I would let family or the best neighbor ever tear up some of my yard, but not someone I didn’t know. I would be totally turned off to anyone but the two mentioned even asking. If I were you I’d deal with your driveway issue.
There could be another factor against asking the neighbor. My neighborhood is a suburb on former farm land. Some of the neighbors have issues with old boards, and bricks rising to the surface, and some have had to fill in rather big holes where something used to be, or where something was filled in improperly, and later collapsed.
It might not be possible to know exactly what’s under the ground until heave equipment actually drives on it. I would hate to find out there was a filled in, abandoned septic tank or field by driving over it.
I concur with the other posters who advise you not to even ask. It may be cheaper to have them to drive across neighbor’s grass (even after you pay for grass repair), but it’s incovenient, loud, and takes time for the yard to look nice again.
