doorbell off"

You forgot "No is a complete sentence."

assuming your house is not set back from the road? Whereas mine is.

I know a lot of estates like this the paths, although owned by the individual houses all have public right of way... So even if your estate is not like this its possible your neighbours have assumed this is the case and they don't think they are doing anything wrong.

If you are absolutely certain your deeds confirm no right of way to the public (I don't mean who owns the land - i mean rights of way which probably would be covered by a covenant or something) Then you will have to speak to them and state this - and that you are not happy they are using your path. I think writing a letter is a bit rude when its likely to be just a mis-understanding of a right of way.

If you speak to them - and then they continue to use your path then see what your covenants say about placing a fence around the path (I'd be surprised if that were allowed but it might be - check)

Similar set up here and my neighbours do the same. They’re nice people though so I don’t really mind. Their kids were meeting their mates and regularly congregating outside our living room so I did ask them to congregate on their own drive instead. They were totally fine with it and now when we’re away, we always tell them to park on our drive if they want to.

If you want to get off on the right foot, I think it’s much better to have a friendly chat rather than go the slightly more official way of writing a letter. As a PP said, take some chocolates or a small gift and mention it casually.

I like the idea of introducing yourself and saying that it’s setting off the ring doorbell so ask if they can avoid it. Non confrontational if you blame the electronics 😁

From the picture it looks like the path your side is wider because it is double the width as it serves two houses. Your's and the house the other side the gap.

It would annoy me (and my dog) too. I would stick a planter there and maybe a hanging basket. And electric wire.

My dog’s barking would give them the fright of their life if they walked past my window. They’d soon stop.

I presume they are doing it because they are heading in that direction. If they took their own path they would be circling away from themselves going around their own path. Most people tend to take the most direct route which, in their case, is past your house.

if they are squeezing past your cars they are being a bit cheeky and are either very lazy or genuinely think this is a path they are allowed to take. Or it wouldn't bother them if someone did this to them, so haven't considered it might bother you.

I would not send a note, I'd bring over some cake or biscuits or flowers, have a a polite word with them, as others have suggested, If that does not stop it, only then put up a large plotted plant to stop them being able to use it.

Is the front of the house sunny? If so I’d put a bench there.

Even if it does say in deeds that it's a ROW (I doubt it if it's new builds) it's just so rude. I don't understand why anyone thinks this is good behaviour. It's so intrusive.

How is it rude?

Personally this wouldn't bother me but since it's bothers you, can you back your cars up further so they can't get past? Or as others suggested, put a plant pot in the middle of the path between your houses, an olive tree or something, decorative but in the way.

It’s not petty to not want neighbours walking right past your living room window when you’ve bought a property which is set back from the road, or to use your path as a cut through, or to activate your Ring sensor when they aren’t actually visiting. It should be really obvious to anyone with good manners that walking across someone’s front garden path is not an appropriate cut through, even if you can’t be arsed to spend an extra few seconds walking down your own path.

OP, I’d tell them face to face that they mustn’t walk across your property as a cut through as it’s triggering the bell and / or you’re not keen on having people wandering past your living room windows. You are entitled to that expectation of privacy. There are some really rude, thoughtless people on here!

Because you are going via someone else’s garden / property! The path goes under their window. If the path wasn’t there and it was grass would you understand then that walking across it was rude?

The poster I quoted said it's rude even if the path is a ROW. So not someone's garden (which this clearly isn't, based on the picture).

I said the neighbours were cheeky, but if they think this is a path anyone can use, they may think you are cheeky for parking your car across the path.

This is a problem I think with these open plan gardens. Clear marked boundaries are actually useful!

Just have a civil word with them.

It isn't. It's a trick of the perspective.

These estates are normally all built on the same pattern. Their paths are equal. You can see their garden gate and their wheely bins go down their own path.

Are you allowed to put a fence down the dividing line between the two properties? If not then I think the answer probably is that those paths are intended to be used as pavements.

For me the issue is what happens if they scratch your car pushing past on your property when they don't need to? Will the pay for the damage? I suspect not.

I would get fed up with this and would have a word. It is just rude at the end of the day, there is no need for it and you can ask them to stop. So many people are saying you should be nice and not create a fuss so you don't upset them, but they are happy to upset you by doing this.

I would have a chat, emphasis the irritation of having the door bell going when they do it and say that you are going to put some new planters out so they need to stop going that way as it will make it harder and you wouldn't want any accidental scratching of cars.

MN is full of people who seem to think you should just let your neighbours do what they want on your property. There are a couple of threads about neighbours using the poster's driveways without persmission. The number of people that think they should be allowed to just crack on is bizarre.

Can you take a non identifying photo? It might be better than the example. Blur out the houses

It would really annoy me. I’d put a low fence around my property