Neighbor uses our driveway

[Lillychilly]

I will add that our plow guy has mentioned she was in his way a couple of times and he had to wait (which they hate to do). I kinda wish he started to plow around her and inconvenience HER and trap HER in my driveway, that would have been karma.
She parks far enough up our driveway that we can't get in or out if we wanted to
The mailbox can't be seen from the house, it is over 2 lots so it does not affect our dog in any way.
My son said he was pretty annoyed when he couldn't get in to our driveway, he gets home around that time some days. I told him not to start anything with her.
It would take her longer to park in our driveway than to pull on the street so I don't know why she does it. Parking on the street is safe and wouldn't block my driveway.

 

[hereyago]

So she doesnt just park at the very end? She pulls up like she is coming over for tea? Wow.

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't mind people turning around in my driveway, but if a neighbour regularly parked in my driveway to get mail, it would bug me too. I'd say something.

 

[Lillychilly]

OP here, I was kidding about the plow!
there is a liability issue because we have had someone fall near our home it was not enjoyable
There is snow where I live, cannot change that
Our dog alerts to visitors, that's what dogs do
I don't want to do something passive aggressive or even upset her, we are neighbors
I doubt anyone here enjoys popping the garage open to leave and having to wait while she gets out of the car, gets her mail, seems to go through it, then leaves your driveway. Again it is not a public street. Yes it is about a couple minutes per day but if it's blocking my access to my own home it doesn't matter how long or short it is.

 

[porschegrl]

if it's blocking my access to my own home it doesn't matter how long or short it is.

I do agree with this. Whether it's right, wrong, petty, or justified, it irks me to no end when someone visiting my neighbor has parked in my driveway and I have to wait for them to move. It annoys me if it's just a few seconds or, worse, if I have to go knocking on the neighbor's door to find someone to move the visitor's car.

 

[sam_gordon]

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.

I will add that our plow guy has mentioned she was in his way a couple of times and he had to wait (which they hate to do). I kinda wish he started to plow around her and inconvenience HER and trap HER in my driveway, that would have been karma.
She parks far enough up our driveway that we can't get in or out if we wanted to
The mailbox can't be seen from the house, it is over 2 lots so it does not affect our dog in any way.
My son said he was pretty annoyed when he couldn't get in to our driveway, he gets home around that time some days. I told him not to start anything with her.
It would take her longer to park in our driveway than to pull on the street so I don't know why she does it. Parking on the street is safe and wouldn't block my driveway.

OP here, I was kidding about the plow!
there is a liability issue because we have had someone fall near our home it was not enjoyable
There is snow where I live, cannot change that
Our dog alerts to visitors, that's what dogs do
I don't want to do something passive aggressive or even upset her, we are neighbors
I doubt anyone here enjoys popping the garage open to leave and having to wait while she gets out of the car, gets her mail, seems to go through it, then leaves your driveway. Again it is not a public street. Yes it is about a couple minutes per day but if it's blocking my access to my own home it doesn't matter how long or short it is.

OK, I'm still following the rule.

Let me get this right, it's only an issue in winter? And she pulls up your driveway closer to your house than the mailbox?
How long is your driveway? The mailboxes can't be seen from the house? How close does she park to the house?
I would be upset if someone pulled into my driveway and prevented the drive from being cleared of snow.
I would be upset if I repeatedly can't get into or out of my driveway because someone is blocking access.
If the last two weren't happening, I wouldn't say anything. If they were happening, I'd try to catch her and say "Mary, I'd rather you don't park in our drive. I've heard complaints from the plow guy and son says he can't get in the drive while you're there."

Again, look up trespassing laws.

 

[gotomu212]

As someone who has to walk a block to the communal mailbox I think #1 you should be very happy you were the house lucky enough to have the box out front. Walking a block there and back in bad, freezing weather every day really sucks.

In the interest of being and having a decent neighbor I'd have no problem with someone stopping in my driveway for 30-60 seconds every day.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

FWIW, I didn't read all of the replies. The only thing in the OP that would bother me is the question, "what if she falls?". If she's actually on your property, which is sounds like she is, that's a very valid concern. Too many people are sue happy these days. Unless you know for sure she's not the type that would sue, I'd do something to put a stop to it. The other things wouldn't really bother me.

 

[hereyago]

As someone who has to walk a block to the communal mailbox I think #1 you should be very happy you were the house lucky enough to have the box out front. Walking a block there and back in bad, freezing weather every day really sucks.

In the interest of being and having a decent neighbor I'd have no problem with someone stopping in my driveway for 30-60 seconds every day.

The neighbor can park in Front of Op's house, she doesn't have to go in the driveway and block it.

 

[bcla]

Just curious, but is street parking legal? I say that because I've been to subdevelopments where there's limited guest parking. I would be bothered by a neighbor consistently using my driveway. If there was a space on the street, that wouldn't bother me. However, I'm guessing that maybe she's parking in your driveway to avoid making a three-point turn to get back into her own driveway?

