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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
Nodowntime · 09/03/2017 14:57

She said a 100 times she had nowhere to pull into the driveway at the time. She only could have stopped further up the road, which would have made unloading with small children impossible.

Annesmyth123 · 09/03/2017 14:59

Not impossible. Difficult but not impossible. People do manage to live in houses and flats without front drives and park on the street. And gave babies and small children.

Dreamingdreams · 09/03/2017 15:21

I'd reinstate the wall/fence as it looks like there used to be one there on the Rhs of the blue car at the edge of the pathway, probably where your boundary is. The problem is, the longer you allow him access, the more likely he could claim his right to use it even if you later change your mind.

Nodowntime · 09/03/2017 15:25

At the time of pulling up she wasn't blocking anyone from accessing their front garden, it happened during unloading, any sane person would have just waited, quietly grateful they can use the dropped kerb their neighbour paid for to access their property. I suppose before the kerb was dropped the owner of the house could at least park in front of her house in peace and unload like all of us without driveways, without causing the neighbours irritation that he cannot use her facility.

Hillarious · 09/03/2017 15:29

Yes, the OP should go ahead and build a wall . . . a beautiful wall. She'll then not be able to open the passenger door on the drive and will have to park on the dropped kerb for passengers to get out.

Perhaps she's was practising in anticipation of this when everything kicked off.

Nodowntime · 09/03/2017 15:33

Even better, the OP should plant flowers out the front, un- drop the kerb and then start parking in front of the house like in the old times :) (assuming no parking restrictions on the street)

Justwantcookies · 09/03/2017 15:42

She said a 100 times she had nowhere to pull into the driveway at the time. She only could have stopped further up the road, which would have made unloading with small children impossible.

No she hasn't Confused

Plus if her DH was woken up by the hooting which she actually did write who would be watching the toddler and baby whilst she drives off to park the car?

Nodowntime · 09/03/2017 16:01

Maybe she was planning to wake him up? Maybe baby and toddler would be put in playpens for a minute, who knows?
She explained that her FIL left his car there parked in a way which made it impossible for her to park, which could only mean she was unable to go on the drive, she didn't word it as i would have had to stop further up the road but it was obvious from the situation.
All of it is not the point, the neighbour is a wanker even if he has a right to use access facilitated by their expense.

Hillarious · 09/03/2017 16:14

Six of one and half a dozen of the other. He perhaps beeped more than he should have. OP appears to have taken her time in unloading whilst avoiding pleasantries, like "won't be a minute". I wouldn't count "Wait!" as a pleasantry. OP justifies this stance by asserting the dropped kerb is for her use only. So she's now building a wall.

Procrastinator1 · 09/03/2017 16:39

She's building a wall? I don't think the OP has come back, so we don't know whether the neighbour is crossing her land to park, or, if he is, whether he may have acquired any rights to do so, or if he is entitled to cross the pavement to get into his drive. OP does seem to have attracted a lot of negative comments, not entirely sure why.

665TheNeighbourOfTheBeast · 09/03/2017 16:41

just to be annoying

the ops car is three paving flags wide
the next door neighbours path is two flags wide
plus
the tree is at least one flag further along than that
so unless next doors car is wider than the ops
the neighbor can get straight into their drive without going sideways at all

but perhaps not when shes faffing about and her open doors hang over their driveway.............hence the beeping

do I win the thread ?

Hissy · 09/03/2017 16:53

Looks to me that both the drives were claimed from gardens or paths and originally neither would have had driveways.

Your house's previous owner has installed and paid for a dropped kerb and therefore has the permission

The crappy neighbour has neither dropped kerb, permission or manners.

For that stunt alone, the beeping etc I would park awkwardly all the time now and deny the little prick access to my drive to get to his.

665TheNeighbourOfTheBeast · 09/03/2017 17:40

Actually I think I can proove the point
You can see the same car width marked across both driveways here
and the extended line of the paving slabs bypasses the tree

AIBU? Neighthours and dropped kerb
AIBU? Neighthours and dropped kerb
kierenthecommunity · 09/03/2017 17:44

He was a rude bastard for continual beeping

But you were also a rude bastard for hogging the pavement. Would have taken less than a minute to jump back in the car while the kids were still in it, reverse onto the street, let him in, then continue what you were doing

Freyanna · 09/03/2017 19:00

Bluntness 100 The suggestion to put up a fence is if the neighbour drives over part of her drive to access his drive. OP has not confirmed if this happens. If the neighbour doesn't drive over her drive a fence will not be required, it is just a suggestion.

thatdearoctopus · 09/03/2017 19:47

Not sure if anyone has pointed this out already, but neither of these are original "official" driveways. I presume the houses were built with just front gardens, and that you (or previous owners) have just paved over part of the front gardens to allow parking. Whereas you (or your predecessors) have applied for, and been granted, a dropped kerb for access, your neighbours are unable to do so because of an established mature tree growing on the verge.

Would building a boundary wall make it very difficult, or impossible, for him to negotiate the tree and get on/off his drive? in which case do it and serve him right for being so bloody rude beeling at you.

Bahhhhhumbug · 10/03/2017 04:36

But aren't you only allowed to drive over a pavement if there's a dropped kerb directly in front of it iyswim. So he's going at an angle over the pavement to the left of the dropped kerb isn't he? So he's driving on the pavement where there's no dropped kerb basically albeit for a very short distance?

abbsisspartacus · 10/03/2017 07:02

This type of thing happened in my ex's family they wanted a drive but couldn't due to a tree they were given the right to use the neighbours dropped kerb and paid for the right to cross the pavement in their car

londonrach · 10/03/2017 07:10

Agree...most normal people would apologise jump in the car, move it a few feet and everyone continue with their day. Still think that blue car is parking on the boundary!

Yokohamajojo · 10/03/2017 09:02

Most normal people in the middle of taking kids and shopping out would not jump back in the car, what if she had already unbuckled child etc, it would then probably be faster unloading then buckle back in and drive off. I just can not see how the neighbour was not rude by beeping when he must have been fully aware that she wouldn't be doing that all day!

llangennith · 10/03/2017 09:13

Get a boundary walk built as soon as you can! Doesn't have to be very high, just high enough so your NDN cannot drive across your front garden.

Sirzy · 10/03/2017 09:15

Most normal people wouldn't deliberately block access to someone else's property.

665TheNeighbourOfTheBeast · 10/03/2017 09:40

If she built a wall, she wouldn't be able to open her car door .

MerryMarigold · 10/03/2017 10:18

Can we just all agree:

  • OP wasn't being U to get shopping and kids out for the few minutes that takes? Neighbour could have waited or parked on the road.
  • OP would be U to build a boundary wall.
BattleaxeGalactica · 10/03/2017 11:04

Bahhhhhumbug - that is a very good point. When a dropped kerb is installed the pavement above may need to be strengthened to protect it and/or service pipes underneath. Driving over pavement is illegal unless there's proper authorised access. The neighbour is in the wrong on both counts and presumably could therefore be leaving himself open to prosecution.