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Shared Driveway & Snow Blowing

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kkelso

Well-known member
Apr 27, 2003
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A question on etiquette and snow.

Bought a house last year with a shared driveway. The house had never been lived in, and the fellow next door had been blowing the driveway clear himself the few years that he's lived here. I moved in on the brink of winter and just figured I would tough it out the first season hand shoveling.

Well, he's a good neighbor and continues to clear the whole drive, even my part, on his own. I told him that he didn't need to, to which he replied that as long as he's out there doing all of it anyway another 10 minutes is no big deal. Nice guy.

So, I feel like I'm not holding up my end if I let this guy keep clearing the drive on his own. However, it seems pretty silly for me to go get my own snow blower so that I could do my half while he does his. I've no problem shelling out the bucks, but in a way I feel it would be a slap in the face to him.

I was trying to think of something I could do to reciprocate his kindness, in a way that was both fair and respectful. In the business world I'd just give him some cash, doesn't seem too neighborly though.

Any ideas?

Thanks.
 
Gas, food, coffee, beer, booze, dancing girls, offer to help and let him sleep with your wife are all great offerings.
 
Buy him a can of gas for the 'blower, buy him a case of beer or a bottle of wine or hard liquor (if you know his preference).

Mow his lawn for him once and awhile when you are doing yours.

Basically just try to find out something 'nice' you can do for him.
 
COPYCRAIGS.COM said:
Buy him a Vanilla Prepaid Mastercard available @ Shoppers Drug Mart, it's a great card!
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That would be kind of tacky. Moraff provides some very good ideas. Also, you could have him and his family over for a thank-you dinner, or take him to a Leafs game.
 
I've lived in my house for over 20 years. I haven't shoveled my driveway 20 times in all that time. My neighbour is up earlier than me, and when he does his driveway, he does mine, and a couple others.

I buy him a bottle of rye, and his wife a half dozen bottles of wine every year. He has told me ''I'm out here, I'm going to do it.''

I can't not pay him something.

I know the other people whose driveway he does, give him something as well.

His wife seems thrilled with the payment plan. :)
 
kkelso said:
A question on etiquette and snow.

Well, he's a good neighbor and continues to clear the whole drive, even my part, on his own. I told him that he didn't need to, to which he replied that as long as he's out there doing all of it anyway another 10 minutes is no big deal. Nice guy.

So, I feel like I'm not holding up my end if I let this guy keep clearing the drive on his own. However, it seems pretty silly for me to go get my own snow blower so that I could do my half while he does his. I've no problem shelling out the bucks, but in a way I feel it would be a slap in the face to him.

I was trying to think of something I could do to reciprocate his kindness, in a way that was both fair and respectful. In the business world I'd just give him some cash, doesn't seem too neighborly though.
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Sounds like a Seinfeld episode.

I can hear Jerry and George.
What is the etiquette ?
To compensate or not to compensate ?
Is it a long driveway ? Is the driveway wide enough for two cars each ? Does he ever bring it up in conversation ?
 
pencilneckgeek2 said:
I've lived in my house for over 20 years. I haven't shoveled my driveway 20 times in all that time. My neighbour is up earlier than me, and when he does his driveway, he does mine, and a couple others.

I buy him a bottle of rye, and his wife a half dozen bottles of wine every year. He has told me ''I'm out here, I'm going to do it.''

I can't not pay him something.

I know the other people whose driveway he does, give him something as well.

His wife seems thrilled with the payment plan. :)
Click to expand...


Yes, this is similar to my situation - he IS always up earlier and he IS going to do it no matter what. Don't know how much he is into booze (he's a bit of a straight arrow), but he does have a bunch of kids - maybe hockey tickets for the family...
 
kkelso said:
Yes, this is similar to my situation - he IS always up earlier and he IS going to do it no matter what. Don't know how much he is into booze (he's a bit of a straight arrow), but he does have a bunch of kids - maybe hockey tickets for the family...
Click to expand...


The hockey tickets would be a great gift
If they are for the Leafs, that would be an expensive gift, he might have to clean your rain gutters in the fall to even the score


Want to trade neighbors?
Mine neighbor seems to think the strip of grass beside where I park my car is her dogs toilet. I would have a coronary if she ever did something nice for someone else
 
From the other side...

When I lived in a subdivision, I used to do my neighbours' driveways on both sides on a regular basis and if I was home during a really bad storm, I'd even do a couple others.

I actually enjoyed it. You know, guys and their toys. I didn't expect anything in return, I was just happy to have friendly neighbours.

It was nice to hear a 'Thank you' every now and then. I got a few nice bottles of wine, a bottle of rye and a Thank you card from a single mom. I don't think you need to go to the extent of hockey tickets but its up to you.
 
How about a gift card from your favourite agency? Do they have gift cards??;)

Thank your lucky stars that you have a great neighbour. Mutual driveways are too often a lightning rod for petty disputes between neighbours.

B88
 
Mow his lawn in the summer, give him a can of gas, chop ice on his stairs, a case of beer once in awhile, there's lots you could do.
 
I do not believe that giving money of gifts to a neighbout is good policy. I never refuse a favor when asked.

The lady that lives next door is frail but not frail so that she can not cut grass. I do clean the snow off her driveway in the winter and she cuts a portion of my grass in the front only in the summer. Thats just fine with me. She does not have a car and I once picked up emergency lights for her hous at Canadian Tire, she offered to give me extra but I refused

The neighbour on the other side is a prick and a half, he did not even acknowledge my existance till I got the snow blower, now he gets a hello, but no free snow removal.

Another idea for you is to get a snao blower of your own and tell him you got it on special. You do his both driveways as he does for you and its just a matter of convienience when the two of you are availible to do it. With two people clearing the driveway you will never have problems with getting your car in and out.
 
Shared drives can be a pain and make for real trouble. Be grateful everyday you have a generous and thoughtful neighbour sharing yours. Insist on covering his costs by providing the gas, and doing the schlepp with the can. Let him have the fun he says he's having but be alert for the day he's not feeling well.

If the drive needs other maintenance like sealing you could take that on. But I'd look for a favour I could do him, rather than trying to come up with a strictly balanced quid pro quo, or 'paying' with a gift. He's a treasure, and you want him to think you are too.
 
Just an afterthought, do you get weeds and grass that grow in the cracks of you driveway? I remove them with a propane blow torch. You can do this for your neighbour and use a leaf blower to keep his ( and your ) driveway clean. Then there are the leaves that will be coming alon soon. pitch in and help.
 
I have elderly neighbours to the east of me. The first snowfall of the season ( it was big! ) I thought I'd be nice and shovel the sidewalk in front of their home..well the gentleman came home as I was out there shoveling away. He didn't say hello..or thank you..or anything for that matter, just gave me a weird look and walked into his house. I thought geez..how rude! Until 4 am when the sidewalk plow came by....I felt like an idiot lol.
Still, he could have told me, I was out there for what seemed like forever. To this day ( 5 years later ) he still has never said hello. Be very thankfull you have great neighbours!!

Steph
 
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