Note left on car after parking outside someone's house.

[Thumbs]

Yesterday, a car was parked outside my house and there was no space on the pavement along my house so I parked around the corner.
There was no dropped curb so naturally presumed I could park there.

Spent my day doing things around the house when DH comes in saying there's a note on the car and that i've parked in front of their drive.
I read the note and it said something along the lines of
"Please don't park across our drive again, there are plenty of spaces on this street. Thanks."

I have never met this person despite living on the same street and never really took notice of their house to have known they have a "drive". Most of the houses on my street do not have drives apart from the odd one who has had their kerbs dropped.

But I was always led to believe that a 'drive' always has a dropped kerb. There is no dropped kerb outside their house.
Anyway I moved the car but DH told me it's obviously a drive even though it doesnt have a dropped kerb and he apologised to the owners of the house.

I feel stupid now because according to DH it was obvious.

If there’s no dropped kerb then they don’t have a drive

Well yes, then you were being unreasonable. Why didn't you look properly at where you parked?!

Just don't park there again?

Is there a curb to drop?

It's not a drive.

No it is not an actual drive without a dropped kerb. But if I had noticed they have a "drive" and there was other spaces I would have parked elsewhere.

I think if there's no dropped kerb you can technically park there, but I would always check to make sure I'm not blocking access. If there were plenty of other spaces I can see why they left the note, but equally if there were no other spaces then tough luck for them really - they need to apply for a dropped kerb.

We have pavements on this street so yes there is a curb to be dropped,
But it is not common to have drives on this street so the curb wasn't dropped so I didn't think it'd be a drive.
On a driving test, you're not classed as blocking a drive unless it's a dropped curb?

If it's not a dropped kerb it's just a patio with aspirations.

Perhaps you could print out your council's page about applying for planning permission for a dropped kerb and ram it through their door?

If there if there is no dropped kerb there is no vehicular right of access from the road across the public footpath to their driveway. I wouldn't have parked there personally, but you were entitled to. Suggest to the homeowner that they have a licensed drop kerb put in to keep themselves on the right side of the law.

It's not a drive if there's not a dropped kerb. Them choosing to bump the kerb & park there doesn't make it a drive.

I'd have told DH not to apologise on my behalf for something I haven't done. He didn't need to involve himself.

But as mentioned in the OP I didn't notice it was a drive.
I'd understand if it was.common for my street to have drives and I parked in front, but out of about 40 houses, only 2 have drives and these houses applied to have the curbs dropped

If they don’t have a dropped curb it’s not a drive, your DH is wrong and I’d probably not park there again because I wouldn’t want a row with neighbours but technically there’s no reason you can’t park there and people don’t own the road outside their houses

If they didn't drop the curb there's no lawful access to block.
Still don't park there but in the knowledge you are right. (Technically)

Of course its not an 'official drive' with no dropped kerb. But if your DH could see it was a drive, surely it must have been obvious? The note seems a bit passive aggressive though

Hmm, well driveways should always have a dropped curb, but don't always.

It was a mistake. Don't overthink it just don't park there again.

I think you were unreasonable, they might not be able to drop the kerb for whatever reason, but if there's a drive then you shouldn't have parked there. Your husband was bloody unreasonable to apologise on your behalf though .

If it's not a dropped kerb it's just a patio with aspirations.

🤣🤣

@Thumbs

But as mentioned in the OP I didn't notice it was a drive. I'd understand if it was.common for my street to have drives and I parked in front, but out of about 40 houses, only 2 have drives and these houses applied to have the curbs dropped

If they haven’t had the curb dropped it’s not a drive, they’re being those annoying people who think they own the road outside their house and they don’t

Although technically it's not a drive, I still wouldn't park in front of it.

It doesn't really matter, just don't park there again. They obviously bump over the kerb to park on their own property, which I suppose they shouldn't really, but if you can avoid pissing them off in future you probably should.

@Alexandernevermind

If there if there is no dropped kerb there is no vehicular right of access from the road across the public footpath to their driveway. I wouldn't have parked there personally, but you were entitled to. Suggest to the homeowner that they have a licensed drop kerb put in to keep themselves on the right side of the law.

This. They shouldn't actually be mounting the pavement and driving across it to access their makeshift drive without a dropped kerb

I won't park in front of it again but i didn't know it was a drive,
Lots of houses on this street have changed their front gardens from grass to a more patio/concrete style,
To me it was a pavement I could park infront of, no different to the house next door to them or my house

@IsFinnRogersDead

If it's not a dropped kerb it's just a patio with aspirations.

Perhaps you could print out your council's page about applying for planning permission for a dropped kerb and ram it through their door?

Loving this, print it out & stick it on their car parked on their ‘not a drive’

I didn't say in my thread I had intentions of parking there again, I moved my car as soon as I know,
My AIBU was whether i was unreasonable to presume no dropped curb = no drive

@Thumbs

I won't park in front of it again but i didn't know it was a drive, Lots of houses on this street have changed their front gardens from grass to a more patio/concrete style, To me it was a pavement I could park infront of, no different to the house next door to them or my house

It's not a drive.

They might be using it as one, but that doesn't mean that's what it is!