Back alley driveway etiquette? (Houston, Plano: houses, purchasing, living)

[veuvegirl]

We moved into a house that has the driveway in the back. It has been a year, and I still don't grasp who has the right of way.

When turning into the alley and I see a car coming out, generally I back up. However today a car pulls in and sits there, making me move. It's hard to discern who has the right of way. Or is to basically a free for all?

[BigDGeek]

My house has an alley too. My assumption is always that the car already IN the alley has right of way and someone can hardly come out to let you pass if you're blocking their exit. I think the guy who pulled up and sat there was wrong, personally. But it's hard to know without seeing your alley; if both of you were right in the middle of a long or curving alley, who's to know.

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

My house has an alley too. My assumption is always that the car already IN the alley has right of way and someone can hardly come out to let you pass if you're blocking their exit. I think the guy who pulled up and sat there was wrong, personally. But it's hard to know without seeing your alley; if both of you were right in the middle of a long or curving alley, who's to know.

If you know who was there first- yield to the first car. If it's in question- whoever can pull into a driveway or out of the way most easily should do so.

[veuvegirl]

Thanks p, it makes sense, but doesn't always work. Whoever designed these wasn't thinking well!!

[Big G]

Remind me again why everyone thinks houses with rear garages are the cat's pajamas???

[GreyDay]

Originally Posted by Big G

Remind me again why everyone thinks houses with rear garages are the cat's pajamas???

Because I don't want to see your garage when I pull up.

Just a little too suburban for my tastes. Happily, it's fairly rare in my area.

[Transplanted99]

Originally Posted by Big G

Remind me again why everyone thinks houses with rear garages are the cat's pajamas???

Otherwise, garages become the defining feature of the house's front facade. Definitely reduces curb appeal.

However, most newer developments look to squeeze as many homes into a given plot of land. Thus, no alleys, tiny yards, front garages.

Seen some higher priced new developments with garage facing a back alley. In another city, I've seen where those types of homes have garbage pickup on the street (I happened by on pickup day), but they are so close together they cannot run their bins along the side of the homes!

Wonder if the homeowners figured that out only after purchasing.

[bencronin04]

I enjoy having an alley, even though my garage is on the side of the house since we are a corner lot. I don't have to look at garages everywhere, and old junker cars in people's drive ways driving down the street. I can see clearly each way from my front yard and on trash day I don't have to worry about running my trashcan out the night before(plus I don't see them sitting out front all day).

[Squirl]

Common sense says the person most inconvenienced by backing up should get right away. However my experience since 1978 when I bought my first house on an alley is that its a free for all.

I like alleys, too! But most of my homes in the DFW area don't/haven't had them because I also like living on waterways, golf courses, etc. so I've had homes with swing garages or personal driveways from front to back. The house I live in now is a corner and has an alley. The benefit is easy access to the exit, the downside is how many folks drive on my grass cutting in and out of the alley and also just to move over for another car. We have to put boulders on the corners of our lot.

[Johnhw2]

Alleys are expensive and consume more land than a place without one generally. The expense comes from a second paved or prepared roadway for each home on an alley. I had one in Houston which was rare, it was a two lane paved alley so two cars could pass with each pulled tight to a fence, here in Plano I dont have one. My yard is wide enough and two of my garages here at side loaders so the street view is not dominated by garage here in Plano.

The rules are there are no rules just common sense courtesy as far as I know.