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Original poster

Silly issue: my neighbour objects to trellis in our front yard as his wife can't get out passenger side of car anymore

23 replies

MimieD · 13/05/2009 14:09

So so silly. The development we live on has allocated parking spaces in front of the houses. We have recently set up some trellis and a planter on the side of our front yard to make it look a bit more like a garden (we're one of the few with a front yard). Our neighbour's parking space is right next to this area. Previously his wife always got in and out of the card by basically walking on our paved front yard and opening the car door. Now we put a planter and trellis there, she apparently cannot get in the car this way anymore. Surely they do not have automatic right of access across our property? There is still plenty of room to turn the car into the space. We have been 'neighbourly' the last few years and have put up with them walking on our yard and stealing furtive glances into our kitchen while we're having our breakfast/lunch/dinner (the window is about 6 feet from the car). Most of the other people living on the development (inc us) need to let the passenger get in the car after pulling out of the space. It makes me so that they are being difficult about such a small thing, they haven't objected to any of the other improvements we did to our yard, i.e. when we had it paved instead of leaving the grass.

OP posts:

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 13/05/2009 14:15

Is he able to park his car a bit further away from the trellis???

It's not your problem to be honest.

AMumInScotland · 13/05/2009 14:17

I know some developments have a legal condition about not being able to erect fences/walls between the gardens, so if there's anything like that in your deeds I guess they may have a point. But since it's not actually a fence, I doubt even that would cover it. If they did have a right of access, that would also be in your deeds, but that usually only covers things like a shared access road.

missmem · 13/05/2009 14:18

I don't share a drive but the passenger has to get in or out after I've pulled out or before I pull into the drive. It's not easy but do not back down!

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 13/05/2009 14:20

What do you do to get out of the car? Do you have a problem? What if they put a trellis up? How would it affect you?

I'd tell them to sod off myself (in a nice way).

Original poster

MimieD · 13/05/2009 14:29

Wow, thanks for all the quick answers, I love Mumsnet
MumInScotland, The deed does mention erecting things like outbuildings, permanent walls but fences and/or trellis are excluded. And yes, I also have to have the passenger get out before I pull into my space. They cannot move their car away from the trellis as their is another parking space next to theirs. They have just over a foot of free space on the passenger side which is more than I often get at the local supermarket!
Quite frankly, for over 3 years we let them use our yard and now we put a stop to it they're being pathetic. We have such a lovely neighbourhood here and good relations with all and this is just spoiling things for me .

OP posts:

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 13/05/2009 14:32

It's because you've spoilt them! They are taking the piss. Your house, your land, your trellis! Maybe she should get out on the road/path and walk! lazy woman!! (not you)

AMumInScotland · 13/05/2009 14:37

Well, legally it doesn't sound like they've got any right to complain. I guess they've just got used to having it easier and are whinging now! I'd say a clear foot of space to get out of the car wasn't that bad really tbh - like you say, we all manage on less than that in parking spaces all the time, so what's the big deal? I was picturing the trellis about 2 inches from their car.

Original poster

MimieD · 13/05/2009 14:39

went out to measure the space ( i can be pedantic too you know ) and they have 45 centimeters on the passenger side...sad gits

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Original poster

MimieD · 13/05/2009 14:41

So true, we spoilt them, we should have put a 6 feet fence around the yard the moment we moved in . Would have been fun to see him manouver his car in the space then... Feel much better after all your responses...needed a bit of venting

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SlartyBartFast · 13/05/2009 14:46

can;t she reverse in? then she will have space,

Original poster

MimieD · 13/05/2009 14:50

they already have trouble enough getting in the normal way, god forbid they try to reverse, they wouldn't get to our trellis as he would reverse into the support beam on the side of his parking straight away

OP posts:

Grammaticus · 13/05/2009 14:53

Is she fat then?

AMumInScotland · 13/05/2009 14:54

45 cm! Thats 18 inches in old money. God, how fat is she if she can't get her arse out of the car with that much space?

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 13/05/2009 14:56

So there is another side so they could budge over a little? It may be someone elses parking space but how does the husband get out if the spaces are so small?

She should get out on the path, then walk. It's your land, not theirs. I wouldn't let them get away with this any more, after a while they can claim it's an easement as they always do this so you may have to allow them to continue (takes many years of them using/walking on your property though).

crokky · 13/05/2009 14:56

Assuming that you are not breaking any rules or covenants that apply to your property, I think that your neighbours are the type of people who think they can have everything how they want even on other people's property. They just have to understand that they bought a house with a thin drive and it is not your responsiblity to landscape your garden to accomodate them. The passenger needs to get in the car after the car has been moved - it's very simple and they should just get on with it. I cannot believe that they think it is OK to try and control what is on someone else's property!! Well I can believe it actually, partly what is fuelling my rant is that I have similar neighbours. I just got reported to the council for getting a climbing frame - council came and I have won the case. My neighbours didn't want to hear my DCs (3 and 1) playing in the garden. It is so cheeky!! It is part of life - I don't like my neighbour's cats crapping in my garden and near where my DS gets out of the car - but I would never dream of complaining to anyone about it as people are within their rights to own cats and they are allowed to crap anywhere they want!

FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 13/05/2009 15:01

Get a sprinkler for the cats crokky!

There's plants you can get, they give off a scent, cats hate them. Jeys fluid is also supposto deter them, if you run out of ideas phone the z00 and see if you can get hold of some Lion wee, spray that around the borders. They will come no where near (big cat scent you see).

iheartdusty · 14/05/2009 17:38

if you want to sort it out without having the evil eye from them forever afterwards, try contacting your local community mediation service.

wombleprincess · 14/05/2009 18:22

well you write: We have such a lovely neighbourhood here and good relations with all and this is just spoiling things for me... perhaps they are writing a similar opposite post to yours on some other forum...

just out of interest, is their trellis on the other side of your house?

warthog · 14/05/2009 18:25

jeez - tough shit! they'd better get over it, and give you a bottle of wine for trespassing on your property all that time!

Heated · 14/05/2009 18:32

"Well sadly we had to get it done as there were rude people actually looking in through our windows (i.e them!). And we have tried to be considerate, we vetoed the Grecian stone pillars which you might have banged you car door on in favour of the wooden trellis."

elvislives · 14/05/2009 19:03

Your neighbours sound like ours. Think they are entitled to do what ever they like on their property but at the same time think they can dictate what we do on ours

18 inches is stacks more than I've got between my car and the fence. It's tough really.

wombleprincess · 14/05/2009 19:09

sorry should have written is there trellis on the other side of your house.

my parents had similar problems with their neighbours - ie my mum wouldhave quite happily put fence up all the way along the boundary. the comprimised on trellis about 6ft long which stops them looking into windows and gives an element of privacy, but gives adequate space for neighbour to open a car door and then close it and walk along their next to the trellis (taking into account bonnet of an average car.

Original poster

MimieD · 15/05/2009 12:23

Sorry, didn't check yesterday, out shopping at Bluewater!
Anyway, I had another word with them before I left yesterday and now they're saying that it's not really the issue of getting into the passenger side of car (guess they realised they have been using OUR yard for that) but that it's a landscaping feature which contravenes the covenants and they are worried about the resale value of their home... we're talking about a 5 feet wide trellis here... Anyway, don't think they will pursue as they must realise if they had any issues with slightly changing the landscaping they should have objected 4 years ago to us paving the yard instead of leaving in the grass/mud and also objected to all the trellis other people set up against their houses around the development.... I told them the issue is closed off as far as we're concerned and we're not changing a thing. If they have a problem with that they can take it up with the development company (who already confirmed we are in the right) or an attorney...

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