DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbor uses my side of our shared driveway whenever she has company over. We have a mutual agreement that we can use each other’s driveways when we have company, yet I don’t recall agreeing to a weekly sleepover of her and eight friends. For the past four weeks, she has had these big groups, and there is no room for even my car sometimes. How can I rescind our agreement? I don’t want to start any neighborly conflicts, considering we will both be here for a while. -- My Driveway, Catonsville, Maryland
DEAR MY DRIVEWAY: You have to speak up. Tell your neighbor that her large group weekends are taking over your life -- well, at least your parking space. Acknowledge that you two agreed that you would be flexible with the shared driveway when you have guests, but you had no idea she would have large groups every weekend.
Suggest to her that her guests park on the street or somewhere else. Not having a place to put your car every weekend doesn’t work. If she balks, point out that the driveway is to be shared. It is unfair for you to have to give up your space on a weekly basis to accommodate her parties. Put your foot down. It could get testy at first, but if you remain clear and strong about your position, your neighbor should eventually come around.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)