Neighbor uses our driveway

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

It's unfortunate that they are all grouped together in front of one house and only putting in a request to not have them in front of one house is going to solve the whole problem.
The only reason I would have a problem with it though is if the person is careless and constantly pulls a tire into the grass.
I've seen random people use my driveway to turn around and they go up in the grass which then leaves it looking bad and makes the grass not grow well.
I also don't have a dog to worry about but I know that they can easily hear things and get riled up.
What I would do is get a couple of cones and place them at the end of your driveway.
This will signal DON'T COME IN MY DRIVEWAY without you actually having to single her out directly.
She will then just pull up to the curb and get out to get her mail which is still going to alert the dog but she won't be in your driveway and since her mailbox is there she does have every right to pull her car up and get it.

 

[porschegrl]

Yea I just don't have enough time in my life to care this much about someone in my driveway for 30 seconds a day. I can't even fathom going to all of that trouble. Way too much energy on something so petty.

I am super territorial about my driveway, and I can't see getting worked up about the OP's situation (unless there's something I'm misunderstanding).

 

[CdnCarrie]

Good grief. Mountain out of molehills for sure. #firstworldproblems

Let it go.

 

[DizBelle]

If the dog gets riles up when she pulls into the driveway and parks, isn't her parking in the street not 10 feet away also going to rile up the dog?

 

[Christine]

Here's the only thing that would concern me and it may not even apply to you.

I have an asphalt driveway vs. concrete. We often use our driveway and actually park in it, not to mention cars going up and down it all the time. Over the years, it wears out and cracks/crumbles in areas where we have the most friction, so to speak. I could see that her doing this every day, over time, is going to cause some erosion of your driveway, depending on the materials. And then if other people start to think it's a neat idea, then what do you? It probably only does take her 30-60 seconds, but that's a forward in, back out motion on the surface. Plus people's cars leak all kinds of junk. It's bad enough I have to deal with my own mess, I shouldn't have to put up with potential oil drips from mail checkers.

 

[sam_gordon]

How long has she been doing this?
How many times in that period have you been inconvenienced by not being able to use your driveway (I'm not asking about the dog barking)?
You imply you wouldn't be safe in your car waiting on the street if you couldn't pull into your driveway, so why would you think it's safe for her to park on the street and get out of her car?

I'd only make this an issue if the timing of her getting the mail was repeatedly interfering with me either getting in or out of the driveway. I also find it hard to believe the dog wouldn't react if she parks on the street 10 feet from the driveway.

As far as it being "trespassing" , if you really want to pursue that, you need to look up the laws where you live. Around here, even if you have "No Trespassing" signs, people aren't doing anything illegal until you tell them to leave your property.

Much ado about nothing (based on the OP).

 

[nkereina]

If the dog gets riles up when she pulls into the driveway and parks, isn't her parking in the street not 10 feet away also going to rile up the dog?

Probably. But I still think its a viable reason to give the woman, and one she would probably understand and not be offended by.

Here's the only thing that would concern me and it may not even apply to you.

I have an asphalt driveway vs. concrete. We often use our driveway and actually park in it, not to mention cars going up and down it all the time. Over the years, it wears out and cracks/crumbles in areas where we have the most friction, so to speak. I could see that her doing this every day, over time, is going to cause some erosion of your driveway, depending on the materials. And then if other people start to think it's a neat idea, then what do you? It probably only does take her 30-60 seconds, but that's a forward in, back out motion on the surface. Plus people's cars leak all kinds of junk. It's bad enough I have to deal with my own mess, I shouldn't have to put up with potential oil drips from mail checkers.

This isn't something I'd necessarily be concerned about, but to your point, we have a concrete driveway and whenever some turns around in it, it inevitably leaves black tire tracks that look awful on the light colored concrete. So whether the OP has an asphalt or concrete driveway, I guess this is another explanation they could give the woman.

