Neighbor refuses to shovel driveway-Help

[Glenfield]

Originally Posted by Brinson

Even with all the descriptions I don't understand how this works. If a garage cannot be accessed without a neighbor shoveling the garage is poorly built. What if that neighbor didn't own a car? Would they still be expected to shovel? Shoveling the sidewalk in front of your house is a civic responsibility, but I never attached the same feeling to the driveway. I shovel it when I plan to use it...if I work from home i might shovel it at the end of the day instead of the morning.

I didn't grow up here so I have no ingrained culture around snow that I sometimes hear echoed, but I think shoveling snow is the worst possible thing about living here. I hate every moment of it. Part of me wants to not own a car so o don't have to, which is feasible as i live near downtown.

It sounds like the garages were built facing each over instead of the alley? That seems like really bad design.

These houses and garages were built almost 100 years ago. Cars were smaller and people didn’t own as many of them back then. It’s not for everyone and I respect that but it can all still work fine. This poor lady is stuck with an uncooperative neighbor.

[601halfdozen0theother]

I had exactly this garage set-up when I lived in town up on Da Range. Narrow lots with huge long yards with garages that faced one another off of an alley. Fortunately, I owned the adjacent properties and could go directly to myself to complain about the work not getting done!

OP, sometimes we all have to suck it up when it comes to an unfair situation. Just have your guy clear the whole garage driving/parking area from now on and build up some Karma/Heavenly points for yourself.

Wouldn't it be better to go to sleep at night smugly proud of how virtuous you are rather than to waste time stewing about your neighbor?

[aus1ander]

If money was no object, I would tear down your garage and build a new one where the overhead door **faces** the alley (with a short driveway), tear out the existing driveway and put up a fence around the whole backyard. In fact, just threaten to do this and I bet the neighbor will shovel their driveway when they figure out they won't have your driveway anymore to access their garage!

[aus1ander]

Seriously though, you have douchbag for a neighbor and I would not play nice this behavior. You don't have much in terms of options other than to block your driveway with something (maybe park your car in the driveway when its not snowing) so they can't use it to get into their garage anymore.

[aus1ander]

Originally Posted by WoodburyWoody

That is how I read it.

If so - even if not - it is common in parts of St. Paul and Minneapolis, where neighborhoods were built with no or few plots with driveways which lead to the street and instead use alleys bisecting blocks behind the houses.

What may be initially been a home with "reasonable" front yard and backyard with a small, detached single car garage on the alley (or, initially, no garage at all) over time gave way to people building larger garages for multiple cars, boats, hobbies, etc. I have been in yards where the size of the garage matches the house, leaving little for yard. Many that I see have the side of the garage parallel with the alley, so the entry for cars into the garage does not face the alley. Often, two neighbors' garages face each other with a "driveway" (more of a pad) between the two with basically enough room to enter the garage if you use all of the "driveway."

When we were looking at homes in St. Paul - wonderful old craftsman homes in tree-lined neighborhoods - this was always a consideration. Living in parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul means dealing with alleys and all that entails (read https://streets.mn/2015/12/01/tales-...t-paul-alleys/).

There are zoning restrictions in St Paul for detached structures that prevent monster garages from being built, but even the maximum allowable without a variance are quite big. That being said, most people building new garages choose to have them **face** the alley (unless they are on a corner lot). The smaller driveway means less snow to shovel and a larger fenced yard. We have had at least 6 new garages built on our block in the last 2-3 years (including our own) and only 1 kept a traditional driveway with the overhead door not facing the alley.