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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

(potential) car parking thread with diagram popcorn

32 replies

TableDesk · 08/02/2022 17:15

OK, OK, title is possibly a little misleading as it hasn't officially happened yet. But Aibu to imagine parking wars?

Attached pic.

Houses A & B are new builds. House A was purchased & now lived in by a family with at least 2 cars (that I've seen)

House B still currently for sale and I'm interested. Veryyyy interested but trying to be sensible.

Access to house A & B can not be changed ie it will always have to follow the 'red line' and up the little road at corner. Despite what looks like a separation point (purple dot) this is open ie no gates / fence etc.

Residents of House B will always have to drive past house A to gain access. This cannot be avoided nor changed.

I'm meeting with the architect & builder tomorrow and need to be prepared to ask questions about the shared access / shared lane way / entrance.

What do I need to ask?

What happens if house A parks a truck at purple dot preventing me (B) getting in or out? I take it because its private land, the police couldn't remove or anything as it would be seen as civil? Is it worth asking for an agreement to be drawn up?

What if Lane way needs repairing, who is liable? Its only 2 houses so no 'management company'.

Any idea if I should approach home A & ask their 'intentions' regarding parking? Or where their potential guests or grown up children would park? Or would that be seen as a totally wanky thing to do?

Aibu unreasonable to imagine potential parking nightmares / House reselling nightmares before I've even purchased house B*? (which in turn is almost a picture perfect house apart from access issue)

*if by chance you recognise where this, please dont 'out' location - thanks.

(potential) car parking thread with diagram popcorn

OP posts:

Thread gallery

Frightmare · 08/02/2022 17:34

It looks more annoying for house A tbh. I wouldn't choose it. I suppose it has to be weighed up against the benefits of that house.

Ariela · 08/02/2022 17:36

Where do House A's cars currently park ? As in if that's where they park are they blocking access anyway. Looks quite narrow Where isA's
garden anyway? Who owns the land behind? Any chance of buying a strip and going round the back?

TheSnowyOwl · 08/02/2022 17:37

I would think you have a right of access but it might not be for a vehicle, and if that’s the case they could block it so you couldn’t drive there but allowing you to walk wouldn’t breach your right.

Also the neighbours might be very nice and reasonable but that could change or they could sell to someone who isn’t.

TheSnowyOwl · 08/02/2022 17:38

Could you apply for access to get to the house from the main road instead of going past the other house?

Maflingo · 08/02/2022 17:39

I think that set up would put me off either house to be honest. Unless there is some currently unknown way to create your own access, I think you might be storing up trouble for future! Even if you make an agreement that A won’t do xyz, the reality is that if they do, then you’ve no real recourse apart from legal action and soured neighbourly relations.
These neighbours might be nice now, but what if they move?

Saucery · 08/02/2022 17:40

We have a similar access issue, but around the backs of houses and down the side. You occasionally get someone who thinks they can park blocking it (builders, gardeners etc) but they do usually move. It’s our land, but we have to allow access. Occasionally, someone down the road will make noises about getting it alltarmaced etc, but we just ignore them. It is passable and that’s all it needs to be.
I would avoid any shared access in future, though. It’s all been good natured but access has been blocked, it is annoying and stressful. I certainly wouldn’t be House B in your scenario, dependent on the willingness of House A to do what the deeds say they should and keep it clear.

RishiRich · 08/02/2022 17:42

It looks very annoying for house A.

Ilikewinter · 08/02/2022 17:45

I wouldnt want to be purchasing house B, too many potential issues there! Where is house A garden?

RitaFires · 08/02/2022 17:46

A family friend had something like this because they built their house in what had been part of the garden belonging to a family member. Subsequently the family member sold up and moved away leaving awkward arrangements with people they didn't know well.

I'd look for a different house if possible.

Hellocatshome · 08/02/2022 17:52

I wouldn't live in either despite the parking issues, where are the gardens for a start? There seems to be no boundary between them at all ejther front or back. Unless you could get private access for house B directly from the road I wouldn't buy it.

godmum56 · 08/02/2022 18:10

I live in a slightly similar arrangement. The bits of the shared drive that we all have to travel over are not just covered by right of way, they are jointly owned by the three home owners. Ir needs goodwill and flexibility to deal with circs where the shared ownership bits need to be blocked...eg delivery lorries, but it works well. Of course the risk is that a CF moves in and then the other two of us would need to start getting legal on their arse. I am house B and very occasionally House A will have a load of visitors and block my exit but I just pop over and ask them to move. Would I do it again? not if I could avoid it but never say never.

SparkleSpangle · 08/02/2022 18:18

I don't see much point meeting a builder if you don't know what the rights of access and covenants say. If B has right of access then A can't block it.
Are you assuming there is a right of access or have you seen the documents?

Original poster

TableDesk · 08/02/2022 18:30

Thanks for all responses.

