The amount of imaginary entitlement that some neighbors think they have over property boundaries is often ridiculous, if not laughable. One Karen neighbor in northeast Alabama told the couple next door that they could not use the estate’s shared access driveway. She claimed it to be “her driveway” and threatened the two if they parked in it. The couple does have access to another yet hazardous driveway, as its excessively steep incline makes it challenging to park anything on top of it. Unfortunately, the neighbor’s actual homeowner refuses to get involved because: “drama.”
“Do they [Does she] have any legal standing on us not using the shared access driveway?” OP, the female partner of the Alabama couple, asks Reddit. She claims that she owns the home with her parents on the title but lacks proper documentation for anything regarding the alleged “shared access” driveway. “For future reference, always get land surveyed before purchase,” one Reddit user tells OP. “Know exactly what you’re paying for.” This whole fiasco with the Karen neighbor might have been easily avoided had the property boundaries been clearly laid down by a surveyor.
Many Redditors tell the Alabama couple to pay for a survey of the driveway, while others recommend checking tax assessment maps or anything similar to determine who has rights to what. What makes the situation even more aggravating is that the entitled Karen threatening the couple doesn’t own the home like they do, as she is leasing the place under her family member’s name. So, to have the audacity to claim full control of even a shared access driveway as a renter is really something else.
But here’s the story plot twist: the driveway was never “shared access” to begin with! In fact, none of the driveway is even legally owned by the greedy Karen. Thanks to the suggestion of a commenter, OP checked the Alabama town’s county records to discover that “the ENTIRE driveway is on their property.” The Alabama couple went on to follow the next best suggestion and “called the cops” to firmly establish where the property lines were. If they have a problem with it, the Karen needs to pay for a survey, which would be pointless, though, seeing how the county records hold the final say.
So, if you’re ever dealing with an entitled neighbor, remember that legal documentation is what will silence any complaints.
