Neighbor demands homeowner to front entire $2000 out-of-pocket cost for laying down asphalt in a ‘shared driveway’, despite the fact that other neighbors also use the land

Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."

Sep 1, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

During the home-buying process, it's important to consider all of the potential woes you might face if you're not too careful. You have to get all of your ducks in a row, especially when it comes to property rights, knowing who your neighbors are, and the exact dimensions of what is considered your land and what is not. If you aren't careful enough, you might get talked into fees that you possibly have no legal expectation to pay.

Homeowners face frustrating issues, to say the least. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty, if you don't have anything in writing, you don't have a surefire case. When the lines are blurred, you risk the possibility of parasitical neighbors attempting to drain you of your last dollar. Folks like that bask in the idea of taking advantage of homeowners new to the neighborhood.

The original poster (OP) of this story purchased a home about three years ago. They weren't aware of the fact they had a "shared driveway" with their next-door neighbor, who owns the land that the driveway is built on. This neighbor told OP that he simply "allows" OP and their boyfriend to use the driveway, given that he technically owns the land, and now he's saying that he wants to fix it up and will give OP quotes on the fix-up job.

OP expresses that the neighbor's sister also uses the driveway but despite this, OP and their now-fiancé are being asked to front the entire cost of the asphalt job. If you aren't the only one using something, you shouldn't be the only one paying for a fix-up. Maybe their neighbor is giving his sister a "family discount" of 100% off, but it all still seems unfair to OP. They didn't even know about this driveway until after they purchased the home! Scroll to read the entire story, including some property advice from longtime homeowners.