Some points, separate access for House B is a total no go. It has been tried & planning have confirmed it won't be passed because of road layout so that's a non start.

House A definitely has it worse as all House B traffic has to pass it no matter what.

Yellow is where House A are currently parking and blue is their strip of grass /garden. I don't know how far their boundary extends towards the opening.

The pink is the area 2nd attached pic is taken from of the which gives the scale of the site.

It all seems a bit of a ball ache doesn't it. A lot depends on people not acting like dicks, but unfortunately as we all know...

But the house its self is just so perfect I just don't know if the perfectness of it off sets the absolute pain in the arse it could turn out to be

OP posts:

Original poster

TableDesk · 08/02/2022 18:33

Have been verbally told right of access, have asked to see documents & more info hence tomorrow's meeting

OP posts:

Original poster

TableDesk · 08/02/2022 18:36

From the listing I quote

"The property is accessed across a shared decorative stoned laneway to the property which is shared with No.XXX This is accessed through the entrance pillars on the X Road (where the red dashes are on pic)

OP posts:

eurochick · 08/02/2022 18:42

That's a really horrible set up. If house B has any work done vans, lorries and all sorts will be coming right past A. I'm amazed it got planning.

MaggieMooh · 08/02/2022 18:42

As a potential buyer of B I’d want to see the access road fenced off from A’s house. Or possibly a gate to turn left immediately from the road entrance so you’re not using the shared road at all.

Original poster

TableDesk · 08/02/2022 18:47

Yep House A will have all vehicles passing.

No alternative for entrance points.

Literally suck it up or keep searching for another less complicated house.

Also amazed that planning was granted & house A had 'willing' buyers because of the access it needs to give to House B

OP posts:

dgirluk · 08/02/2022 18:47

Ours is a different layout but similar concept. 3 houses in a line so when you enter the private road you pass house A, then house B (us), before arriving at house C.

There will be something in writing which talks about rights of way etc. - have a look at that.

In terms of maintenance, we don't have a management company or a maintenance fund and I wish we did! Just because our House A is rented and the landlords never want to do anything, and House C is less interested, so the road surface and communal grass etc. is a bit lacking in attention. In reality it's just meant that we organise any maintenance and get the landlord and House C to cough up. Its been OK for us, but if anybody's financially strapped or disagrees, it can be an issue.

I personally wouldn't be too bothered about your House A blocking access; if they had a lorry I'd just dump the car the other side and walk to the house. It occasionally happens here (removals lorries etc.) and it's never a problem - you just ask and they move. We've even blocked it ourselves washing cars etc., and it takes 30 secs to move out the way.

So TL;DR - I personally wouldn't worry about the access, but I would want to understand more about the maintenance.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 08/02/2022 18:50

Where is B’s garden?

I think it would be pretty annoying for A to have all B’s traffic. I can’t understand how it got past planning. What a faff to have to drive up and through A to get to B. B looks like an afterthought. B needs their own access.

If A is already lived in then they must anticipate B’s traffic.

I live with a shared drive. Not the same, but I suppose I’m sort of B. We don’t have any issues. It works out ok. Theoretically we could get blocked in, but we could block our neighbours in too. It just doesn’t happen.

RincewindsHat · 08/02/2022 18:50

It looks like house A had a lot of room to park cars; it actually looks like the shared access road goes past the front of their house but there's plenty of parking at the side and back of theirs, so ideally the arrangement would be no parking at any time on the shared access road since there's so much other space available, and that would avoid any potential disputes.

Queenoftheduvan · 08/02/2022 18:51

I would go for it.
House A will be liable to have to provide you right of access.
You can even ask House A if they would consider signing a document that granted you right of access forever,to be included in deeds if they were to ever sell. That would certainly remove the worry if you were to ever sell.
Of course,you wouldn’t be asking outright,just would they consider it…that way,you know where you stand and they know what your intentions are before you have to offer.
I have bought a house with shared access driveway,it said in the estate agent blurb that we had shared access and I checked that it was part of deeds and not just a goodwill arrangement but luckily neighbours are lovely and always move their car if we need to fit anything through the back way.
In years to come,you can always apply to build your own road access

MrPenguinsPoppers · 08/02/2022 18:51

Absolutely not.
Can you imagine being house A when house B is having a shopping delivery, Amazon or tradesmen in? Wont take long for that reality to start to annoy them.

You're relying on the neighbours not being arseholes, and thats a lot to rely on unfortunately.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 08/02/2022 18:52

Basically it looks like House A is on a traffic island.

I think there may be trouble ahead...

Original poster

TableDesk · 08/02/2022 18:58

So B has a small patch of grass at the rear of the house and then the rest is gravel pic 1

Pic 2 this is taken from where B's access starts (the purple dot on main pic) So you can see there is a lot of manoeuvrability space.

House A have indicted they don't want a fence at the front of their house so the wooden fence visible here is literally just between the buildings.

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