Neighbours walking across bottom of drive

Deva2005

We have a set of 6 foot gates at the bottom of our drive with a small patch of paved land just outside of these ( width of drive and about 1/2 a meter depth).
Our neighbours keep walking across this to access their back gate and parking space which is adjacent to our back gates.
We can't politely ask them not to as on more than one occasion he has threatened to punch me out and is not approachable. 
Anyone have any ideas best way to stop them going over it. Bearing in mind we have to open and close the gates to get our car (s) out

Any ideas greatly appreciated 
Thanks
David

Belenus

What is your issue with them walking across this paved area?

If they avoid that area they will presumably only be 1/2 meter further away from your gates and house.

Perhaps they don't realise that it is your land as it is beyond your gates.

Deva2005

They use to to play football against the gate's and when we have put plants there to show a limit to the property, they have been removed or moved.
If we I 'one step' in their driveway when seeing the car backed out of the drive, all hell kicks off. .. that's why I want to completely show the boundary limits

tizerbelle

big boulders, cemented in and painted white at the edge of your land - much harder to shift than just plants

billy2shots

Move your gates 1/2 metre forward ;-)

Jeepers_Creepers

What do you actually want to achieve here, Richard? You want to prevent/inhibit them from walking across that 1/2 metre piece of your land outside your gate? Would this be easy for them to do? Where would they then need to walk - on the road?

It was certainly unreasonable for them to become aggressive when you did a teeny amount of what they do all the time! I presume they also have this 1/2 metre strip in front of their gates, and it continues on from yours? So they reckon they can walk all the way across yours, but you mustn't take a single step on to theirs?

Why do they cross 'your' part - is that the access direction for pedestrians? Where are cars parked when not on the drive - is that also in that direction? Ie - do they 'think' it's reasonable for them to cross 'your' part because that's the natural direction for pedestrians to come and go, whereas you have no 'valid' reason to step on to 'their' part because there's nothing further up that way? 

(Just trying to get a handle on this!)

If the above sort of sums it up, then are you certain your/their deeds don't allow for 'right of access' over your part?

That's worth checking.

As to what to do about it if you feel this must be tackled, would two short lengths of decorative fence (could be low - 3' tall), the required half-metre long and coming out at right angles from the gate posts (or at the width of your piece) not do the trick? Ie, your car can still access the gate, but anyone walking along would need to step out to avoid two pieces of fence; it would take a deliberate effort for them to deliberately swerve back in towards your gate if they felt that way inclined...

Or, refit your flower troughs - and install CCTV.

One question - are you prepared to follow this through? They sound like arrisoles, so I suspect will react badly to anything you do. So you need to be ready to record and tackle their response - I mean in a calm and reasonable manner, backed up by the police if they show any aggression.

GDB2222

There’s no benefit in stopping them walking  there. They are not wearing it out. I know they have upset you, but don’t descend to their level. Just leave it.

ic

This sounds like one of those daft neighbour disputes you see in the papers which wind up costing £100,000s in legal fees and achieve nothing.  If you don't get on with your neighbour, either you move, they move or you make up and stop giving each other dirty looks.  Making a fuss about 50 cm of pavement that is outside your gates sounds ridiculous.

Doozergirl

GDB2222 said:

There’s no benefit in stopping them walking  there. They are not wearing it out. I know they have upset you, but don’t descend to their level. Just leave it.

I agree.  I'm not spending anything on something that doesn't give me a tangible benefit.   The cheapest way to deal with it is to ignore it because it has no genuine impact on anything.  

The problem can often be someone's reaction to the 'problem' and not the problem itself.   This isn't a problem unless it's made into one, regardless of how nice the neighbours are,
or not.  

fenwick458

well there you have it. so it seems you have 3 choices, 
1. move your gates right to the boundary which will cost you money (and will probably cause more problems than it solves, your neighbors will just retaliate in some other way)
2. erect some Vietcong style booby traps...?
3.  just ignore them!

rach_k

I'd ignore the walking across the drive.  It really doesn't affect you.  If they're still playing football against the gates, put something sticky or slimy on the gates and they won't want that on their ball.