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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Using NDNs dropped curb

291 replies

Cleo2628 · 28/05/2018 22:38

Our NDN have a dropped curb but we do not. We’ve enquire but it will be near £1000 which we can’t afford. We moved here last June, and in some notes about the house the previous owner said that she used to neighbors dropped curb to get onto our drive, so we have done the same. Our neighbour had started doing very passive aggresics things eg. blocking my car in with his wheelie bin, parking very far back so we can barely get onto our drive, standing in his porch and watching us reverse off the drive etc. We don’t go onto his drive at all whilst using the dropped curb. I don’t want to annoy anyone but we just use the dropped curb, over the pavement and straight onto our drive. AIBU?

OP posts:
Hygge · 28/05/2018 23:37

He was probably just as annoyed with the previous owner. She had no right to leave notes telling you to drive across his dropped kerb.

Out of interest, did you buy the house from her? Was it marketed and sold with off road parking?

Because without a dropped kerb, I don't think that's true. If you don't have a dropped kerb then you don't have a driveway or off road parking, just a paved front garden you can't park on.

And someone should have noticed that as it matters to the value of the house and your mortgage company might be very unhappy if they've lent you the value based on off road parking that you can't use.

The estate agent, the surveyor, your solicitor, someone should have questioned this at the time you bought it.

Yambabe · 28/05/2018 23:38

You don't have a drive OP you have a paved garden.

If it bothers NDN so much you could just bump up the undropped kerb to access it.......

SoupDragon · 28/05/2018 23:38

There’s no way you can access your drive from his dropped kerb without driving across his drive or the pavement in front of your paved front garden.

Original poster
Cleo2628 · 28/05/2018 23:38

No I don’t drive over their drive at all - just diagonally across the pavement from the dropped kerb

OP posts:
CluedoAddict · 28/05/2018 23:40

Driving over the pavement of an undropped kerb is an offence.

LivingMyBestLife · 28/05/2018 23:40

So you are using the neighbour's driveway or driving diagonally across the pavement to access that area in front of your house. Either (well both, actually) of these methods would be unreasonable.

Original poster
Cleo2628 · 28/05/2018 23:41

I don’t feel entitled at all! I’m a young (clearly inexperienced) new driver who really doesn’t want to annoy anyone. I was just following what the note from the previous owner said!

OP posts:
StealthNinjaMum · 28/05/2018 23:43

I think it's a pretty good diagram op, I wouldn't know how to do one with my phone. Thanks.

MissGiddyPants · 28/05/2018 23:43

How many times?

You can't drive across a pavement.

Hygge · 28/05/2018 23:43

From your diagram, I don't see how you can get from that dropped kerb to your drive without driving down the pavementa bit or onto his drive or both, but you've said you don't do either.

LavenderDoll · 28/05/2018 23:44

He doesn't want you doing it
Stop doing it
Pay for your own
He couldn't give a fig if you are a new or inexperienced driver he wants you to stay off his dropped curb

LivingMyBestLife · 28/05/2018 23:44

But you knew that you needed a dropped kerb because you spoke to the council about it, OP. So the inexperienced new driver isn't really working as an excuse here.

CluedoAddict · 28/05/2018 23:46

When you studied the highway code you must have read about not driving on the footpath.

crispysausagerolls · 28/05/2018 23:47

Why the hell would you just follow what the previous owner said without having the manners to ask the neighbour? You are a different person who needs to make a different arrangement. So fucking rude.

SevenStones · 28/05/2018 23:48

It must be a very wide pavement if you're not encroaching on your neighbour's drive.

I would find this really cheeky.

I wonder if the person who left you the note was deliberately stirring and had a good chuckle over thinking what might happen...

Hygge · 28/05/2018 23:49

Cross posted.

So you are actually driving diagonally down the pavement a bit from his dropped kerb to your paved garden.

You can't do that.

And no matter what the previous owner or the council have said about the dropped kerb, you can't use it.

It's not yours, you didn't pay for it. He doesn't want you using it. He hasn't said you can use it. I doubt the council said that you could use it when you spoke to them about it.

You need to stop using it.

DuchyDuke · 28/05/2018 23:50

If you don’t have a dropped curb outside of your house then you don’t have a drive. Just pay for it, use your overdraft or put it on a credit card.

NotARegularPenguin · 28/05/2018 23:50

My gran never had a dropped kerb and used two thick, short planks of wood. Arrival at her house always consisted of stopping on the road, someone running to get the planks from the side of the house, putting them in place and then picking up once car was on drive. Pita but cheaper than 1k.

RavenLG · 28/05/2018 23:50

I’m a young (clearly inexperienced) new driver who really doesn’t want to annoy anyone.

You just sound young and inexperienced full stop tbh OP. If you didn't want to annoy anyone whyyyy would you not check with NDN first? I'd go round and apologise, explain the notes and let him know you won't use it again. If he allows you to use it then do but even so you shouldn't be driving across the footpath. I'd save to get a drop kerb installed tbh.

HeyOverHereYo · 28/05/2018 23:51

What is CF in this context? I keep thinking "child free" or "cystic fibrosis," and I know those aren't right!

CURB is a verb which means to curtail or nip in the bud.

Unless you're in the States or Canada, then it's curb, which can be fun, as in, "Kurt, you need to curb your curb appeal."

CluedoAddict · 28/05/2018 23:52

Those saying drive over the pavement with planks. A school mum friend was fined by the council for doing this. She had caused damage to electrical cables by driving her 4x4 over her pavement continually. The pavement needs to be reinforced.

LadyLance · 28/05/2018 23:52

CF is cheeky fucker.

Hygge · 28/05/2018 23:52

CF is a cheeky fucker @HeyOverHereYo.

Original poster
Cleo2628 · 28/05/2018 23:58

Okay well I will go & apologise and save up. I feel guilty as I didn’t realise this would annoy him as we weren’t going on his property/driveway.

OP posts:
User12879923378 · 29/05/2018 00:00

Did you not go and introduce yourself to the neighbour and ask?