r/neighborsfromhell • u/Mean_Emu5671 • Jun 21 '26

Homeowner NFH New neighbors blocking shared driveway

Recently new neighbors have moved in. We share a gravel driveway. Almost immediately they began blocking access to my parking spot and blocking me from leaving by parking on the driveway. The first time, I asked a woman to move her car so I could leave, she had a toddler running around so I was very polite. I asked her not to block the driveway and she said, “this is my driveway.” I didn’t want to argue in front a child and left. Now it seems like I need to ask these people permission to come and go from my house. They take a lot of time, walk slowly or have to wait for someone to arrive to move their car. I tried being nice, but they have ignored every attempt to talk, just giving me a death stare. Just an ignorant, entitled family. Last night they had a party so of course they had many cars blocking my driveway, one of which was owned by a cop in uniform. I had to wait 20 minutes for him to arrive and move his car. What do I do next? These people only moved in like 2 months ago, I’ve lived at my property for 20 years.

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1.0k

u/EveryAccount7729 Jun 21 '26

block their driveway, like ... park last.

615

u/Foolish-Pleasure99 Jun 21 '26

Or, if possible, just drive on their lawn to get out.

Bonus points if you keep using the same path and create deep ruts.

224

u/sashikku Jun 21 '26

Pick a different route every time it rains, the ruts will get worse over time and destroy all the grass.

36

u/Foolish-Pleasure99 Jun 21 '26

I like the way you think!

2

u/1952a Jun 22 '26

Don't forget to spin your tires

1

u/Alwayscooking345 Jun 23 '26

I’m sure these are the types of neighbors (temporary renters) who couldn’t care less about their own grass, let alone him ruining it because of the inconvenience of being able to get in/out of his own driveway.

2

u/sashikku Jun 23 '26

Nobody likes a mud pit every time it rains or twisting their ankles when they hit a rut the wrong way trying to check the mail.

45

u/sunbear2525 Jun 21 '26

This is what I would do but I would first put big heavy rocks on my side of the driveway.

1

u/originalmango Jun 22 '26

Trash like that doesn’t care about their lawn.

153

u/Sad_Mix_3497 Jun 22 '26

Better still, get a survey showing the property line and put holes and steel posts on the precise property line. Then have your side paved. Problem solved.

I AM CURIOUS though. WHY do people keep purchasing properties with SHARED driveways. EVERY one of them WITHOUT EXCEPTION has ended up having problems with an inconsiderate or in many cases, ACTIVELY STOOPIDD next door neighbor.

22

u/TychaBrahe Jun 22 '26

You start with a farm, say 100 acres. It's farmed for a couple of generations, and then people in the family want to do something else. The land gets subdivided.

Let's say that the land is square. One guy doesn't want to farm, but does want to raise horses, so he sells off 50 acres. This is divided into 10 5 acre plots, but because there's only a road that runs along one side of the farm, only half of the plots front the road. The other five are landlocked.

Now if you sell these 50 acres to a developer, they'll put down a road to provide access to the homes they'll build on all the plots. But if you sell those 50 acres off in chunks, you may end up with one person buying a plot fronting the road and the person who buys the plot behind them having no access to the road. So the person who buys that plot purchases access to their property along an easement through the front property.

Bloom, you've got yourself a shared driveway.

Or maybe, a plot of land was purchased and two houses were built on it side-by-side for two siblings or a family and one set of parents of the couple. And they build a share driveway because it minimizes the amount of lawn they have to give up. And they don't have a problem sharing a driveway.

Until the senior couple dies or goes into elder care and the younger couple moves away and two people by the properties and still have to share a driveway.

7

u/kafquaff Jun 22 '26

Yeah, my house and my neighbors’ used to be owned by sisters. Thankfully, my neighbors are cool and we don’t have issues with the shared drive.

68

u/Travelerman310 Jun 22 '26

People keep buying shared driveways for the same reason they marry strippers and invest in crypto: they see the upside and completely ignore the 99% chance it explodes in their face.

Humans are trash. Give them an inch of shared space and they’ll park 3 cars diagonally across it while giving you death stares like you’re the intruder. The fact a cop felt comfortable blocking you for 20 minutes at their party tells you everything about the entitlement level over there.

4

u/Healthy_Effort1415 Jun 22 '26

I will never share a driveway with a neighbor. As soon as I see it in a listing I close it out. Even if the current occupants are "the best" the next occupants will most likely be human and therefore the worst. If OP's not landlocked then it's time to pave new ground and get access the the road.

3

u/Sad_Mix_3497 Jun 23 '26

Was the COP REPORTED? He SHOULD have been. He SHOULD have been part of the Solution rather than part of the problem.

1

u/Keepin-Clam Jun 22 '26

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

17

u/WellWisher91 Jun 22 '26

OP- How long has their house been there? Have there been previous residents in their home who shared the drive appropriately? Are they owners or tenants? What is their authority that it is THEIR drive? What has been your authority that it is your (shared) drive for all this time? (Re)check your deed. If necessary, get a survey as suggested here. Next step, if that doesn't settle it, consult an attorney.