 

[Poohlove]

Regardless of your reasoning for not wanting her to use your driveway, it is your property and she has no right to use it without your permission. There is no way in hell I would barricade my driveway because someone is too dense to realize how totally rude they are being or because they feel entitled for whatever reason. As previously people have suggested I would politely and directly speak to her and ask her to not continue to park in your driveway. Not that you can't take your dog with you but I wouldn't make excuses for why you don't want her to do it, your not wanting her to do that is reason enough.

When we first moved into our house even after we put up a fence (there was no fence and we have a dog so it was primarily for the dog's benefit) the neighbor's kids would still come into our yard - they would go over top of a 6' fence or use the gate. I even chased them off of my shed roof (we got this before the fence) several times. Shed roof aside they were so used to the older lady who lived there allowing them to play in the yard and then the house being empty they thought that right transferred with the deed. Mind you they have a fenced yard that is the same size as mine with a playset in it so I am not even sure why they needed to use my yard to begin with. I ended up having a polite conversation with their parents after telling the kids nicely a few times to stay out and that if they needed to enter the yard because a ball came over the fence or something to please knock on the door because the dog might be out and I didn't want any issues there. They did understand and have been very respectful of their property line since.

 

[Klayfish]

It is parking... It just is.
It is also traspassing. It just is.
She really does not have any right. (You could be face rudeness with rudeness and invest in a good "NO TRESPAASSING' sign, I might invest in some kind of realty-sign type of stand.)
It sounds like this is also on a corner, which could be illegal. Inform yourself about the parking regulations regarding intersections, stop signs, etc...

I would also contact the Post Office, forwarding your written letter to other appropriate offices/officers in the city or county, about the mailboxes being placed on a corner. They probably shouldn't be. I would suggest to them that the mailboxes could be moved further from the corner.

I would also have no problem buying some of the orange plastic traffic cones and blocking your driveway right at the street, if it is possible and not too awfully inconvenient, during the time after the mail has run, when she usually does this. It sounds like this happens at a pretty consistent time, when she is getting home from work.

For all anyone knows, there are others who are parking and trespassing in this situation, and this does not have to be directed personally at any one person. If the OP is to speak with this woman, then it does become a one-on-one issue.

It is absolutely not passive-aggressive to take reasonable and legal actions on your own property. (look up the word, people) Unless it is against agreed upon HOA rules, a homeowner could even install a full gate at the drive in front of their property.

PS: I don't know how far away from the mail boxes, and your driveway, that others usually stop to pick up their mail... But, I have to wonder, isn't your dog also barking at the other people who check their mailboxes every day? A barking dog is always the owners issue/problem.

Yikes. Again, like someone else said... Mountain, mole hill.

Our mailboxes are on the corner, that's about the only place really to fit them. Nobody complains, nobody really cares. If I saw one person parking over and over in my driveway, I'd say something directly to them. But YMMV.

 

[Lillychilly]

OP here, I have not said anything because it is annoying but not worth a war, but if she falls and tries to sue it will be.
She is trespassing.
She is there daily in winter.
She is there long enough for my dog to think she is a visitor. He does not bark at cars or mail truck on the street, or people walking. She has loud music.
I found oil drips on concrete not from us, probably from her
She could park on the street or her own driveway and walk to get her mail like all the other neighbors do, and she does in summer. If she feels it is dangerous she could get a po box or ask to move her mailbox. I do see some single boxes around the area.
I would never rant at her, but it is totally against the norms of our neighborhood.

 

[nkereina]

I wouldn't make excuses for why you don't want her to do it, your not wanting her to do that is reason enough.

I understand your point, but since these folks have to continue being neighbors, I would just think using the dog as an excuse would be an easy way to make the point without causing tension. If the OP flat out said "I don't want you parking here to get your mail", some people may get defensive. I just think one needs to take a certain approach when dealing with neighbors, for the sake of peace.

