Some neighbors seem to love doing things without warning or consent; it’s almost as if they thrive on creating drama. That said, a homeowner in New Mexico woke up one day to their driveway being blocked off with a fence built by their neighbor. “I was never given a warning,” they complain, confused as to why this happened in the first place. They claim that the property has been family-owned for generations, but they’ve always driven through the neighbor’s property to reach theirs. “Suddenly, I wake up this morning and discover that I am blocked off,” they exclaim.
In a panic, they reach out to Reddit to ask for advice, but Redditors seem more confused about the driveway situation. Who actually owns the driveway? The homeowner claims it’s theirs but also states it is the “neighbor’s property” as well. Well, the plot thickens as OP explains how the neighbor is their uncle, and the house was passed down to them from their dad, who is in prison for life. Previously, the driveway was used by both the father and uncle, but now the uncle seems to want the lane for himself, hence the whole ‘fencing off the neighbor’s’ thing.
At first, it would appear the neighbor, aka the uncle, was in the wrong for doing such a bizarre act without consent or warning. However, OP shed more light on the situation at the cost of making a rather foolish comment about what they would like to do: “Can I just cut this fence down? I have no way of driving out of my property as of now. He also built this makeshift driveway for me across the other side of my property, but there is no way I can drive through that terrain.” The makeshift driveway, for clarification, was a dirt road on the homeowner’s property made by the uncle’s employees without permission.
From the look of things, OP seems to be confused about the property they have a right to as opposed to what their neighbor owns. That said, Reddit believes the best course of action would be to involve a lawyer and conduct a survey to clear the air, so to speak. Before OP attempts to take legal action or get an attorney involved, one commenter makes a solid point: “It sounds like it would be much cheaper to improve the makeshift drive than fight this through the courts.” Maybe the young homeowner should consider their options before trying to win a feud against their uncle.
