Shared driveway - Complicated.

last year

last modified: last year

Hello - any thoughts on how I can proceed with the layout on this one? [NB I posted on US platform before noting the UK discussion area - apologies but would be grateful for a UK POV, US gave helpful comments]

New house - vehicle access for 3 neighbours across area right outside backdoor ie east to west as per Title Deeds - neighbours have also become used to (illegally) reversing over my empty parking area between back door (south) and my garage (north) (it's not necessary to use as the lane adjacent gives plenty room) - the demarcation line between mine and shared vehicle access has been obliterated by a coat of asphalt/tarmac over entire area (NB all three neighbours have very clear lined separating shared from private. Have a theory about this.)

I wish eventually to fence off my area for privacy so they won't be able to access this reversing area thereafter and in fact will no longer as soon as I park a car there. Immediate neighbour is already kicking up a fuss about my fencing-in MY property - in which tactic he seems to have had some success by preventing the previous owner from doing so.

How do I 'retrain' neighbours ? - by placing items eg planters, pots, boulders around the edge of my area? Will this look aggressive? if so what other demarcation can I use?

Or do I simply carry on with reclaiming/marking out my property? It'll be pretty obvious what I'm doing to any reasonable person.

Any thoughts and/or experience of similar would be hugely welcome as this has been dragging on for several months now.

Edit - I wonder if anyone had an idea of how to connect more clearly the detached garden/parking/garage to the back door eg by a defined pathway or a corridor of some sort. Clearly the property price was commensurate with this separate garden but I would eventually like to have a view onto this area from kitchen and make it look nice as well as cohesive.

Many thanks

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honeysuckle65
Original Author

last year

last modified: last year

The fence/partition will go perpendicular to the garage ie down the line of my boundary as outlined in my deeds and indicated in my rough sketch, thus between mine and neighbour's parking spots. With a slight return so I can have some privacy from the gawping neighbour every time I go into my garage.

The only shared part is approx 2m wide strip along all the back doors for vehicle access as indicated in the sketch. The other neighbours seem quite capable of not using my private park area to reverse /drive over as evidenced by tyre-marks during the snowy period. Incidentally my aggressive neighbour did not take his car out ONCE during the snow knowing that his use of my parking area for access would be clearly evident to all with his tyre marks.

Anyhoo - I think I've picked up a couple of ideas for unifying the whole area if I use similar plantings/trellises etc on both sides and I will eventually mark my parking area with gravel or paving and then some sort of pathway across it.

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Comments (12)

User
last year
It would be helpful if you could post some plans
honeysuckle65 thanked User
Sonia
last year
Photo?
honeysuckle65 thanked Sonia
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honeysuckle65
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year

Thanks for any ideas
User
last year
So the tarmaced area in front of your garage is private?
honeysuckle65
Original Author
last year
Yes it belongs to me.
Sarah U-S
last year
I’m a bit confused. Just to clarify - the neighbours cars come up the side lane and then cross your piece of the tarmac to reach their garages? The area doesn’t look huge. I’m not sure what you are wanting to do - do you want to block off your piece of tarmac? If so, would that not make access for everyone else difficult, and they would still have to cross your bit?
honeysuckle65
Original Author
last year
Sorry - I don't mean to be rude but I was hoping someone would have some ideas to make the area of my back-door/garage more coherent. Clearly I didn't explain terribly well. Don't worry about it
Sarah U-S
last year
You’re not being rude at all! What about a few hanging baskets on the garage, or maybe a climber in a nice plant pot at the side of the garage?
honeysuckle65
Original Author
last year
Thanks Have a few thoughts for the eventual flora /plantings etc but wondered if there's any way the areas can be connected eg by a walkway. I only ask as it's not the sort of thing one can try out as it will require some sort of installation etc. But I may have to try something just to see if it works. It's an unusual request but I assumed someone else somewhere had the same issue.
User
last year
I don't think you'll be able to stop your neighbours from driving across the area in front of your garage, unless you park a car there. Putting a fence across would make it more difficult for you to park, and may not be permitted.
Sonia
last year
Is the land actually owned by you? The reason I ask is I and my neighbours have a service road that provides access to the rear of our houses, including some garages. I do recall our solicitor telling us we are responsible for the upkeep of the bit of road backing onto our gardens but we do not own it as such. So we need to keep it tidy for everyone’s use but we cannot place anything on it blocking others use of it. I can see yours is a bit more complex than mine, but could there be a covenant preventing any of you adding anything to the area that makes access more difficult?

Shared driveway - Complicated.

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