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Driveway snow - neighbor complains i put it on his property

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Jr. Member
Oct 17, 2007
148 posts
35 upvotes

Driveway snow - neighbor complains i put it on his property

Is there a by-law in Ontario that allows me to put snow on both sides of my driveway even is one side is not my property? My neighbor complains that i put snow on his side so i have to move all the snow from my driveway to my side. That's a lot of work with the snow/rain we had for the last couple of days.
Thanks.
CoS
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Dec 19, 2001
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Fernando Poo
cstca wrote: Is there a by-law in Vaughan/Ontario that allows me to put show on both sides of my driveway even is one side is not my property? My neighbor complains that i put show on his side so i have to move all the snow from my driveway to my side. That's a lot of work with the snow/rain we had for the last couple of days.
Thanks.
CoS
What'z "show"?
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Deal Fanatic
Dec 9, 2003
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Calgary
Keep the show on your property
Jr. Member
Oct 17, 2007
148 posts
35 upvotes
sorry for the typo - I meant to say "snow"
So the general rule is that I have to use only my property when I shovel? I thought is half/half for everybody.
Thanks.
CoS
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Oct 23, 2008
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GTA, ON
cstca wrote: Is there a by-law in Vaughan/Ontario that allows me to put snow on both sides of my driveway even is one side is not my property? My neighbor complains that i put snow on his side so i have to move all the snow from my driveway to my side. That's a lot of work with the snow/rain we had for the last couple of days.
Thanks.
CoS
????? Are you dumping snow onto his driveway or something? If yes, I would complain too. If no, the neighbour got issues.

Do you have a joined driveway?
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Deal Addict
Sep 17, 2002
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On the side next to your neighbour - your edge of your driveway should have a minimum of 1ft away from property line, same for the neighbour - so there is minimum 2ft gap between the two of you - you can place snow there. Shouldn't be an issue as your placing snow on your side. Common sense.

If the distance from the edge of his driveway is say 6" because he extended his driveway - then he should be placing his snow on the 6" but likely he'll place it on your side. Vice versa if your driveway is extended.

I wouldn't worry about it - ask him you'll do the same when he starts doing it. Meaning - no snow between the two of you.

I usually put most on the front lawn and "try" to keep snow away from the side next to my neighbor however, I got a now blower so I don't care. I sometimes put a "bit" of it on his side just to piss him off :lol: but he never says anything - does like to chat with the neighbors though.
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Jan 6, 2002
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cstca wrote: Is there a by-law in Vaughan/Ontario that allows me to put snow on both sides of my driveway even is one side is not my property? My neighbor complains that i put snow on his side so i have to move all the snow from my driveway to my side. That's a lot of work with the snow/rain we had for the last couple of days.
Thanks.
CoS
Bylaws don't "permit" something. What you want to know is if any bylaw would restrict you from doing what you are doing.

You will need to call up the city of Vaughan to determine if any such restriction exists. I suspect there isn't.

I would suggest talking to the neighbour and experss that, when and if practical you will avoid placing snow on his property, but that you can't commit to never doing so. Also remind him that he lives in Canada, and there's this thing call snow, snow drifts, and shovelling.
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Jr. Member
Oct 17, 2007
148 posts
35 upvotes
No, I don't put it on his driveway. We don't have joined driveways and in between our properties is 2 ft grass, but he extended his driveway I would guess by 6". He removes snow from his driveway all the way to the edge of this border. He claims i should use only my property for all the snow i have on the driveway.
CoS
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Jul 14, 2008
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cstca wrote: Is there a by-law in Vaughan/Ontario that allows me to put snow on both sides of my driveway even is one side is not my property? My neighbor complains that i put snow on his side so i have to move all the snow from my driveway to my side. That's a lot of work with the snow/rain we had for the last couple of days.
Thanks.
CoS
It sounds like your driveway is next to his property. But you should have a couple feet directly alongside your driveway that is still your property, no?
Or is it a shared driveway (semi)? More information on your setup.

EDIT: saw more info. You should check where your property line ends. If its somewhere in that grass portion, I would throw it there too.
Deal Addict
Sep 17, 2002
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usually neighbors will complain as the height of the snow bank is getting out of hand - ours is about 3ft but I could see issues as it approaches 4ft - harder to get in and out of cars

I think your area got alot of snow this weekend and perviously

Again I wouldn't worry about it
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Jul 14, 2008
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cstca wrote: No, I don't put it on his driveway. We don't have joined driveways and in between our properties is 2 ft grass, but he extended his driveway I would guess by 6". He removes snow from his driveway all the way to the edge of this border. He claims i should use only my property for all the snow i have on the driveway.
CoS
Is the neighbor assuming all 2 ft of grass which separates the 2 is his?
Is he correct?
If not, next time he says keep the snow on your property, tell him you are.
And if part of the 2ft IS yours as well (likely), then he is throwing snow on YOUR property! lol
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Jun 23, 2005
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In most typical subdivisions you have on the one side a small patch of lawn (perhaps 2-3 feet wide, shared with the neighbour) and on the other side a much larger 'main' lawn directly in front of the house (which may also be shared with the neighbour on the other side but still has a lot more space). Half of that small patch is considered my property, but as part of being a good neighbour, I move just a couple feet of snow from my driveway onto the small patch of lawn (there just isn't the space to contain more than that), and the rest goes onto the larger patch of lawn. If I were to put more snow on the small patch, it just starts rolling down the other side of the bank and onto my neighbour's driveway. If you don't own any of the land on the one side (which is highly unusual, IMO), then that *may* be an issue and your neighbour could have a case, and perhaps you should seek clarification from your local councillor.
Deal Addict
Sep 17, 2002
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hmm so he only has 6" from property line to his driveway - that's why he's complaining - he's dumping snow on your side

Tell him you'll call the city to discuss as he only has 6" and he's complaining - if he's smart he'll keep quiet - othewise,the call city bylaw and tell him he's not 1ft away from property line. They can make him change the distance.

