Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

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:
C4tastrophe · 27/09/2022 06:54

Tontostitis · 27/09/2022 06:40

I'm sorry but that's a bargain. They've approached it badly but they are doing a good thing I'd offer to pay monthly if I couldn't afford it but I think you are lucky they are sorting the road at no hassle to you. Thus will improve your standard of living and the value of your house. You don't need to pay it in one go but you'd be a total arse to leave this cost down to them.

Except the tarmac doesn’t go to the OP’s house, they are still on the rough.

FaazoHuyzeoSix · 27/09/2022 07:01

Write back so they have it in writing
"Work that is commissioned without the involvement, consultation or prior agreement of other potential payers is the sole responsibility of the person who commissions that work. Please note that I will only contribute to communal projects where I have agreed in advance to the scope of the work and had input over which of at least 3 competitive quotes to accept. I don't think I have any obligation to contribute towards the tarmac that you decided to have laid in front of your house."

SansaStarkWolf · 27/09/2022 07:31

I’m not sure how they have got to £8k to do just in front of their house?? In which case - out of pure interest alone I would ask for the invoice and receipts of company they used

Also if they have done just in front of their house, have any other neighbours paid them?

DuchessofAnkh77 · 27/09/2022 07:43

A previous private road I have lived on had a "committee" (which really only had a few people) and meetings. There was a bank account which we all regularly contributed to and was used to pay for anything. Expenditure got approved by whoever bothered to turn up to the meetings.

PlntLady · 27/09/2022 08:31

They only tarmaced in from of their house but expect you to pay. 🤔 this is the final nail in the ultimate CF coffin.
I wouldn't be paying a penny!

MigsandTiggs · 27/09/2022 08:46

Tontostitis · 27/09/2022 06:40

I'm sorry but that's a bargain. They've approached it badly but they are doing a good thing I'd offer to pay monthly if I couldn't afford it but I think you are lucky they are sorting the road at no hassle to you. Thus will improve your standard of living and the value of your house. You don't need to pay it in one go but you'd be a total arse to leave this cost down to them.

How can you know it's a bargain without having seen the scope of work? When we had our road done, company quotes differed on depth to be dug out, hardcore grade, tarmac quality and depth etc. We went for the one that offered above the minimum legal requirements.
That aside, the OP was not party to the contract between the neighbour and the road repair company and so bears no responsibility for payment.
Shared responsibility for road maintenance is a different matter that requires agreement on what is to be done and payment for it before the work is carried out.

SansaStarkWolf · 27/09/2022 09:13

PlntLady · 27/09/2022 08:31

They only tarmaced in from of their house but expect you to pay. 🤔 this is the final nail in the ultimate CF coffin.
I wouldn't be paying a penny!

This is exactly what I think too!

My childhood home was on a private road and they also used to chip into tarmac costs. It was solely handled by one person who they trusted to get different quotes and choose a contractor based on their workmanship. They discovered that the person who had been handling it was being dodgy and pocketing an awful lot of the cash - for example the person hired a substandard cheap contractor to do the job and it was a bodge all along - discovered when my parents had paid extra for their driveway to be done at the same time and it all ended up peeling off

I think unless something has been done by consultation and agreement then no person can be forced to pay anything

Id tell the CFs to do one!

MugginsOverEre · 27/09/2022 09:53

Tontostitis · 27/09/2022 06:40

I'm sorry but that's a bargain. They've approached it badly but they are doing a good thing I'd offer to pay monthly if I couldn't afford it but I think you are lucky they are sorting the road at no hassle to you. Thus will improve your standard of living and the value of your house. You don't need to pay it in one go but you'd be a total arse to leave this cost down to them.

Did you miss the bit where the tarmac is only in front of that neighbour's property. For all we know they could be first or second in line on the street. Why would OP want to pay for someone else's tarmac road that ends as she passes their property?

T1Dmama · 27/09/2022 12:18

Don’t pay
as you’ve said, there was no discussion, no quotes, no agreement and no
contract.
he’s fixed the road outside his own property, that’s his choice, he legally has to give you access but it’s not your responsibility!

