A first-time homeowner's plans to transform her driveway into a garden have sparked a neighbourhood dispute over property usage rights.
The new homeowner, who recently purchased a small terraced house after a decade as a council tenant, has found herself at odds with a long-term resident.
She moved into her new terraced house just weeks ago and noticed her property had a different driveway.
While all other houses on her street boast front gardens, her home's exterior had been "rejigged and the hedge was replaced with gates to a gravel driveway instead of a garden".
The row erupted between a long-term homeowner and a new resident
GETTYThe woman said her driveway is so "tiny" that when she parks there, her car nearly touches the external wall of her living room.
She discovered that opening her living room window would cause it to hit her parked car.
With "ample space to park" on her street and no "shortage of parking spaces", she decided to restore the front of her property to a garden.
This change caught the attention of a neighbour who soon threatened that he was "going to put a complaint" in if she continued not to use her driveway for its intended purpose.
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The neighbour insisted that "if you have a driveway, you should use it", despite admitting there was no shortage of parking spaces on the street.
He told her that "the previous owners were able to fit a van in the front drive" and dismissed her concerns about the tight space.
The woman shared her experience on Reddit, explaining that the man had been living on the street "since the 70s" and "strikes me as a busybody who just wanted to control the street".
The neighbour threatened that "he'd be contacting the council" about her plans.
The neighbour said that 'if you have a driveway, you should use it'
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Online commenters were quick to offer support and advice to the troubled homeowner.
One suggested she grow plants on the drive and shape them into a car to irritate the "busy body" neighbours.
Another reassured her: "The absolute worst that'll happen is someone may call you from the council, just so they can tell him they did, to appease him.
"He's a busybody who seems to think he can tell you what to do with your land. The only regulations I could find were for the creation of a driveway and dropped kerb, not reversing that."
