Neighbour using my drop kerb!

[mykerb]

A new family have moved in next door - not attached we are a row of two semi's each and so on..
I have a driveway and a dropped kerb. So it goes my drive, pavement and then the dropped kerb.

My next door neighbours have a make shift drive (from previous tenants) but NO dropped kerb, it doesn't help that their neighbours have 4 cars and two permanently parked outside their garden so the new neighbours have nowhere to park except down the road because of it but again not my problem!

They have started driving over my drop kerb to park in the make shift drive, I have started parking on my dropped kerb to make a point of it and I did block them in, to which the woman politely asked if I could move my car so she could reverse out, I told her I don't appreciate her using the kerb to park in, to which she replied that she is going to be getting the curb outside hers dropped but it will take a while due to getting planning permission etc and it's hard to walk down the road with 3 kids and a newborn so it's just been more convenient, but she won't do it again if it bothers me.

Tbh she hasn't had a chance to park there again as I have started parking in front of my drive, on my dropped kerb but my sister has said I'm being petty for no reason and making her life harder and it's not a big deal! And it's really irked me because now I don't know if I'm being unreasonable or not!

I’m glad you’re not my neighbour! You take petty to another level.

So you've told her she can park there until her bit of kerb is dropped ?

Sorry, but flipping heck, you are being petty. Even paying for the pavement lowered it still belongs council/public use. Be glad nothing bad is knocking on your door, huge problems I mean. Life is too short, enjoy. I think the fact they have a few cars bothers you more. Seriously chill, if this is the only thing that bothering you enough to write on mumsnet you are a lucky girl.

He wasn't a retired vicar, was he?

<thinks of a neighbour we once had>

No, that isnt how the conversation should have gone.

Unless you live on an unadopted road, "your" dropped kerb is part of the public highway, as is the pavement next to it. You have no business parking across it nor stopping your neighbour from using it. You paying for it is irrelevant. You had to pay because the Council will not pay to replace an already adequate kerbstone. But it doesn't give you exclusive rights.

Are you ok??

You do realise that lots of capitals and many exclamation marks is suggestive of a mental illness don't you?

I suppose she could have asked you first if you minded her driving 'past' your driveway to get to hers.
I have to admit I wouldn't consider someone to 'own' their dropped kerb, since it's not on your deeds.. still part of the public pavement/road.
But I think you made your point when you deliberately blocked her onto her driveway!
I would have however, thought the neighbourly thing to do at this point, knowing that it wasn't going to be long until she had her own dropped kerb was to continue to allow her to do so since it actually doesn't impact you in any way? Other than your own fabricated indignance.
I feel quite sorry for this woman, considering she's probably concerned she'll have issues with the neighbours on the other side when she 'takes away' their parking space by having the kerb dropped. And she knows you're a bit difficult too so she's trapped between two not very friendly sets of neighbours, with 3/4 kids.

So glad I’m not your neighbour!
you blocking the blocked curb but parking on the pavement is also illegal.
poor woman, new neighbour, 3 kids and a newborn and the next door neighbour can’t just be normal. It’s a dropped curb for heavens sake. It’s only temporary. That poor lady.

We had a mutual agreement that the other neighbours kids should be parking on their drop kerb just for ease of the road and parking available so I'm trying to mend this ...

This makes no sense. That would be really inconvenient to the other neighbours, who would have to keep moving their cars so family members can get in and out. How will you persuade them to do it?

If only there was an alternative that would incommode nobody...

I’m sorry but this is just about the most pathetic complaint ever!! She’s not blocking you whatsoever but you decide to purposely block her just to be nasty and KNOWING she has 3 kids and a newborn!!! WTF is wrong with you?? If you were my sister I’d honestly slap you because you’re been a total battleaxe for zero reason! Are you going through the change and just want to be as bitchy as hell to others or what? I genuinely cant fathom how someone can be so mean to an obviously nice woman struggling with kids for no reason? You “mutually” agreed the neighbours kids need to park on their dropped kerb but you still haven’t been nice to her and told her it’s fine to work away til her kerbs dropped?? You’re happy for her to park up the street instead of making life easy for her? I thought I pictured the whole scenario wrong but when I saw your drawing it was even worse than I imagined, I assumed she was causing you parking problems but she hasn’t at all, she’s literally driving on the dropped kerb infront of your house to gain access for her car to her own house!! Be more like your sister because she sounds like she’s the nice one out of you both!! I feel so bad for that poor girl having you as a neighbour you sound awful!!

This.

We put in off street parking but it was 10 years ago. You do have to ask the council to drop the curb and they will only do it if the parking area complies. There was no formal planning permission but the drive had to be permeable and only a small amount concreted. Then it was over £1k for them to drop the curb and another 6 weeks for a white line. It takes time. But it’s unlikely they will do it if she only has a temporary drive, she will need an approved driveway and that can cost £1000s. Is this likely or will she keep using your curb?

no sinage, common sense you are not to encroach on peoples dropped kerb - yes we do live in London and I know people that live near a station and the parking CEO's will ticket any and every car if they see it parked in front of drive or in part

Are you still parking on the road to make sure your new neighbour can't get on her drive? Because I've lost a wing mirror that way before now, and the insurance company were a bit sniffy about me parking on the road when I've got a drive.

Awful things, I wouldn't even eat them off a Porsche

Sorry but what a loser. You I mean. Im just joining in the chorus of others that you've ignored but the kerb and pavement arent yours. So you're parking illegally

Lots of discussion about blocking dropped kerbs. Councils vary widely, and some will even fine the householder for doing this, because they are trying to encourage households to keep their cars off road, and maximise crossing points for wheelchairs etc. Others won't police it at all, unless a car has actually been blocked in on the drive behind.

@mykerb what vile---- strange pleasure did you get from seeing her walking up and down the road with four children in tow? Did it give you more pleasure when it was raining?

Of course she may have said she felt awkward, because you can't read on with crazy and she wanted to get away from you.

Stop harassing the poor woman about driving over "your" fucking kerb, unless you're going to drop a note through apologising for being so petty and of course she can park there until the kerb is dropped.

She won't like you at all, she wants to get away from you, not keep banging on about kerbs.

She won't ever like you, you will forever be thought of as petty mad kerb lady, she ridiculing you hopefully and maybe soon will make a MN thread about you.

How is this you trying to mend anything?

Seems you’ve learned absolutely nothing from this thread.

Your neighbour deserves an apology from you.

And you need to do some serious self reflection to consider why you have been so unwelcoming and made her life more difficult for no good reason.

Perhaps that neighbour needs to buh a house with more parking space then. Otherwise the additional cars will need to park in any spare spaces left or across their own dropped kerb. They will have go do this with OP neighbour has her dropped kerb installed. They may as well get used to it now. And if that is a big inconvenience to them tough luck, maybe move house with more parking for all those cars or maybe don't have so many cars for one household.

Read your update. You're still petty though. Massively.

You seriously need to get out more. How sad!

@theilltemperedclavecinist
Hmm. Ever heard the term 'it's no skin off my nose'?
It is pertinent here.