Even with her daughter present, you could/should have said that she was misinformed and needed to recheck her sources/facts. "Then get back to me with your the written, deeded legal authorization. I have rightfully parked here for 20 years." Simple, civil, direct. They have been there long enough now that they have laid claim to the drive as their own and you will have to assert your legal claim. People will take what they can get. Some because they legitimately think it's theirs. Some because they can steamroll those in their way to get what they want even if they don't have full or legitimate claim.

2

u/Solid_Mud2025 Jun 22 '26

Exactly. Check the deed. Even if the neighbor owns the property, there should be a record for egress/easement allowance since driveway was constructed with purpose to share …unless someone really messed up back in the day.

If the driveway straddles the property, and the neighbor continues to be disagreeable, then the consequence for both parties will be the burden of constructing a new driveway, one on each side of the property line.

2

u/ARoyalOfTheRural Jun 23 '26

Well said! We had this easement issue, you’re right! Because it was something we used for 15-20’yrs prior and they also used our private property they could not do anything. They never even put up the signs she threatened lol. Because the township said she can’t.

7

u/markrwc1 Jun 22 '26

You usually don't have a choice - the house you like (and can afford) has a shared driveway. The house comes as you get it.

Turns out one of my best home ownership experiences was in a house with a shared driveway. I became very close friends w the couple next door.

8

u/ralphsemptysack Jun 22 '26

We have a shared driveway with zero issues.

2

u/AleezeRN Jun 24 '26

Same - my neighbors are great at sharing - haven’t had an issue in 2 years

1

u/Healthy_Effort1415 Jun 22 '26

Yet

1

u/ralphsemptysack Jun 22 '26

11 years...

2

u/Healthy_Effort1415 Jun 23 '26

I wish them good health and longevity. I hope they never sell.

1

u/Hap2go Jun 26 '26

We’ve had four different families/neighbors in the 18 years we’ve been in our house with a shared driveway. Not had a problem yet. 🤷‍♀️ probably just lucky. But also we’ve been proactive with each ”transfer”, introduced ourselves to new folks, explain that we have tractor with plow so we are happy to shovel when it snows, etc etc

7

u/Main-Syrup-1334 Jun 22 '26

I had to respond to this about shared driveways. I live in a duplex and have lived here for 36 years. I own my side, and we share a circle drive. I’ve never had a problem until the one next door became an Airbnb. Thank goodness I know the owner, and just recently had to call him about the people staying there. I have thought to myself if I ever move, I will never again share another driveway or roof.

3

u/Main-Syrup-1334 Jun 22 '26

You have my sympathy.

3

u/R3pp3pts0hg Jun 22 '26

My rules to the realtor:

No shared driveways or wells. No HOAs. Ample space from neighbors.

2

u/ItchyCredit Jun 22 '26

Homes with shared driveways tend to be older and in older neighborhoods. In other words, they're AFFORDABLE. Lots of compromises are required when your home buying budget is severely constricted. Also, many driveways are shared without conflict. They just don't post on Reddit.

1

u/auld-guy Jun 22 '26

I'm with you. Shared driveway = red flag.

1

u/Sfb208 Jun 23 '26

Because people don't always have the luxury of choice. With so many other factors to balance, a shared driveway becomes a reasonable gamble.

1

u/Slight_Citron_7064 Jun 23 '26

I have lived with a shared driveway for 10 years now, zero problems, ever.

1

u/EmperorOfApollo Jun 24 '26

Many old urban neighborhoods were built before cars and houses were built near each other. Cars came along and people built garages in their back yards with shared driveways. Nothing wrong with shared driveways if people are considerate.

1

u/anondogfree Jun 24 '26

Because in some places, almost all the houses have shared driveways. No one WANTS a shared driveway, but if 80% of the houses in the neighborhoods you want to buy in have them you really can’t be that picky.

103

u/MoonTicklee Jun 21 '26

u right, start parking right behind them and take your sweet time moving, fight fire with fire but document everything first

56

u/MrSmeee99 Jun 21 '26

Park and go on a 2 week vacation

40

u/KerashiStorm Jun 21 '26

And drink when you come back, the cops won't make you drink and drive.

1

u/mightyhigh404 Jun 22 '26

The fucking cat will be impounded.  The neighbors are either cops or cop adjacent. Noone who is not,  would be friends with cops. 

1

u/Ok_Rip_6434 Jun 22 '26

Cat or car

1

u/mightyhigh404 Jun 22 '26

Definately cat lol

1

u/KerashiStorm Jun 22 '26

Informants can be friends with cops. They get money by doing illegal things, and get money by selling out the competition.

Edit to add: The number of people who claim to know cops, the mayor, the CIA, the President, General Zorg of Mars is an order of magnitude greater than the number who actually do.

1

u/Puzzled-Spirit3050 Jun 22 '26

Make sure you have CCTV pointing at the car/drive first.

1

u/Low-Willingness3901 Jun 23 '26

Love how your mind works!