Farhi · 27/09/2022 14:20

Oh my goodness me, I'd first speak to the rest of the neighbours. I'm sure they also have a problem with paying. It all sounds suspicious to me.

Bekindnotarsey · 27/09/2022 15:08

Ok so…

You did not sign anything, so there is no contract between yourselves, the neighbours.

No solicitors involved

No quotes, correspondence from the tarmac men.

So do not involve yourself in any discussions with anyone inc neighbours

The biggie here no contract between the tarmac boss and you..

Thats all that matters, no contract, no case to answer to. So put your feet up, have a cuppa, and refuse entry to these people, and if anything nasty should happen, remember to speak through a window, and tape all conversations.

bubmut · 27/09/2022 15:29

I agree... they are having a giraffe !! You had no choice or weren't allowed to make any decisions. They made the decision so they should pay...they said you don't have to ......YOU DON'T.....it's their choice, don't pay, you can still be polite and say thank you for their offer not to pay and current circumstances etc.....but, no , don't pay!

bringbackveronicamars · 27/09/2022 16:17

Tontostitis · 27/09/2022 06:40

I'm sorry but that's a bargain. They've approached it badly but they are doing a good thing I'd offer to pay monthly if I couldn't afford it but I think you are lucky they are sorting the road at no hassle to you. Thus will improve your standard of living and the value of your house. You don't need to pay it in one go but you'd be a total arse to leave this cost down to them.

Are you the neighbour?

They weren't doing a 'good thing', they were fixing the drive in front of their own home, whether it was truly needed or not, and are now trying to get everyone else to pay for it without discussion re costs, fair bids, what work was necessary, and who benefits from it.

BoredZelda · 29/09/2022 00:07

Something isn't adding up. 8k would get you about 55m of a standard 4.5m wide access road, but you say they have done the bit just in front of their house.

Furries · 29/09/2022 01:59

Tontostitis · 27/09/2022 06:40

I'm sorry but that's a bargain. They've approached it badly but they are doing a good thing I'd offer to pay monthly if I couldn't afford it but I think you are lucky they are sorting the road at no hassle to you. Thus will improve your standard of living and the value of your house. You don't need to pay it in one go but you'd be a total arse to leave this cost down to them.

Erm, are you high on tarmac fumes?!

They haven’t “sorted out the road at no hassle”. They’ve done the stretch in front of their house. Please explain how that will improve the OP’s standard of living and the value of their house.

If that happened to you, would you be happy to hand over £1k?

EVEN if they’d had the whole road done (and therefore “benefitting the whole road’s well-being 🤣) they should have had at least 3 quotes and gained the agreement of all households. Otherwise any CF could collude with dodgy trades to just randomly book work and share the proceeds.

Would YOU be happy to receive this bill, given there would be no benefit to you?

menopausalbloat · 29/09/2022 16:31

Just nope.

DahliaDreamer · 29/09/2022 16:49

Sod that. Don't let them bully you. Try your home insurance legal helpline, I did when a similar situation happened to me and they were very helpful.

BirdinaHedge · 29/09/2022 17:46

They ended up only tarmacking the part in front of their house, although we drive over this to access our house

So there is some justification for them to ask all the people on the road to contribute. And you do have an obligation to contribute.

But they've gone about it the wrong way, as PP point out.

scaredoff · 29/09/2022 17:47

I don't understand why this is even a question, let alone why you are worried about it. I would just laugh at them and forget about it.

Mfsf · 29/09/2022 18:22

You have no legal obligation to pay that bill , you had no say in it or agreed to it or been liable to the cost . Stop worrying and be honest . Tell him sorry but we cannot afford it and had we been consulted we would have told you to wait

Cakeorchocolate · 29/09/2022 18:48

You've said they said there's no obligation to pay. So surely it's a simple just don't pay in this situation.

If they speak to you about it, then explain you can't afford it and no information was provided about quotes or alternative options to be able to find something agreeable to all parties affected.

Serenitymummy · 29/09/2022 19:32

Get, and I cannot express this enough, fu**ed.

Affyhuss · 29/09/2022 22:00

No you are giving bad advice they only tarmaced thier side of the road so why should the neighbours pay

New posts on this thread. Refresh page