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.

@pessimistiquerealistique

It doesn't matter if the kerb is dropped or not. If there's a space outside of the house for a car then you shouldn't block the house.

that's a nonsense and totally untrue.

@toomuchpeppapig

What exactly is your AIBU though?

I think she mentioned it on page 2. She asked if she was unreasonable to park there.

I'd be really pissed off with my husband apologising on my behalf.

You’re in the right. But probably don’t park there again as they’re your neighbours, not worth the fall out. If you didn’t live on the road though I’d say go for it! Report them to the council anonymously! They’ll come along and stick a bollard in so they can’t mount the pavement illegally

I can't believe that a poster thinks you feel stupid OP. Your DH is the one who should feel stupid surely, for apologising to someone on your behalf when you've done nothing wrong.

My DH apologised because I genuinely was not seeing how I was in the wrong so was not going to apologise

If you blocked access to someone else's off road parking you were being unreasonable. They've made the choice to give up part of their garden to ease on road parking. You can at least respect this and leave that area for their access. It was not illegal to park there but pretty unobservant if you.

I think people don’t realise that without a dropped curb the pavement will get damaged if people repeatedly drive over it and your council tax will have to pay for it to be fixed!

We have a drive patio with aspirations (we use it for wheelbarrow access to the garage). People are always parking in front of it, and apart from being miffed because that's my spot, it would never occur to me to complain! No dropped kerb, no right to access.

@goldenharvest i'm pretty sure the council would not be happy if everyone on my street made the choice to give up part of our front garden to use as a drive

Plus they’re cheapskates for not bothering to get the curb dropped

@HeidiHoNeighbour

I’d phone then council and ask if you no longer require dropped kerbs to be able to use your “drive” as the arseholes/residents in 69 cockslapper crescent haven’t got one and bitch if anyone argues it.

(I’m a PA bitch and don’t give a shit)

Funnily enough, me too

Someone on a street near me decided to go down the cheap route and drop their own kerb. Round these parts it's council who do it or you don't get it done. Clearly the thought they could save a few quid.
The resulting mess was so bad the council came out, repaired it and billed them.

If you blocked access to someone else's off road parking you were being unreasonable

Good job she didn't then. She blocked their "patio with aspirations".

It was not illegal to park there

Ironically, it was illegal for the homeowner to drive over the pavement to get on their patio though.

@SoupDragon

If you blocked access to someone else's off road parking you were being unreasonable

Good job she didn't then. She blocked their "patio with aspirations".

Exactly.

@AdobeWanKenobi Ha this is brilliant! Good work from the council!

If you blocked access to someone else's off road parking you were being unreasonable

Excellent it's great to know you dont think the OP is being unreasonable ad after all she didn't block anyones off road parking.

IMO it's only a drive with a dropped kerb, though I'm not a driver myself (my husband is).

@goldenharvest

If you blocked access to someone else's off road parking you were being unreasonable. They've made the choice to give up part of their garden to ease on road parking. You can at least respect this and leave that area for their access. It was not illegal to park there but pretty unobservant if you.

By the fact they haven't paid for their kerb to be dropped it isn't their off-road parking. It's a flat space in front of their house or even "a patio with aspirations". No harm no foul

They've made the choice to give up part of their garden to ease on road parking.

And if I give up part of my garden for a patio because I hate gardening can I also request people not park outside my house?

Actually what is the distinction between ‘clearly a drive without a dropped kerb and patio’?

YANBU they need to have a dropped kerb fitted, no dropped kerb means no drive. Currently they just have a patio out the front.

So basically, by concreting their front garden they think they have reserved the space in front of their house. If only it were that easy. Of course you're not BU OP.

Actually what is the distinction between ‘clearly a drive without a dropped kerb and patio’?

That's an excellent question. The only distinction I can think of is if it currently has a vehicle parked (illegally) on it. If there's no vehicle I'm not at all sure how you would tell the two apart.

I'm wondering if they cannot have a dropped kerb because of the '10 metre from a corner' rule.

report them to the council. Repeatedly, and anonymously, if you can :)

Sounds like you’re legally right, but socially wrong.

Do should have stayed out of it :D