Shared Driveway and Utility Easement

[htfdfire911]

My question involves an easement in the state of: Connecticut

I am looking for some information with regards to a property easement I have on a home I purchased last July.

I am going to give all the details I can in an attempt to get the best information back...sory if its long winded.

I live in Stafford Connecticut, bought a house last year that is on a dead end street which had another lot behind it to which the builder decided to build another house.

Since the 2nd house behind me didnt have access to the street an easement was put in place to alllow for the owner to access his house. I have a paved driveway and directly next to it the other owner has a gravel driveway that leads to his house.

This driveway is 95% on my property until it reaches the property line to which he ownes exclusively.

In addition to an easement for the home owner, there are partial easements in favor of the town for sewer, the electric company, water company, telephone...

The owner behind me has an "Access Easement"

When I moved in here I quickly realized that although it was a dead end people didnt know it was and continued up my neibors driveway all day and all night...Most of the time they were forced to turn around when they realized this wasnt a road but someones driveway but in doing so they make the u-turn in my front yard.

The original owner never seeded for grass and there is whats left of mulch remaining however my intentions were to seed and grow a nice lawn when I moved in before I new of the traffic problem.

After a good rain the area is muddy and people have torn the area up pretty good so seeding would be a waste unless I can prevent people from coming up the driveways...

My first thought was a gate because a fence or large stones would look terrible the way things are situated....I approcached the neibor with the idea...I stated not only would it allow me to have a front yard but it would also secure his property from potential break ins because I never know or can see whats happening when the cars go past and stop...

I did ask at first to share the cost...to which he said he couldnt afford...then I said I would pay for it myself to which he said no again because he had guests come to visit and a gate would be a bother.

As unfair as it was I let it go and to this date cars and kids who used to party in the vacant field this once was still come here at all hours of the night and park in my front yard. A week ago a drunken teenager used the length of my neibors driveway as a drag strip and launched a truck down it onto the street at over 68 mph according to police investigators and flipped his truck over and crashed into another neibors house.

I have had enought and want to put up a gate of some sort that would make it obvious to people that this is private property but would still allow for the easements to be honored.

I forgot to mention that the town trucks in the winter and oil trucks also weighting more than a regular vehicle are destroying the edges of my driveway when they make u-turns on it....I have documented this with photographs...if that is gonna help.

Do I have any options here?

My opinion is that even thought there are easements I "OWN" the property...I pay the taxes on it and I am suffering the damages from all this preventable traffic that could be avoided if there were a gate or something to signify where the street ends and my private property starts.

My neibor doesnt seem to care and why should he...he has a nice lawn that doesnt get driven over...

I have the statutory form warranty deed and two plot plans and even paid a survey company to mark off my land bounderies so I know where my property lines are.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

[LandSurveyor]

My first thought was a gate because a fence or large stones would look terrible the way things are situated....

As terrible as a fence may look, it will probably provide nearly instant relief. Once it is in place, with some big ugly signs, the u-turns and damage will be occurring back on your neighbor's lot and he may quickly come around to the idea of a gate. Might even share the cost. Then the fence can come down.