 

[Poohlove]

I understand your point, but since these folks have to continue being neighbors, I would just think using the dog as an excuse would be an easy way to make the point without causing tension. If the OP flat out said "I don't want you parking here to get your mail", some people may get defensive. I just think one needs to take a certain approach when dealing with neighbors, for the sake of peace.

Exactly which is why I would take the opportunity whether I had my dog or not and I would politely say something like "Hey Mary (insert name here), I 've been meaning to ask you, would you mind not parking in my driveway. I would really appreciate it - thank you so much!!!" I have found that if you mince words then the person you are speaking to may think that you don't mind them doing what they are doing as long as what you are giving them as a reason is no longer present. You can be polite and direct at the same time.

For example, when I spoke to my neighbors I told them that I understood that EB (previous homeowner) didn't mind that the kids and their friends played in the yard but that I would greatly appreciate if they didn't do that anymore. They were more than welcome to come over and retrieve a ball or anything else that may have come over the fence but that I would like them to please knock on the door first. (The fence between our houses has always been there, it belongs to the neighbor - she actually asked me and I thought she was kidding at the time if I could put a gate on her side of the house so her kids had easy access to my yard, my friend who was helping with the fence still cracks up about it to this day) While I had a whole host of reasons for asking her, my primary one being my dog - I didn't want her getting out of the yard or scaring the crap out of some kid who didn't belong there to begin with. Being that she is a pitbull and I am sure you have seen the whole other thread about neighbor's dogs, you understand why. I didn't however bring up the dog because once she is no longer part of the equation I don't want them to think that they have carte blanche to come and go as they had before.

 

[luvsJack]

I would value having a decent relationship with my neighbor enough that I wouldn't say anything.

But them I don't let my dog barking for a few minutes a day annoy me either. Or even drops of oil on the concrete.

Like others have said mole hills being turned into mountains. Makes for very strained relationships.

 

[nkereina]

You can be polite and direct at the same time.

I agree. But if you give the neighbor a legitimate reason why you don't want them to park in your driveway anymore, they will remember the reason. If they think the neighbor just by preference would rather they not do that, then they may still do it once in a great while or "quick like" if they're in a hurry. Or when the OP isn't home. But if they know it's upsetting the dog or something valid like that, they might avoid it all together.

 

[bcla]

This sounds like a poor placement. The last time I visited someone living in a place with grouped mailboxes, it was in a separate area. It was placed next to guest parking, with only a bit of intentional open space.

 

[QueenIsabella]

This wouldn't even pop my radar screen, but if it really annoyed me, I'd politely talk to her and blame the dog, as others have said. Saying it causes your dog to bark sounds much nicer than pulling the trespassing card. I also think the OP's excuses are a bit overblown--the neighbor isn't blocking access for more than a minute a day, oil drops could have come from any vehicle, and the obsession with the interloper slipping, getting hurt, and suing is beyond strange.

 

[Elle23]

I don't think I would even notice someone in my driveway for 30 seconds. And if my dog barking were a problem for me, I'd get a cat.

 

[Poohlove]

@nkereina that is a valid point. Even though I would never do it, if I were parking in a driveway at a house so that I could get my mail or whatever reason and the homeowner asked me to stop I would just say ok (but think it was good while it lasted), no worries and that would be it because at the end of the day I know that the house isn't mine. No need for a reason to be given, it's implied.

 

[hereyago]

Honestly, I would talk to Lazy Lucy and say you would appeciate if she didn't use your driveway, especially if she doesnt do it in the summer.

Not every discussion has to turn out like the Hatfields and McCoys.

The driveway is the OP"a private property in the end and she gets to decide who she wants there.

 

[Kaytie]

I would politely say something like "Hey Mary (insert name here), I've been meaning to ask you, would you mind not parking in my driveway. I would really appreciate it - thank you so much!!!"

And that's all you say. Repeat as needed, but it's your driveway and while you have a reason, you don't actually need one.