Neighbor wants to pave shared driveway

I share a driveway with my neighbor. Her entire yard is paved, front and back. Her backyard doesn’t drain well so she sweeps it out each rain. My yard didn’t drain but we had the pavement removed from our backyard so now there’s no puddling – it just all drains into the ground. She wants to repave her entire backyard, plus the driveway (which has so cracking). She wants me to pay for half of the driveway. This presents a problem in itself because I see no reason to repave the driveway. Now, she’s saying that she wants those grey and red pavers in a design as the driveway. Two issues with this is that I find those driveways to be very ugly so I don’t want to pay for that. Also, I don’t want pavers at my foundation. I want a solid cement driveway. Seems like cement is less likely to cause foundation leaks than pavers that are placed together. Also, I don’t want work done at my foundation if it’s not necessary. There is no problem at all besides the fact that her ent ire yard is cement so it obviously remains wet after a rain. What to do in this situation? And do we both own this driveway? I was never told at closing how this works – crappy lawyer.

returnrestoration

in General Discussion 8 years and 6 months ago

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nyc_sport | 8 years and 6 months ago

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If the language you quote came from a deed, there likely is a drawing as well. But it sounds like 3′ 8″ of each of your and your neighbor’s property comprise the driveway, and you gave your neighbor an easement over the 3′ 8″ along the edge of your property, and the neighbor gave you an easement over 3′ 8″ along the edge of his/her property, such that the property line is down the middle of the driveway. Do you have a copy of the title search from when you bought? There may be some covenants in respect of maintenance, but highly unlikely there is any that dictates when or how the driveway is refurbished. In theory, you or your neighbor could rip out and replace his or her own 3′ 8″ of the driveway.

xchx | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Have you tried telling her that you just want to leave the driveway the way it is?

returnrestoration | 8 years and 6 months ago

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From 1973 I found the following but I’m not really sure what it means: “subject to an easement over the southerly 3 feet 8 inches of the premises herein described for a driveway. Together with an easement over the northerly 3 ft, 8 in of the premises herein described for a driveway. ” btw, my street runs north south. if that matters.

returnrestoration | 8 years and 6 months ago

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slope farm – how to look up title history in ACRIS? I know how to see who owns a property on there, but thats about it. Thanks!

slopefarm | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Dave’s advice is good. Big difference how much this is your property vs your easement. Check your deed, there may be an attachment describing the easement. Look up the title history on ACRIS, the relevant docs might be there as pdfs.

nyc_sport | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Perhaps somewhat of an aside to the greater issues, but those pavers will drain water some through the gaps between stones. Not a lot, but certainly more than concrete.

daveinbedstuy | 8 years and 6 months ago

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First, find out the legalities of the driveway. It may not be split down the middle by a lot line. It may be (mostly) their property or your property with a deeded easement (hopefully). This may only be possible with a survey which you should have obtained when you bought the property. That will determine what the best route is to proceed discussing what can and can’t be done.

returnrestoration | 8 years and 6 months ago

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Oh my I hope that isn’t the issue we end up dealing with… I don’t think it will get to that – I would give in before having that relationship with a neighbor. Somebody told me that in shared driveways, one person owns it while the other has a right to access it – not true?

resident2 | 8 years and 6 months ago

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You own half the driveway, your neighbor owns half the driveway. You each have an easement across the others property to drive, walk access etc.
You have to agree on major repairs/replacement that effect both sides.
Your neighbor is supposed to have drainage in a completely paved back yard, to contain the run-off to neighbors property etc. And you are supposed to get permits for all such work.
It sounds like your neighbor did not get permits for the rear work done already and you do not have to agree to the additional work on your property that your neighbor wants to do. That said there is no stopping your neighbor from doing their side of the driveway; other than making sure that they get permits and that the work does not upset the drainage on your property as well as your easement on their property remains.
I recently heard of a neighbor putting a gate on their side of the driveway, so that the other neighbor could not drive in without the next door neighbor opening the gate!
Lets hope it does not get that cantankerous!

returnrestoration | 8 years and 6 months ago

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I have a typo above. The driveway has NO cracking. It’s in great condition.

returnrestoration | 8 years and 6 months ago

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sorry for all the posts… our driveway visible beyond the gate looks like this… https://airvolblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Tricobble-15.jpg

returnrestoration | 8 years and 6 months ago

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she wants something like this link… the front of the driveway already has this but it’s significantly more intricate. was this way before we purchased. http://www.pavingdrivewaysnortheast.co.uk/portfolios/block-paving-area-red-with-grey-edging