I live on a dead-end street and I often make a turnaround in in front of a neighbor's driveway, but never on it. That would be rude.

 

[FlyingBelle]

Don't try to use hints and hope she gets the message. Just be polite, firm, and direct. Be specific about what it is that you don't want her to do.

Completely agree. We lived in a townhome and our assigned "extra" parking space was located right behind our neighbor's garage. We were parking in a manner that made it difficult for the neighbor to get out of her garage, but didn't realize it.

The neighbor politely explained the problem, to we we exclaimed "Sorry! We had no idea!" and changed our parking behavior. Problem solved. No hurt feelings.

 

[Nancyg56]

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.

I would not have any issues if someone used my driveway to get their mail. We live on a rural route and have the mailboxes groups in spots all along the street.

Now about that drip. That's is where I (actually my DH, I don't care) would draw the line. I have a little drip from somewhere and he makes me park my car over a piece of plywood until it gets fixed. We paid a good amount for our driveway and he is picky about it. Drips on a concrete driveway would have pushed him right over the edge.

OP_ just ask her to stop, and explain that the dog gets very upset.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We got a cone and iit solved the issue. Our neighbour kept parking for only 5 or 10 mins whilst she dropped off something in her house but I am disabled and it meant my wife could not get me out of the car also I couldn't get my scooter out of the garage.

 

[Lillychilly]

OP again, the other neighbors will drive up to the mailbox and park on the street in bad weather. She is the only one who parks in my driveway.

As for the oil, there are about 20 spots out there on concrete. Ugh!
Street parking is legal during the day.

As for liability it is an issue if she falls on our driveway. We had a fall near our home and had to worry about getting sued, broken leg requiring surgery. So yes, I worry about it. We plow, salt everything possible, but I can't necessarily do it on her schedule and shouldn't have to.

 

[22Tink]

I live on a dead-end street and I often make a turnaround in in front of a neighbor's driveway, but never on it. That would be rude.

As someone who lives at the end of a dead end road, thank you!!!! I wish more people felt this way. We have an endless stream of cars that turn around in our driveway, even though there is plenty of room to turn around in the street. It drives me mad!!! There are forever holes in our driveway that we are needing to fill because of this.

OP, if it bugs you (and it would bug me for sure) then definitely say something. You have more than one very legitimate reason to ask her to stop parking in your driveway, besides the fact that it is just plain rude!

 

[jt'smom]

I think pulling in someone's driveway, putting your car in park, getting out of your car only to get your mail is extremely weird. I wouldn't like it just on general principle. That to me, would be like walking through your neighbor's front yard every day to save a few steps. I just can't imagine what would make someone think that is ok! Outside of the liability in case of falls or injury, it just seems strange to park your car in someone's driveway as if it was public property. I don't think it matters at all if it's a "first world problem", it's just weird to me and I would tell (not ask) her not to do it, nicely of course, but you certainly don't owe any explanation whatsoever.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

OP, why don't you just talk to her? That's really the only way you're going to solve anything. Just be friendly, neighborly, but be firm that her parking on your driveway is an inconvenience for your family. I don't see why it needs to be any more complicated than that.

I find it surprising that people would rather buy signs and traffic cones instead of simply talking to their neighbor.

 

[SharonZ]

I'd park my car at the bottom of the driveway.

 

[bcla]

As someone who lives at the end of a dead end road, thank you!!!! I wish more people felt this way. We have an endless stream of cars that turn around in our driveway, even though there is plenty of room to turn around in the street. It drives me mad!!! There are forever holes in our driveway that we are needing to fill because of this.

OP, if it bugs you (and it would bug me for sure) then definitely say something. You have more than one very legitimate reason to ask her to stop parking in your driveway, besides the fact that it is just plain rude!

Our end of the street flares out a bit, almost like cul de sac. It's not quite possible to completely turn around (especially if cars are parked at the end) but it gives more room for a three point turn. I will go almost up to the lip of their driveway, but I'm completely on the public street.

 

[bcla]

I think pulling in someone's driveway, putting your car in park, getting out of your car only to get your mail is extremely weird. I wouldn't like it just on general principle. That to me, would be like walking through your neighbor's front yard every day to save a few steps. I just can't imagine what would make someone think that is ok! Outside of the liability in case of falls or injury, it just seems strange to park your car in someone's driveway as if it was public property. I don't think it matters at all if it's a "first world problem", it's just weird to me and I would tell (not ask) her not to do it, nicely of course, but you certainly don't owe any explanation whatsoever.

It also sets up the possibility of a prescriptive easement. I've heard of commercial parking lots that were used as shortcuts by the public, and a continued public right to use that space was assumed by law because the owner didn't attempt to stop the practice until it was too late.

http://www.dirtlawyer.com/pe-summary.html

Private property owners in rural or semirural areas have found out that they couldn't stop people from using trails running through their property since the statutory period (usually five years) of use was reached.