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Original poster

Out of the blue £1,000 bill from our neighbours!

223 replies

MamaVikki · 25/09/2022 19:11

Help! I’m stunned… My neighbour knocked on the door on a Monday to say that they’d organised for our road to be tarmacked on that Wednesday at a cost of £8K between 8 houses. A year ago they’d muttered something about the road needing to be tarmacked but that was that. We’ve had no discussion since. They then bizarrely said that they would pay for it and whoever wants to chip in can chip in. We don’t have a spare £1k sitting around and if there’d been a discussion about it we would’ve wanted more time to try and save for it – but would’ve also liked to have looked into all the options (like patching the potholes maybe?) We have no idea if they even compared quotes. The work has now been done. They ended up only tarmacking the part in front of their house, although we drive over this to access our house. They’ve come round with the bill – which we need to pay into their bank account – in a fairly aggressive manner but still saying it’s up to us if we pay -? I’m upset and confused and have no idea where we stand with this? Can anyone offer any advice?! 🙏

OP posts:
sueelleker · 26/09/2022 19:10

If they're asking everyone for £1k, are they claiming that one small patch of tarmac cost £8K? YANBU

CactusBlossom · 26/09/2022 19:18

Definitely a CF! If it's £1k each and they've only repaired the tarmac outside their house, they are the only ones paying (unless there is something in the deeds about a mutual right of way and maintenance). Sounds like they are trying it on.

LadyEloise1 · 26/09/2022 19:23

TheYearOfSmallThings · 25/09/2022 19:15

"What?! I don't want to pay for you to tarmac the bit of road in front of your house

Thus 💯

Georgyporky · 26/09/2022 19:38

Tarmacking is a well-known scam .
£8k for the front of a property? How many square metres?

I lived in a private road for many years; there was no joint maintenance of the road. It could only happen if the Local Authority agreed to adopt the road -[ the cost was phenomenal

Insanelysilver · 26/09/2022 19:43

WTAF ! ?
So no agreement before hand that they’d decided the ‘chip in if you can’ was no longer the deal?
Tell them to do one !
And how did it come to 8k if it was only the section outside their house?! Is their house the size of Buckingham palace or what ?!

Iseestupidpeople · 26/09/2022 19:47

CFers don’t pay a penny!
they didn’t do the whole road just their bit they can pay it!

Xenia · 26/09/2022 19:48

On our private estate where we have a legal obligation to pay for the all the roads even though tyhe world and his wife trespasses day in day out with dogs, bikes etc up and down the roads we have spent £200,000 over the last 10 years on roads so I bet the cost is correct.

However you need to start by speaking to your solicitor and looking at your property title to see what the legal obligations are.

PUGMEISTER21 · 26/09/2022 19:48

If it is a private road are you not all paying into some sort of maintenance company. We have a residents association for ours and we pay £20/month which is to cover the cost of maintenance. We then hold a meeting to agree it gets done, obtain the quotes and then get the work done. As they didn't consult anybody properly I would be in mind to say that no further consultation over the cost took place and therefore not paying.

pigsDOfly · 26/09/2022 19:50

Do not give them anything.

They cannot go around spending other people's money without consultation.

If they pursue it you'd need to get legal advice. Also look at your deeds.

Does Citizen Advice still exist? They'd be able to help you.

Missingpop · 26/09/2022 19:51

So they’ve given everyone a bill to pay for the tarmac ing to be done outside their house & only their house 🤔 let me think 🤔 I’ve got it tell them to Fuck off why the hell should you pay for the repairs they’ve chosen to do outside their house? That’s like me sending you a bill for having my roses trimmed. Just send a note saying unfortunately as the work hasn’t been done across the whole road & that no one else was involved in the planning process of the works you won’t be contributing on this occasion but thank you fir your letters. Don’t be bullied by them if they get shitty club together with the others because I very much doubt they’re paying either & I also doubt it cost 8k I think someone is trying to be a modern day Dock Turpin.

Insanelysilver · 26/09/2022 19:54

No way I’d pay under these circumstances! And out of interest , is the rest of your road ok ? Didn’t need work?

WrapAroundCover · 26/09/2022 20:01

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Makesmilingyourbesthobby · 26/09/2022 20:05

I’m wondering if maybe CF is being a tad less CF and the bill is for a £1000 to do the front of your house meaning CF got a quote to do all the street at £8000 and paid company £1000 to do front of their house hence why only outside theirs has been done, CF is then handing neighbours the bill to pay £1000 if they want front of their homes done???

