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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour Dispute

149 replies

QualCheckBot · 14/08/2019 19:03

Not really a dispute, its all relatively civilised...

We are 3 households sharing a driveway. The driveway urgently needs repairs in order to keep it usable. The title deeds have it as being 50% responsible for upkeep for Household A and 25% each for households B (mine) and C.

However, A proposes that we pay a third each and DH and I are agreeable to that. C however lives alone and wants to pay only 1/5 of the total because there is only one of her and each other household has 2 people. She also says that as she doesn't have a car, she isn't contributing to the wear and tear. The driveway is the only way in and out of all the properties.

I am against this because I think it sets a dangerous precedent of her paying less than her share for future maintenance.

Furthermore, to avoid drip feed, C quite often has her parents staying with her so there are often 3 people there, and her parents have a car.

Neighbour A is wishy-washy and seems likely to let her away with it unless we put a stop to it. In fact, A's wife seemed to side with C because she doesn't like me for reasons unspecified but probably to do with the fact that I work and she doesn't, so I don't tend to fall for nonsense.

Is neighbour C being unreasonable?

OP posts:
Cherrysoup · 14/08/2019 19:05

Don't think you should set a precedent of paying more than you should either. Why? It only makes her think she can get away with not paying what is in the deeds. All of you should pay the right amount.

pepperpot99 · 14/08/2019 19:06

Yes she is. This needs nipping in the bud immediately! C is a massive CF- in waiting.

MissConductUS · 14/08/2019 19:07

C is bound by the terms on her deed, not what seems fair to her, which is completely subjective.

Have a solicitor send her a letter to that effect.

StayDetermined · 14/08/2019 19:07

State you’ll pay your 25% as in the deeds and leave the other two to argue it out between them.

Jeezoh · 14/08/2019 19:07

I’d stick to the original 50/25/25 split, anything else I’d asking for future problems

IAskTooManyQuestions · 14/08/2019 19:11

How much money are you actually talking about?

Option 1 of 50%, 25% and 25% as opposed to 40%, 40% and 20% - the 5% difference for C ill be a marginal gain, but 10% for A will be slightly more significant however B is going to be paying 15% over the legal odds.

Nip it in the bud.

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 14/08/2019 19:11

I’d stick to 50/25/25 and not set a different precedent.

CaptainHammer · 14/08/2019 19:13

I agree with the others. Go by the deeds.

FireBloodAndIce · 14/08/2019 19:13

Stick to the written agreement.

Original poster
QualCheckBot · 14/08/2019 19:17

StayDetermined State you’ll pay your 25% as in the deeds and leave the other two to argue it out between them.

We had a meeting at A's house about it.

When C announced she only wanted to pay 1/5, I said that if we didn't all pay 1/3 (which I admit is generous but to keep the peace...), we would only pay 25% as per the title deeds. I pointed out that C's house would be worthless without a properly maintained right of access. A's wife then called me rude! Although what I said was to their benefit.

Anyway, I didn't get embroiled in any arguments but merely repeated that we would be happy to pay 1/3 if all were paying 1/3 but otherwise we would stick to the title deeds.

C has some form for being a wannabee CF - asking me to move my compost heap, complaining to local farmers about using pesticides (she moved from London to the countryside), wandering around my house looking in windows to see if I'm in when I haven't answered the door because I'm not dressed yet (very early)!

We are talking roughly £2000 each.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 14/08/2019 19:17

Stick to the Deeds, you could then give your Neighbours and additional gift to cover your share up to a third but it's not advisable to go against what is in the deeds due to the precedent it could set.

Pileofcleantowels · 14/08/2019 19:21

Go by the deeds. Seems unusual that A is responsible for a bigger share, but that's how it is - is their house bigger/did it use to be two houses or something?

ControversialFerret · 14/08/2019 19:21

Stick to your deeds.

A can't have it both ways - asking you to pay more and then calling you rude when you ask that C is held to the same deal!

Easiest way not to get embroiled in a dispute is to follow the legal agreement - drop a note through A's door advising you will be paying 25% and it's up to them to sort the remaining 25% with C.

Waveysnail · 14/08/2019 19:22

Stick to the deeds or if you want to pay then let c pay 25% and you and A go half each on the remainder

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 14/08/2019 19:22

In fact, A's wife seemed to side with C because she doesn't like me for reasons unspecified but probably to do with the fact that I work and she doesn't, so I don't tend to fall for nonsense

For that sentence, YABU.

Coffeeandchocolate9 · 14/08/2019 19:24

For chuffs sake stick to the deeds.

Summerunderway · 14/08/2019 19:26

The deeds are there to protect all parties.
See it as a legal contract!!
Stick to it!

Original poster
QualCheckBot · 14/08/2019 19:27

Pile Go by the deeds. Seems unusual that A is responsible for a bigger share, but that's how it is - is their house bigger/did it use to be two houses or something?

Not to drip feed, but its an older house and the other two are newer. B and C houses both say 25% in the title deeds, I haven't seen A's title deeds and am only assuming they say 50% because that's the only interpretation that makes sense. It has always been one house. Getting into a legal discussion with solicitors involved over title deeds may well be more expensive than paying a third each.

sadeyedlady In fact, A's wife seemed to side with C because she doesn't like me for reasons unspecified but probably to do with the fact that I work and she doesn't, so I don't tend to fall for nonsense

For that sentence, YABU.

A's wife, earlier in the year to me "Oh, so you have to go out to work?" To DH - "Oooh, you work in the city, ooh you commute all the way to city, oh you must work really hard", etc."

OP posts:
cubed123 · 14/08/2019 19:28

Stick to the deeds! End of. That or nothing.

Dippypippy1980 · 14/08/2019 19:29

Totally agree with all replies. Your single neighbour will still benefit in terms of her property value.

RedDiamond · 14/08/2019 19:30

YABU. 100% stick to the Deeds. Those were the terms you legally bought the property on.

herculepoirot2 · 14/08/2019 19:30

Stick to what it says in the deeds.

Twillow · 14/08/2019 19:30

Tell A that you are willing to pay 1/3, which is more than the 1/4 you are legally obliged, but no more. If A allows C to pay 1/5 then A will be liable for ... hang on a sec....
1/3 + 1/5 = 5/15 + 3/15 = 8/15
15/15 - 8/15 (B +C's share) = 7/15 by A.
That's still marginally less than the 50% A is liable for, so maybe they'll be happy with that. Alternatively, they could insist she pays her 25%.

GreenTulips · 14/08/2019 19:31

So £6000

£2000 as a 1/3 each
£3000 / £1500 as 50/25/25
Or £1200 £2400 £2400 as 1/5 2/5 2/5

So you personally are better off with the 25% split
or an increased cost of £700 or £900
A is £2000/£3000/£2400 better off by £1000 or worse off by £1000 or £600
C is £2000/£1500 / £1200

Can you ask them to come up with a maximum you are all prepared to pay?

C might have a point in that her part is used the most, your second and A the least

Vasya · 14/08/2019 19:32

Just go by what the deeds say. Anything else is going to be a stupid headache.