NEED TO KNOW
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A woman says her neighbors’ builders park five cars and a flatbed truck in their shared driveway from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
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She claims a porta potty placed against her garage wall causes strong odors in warm weather
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Despite a legal covenant forbidding obstructions, she says her neighbors refuse to make changes
A woman seeks advice from the Reddit community after a long and frustrating battle over the use of her shared driveway. She explains that the large driveway, which provides access to both her house and her neighbors’ home, was one of the main reasons she purchased her property.
“The driveway is one of the reasons that we bought the house (at a hefty premium) because we stupidly thought that no one could possibly be unreasonable enough to cause significant obstruction,” she writes. She says she never imagined it would turn into a daily source of stress.
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Stock photo of construction in front of a house
According to her, the trouble starts when new neighbors announce they will be building an extension. “They will tell the builders ‘not to block the driveway’ fine, we say, shouldn’t be an issue,” she recalls. The neighbors also inform her that building materials will be stored on a grassy area, which initially seems reasonable enough.
But things quickly take a turn. She claims the builders place “a portapotty up against our garage wall that makes the garage smell like pee and poop whenever the temperature is warm.” In addition, she says the crew arrives daily with “no less than 5 cars & a large flatbed truck” that remain parked on the shared driveway from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
She says she has repeatedly asked the builders to be more considerate. “They tend to park with flatbed at the entrance to the site diagonally across half of my driveway stopping me from being able to turn around and back onto my (double) drive,” she explains. If another delivery shows up during this time, she says, “it blocks the whole area completely.”
The woman points out that their shared driveway is governed by a legal agreement. “There is a deed of covenant that governs this area. It states that you should not cause obstructions at any time,” she writes. She says she has reminded them of this “on a number of occasions with absolutely no change.”
This ongoing situation has now stretched to eight months. As someone who works shifts, she says she cannot always predict when she will need access. “To my mind if they need to load and unload the flatbed – perhaps having five other vehicles on the drive is the issue,” she says, adding that they could “find other places to put them, so that I am not obstructed.”
She turns to Reddit to ask if her request is unreasonable or if she’s in the wrong for pushing the matter. “So, settle the argument,” she writes. “AITA and is this an unreasonable request?”
Many commenters side with her, calling the neighbors’ actions inconsiderate. One person points out that the legal covenant clearly supports her position.
“Sounds like your neighbours are being completely inconsiderate here. If there’s a deed of covenant that clearly states no obstructions, you’re well within your rights to enforce it,” the commenter says, suggesting she consider a formal letter or legal advice.
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Stock photo of two neighbors at odds
The woman admits she is starting to think that might be the only way forward. “I think they won’t listen unless I instruct a lawyer,” she responds. She says her neighbors are fully aware of the problem but “don’t care.”
What she finds most baffling is the breakdown in what she thought was a good relationship. “I don’t really understand why they are being so unreasonable as I thought we were on fairly good terms,” she says. Despite her repeated attempts to solve the problem amicably, she feels her patience is running out.
Now, after months of blocked access, unpleasant odors, and tense conversations, she’s left wondering if standing her ground will escalate tensions further.
Read the original article on People