Mandyjack · 26/09/2022 20:12

MamaVikki · 25/09/2022 19:11

Help! I’m stunned… My neighbour knocked on the door on a Monday to say that they’d organised for our road to be tarmacked on that Wednesday at a cost of £8K between 8 houses. A year ago they’d muttered something about the road needing to be tarmacked but that was that. We’ve had no discussion since. They then bizarrely said that they would pay for it and whoever wants to chip in can chip in. We don’t have a spare £1k sitting around and if there’d been a discussion about it we would’ve wanted more time to try and save for it – but would’ve also liked to have looked into all the options (like patching the potholes maybe?) We have no idea if they even compared quotes. The work has now been done. They ended up only tarmacking the part in front of their house, although we drive over this to access our house. They’ve come round with the bill – which we need to pay into their bank account – in a fairly aggressive manner but still saying it’s up to us if we pay -? I’m upset and confused and have no idea where we stand with this? Can anyone offer any advice?! 🙏

Is it a private road owned by all owners or owned by the county council? If you didn't sign an agreement for it and they've not consulted plus only done outside their own house they are taking the pee. Also on your title deeds is there anything that states all 8 houses are responsible for the road?

MugginsOverEre · 26/09/2022 20:14

PinkButtercups · 26/09/2022 18:41

I wouldn't pay.

We had neighbours knock on our door with an invoice for a 'blocked drain' it wasn't blocked, it was right outside their house and the way the houses sit it was around the corner from ours. I said absolutely not they didn't need to pay a private company and should've phoned the water company.

Not my problem they called private drain clearers out (I don't know what they're called). It wasn't even blocked apparently it was something to do with their toilet not flushing properly. Yes let me just give you some of my money because you're having toilet troubles. Twats.

We had similar. Neighbours drains were backing up into their garden. They had a blockage which happened to be under our patio. Our plumbing was flowing just fine. Theirs was the first house on that sewage line and the only one blocked (guess that's what happens when you flush wipes and sanpro). They tried to make us pay despite it being their problem, caused by them. Their thinking was that it was our duty to pay the £300 because the blockage had made its way down the system a little to a foot or two into our property before where ours connected to it.

We thanked the drainage engineer for his quote, asked him if he was going to be paying for our broken new fence panel and bent in and cracked wheelie bin lid that he had damaged when climbing over from the neighbour's garden and said we would let him know if we ever wanted to employ him. For now we didn't want his services and would not be paying a penny for any work he completed without our consent. He tried to insist that he had to do the work and we had to pay. We asked him for the court order telling us we were legally required to pay him for a job we did not want or need. Turns out he was also a mate of the neighbours too.

Herejustforthisone · 26/09/2022 20:16

Put that bill in the bin. Avoid them forever. They’re fucking mental.

Dillydollydingdong · 26/09/2022 20:16

They have entered into a contract with the people doing the roadworks. That's their responsibility, not yours. Ignore it.

shipwreckedonhighseas · 26/09/2022 20:16

The problem is they could make your lives extremely difficult if they control your access. They could put a gate up and lock it (you'd have to take them to court to get a key), they could accidentally park in the way (police will do nothing on a private road as it's a civil matter) and stare menacingly at you when you enter or leave the property. They could devalue your home by much more than a grand. You're in a difficult situation. I would really try to reach a resolution and not blow it up.

MugginsOverEre · 26/09/2022 20:18

Another sensible post. Everyone telling OP she doesn't have to pay have no idea what her obligations are. Property law is complex. And expensive to get into a fight about.

@KikoLemons there's not a chance in this world that any property law concerning a joint road between 8 owners gives one property sole rights to employ any company to do work on the jointly owned road without the remaining owners consents and to decide what everyone must each pay.

cherish123 · 26/09/2022 20:28

A simple no. You have not agreed to pay this. Just say that. You didn't ask them to go ahead and get the tarmac done.

KikoLemons · 26/09/2022 20:30

MugginsOverEre - but the point is we don't know if it's jointly owned because OP hasn't told us. The advice is to find out what the legal position is before either paying or not paying.

FigTreeInEurope · 26/09/2022 20:32

You cannot fix crazy!

oakleaffy · 26/09/2022 20:38

Tarmacing is notoriously shady, so much so it has become an urban legend.
“ Want yer drive tarmacing, Missus?” ans soft crumble crap that looks like a flapjack is put down there that weeds grow through &c.

I’d not be paying!

Notaflippinclue · 26/09/2022 20:39

Tell them sorry but you are saving up for the bit outside your own house to be done. Then forget it.

oakleaffy · 26/09/2022 20:41

MugginsOverEre · 26/09/2022 20:18

Another sensible post. Everyone telling OP she doesn't have to pay have no idea what her obligations are. Property law is complex. And expensive to get into a fight about.

@KikoLemons there's not a chance in this world that any property law concerning a joint road between 8 owners gives one property sole rights to employ any company to do work on the jointly owned road without the remaining owners consents and to decide what everyone must each pay.

I’m no lawyer, but jointly owned flats have to come to common agreement as to quotes and costs.