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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Drive - no dropped kerb and getting blocked in

55 replies

Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 13:46

Ok, before anyone starts with the 'well you don't have a dropped kerb so there'.....

Typical street near town centre, lots of double yellows and not much parking. Road already heavily over subscribed with residents cars.

Anyhoo, there are multiple houses on the street that have made their gardens into drives and some have, and some don't have, dropped kerbs. I applied to the council and was turned down for a dropped kerb as the size of our frontage didn't meet their minimum space requirements. I obtained a list of planning permission since year ., of all the houses that have dropped kerbs not one of them was given permission.

To be honest we did think about putting one regardless but knew someone would dob us in so we haven't.

The residents that have done the same, and have no dropped kerbs, have vehicles way bigger than the drive and overhang the path quite a bit. I don't I'm fully on.

No one ever gets a ticket unless it's a car on double yellows.

Outside our house is double yellows so in theory no one should be parking there but they do.

In the past week I've been blocked in twice. One of the cars did get a parking ticket.

Now there's a car there today blocking me in. WIBU to put a note in the car asking them not to park there given that there are multiple parking spaces today so there really was need to block me in?

Both times that I've been blocked in there have been other spaces available.

If there wasn't and someone needed to unload shopping or whatever, I have no issue with it.

OP posts:
HunterHearstHelmsley · 18/02/2017 13:49

It is just a space outside your house, they're not blocking your drive. Just your tarmaced garden. Obviously they shouldn't be parking on double yellows but parking outside your house is different.

BubbleBed · 18/02/2017 13:49

YABU. You've not got a dropped kerb, you've not got a driveway. They shouldn't be on double yellows, but if they're parked in front of your car, tough basically. Don't put a note on. Tbh, you could get fined by the council for repeatedly crossing the pavement and kerb I'm sure I've read.

Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 13:51

I get that it's a space - I'm just a bit Hmm why someone would park there when there's other spaces available.

Because of the area we live in a lot of streets are like this. I just wouldn't block someone in regardless....

OP posts:
Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 13:52

Bubble, the parking wardens are on our street every day. Having lived here for 10 years, no one has ever received a parking ticket for crossing the path, or parking on it for that matter.

OP posts:
BubbleBed · 18/02/2017 13:53

A parking ticket from an inspector is different from an intervention from the council. If the kerb or pavement gets damaged, they are entitled to recoup costs from you.

BaconMaker · 18/02/2017 13:53

YANBU. They shouldn't be parking there anyway on a double yellow and more too if they can see they're blocking in a legally parked car.

Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 13:54

I didn't know that, thanks.

OP posts:
BubbleBed · 18/02/2017 13:54

But any which way, you have no rights to park there. And no right to put a note on a stranger's car. Let them get a ticket for the double yellows, but you can't moan at them for parking and blocking your car when your car shouldn't be there either.

Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 13:56

That's what I think Bacon regardless of whether there's a dropped kerb or not. I just don't get the mentality.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 13:56

@Bubble but why not just park in an available space to avoid getting a ticket???

OP posts:
BubbleBed · 18/02/2017 13:59

Did you watch them pull up? Were there spaces when they parked? Maybe they don't care about double yellows, as much as you don't care about having a drop kerb?

Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 14:03

@Bubble, there have been spaces all day.

It's not that I don't care that I don't have a dropped kerb. I've effectively taken a car of a heavily subscribed road, freeing up a space for someone else. That's the way I feel about it.

OP posts:
GardenGeek · 18/02/2017 14:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BubbleBed · 18/02/2017 14:08

But you can't put a note on his car. He isn't doing anything wrong by parking there (other than the yellow lines which he will get a fine for if the inspectors are there every day as you say) your AIBU was about putting on a note. Of course you can't. He's not blocking a driveway. Two wrongs don't make a right granted, but you can't be pissed at him for parking illegally, when you're not on a legal driveway. You'll just have to grin and bear it tbh.

And I'd suggest getting a whole street together to appeal the council street wide, with a local councillor, if you can. Because if it is a problem along the street you may be able to appeal. Though if you have double yellows outside it may be that you're too near a junction or lights to safely have a dropped kerb?

I would also wonder about your insurance. Are you insured if you hit someone whilst coming in or off your garden? What if someone hits you, and damages your house? Are you insured then, if it's not a legally made dropped kerb and driveway?

You need to get a proper kerb put in, which if historically the council fight, but you all want, you need to find a solution to. But you can't blame a guy for parking on the road and you not being able to move your car - it's not illegal to block a car where there is no drop kerb surely?

Ciderandskatesdontmix · 18/02/2017 14:19

YABU...If somebody doesn't care about parking on a double yellow line and potentially getting a parking ticket then they aren't going to give a shit about either blocking you in or a snotty note on their windscreen.

DriftingDreamer · 18/02/2017 14:22

Can you dob him in re the double yellow so someone comes round and sticks a ticket there?
Tempting....

NavyandWhite · 18/02/2017 14:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

viques · 18/02/2017 14:36

do you have direct access to your tarmacked front garden from the road, sounds to me as though you have to drive over a pavement, thus inconveniencing pedestrians and putting additional strain on the kerbs and pavement in front of your house .
Pot and kettle to call out someone who is using the road for the purpose for which it was designed when you are abusing the pavement and kerb.

Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 14:38

@Bubble, I'm concerned that if I try to fight the council, those with unauthorised drop kerbs may get in to trouble and I don't want.

Also the council get so much money from parking ticket fines on our and other surrounding streets that I don't think they'd want to help.

Most people have left for work between half 7 and 8 and we get the warden up here pretty much every day trying to catch out residents before they leave that have parked on a double yellow overnight.

A couple of years ago they actually put more double yellows in and when I queried it as I hadn't received a note about it, whilst stating that it reduced parking on a road that needs it, I was told to park on adjacent street. I'd do that but then I'm taking away some other poor buggers space who's road has the same issues as are.

I don't know what the answer is other than to move.

OP posts:
Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 14:40

@viques - my point was that there were other spaces available. I accept that I can't do anything about being blocked in but why do it when you can park outside the house 2 doors down legally?

OP posts:
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 18/02/2017 14:44

Oh for heaven's sake. Of course YANBU. There are double yellow lines outside OP's house so nobody should be parking there! It really is as simple as that.

Surely the extra wear and tear on the car from bumping up and down the kerb every day is OP's problem alone?

In any case, the fact that OP's car is parked on her property when it technically shouldn't be, is really not the issue. The issue is that double yellow lines are not for parking on (except in selected circumstances I know). If it was acceptable to park on the road outside OP's house then she probably wouldn't have gone to the expense of tarmacking her garden in the first place!

Given that there are other, legal, spaces available it sounds like a case of a bloody minded driver thinking they'll teach you a lesson TBH.

Original poster
Shnorbitz · 18/02/2017 14:50

@Santas, thank you, you've summed it up perfectly.

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 18/02/2017 14:55

I'd be fighting the council in your case OP, sod everyone else.
If they didn't get the correct permission that's not your fault.
We just had one done on one of our properties it's cost nearly £500 and it was hardly raised in the first place, but we want to sell it.
Lots in the street haven't had theirs dropped and have kerbs, council came round and looked at them when we were having ours done.
Not my problem.
YANBU and should be able to move off your drive.

GladAllOver · 18/02/2017 14:56

If you are given permission for a dropped kerb, that includes permission to cross the footpath to get to your garden. Otherwise it is actually illegal to drive on a footpath, even just across it.

Obviously the council are looking the other way at the moment because it's easing the parking situation, but if there was ever an accident on the footpath you may be sure that they would have to enforce the law.

I know one road where the council put bollards along the kerb - one in front of every garden - because people were driving across the grass verge and chewing it up.

Sweets101 · 18/02/2017 15:07

As your car is on the drive, this car is preventing you from accessing the highway. I'm not sure whether the lack of a dropped kerb has an impact on that?
He shouldn't be there either way.

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