'I have a shared driveway but my ignorant new neighbours think it's only theirs'

'I have a shared driveway but my ignorant new neighbours think it's only theirs' Many properties come with a shared driveway but usually, neighbours try to divide the space equally to make it easier to park - but one woman has come to blows with her new neighbours over theirs A woman is at her wit’s end with her new neighbours as, despite their properties sharing a driveway, the homeowners keep “blocking access” to her parking spot as though the drive is solely theirs. Getting on with the neighbours is a desire most people share as life is significantly easier when relations are polite and cordial with those who live nearby. In some cases, neighbours may go on to become friends but if you’re unlucky, things can become tense, awkward and even volatile. This is the case for one woman, who’s trying her best to avoid a dispute escalating with her new neighbours. They share a gravelled driveway but “almost immediately, they began blocking access to [her] parking spot and blocking [her] from leaving by parking on the driveway.” The first time this happened, the woman asked her neighbour to move her car so she’d be able to leave. As her neighbour “had a toddler running around”, the woman was sure to be “very polite”. When she “asked her not to block the driveway”, her neighbour simply replied: “This is my driveway.” The woman continued: “I didn’t want to argue in front of 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 [I] 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.” She added: “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.” The woman took to Reddit to seek advice on what steps to take next as, having lived in her property for 20 years, she’s grown stressed over the situation her neighbours have caused in just the two months since they moved in. One Reddit user said: “2 months in and already acting like they own the place, classic new neighbour villain arc." Another advised: “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.” They added: “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 [stupid] next door neighbour.” A third said: “You should have argued. By being so passive, you basically gave them permission to keep using you like a doormat. You’re gonna have to argue every time and make it a bigger pain in the ass for them to park there than for them to not.” While a fourth said: “Saying ‘we share this driveway’ to an entitled idiot would have been appropriate. Use your words. You can say it politely, that’s not arguing, that’s standing up for yourself.” In an update, the woman confirmed her brother - who’s the owner of the home she rents -gave her “the documents that prove this is a shared driveway”. She added: “Equipped with the legal documents, I am going to give them a copy and explain that if they block me in again I’m immediately calling a tow truck. “So I have to form a partnership with a tow truck company and put up signage. Considering I have a parking spot built into my fence, it’s got to be obvious to them that that is how I access and park at my property.”