To park in front of this person's drive

[SophiePendragon]

I had to go to school for an open day this afternoon and the usual car park was full plus a long way up the road, so I parked eventually on a space (well, what I thought was a space) behind another car, on the road.

I often see cars parked along there so I'm sure it's allowed, it's a large village, no signs or meters anywhere near there.

I noticed as I drove up though that there was a recently block paved driveway, which was the width of the property (bungalow) but it only had a small section of dropped kerb, to the left, and the rest was normal kerb, uninterrupted, which continued along the road.

Anyway this looked odd but I assumed it was fine to park my car on the normal bit, leaving the dropped kerb free obviously.

There were two cars parked on the drive but I figured that it was probably fine to get off using the dropped kerb as there was plenty of space behind them to steer to that bit, (at least another car's length) and they were little cars. I'm a fairly experienced driver and I could definitely have done it.

Anyway I got back after about 40 minutes with the children and found a note under my wiper - please do not park in front of our drive, access is needed at all times, thank you.

It was polite but a bit stroppy. I saw there was someone in, so I went and rang the bell (leaving children in the car)

The woman who answered looked quite old but not elderly, and also looked a bit of a stroppy type who might feel the world is against her. So I smiled and said I just wanted to apologise but I genuinely didn't realise I couldn't park on a normal kerb.
She said that it's hard to get off the drive anyway due to being near a junction and I said, did the council know about her kerb as I thought other people might get confused as well.

She just started saying 'don't worry about it' and was pleasant enough but truly I don't think she has a leg to stand on - does she?

I mean I won't go and park there again as I'd like to avoid confrontation with her but seriously - you have to get planning for a dropped kerb don't you, and pay for it? You can't just extend your drive and then demand no one parks on the undropped section in front of your house?

[SophiePendragon]

Ah, sorry for posting. Obviously it's not worthy.

I just hate to be accused of something when I didn't mean any harm.

[hedgehogsdontbite]

Report her to the council so she can have her sad face moment.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-524838/Cars-trapped-illegal-driveways-council-fits-bollards-middle-night.html

[SophiePendragon]

LOL Hedge! That has cheered me right up

[ErrolTheDragon]

No, no, MN needs parking posts! Having seen the second picture, I probably wouldn't have parked there because you can't be sure how good other people are at reversing, and I'd have been worried that my car could get scraped. But the problem really is that they've got a daft driveway arrangement.

[Passmethecrisps]

I love that you are checking out the legal position! You should go back and campaign on her behalf.

I probably wouldn't have parked there but I can see why you did and I don't think you did wrong by doing so.

[TheChandler]

Honestly OP. You say you are a new driver. It shows. Just park further along, stop harassing people outside their own homes and stop with the obsessive googling and commenting on their houses. Its pretty strange behaviour.

Someone with more respect for privacy would have realised they might have to get lorries or vans in and your vehicle most likely did obstruct visibility.

Why would you even make such rude comments about the planning situation of someone else's house? So strange...

[NoisyOyster]

Love that hedge

Op YANUB

[morelikeguidelines]

You were fine to park there. If no dropped curb it's not her drive. As pps have said you have to pay to drop the curb and it looks like they are trying to get the benefit of this without the payment. Or have been refused.

I might not have bothered knocking at the door myself.

[SophiePendragon]

Thanks, Yoda (you are not unreasonable being?)

Chandler - where did I say that? I've been driving since 1993.

[SoupDragon]

You were fine to park there. The house owner has no legal right to drive over the part of the pavement without a dropped kerb so you were blocking nothing.

[elephantfan]

We have a dropped kerb across half of our "drive". This is because the previous occupants widened the drive by paving over the front garden. We can park two cars on the drive, but the dropped kerb is only one car width wide. Everyone and anyone parks right up to the edge of the dropped kerb. This is irritating, but perfectly legal and I wouldn't dream of putting a note on anyone's car unless they parked across the dropped kerb.

[molyholy]

I always find it confusing that people choose to move right by a school (in our case the school is at the end of the road, but is on the same road) then become furious at school dropping off/picking up time, when roads are busy. Surely anyone with an ounce of sense would be aware of this when they moved there.

[Wellwellwell3holesintheground]

Someone once left a note on my car because I was parked outside their house

[woodleydoodle]

If you posted a pic of my house on here I'd be really pissed off. (Rightmove excepted)

[waitaminutenow]

I'm more interested in why your so bothered tbh?? She left a note...like a pp said...bin it and move on. Or just apologise and move on...who cares??
And for what it's worth I would stop trying to insist that you are sure ahe was stroppy by reading the note...I don't see another way that she coukd have phrased it!!?? And to say she LOOKED like a stroppy type who thinks the world is against her....no that's not judgemental or assuming at all....I think its all in your head to be honest!!

[PurpleHairAndPearls]

I can't believe you've posted a photo of someone's house on the Internet, inviting comments on their driveway, especially after detailing how the owner looked "stroppy".

How rude are you?!

[lighteningirl]

Love a parking thread and yanbu no dropped curb? You can park. If they don't want people parking there they should pay for a dropped curb (costs £2000 here). And you were polite to apologise esp as you weren't in the wrong

[penguinschmenguin]

Seeing those pictures I wouldn't have parked there either.

Also, YABVVU to post pictures of someone's house and drive and speculate openly about planning etc

[googoodolly]

I think it's pretty to post photos of someone's house on here, tbh.

[CrystalHaze]

"It was polite but a bit stroppy. I saw there was someone in, so I went and rang the bell (leaving children in the car)

It's not at all stroppy.

The woman who answered looked quite old but not elderly, and also looked a bit of a stroppy type who might feel the world is against her.

Are you kidding with this? Either you're a GF, or you're the Queen of the Judgey Bitches

[hedgehogsdontbite]

It's a google maps picture. It was already on the internet. It's hardly a Secret Squirrel location.

[CrystalHaze]

I've seen the planning documents

Ok, so now I KNOW that this has to be a wind-up. Did you go and look up the planning application after this 'incident'? Really?

[SoupDragon]

All of those posters up in arms about the photo - it's Street View. the OP hasn't going and talked her own photo, it's already freely available and has all location information removed. Unless you live near it, you won't know where it is.

[HeyDuggee]

Did no one else see a giant arrow on the road? That is off Google and the plates are blurred.

That is a huge drive - hope they used permeable material. And according to this www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/pavingfrontgarden/ you're required to have your curb dropped if you're going to be driving over the public pavement, in case it needs to be reinforced.