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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not contribute

60 replies

narcdad · 28/03/2022 09:32

Got a letter hand delivered this morning from a house in the high street asking for a £200 contribution to resurface the back lane behind a row of houses (mine included).

The houses all have access to this lane and they use it to park their cars in their garages as there is no street parking due to the houses being on a high street.

I am the last house and do not use this lane as it's difficult to get my car in our garage as it's at a right angle, I also have a drive that fits 2 cars (I am not on the high street but adjoining road). Also my part of the back lane is in very good condition as I don't use the lane to drive down, so no pot holes etc.

AIBU to not contribute? They have stated in the letter that the contractor can do the work on Friday 1st & Saturday 2nd April and have included those bank details!

OP posts:
DenholmElliot · 28/03/2022 09:34

Who owns the lane? If you own it, even partly, then I guess you are responsible for maintaining it.

Original poster
narcdad · 28/03/2022 09:35

I've attached a (rather bad) diagram

To not contribute
OP posts:
HeddaGarbled · 28/03/2022 09:37

It might be in your deeds that you have an obligation to contribute to the cost of maintenance of this shared access.

Scarydinosaurs · 28/03/2022 09:38

If you have shared access of this lane then I would pay it - it might not benefit you day to day, but having a well maintained lane does benefit the value of your property overall - and unless you relinquished your shared ownership of it YABU to not pay to maintain it.

Long term, it makes your property more valuable/easier to sell, so worth doing.

Original poster
narcdad · 28/03/2022 09:39

@DenholmElliot to be honest I don't know who owns it, it is not on our deeds, it's an access road for access to garages for houses in the high st and the side road, the houses on the side road all have driveways

OP posts:
PutinIsAWarCriminal · 28/03/2022 09:42

£200 is pretty cheap for this type of work. If you can swear that you never use it and never will in the future then its fine not to contribute, but if you even occasionally use the back lane to get access to the garage for storage, then you would be unreasonable not to contribute.

BarbaraofSeville · 28/03/2022 09:42

Is the lane a public road or legally something else? Who owns it?

Friend used to live on an unadopted road and there was a resident's group for road maintenance and a 'road fund' (friend was treasurer), they all owned the section of road in front of their homes and in the meetings' they had to agree on stuff like this.

How long have you lived there, do you own or rent and is there any organisation like this for this lane? Plus any legal agreements for maintenance and funding? If you own your home, it should have come up when you bought it, if you rent, it's probably your landlord's responsibility not yours.

Sirzy · 28/03/2022 09:42

They should have discussed it with all neighbours in advance but even if you don’t use it it sounds like you will be in part responsible for the maintenance of it.

BarbaraofSeville · 28/03/2022 09:46

Cross posted, it sounds like you own your home, but it's probably worth asking questions about this, because if the people asking for the money and doing the work don't own the lane there could be all sorts of issues about them doing work on the council/someone else's property.

Original poster
narcdad · 28/03/2022 09:46

@BarbaraofSeville we own the property and never use the lane at all which is why our part of the lane is immaculate it's all grass which my husband and neighbour mow, the high street part is full of pot holes due to constant use, some useful advice thank you

OP posts:
Canigooutyet · 28/03/2022 09:48

I wouldn't pay it.it's not on your deeds and the ownership is unknown. There was no meeting beforehand to discuss the works. Plus who has a spare couple of hundred just hanging around they can hand over at such short notice?

BarbaraofSeville · 28/03/2022 09:49

Plus who has a spare couple of hundred just hanging around they can hand over at such short notice

Well plenty of people, but that's not the issue here.

Original poster
narcdad · 28/03/2022 09:56

@Canigooutyet exactly! They have discussed it with those on the high st as it says in the letter that house No x has close contacts with resurfacing lanes, I feel it should have been discussed with all before asking for money!

Also I do not have £200 to give by next week and no official quote or name of the company who's planking on doing the works

I'll need to go over our deeds again

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 28/03/2022 09:58

Double check the deeds and if it's definitely not your responsibility then don't contribute, especially if you can't actually afford it.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 28/03/2022 09:58

A letter arrives telling you to send money to someone without any consultation- they can do one!!!!

dworky · 28/03/2022 10:00

You say you don't use it but you might want/need to one day & you'll have to drive over road surface you haven't paid towards.
As has been said, it's incredibly cheap so if you have the money, it would be advisable to contribute.

Winter2020 · 28/03/2022 10:14

I expect if you don’t pay then the resurfacing will end before your garage - as you are at the end of the lane.

I think it would be more valuable to your house price than the £200 cost and would benefit you to be included and have your bit done too.

Longingforatikihut · 28/03/2022 10:24

Am I the only one who smells SCAM!!!

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 28/03/2022 10:27

@Longingforatikihut

Am I the only one who smells SCAM!!!
Exactly, MN on the whole is ridiculously naive. OP wasn’t consulted, given a chance to find alternative quotes, give the green light to the quote- seriously wise up folks
TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 28/03/2022 10:30

Something like this needs to be formal...

  1. I think the ownership of the road should first be established.
  2. Check if you have any responsibility to the road if it is an unadopted or privately owned road. (you may just have right of way over it) .
  3. If you do have a shared responsibility then that should be in your deeds.
  4. In the event that you have to contribute there should be more than one quote, from reputable companies (a botched job could end incurring further costs later).

I know this sounds officious and un-neighbourly but really I'm just careful and prudent.
Good Luck

Walkingalot · 28/03/2022 10:33

If you are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance then it will be on the deeds or call your local council and enquire.
Even if you were, it's not upto someone else to tell you to cough up x amount by x date without at least a prior discussion first. They are probably trying their luck, are going to get it done anyway obviously.
If you wont actually benefit/don't use it, I'd ignore.

StrawberrySanta · 28/03/2022 10:34

Surely no one will just send over money to a random bank account just because they've had a letter asking them to?! It doesn't sound official, anyone could have sent that

Margaretmatcher · 28/03/2022 10:36

You clearly need to find out the ownership before you agree to any work being done. Who is carrying out the work, are they a reputable firm. What about a guarantee for the work how long will it last. Your neighbours cannot randomly decide to instruct someone to carry out without any consent. I would look into a lot more before making any decision

Bogofftosomewherehot · 28/03/2022 10:48

I have been in a similar situation but was the one managing the resurfacing.

The new road surface benefitted all as it made the area more appealing and increased the house values. A well kept area is less likely to attract crime.

The person that owns a few properties at the start of the road refused to pay as he hardly used it. A few refused to pay as they have flats (but still drive the full length of the road on a daily basis!)

This meant that not only were we paying double (bigger house) but we then had to cover the cost of the refusers too, even though they benefited.

One refuser then complained about 8yrs later as a the small corner where she parks wasn't done and had deteriorated!

Your neighbour has taken time and effort to improve a communal area, benefitting all. They have a great price. Their communication about it could be better. Finding contractors right now is a nightmare.

The fact your house CAN use the space and access means you should contribute, but I'd also be asking what efforts had been made to find the land owner.

Notjustanymum · 28/03/2022 11:03

The question is: do you WANT your nice, immaculate grass to be resurfaced? If not, then don’t pay up, and put bollards up on your boundary to stop any works being carried out on your access for the dates shown.
However, you might want to reconsider whether the access to a rear garage might add to the value of your home in future…
Am also confused that you’ve said your house is the last one though as the diagram shows another below it?

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