The nerve of people!
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Jul 14, 2008
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iwells wrote: hmm so he only has 6" from property line to his driveway - that's why he's complaining - he's dumping snow on your side

Tell him you'll call the city to discuss as he only has 6" and he's complaining - if he's smart he'll keep quiet - othewise,the call city bylaw and tell him he's not 1ft away from property line. They can make him change the distance.

The nerve of people!
Exactly.
This wise guy is complaining because HE doesn't want to be inconvenienced himself. He wants the shortest path, like everyone does.
He is being a tool, IMO.
I have had numerous neighbors, and all of them understood that we would both use adjoining spaces to collect snow, especially when snow really piles up.
And in small slivers of available space, like the 2 ft described, even less would be packed on, but it would be 'placed' on THIS side, not 'thrown' to the next.

Common sense 101.

Tell him to stop complaining since he is throwing snow on YOUR PROPERTY.
Jr. Member
Oct 17, 2007
148 posts
35 upvotes
Yes, he told me the small patch of lawn is his property. I have to check the property line to see if this is the case or not (the property was built 25 years ago).
The problem is that on the other side of my driveway (big indeed) i have a pile of branches from the tree that just fall off during the ice storm (4 ft tall) so it's not easy to put all the snow there.
The same guy complains several times last year that he sees dog hair on his driveway (we've got a puppy last summer) and I think this is where everything started... We've tried to accommodate his requests, keeping the dog more inside, but i think his only solution will be to get rid of the dog. We don't let the dog barks inside or outside (he is a really nice one) and we have detached houses.
Thanks for all the answers, i think I've got a better picture of this issue now.
CoS
Sr. Member
Dec 2, 2008
631 posts
68 upvotes
Belleville
If it's his property your tossing the snow on you should ask before doing it. And it shouldnt be blocking him access to the side of his house.

Had a neighbour that didn't bother asking and decided to shovel most of his snow from his driveway onto my lawn, not using his own lawn at all, and between the houses back against my house. Since he didn't ask, I borrowed a friends snowblower and blow it all back onto his driveway. Call me a ***** , but respect peoples property or be treated like the douche you are.
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Oct 26, 2008
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cstca wrote: Yes, he told me the small patch of lawn is his property. I have to check the property line to see if this is the case or not (the property was built 25 years ago).
The problem is that on the other side of my driveway (big indeed) i have a pile of branches from the tree that just fall off during the ice storm (4 ft tall) so it's not easy to put all the snow there.
The same guy complains several times last year that he sees dog hair on his driveway (we've got a puppy last summer) and I think this is where everything started... We've tried to accommodate his requests, keeping the dog more inside, but i think his only solution will be to get rid of the dog. We don't let the dog barks inside or outside (he is a really nice one) and we have detached houses.
Thanks for all the answers, i think I've got a better picture of this issue now.
CoS
For a property built 25 years ago one would expect the gap between houses would be wider than 2 feet. At 2 feet your roofs are practically touching. Are you sure the separation between yards is not the standard 4 feet and that the remaining 2 feet of grass is yours?
Jr. Member
Oct 17, 2007
148 posts
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It could be more than 2 ft. is just the fact he extended his driveway and this patch looks smaller than 4 ft. This was done before we moved into this house.
CoS
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Jul 14, 2008
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cstca wrote: Yes, he told me the small patch of lawn is his property. I have to check the property line to see if this is the case or not (the property was built 25 years ago).
The problem is that on the other side of my driveway (big indeed) i have a pile of branches from the tree that just fall off during the ice storm (4 ft tall) so it's not easy to put all the snow there.
The same guy complains several times last year that he sees dog hair on his driveway (we've got a puppy last summer) and I think this is where everything started... We've tried to accommodate his requests, keeping the dog more inside, but i think his only solution will be to get rid of the dog. We don't let the dog barks inside or outside (he is a really nice one) and we have detached houses.
Thanks for all the answers, i think I've got a better picture of this issue now.
CoS
LOL. Seems like a winner!
Dog hair on the driveway? Is he aware he parks A DIRTY CAR on this, so called, driveway?
He seems like he is just finding excuses to be disruptive. We all hear stories. You're just living it.

Double check the line, as another suggested, with a 25 year old, you should have more than 2 feet (are your roofs touching?)
If hair is his thang, when winter is over and you need a ONCE OVER, be happy to collect in a towel and shake outside.
But I digress. ;)
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Jul 14, 2008
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cstca wrote: It could be more than 2 ft. is just the fact he extended his driveway and this patch looks smaller than 4 ft. This was done before we moved into this house.
CoS
AND if he extended it, and you didn't, even more likely that the MAJORITY of the grass that divides may in fact be YOUR PROPERTY.

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