Can I ask a question totally unrelated to childminding??!

[Newtochildcare]

Hi,

After a stressful day with my pre-reg yesterday, I am now having a nightmare with my neighbour!! After a bit of advice really....

Basically, we have a shared drive with our next door neighbour. At the top end of the drive, it is wide enough for two cars, and at the front end of the drive is tapered, and should be kept free for access to the main part of the drive.

Since moving in a year ago, our neighbour has had a go at us loads of times, saying we hadn't parked close enough to the top end of the drive, and were obstructing the front end, and kept reiterating that the front end must be kept free 24/7. (he doesn't even have a car!!) Genuine mistake each time (and it literally was a case of centimetres) but apologised profusely.

Anyway, he then decided to widen his side of the drive, and suggested we do the same, (HE DOESN"T EVEN HAVE A CAR??!!! :mad:). It wasn't a priority for us, due to money. After a couple more 'incidents', we thought, stuff it, let's get him off our case, and get it done. The guys laid the concrete yesterday.

I came home today to find he had made some sort of bollard (out of wood!) and placed it right on the halfway point of the front end of the drive, which he has always stated should be kept clear 24/7, to prevent us from driving our car on 'his side' of the drive when accessing our side. :mad:

Can he do this? (Change the rules just because the driveways have been widened?)

It really is very petty, and he really is the most negative old man. Any advice?!

[Bumble Beez]

Oh my...what a pickle of a situation...

When you do start minding, please make sure your parents completely understand that they must not obstruct his driveway in the slightest.

I don't know what else to say to be honest, other than having neighbours like that must be awful...seems a bit OTT.

Sarah x

[SYLVIA]

I don't understand shared drive ways. Are you both equally responsible for the whole drive or do you have responsibility for equal halves. You could ask him to remove it as it is a slight obstruction maybe?

[Buttonsjan]

Have a look in your deeds, would have thought there would be a section about access.

[Mrsh3103]

I have a shared drive & when we bought the house there was all sorts of paperwork our solicitor did due to it. We own it 50/50 with our neighbour & both have equal rights to the part of the drive where it meets the road!
There is all sorts of things about obstruction etc but we wouldn't be allowed to do that.

[Mouse]

I would guess you'd have to check the deeds to see what it says about the shared access.

Once you start childminding you really do need to be friends with your neighbours or they can cause you a lot of trouble. Maybe this is a time to let it drop. Now that he has put up his bollard, couldn't you put up something like a low chainlink fence from the bollard to the house?
If it was me, I'd actually be quite happy to have my drive separate from his :thumbsup: