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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? Neighthours and dropped kerb

377 replies

Mummysboy2014 · 08/03/2017 13:09

Right so we own a bourse with a dropped kerb directly outside our house. Next door do not have a dropped kerb they have a big tree at the end of their driveway assuming they can't get permission for a dropped kerb. Anyway so we have 2 cars next door has one. They use our dropped kerb to access their driveway as they wouldn't be able to access it otherwise. Last night my partners car was parked on our drive, I parked on our dropped kerb and was taking the shopping in. Next door pulled up behind me beeping their horn. I continued to get the things out the car took them to my front door, he beeped the horn again and I shouted wait. I then got the baby aged 5 months out the car and came To the front door to which my partner had now opened the door to see what was going on. I walked back to my car and got my toddler as he didn't want to get out the car. Next door beeped the horn again. Aibu in thinking his an arse and you know what he should be grateful as, Correct me if I'm wrong I'm allowed to park on my dropped kerb. And if it weren't for us he wouldn't be to access his drive without using our dropped kerb.

OP posts:
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6
stephenisjustcoming · 08/03/2017 19:41

Yes, watch out, allchattedout, the world of MN parking threads is in dire need of a caped crusader type justice bringer...

OopsDearyMe · 08/03/2017 19:58

You should not be on the dropped curb in any case , they are not their for your access! They are for wheelchairs and mobility restricted people to get down the curb and cross the road !!!!

EggysMom · 08/03/2017 20:03

Has anybody suggested calling the council and talking to their Roads/Highways department about the dropped kerb and which houses can use it to access? They would survey before deciding and installing, so they might have some documents showing intended use.

Our house was advertised as having a driveway. It didn't have a dropped kerb, the vendors used a neighbour's drop and drove at an angle into the "drive". Our solicitor took great delight in pointing out that it was actually a paved front garden, it couldn't be a drive without having a dropped kerb, and negotiated a small price reduction as a result!

OopsDearyMe · 08/03/2017 20:10

Neither are driveways so neither of you have a case, both are gardens that have been concreted. The path will be both of yours and should not be used by either party to park. on. You are in the wrong and so is he as he has no right of way and neither have you. You also blocked a drop curb which is my pet hate !!

AhNowTed · 08/03/2017 20:31

Oh for heavens sake. It's obvious from the first pics

The OP has a dropped kerb and drive

The neighbour has a drive but there's a tree blocking their access to their drive.

So they are using the OPs dropped kerb, then manoeuvring onto their drive via the OPs access

So the OP is doing them a huge favour by allowing them to use her land to get to their own

And then they have the brass neck to hurry her off her own drive so they can get in, continuously beeping her.

The effing cheek.

That would be the end of me accommodating them

MichaelJacksonsGlove · 08/03/2017 20:32

Who can't wait 2 minutes for someone unloading shopping and children FFS? Neighbour was a knob.

allchattedout · 08/03/2017 20:35

Yes, watch out, allchattedout, the world of MN parking threads is in dire need of a caped crusader type justice bringer

Oh God. I usually give up after a few pages, but some are pretty amusing.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 08/03/2017 20:55

So they are using the OPs dropped kerb

It's not the OPs dropped kerb.

AhNowTed · 08/03/2017 21:01

Whatever, they are using the OPs drive to get around the tree blocking their own drive. The outcome is the same

BusyBeez99 · 08/03/2017 21:03

You can block a drive using a dropped kerb provided you aren't stopping someone from getting out their drive.

BusyBeez99 · 08/03/2017 21:07

If they or their predecessors in title have been crossing that land without permission and without being challenged for 20 years or more then they've developed the right to do it

(I run a Boundary expert company)

QueenInsomnia · 08/03/2017 21:15

I don't think YABU OP.. because the point of this post was not about ownership of the drop curb.
I think that your neighbours were too tight to put their hands in their pockets and pay for a drop curb outside their property, like the previous owner stated. So this proves it is NOT a shared driveway. Therefore they have been trespassing into their neighbours property to gain access to their property.
Well done for not loosing it when he beeped several times, I'm sure he could have parked up behind and waited for those few minutes. Not the best attitude to have with your next door neighbour!
Obviously not much can be done though, unless you want to go down the legal route.

viques · 08/03/2017 21:21

I am sorry, but those photos don't do it for me. I need a proper diagram, with a key, colour coding ,illustrated passing dogs and council officials with clipboards.

Funnyonion17 · 08/03/2017 21:47

This is bloody rediculous that so many have advised this isn't the ops dropped curb. It's outside of her house and yes it is a driveway. Christ you can have a pebbled drive or even mud if you want!

I can't access my garden unless I drive over another neighbours drive as I live on a square with bollards. I wouldn't dream of driving over as it's not my space. The neighbour wants a drive they should pay for one!

WellyMummy · 08/03/2017 21:51

mummysboy2014, I understand why you were irritated, I would have been as well!

(I'm interested to know if he can still access his front patio, it's not a driveway due to the tree blocking access, if you park at the bottom end of your drive?) I'd be tempted to park further back from the house, just for an evening or two to make his life tricky!

The pragmatic approach would be to chalk it up to experience and take the moral high ground of not retaliating.

Slarti · 08/03/2017 21:52

it's not clear that the neighbour drives across the OP's land

I think it's pretty clear that he doesn't - the OP has had 12 pages to say so and hasn't so I think we can safely assume that the "allowing access" was the OP mistakenly thinking she owned the pavement and was therefore some benevolent gatekeeper kindly allowing the neighbour access to his property at her discretion.

The neighbour probably saw it for what it was, OP blocking the pavement. His beeping probably seemed quite reasonable to him but to the OP, who thought she owned the kerb, it appeared ungrateful for all the times she'd allowed him access out of the goodness of her heart, so she made him wait because she's more important than him and exacerbated the situation.

jcsp · 08/03/2017 21:55

option 1 They could bump it up the kerb.

option 2 You/they could make a dropped kerb. equipment needed.. cold chisel, hammer, goggles.

CP

Funnyonion17 · 08/03/2017 21:56

The neighbour would have to drive over the base of the tree and roots if not. If op built a wall I doubt the neighbour could do so with ease. It's not a joint dropped curb, if it was it would be wider and both sides of pavement resurfaced

allchattedout · 08/03/2017 22:02

This is bloody rediculous that so many have advised this isn't the ops dropped curb. It's outside of her house and yes it is a driveway. Christ you can have a pebbled drive or even mud if you want!

'Rediculous' indeed. Except, you actually don't own the pavement. It is public land. So, no it is not ridiculous' to say that she does not own it (from what I can gather from the photos at least).

I'd be tempted to park further back from the house, just for an evening or two to make his life tricky!

You sound lovely. Well, she won't be allowed to park on the pavement, so that's a no-go, and if she parks so far down on her drive that it blocks his access, that might well infringe a legal right he has acquired.

Aaaaand now I will remove myself from this thread.

Bluntness100 · 08/03/2017 22:07

So they are using the OPs dropped kerb, then manoeuvring onto their drive via the OPs access

AllDaBoats · 08/03/2017 22:22

Can he access his own drive when you are parked on your drive? It looks like he should be able to use the dropped curb to access his drive. I don't understand why you were parked on the dropped part. Why weren't you parked on your drive?

Smurfpoo · 08/03/2017 23:05

allchattedout
What on earth are you on about? what im on about is that you can't just slap some paving slabs down and call it a drive.
You have to have permission to cross the pavement, where I used to live the council put bollards in over block paved drive ways. If your car was there tough, it didn't have permission.
Generally permission is granted when the dropped kerb is placed.

Ferrisday · 08/03/2017 23:14

They could just get rid of their grassy bit and bump up their own kerb to get on their drive.sorted!

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 08/03/2017 23:16

OP, could you screenshot an aerial view form Google maps?

gingertigercat · 08/03/2017 23:20

Thank god someone has finally mentioned easements! I think it's very likely that the neighbour is entitled to access their drive via the dropped kerb.

Parking over a dropped kerb is a no no.

I don't think they were being particularly harsh in beeping. Worse things have happened.

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