Using NDNs dropped curb

[Cleo2628]

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?

Is it worth knocking and speaking to him about it now?

You need to get your own. Best bet would be to apply to the council for a dropped kerb. In the waiting process either park on the street or speak very nicely to your neighbours (nice bottle of wine in hand), explaining you have applied for your own and would they mind you using theirs until it’s put in. Explain previous owner stated it was ok to use and apologise for previously using it without asking them.

I reckon the previous neighbour's note was a crafty bit of score settling.
So were you the troublesome buyer or was he the PITA neighbour?

You haven't actually said you are going to stop using it!

Also, if the neighbour parking at the end of his drive makes it difficult to get on to the front of your house, you're using their drive too.

Really, just stop using the drop down and park on the road until you can save up to get your own done.

You weren't to know Cleo. If you go in with a conciliatory approach he may be happy to let you use it. It would be the neighbourly thing to do. Maybe you can agree to chip in if it needs maintaining.

I need to pluck up the courage to go and talk to him, yes. I’ll do it tomorrow! We really can’t afford the kerb any time soon (have a 7mo and not in a great situation financially) so will use the road for now.

OK why do you not have a dropped kerb?

Every drive should have one!

Not on his driveway, but on his curb that he’s paid for, when you don’t want to pay for your own.
Would this not annoy you if the roles were reversed?
If you want a curb you’ll have to pay for one.
Go round to your neighbour and aplolgise, you don’t want to fall out over this!
Maybe he’ll let you use it in the mean time, but if not atleast you won’t be starting an argument with your neighbour, as it’s not worth it!

I’m not sure why we don’t have one, the guy from the council looked on google maps and said he wasn’t sure why either. There is a lamp post right outside our house which is the only thing I could think of?

cant you just make a wee ramp?

How do you know NDN paid for dropped kerb you all seem to think he did but it could have been there when he bought the house

Where the lighter patch is is where the dropped kerb is (if that makes sense)

Do you accept now that it's not just a grumpy neighbour but that you're also potentially doing damage to the footpath/cables etc and that's why you can't do what you're doing?

Looking at that picture I would say yanbu.

I had no idea that I could be damaging cables under the ground etc! Honestly didn’t even cross my mind (maybe stupidly of me)

Regardless of cables etc, it’s not YOUR dropped kerb and you have no right to use it. You seem to be ignoring this fact.

You won't be able to have a dropped kerb if there are obstructions like trees, lamp posts, drain issues, some others I forget.
It should tell you on your council website.

If you are going at an angle to avoid the kerb to get onto your drive, you could be breaking the law.

I can see how you might have thought the kerb was public property and therefore it would be OK to use it. Unfortunately, even though your NDN doesn’t OWN the kerb they did pay to create a ramp for their own off street parking so you are taking liberties using it without asking.

I would go round with a bottle of wine/cake/[insert grovelling gift of choice here], explain about the previous owner’s note, assure them you won’t be using their dropped kerb in future and apologise for the misunderstanding. Much better to be on good terms with your NDN.

Save up for your own dropped kerb, it will add value to your property.

it’s not YOUR dropped kerb and you have no right to use it

Wrong.

Wrong.

[citation needed]

Do you want people to stop on this thread and go to the other one?

Sadly on both threads, YABU to keep using his dropped kerb when it is blatant that he doesn't want you to

Wrong because the kerb is owned by the council and as long as the OP doesnt drive along the pavement and doesnt block the neighbours access then it is perfectly legal for her to use it. I know because my parents had neighbour issues and this was what they were told by the council (ma and pa actually paid for the drop but the neighbour decided it was his). They may have paid for it but they dont own it.

Similar to a neighbour of mine who thinks he owns the blue badge space outside his house. He simply will not accept that, despite him applying for it, it isnt his property and anyone with a blue badge can use it.

I'm gobsmacked that you used your ndn's dropped kerb without having had the common decency to actually ask if he was agreeable. YABU and a CF.

@pyongyandKipperbang this is what I thought to! Which is why I was using it. Not being I was being cheeky or rude I thought this was just how it it was.