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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:
WhatchaMaCalllit · 29/05/2018 08:50

Based on the most recent picture you've posted @Cleo2628, it does appear that where your NDN has parked their car, the space that is now occupied by the rear half of the car (so boot and back seat area) is on their driveway. If you were using that area to manouver to the dropped kerb you were using their driveway, whether you thought you were or not. I don't know why there is a pillar about a metre in from the pavement but your neighbour putting their wheelie bin up to the edge isn't being passive aggressive, it's them letting you know where your driveway begins and ends and where theirs does too.

Save up. Get a dropped kerb installed and do you know what? You'll actually be saving yourself a whole heap of heartache when people can't park across it!

lunar1 · 29/05/2018 08:56

But what difference does it make, either way the op cant use the dropped kerb. As soon as she stops the neighbor will probably park normally again.

He's probably terrified he'd going to get lumbered with the bill for repairs on the border of the work he had done.

Pengggwn · 29/05/2018 08:59

lunar1

The difference is that he is mistaken about the fact that she is infringing on any actual right he has. She isn't. He is just moaning about her driving on the pavement, which he is entitled to do, but she doesn't have to pay any mind to it.

crispysausagerolls · 29/05/2018 09:00

OP just call the council in order to fully understand the situation, and then go and speak to your NDN.

GruffaIo · 29/05/2018 09:07

You are like the CF neighbours (several houses worth!) who use our driveway as a passing point because they can't be bothered / aren't capable of reversing up the private road they live on, which runs down the side of our property. (Apparently the previous owners let them all do this, though we were never told.) Why should you be entitled to help yourself to someone else's property to fix your problem?

We're putting gates in to stop it - our neighours even park up, get out and have conversations with others passing, never acknowledge us though they're staring right into our kitchen as they do this, and complain about the dogs barking, even though it's them pulling into our drive that sets off the dogs. Argh.

CornishMaid1 · 29/05/2018 09:12

Unless the deeds show you do have a right of way over the end of the driveway (you haven't mentioned it and it would be key so I am assuming not), then you cannot drive over their paving.

I would not be surprised to see the neighbour put up an obstruction/boundary all the way along the border between your two properties to stop you driving across part of their paved driveway.

liz70 · 29/05/2018 09:17

You can get these, but I don't know if they're strictly legal to use? Confused

starttraffic.uk/kerb-wedge-kerb-ramp

Pengggwn · 29/05/2018 09:18

Why should you be entitled to help yourself to someone else's property to fix your problem?

If she was using his driveway she would be out of order. She isn't.

Pengggwn · 29/05/2018 09:19

then you cannot drive over their paving.

It isn't their paving.

Momo27 · 29/05/2018 09:19

The OP admitted that when the NDN parks far back on their own drive way, if makes it really hard to get onto her own. You can also see that clearly from the photo. So I suspect that when the NDN’s car isn’t there, the OP is actually driving across the back corner of her NDNs drive. Even if she manages to avoid it, she’s obviously driving on the pavement.

OP is a cheeky fucker. Pavements are not designed to be driven on, so she’ll be causing damage. I don’t blame the NDN for being pissed off.

Pay for a dropped kerb to access your own property if it matters so much to you

AddictedtoSnickers · 29/05/2018 09:21

Forget the dropped kerb and pavement issue for a minute. The reason why you are pissed off about NDN 'passive agressive' parking at the bottom of his drive / leaving bins at the bottom is because you driving over the corner of his drive to get on to your side. Many people wouldn't give a shit about it but HE CLEARY DOES so just get your side dropped so you can access it without your wheels going over his property.

GladAllOver · 29/05/2018 09:23

You can get these, but I don't know if they're strictly legal to use?

You are not allowed to drive across a pavement unless the council have permitted a proper dropped kerb. There are a number of conditions that the council will consider before approving one.

liz70 · 29/05/2018 09:25

Ah, thanks. I just wondered why they were available at all if you couldn't use them, otherwise what's the point! Grin

Aragog · 29/05/2018 09:26

I don't think she is driving on his drive. The reason why she can't get by when his car is so far back is that the rear of his car protrudes out over the pavement.

JennyOnAPlate · 29/05/2018 09:30

From the neighbours point of view, he's paid £1k for something that you're now getting for free. You must be able to see why he isn't happy about that??

GladAllOver · 29/05/2018 09:30

Ah, thanks. I just wondered why they were available at all if you couldn't use them, otherwise what's the point
Some people don't worry about following the law, and some councils don't have the staff to check on things like this.
Of course if a neighbour complains...

Snowysky20009 · 29/05/2018 09:43

From an engineering point of view the pavement without the dropped kerb, will not have had utility cables etc moved/reinforced as appropriate.
If you can't afford the 1k to pay for a dropped kerb, how will you afford the possible several K of damages you could end up having to pain out?

Snowysky20009 · 29/05/2018 09:44

Pay out* not pain out!

Pengggwn · 29/05/2018 10:02

From the neighbours point of view, he's paid £1k for something that you're now getting for free. You must be able to see why he isn't happy about that?

But that isn't her problem, is it? He didn't buy the pavement, he didn't buy exclusive rights over the pavement. He simply paid for something he needed.

GruffaIo · 29/05/2018 10:08

@Penggwyn - I completely agree in respect of the dropped kerb and pavement, but as I understand it the OP has to drive over the corner of the NDN's driveway to access their own. That last step is using the NDN's property to fix their problem.

lunar1 · 29/05/2018 10:09

@Pengggwn are you the op or do you do the same thing? All the technicalities in the world don't matter. Who owns what doesn't matter.

Legally the op is not allowed to do what she is doing and needs to stop.

Momo27 · 29/05/2018 10:11

If the OP doesn’t actually drive over any of the NDN driveway then why is she pissed that he parks towards the back and puts his bin there? Looking at the photo it’s very hard to believe she manages to use the dropped kerb, thereby not having to drive up any part of the raised kerb, without encroaching on NDN drive.

Anyway the point is she’s being a cheeky fucker driving on the pavement. As council tax payers all her neighbours have a right to be peed off with her. Repairs cost.

SitandStay · 29/05/2018 10:14

It would not occur to me to get upset about this. You are literally just going diagonally from the dropped kerb onto your drive. How can that possibly upset anyone??

Some very small minded people around. Yes it might be 'technically' wrong but come on. I would seriously hate to be of the frame of mind and personality that I would want to begrudge a neighbour a small convenience at no real cost to me 'because I am in the right'.

Pengggwn · 29/05/2018 10:16

lunar1

Of course I am not the OP. Not original, that comment.

The dropped kerb does not belong to the NDN. That is clear. If she uses it to access the pavement outside her house, she may be doing something illegal. If he wants to report her for that, he should do so, assuming he isn't committing any offence himself by parking on the road over a dropped kerb.

Pengggwn · 29/05/2018 10:17

GruffaIo

And I absolutely agree that if she drives onto his property, he can complain about her being on his property.