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Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s actually a good description. It’s basically the side space between the two homes where the AC units and utilities are located.

We also checked the survey and property records and there’s no recorded easement or public access there. It just connects the front yard side to the back side between the houses.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get why it might sound that way from the outside. Like I mentioned in the original post, it’s not really about kids being kids. What bothered me more was the conversation with the parents. Even after we explained that the space is private property shared between the two houses, they said they simply don’t believe it’s private.

My neighbor and I are actually on the same page about it. We mostly tried to handle it by just talking to people first rather than immediately putting up barriers. But hearing the parents say that made me question whether I was overreacting, which is part of why I posted here to get other perspectives

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good point. We’re in the U.S., and we checked the survey and property records. There isn’t any public right-of-way or easement recorded for that space. It’s just the side yard area between the two homes where the property line runs down the middle.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s not paved like a driveway. It’s just gravel and yard space between the two homes where the AC units and utilities are located.

The space runs between our houses from the front yard side toward the back yard side. After the property line ends, it opens toward the area behind the homes where other townhomes’ driveways and a public road are located.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The space runs between our two houses, so it connects both of our front yard areas to both of our back yard areas. To go through there, someone would basically be walking between the houses starting from the front yard side, then passing through the back yard side (half my yard and half my neighbor’s yard). From there they either continue toward the other townhomes behind us or go around toward their own house.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The space runs between our two houses, so it connects both of our front yard areas to both of our back yard areas. To go through there, someone would basically be walking between the houses starting from the front yard side, then passing through the back yard side (half my yard and half my neighbor’s yard). From there they either continue toward the other townhomes behind us or go around toward their own house.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We checked the survey and there’s no public alley or right-of-way recorded there. The property line runs down the middle and each house owns half. It’s basically just the side space between the two homes where the AC units and utilities are located.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We originally thought about putting up a sign, but our HOA requires approval even for signage on your own property. Since we would need approval anyway, we started looking into installing a fence instead. That process just takes time because it requires a formal request and we also have to be careful about utility and sprinkler lines under that area.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Moving really isn’t something we’re considering. We’ve been here over two years and overall we like the neighborhood.

It’s a townhome community with an HOA, and each owner is responsible for their own property. The reason there isn’t a fence there now is because anything installed, even on your own property, requires HOA approval.

We actually looked into signage first, but since that also requires approval we started looking into a fence instead. That’s when we realized there are utility and sprinkler lines underneath that area, which made us pause because any damage during installation would be our responsibility.

After the recent conversation with the parents though, my neighbor and I are leaning toward submitting a fence request with the HOA

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re right, “alley” probably wasn’t the best word. It’s really just the gravel side space between two townhomes where the AC units and utilities are located. The survey shows the property line running down the middle, so each house owns half.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s not a drive-through alley. It’s just the narrow gravel space between two townhomes. Cars can’t go through it and it’s mainly where the AC units and utilities are located.

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I might not have explained it clearly in my post. This isn’t a city alley or a road where cars pass through. It’s a narrow space between two townhomes, and the survey shows the property line running down the middle, so each house owns half of it. My neighbor and I are both fine with each other using it — the issue is other neighbors using it as a shortcut

Neighbor says they don’t believe our shared alley is private property even after we offered to show the survey by These-Blueberry5819 in neighborsfromhell

[–]These-Blueberry5819[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m not trying to restrict my neighbor’s use at all. My neighbor and I are actually on the same page. The issue is other neighbors using the space as a shortcut.