Shared driveways, private roads & allotments

lb364

Hi all,

Considering an offer on a house that has a shared driveway with separate garages at the end, allotments behind the garden and is on a private road. Are these featured likely to cause problems?

I've been told private roads mean the house owners have to pay their own repairs on the road surface - is this true and likely to be costly?

Are the allotments likely to be built on in the future and what would the limitations on the plans be?

Has anyone had issues with the upkeep or usage of a shared driveway?

Thanks

Niv

I have had a shared driveway in the past and it has caused some agro. I lived in the middle of a row of four houses. The house at the end where the driveway started did not have use fo the driveway (they had their own), the next house up had a parking space round the back of their house so they also did not have use of the driveway. However, both used to park on the shared section of driveway on teh section close to their house. Quite frustrating as this was 1, not their driveway in any way and 2, blocked the end of the driveway where the individual spaces were (for those who had the right to them ofc).

It was more an annoyance than anything else. But thought it was worth mentioning.

Niv

SuzieSue

My ex had a shared driveway with a row of garages next to the block of flats where he lived after we split up. After he moved in he found that one of the other flat owners parked his car in front of my ex's garage and refused to move it because he said he had always done so. My ex could access his garage on foot, but wasn't able to park his car in his garage. I don't know what happened in the end because I lost touch with him.

G_M

lb364 wrote: »

Hi all,

Considering an offer on a house that has a shared driveway with separate garages at the end, allotments behind the garden and is on a private road. Are these featured likely to cause problems?
Maybe but not necessarily
I've been told private roads mean the house owners have to pay their own repairs on the road surface - is this true Maybe but not necessarily - read the relevant Title documentsand likely to be costly? To completely re-surface in Tarmac, yes. To maintain by filling potholes once every few years, no. What condition is it in? How is it constructed? What work is likely to be needed?

Are the allotments likely to be built on in the future and what would the limitations on the plans be?
probobly far less likely than manu other open spaces -go and talk to the Planners at the council
Has anyone had issues with the upkeep or usage of a shared driveway?

Thanks

Before reading other posters horror stories (of course some people have problems) and panickng, go and talk to the neighbours! In many cases these set-ups work perfectly amicably. In some, not.Much depends on those involved.

shackalak

I've lived in a house with a shared driveway for the last 16 years. We are in the bottom corner of a cul-de-sac and a public right of way runs a meter wide down the length of our shared drive.

When we are on good terms with the neighbours we have no issues although we have had some nightmares. The neighbours ran a double glazing business from their garage and wern't that tidy with their rubbish and glass. I always dreaded someone walking down the public right of way and cutting themselves on glass. It caused no end of arguaments as they also used to leave their rubbish on our side of the public right of way. Sometimes it was so bad, it looked like the clampits lived there. Their van used to be so heavy, it was always breaking the flags on the drive. They ended up closing the business due to the recession and we haven't really had any major problems since.

Parking has always been a bit of a nightmare as we both have to park our cars at a certain angle on the street so we can access our own garages.

On the positive side, as we live in the corner of a cul-de-sac, we have a decent size garden at the back and side of the house and the house in a location we love, so we're willing to put up with the shared drive for the other benefits.

C_Mababejive

No..my dream is to live in a detached home as far away as i can afford..from any neighbours as i am sick to death of the selfishness and inconsiderate behaviours of others. I would never ever buy a shared anything..

Yorkie1

You will need to find out whether the allotments are private land, informal council plots, or statutory plots. The latter have much more protection against being developed than the others.

Bluemeanie_2

C_Mababejive wrote: »

No..my dream is to live in a detached home as far away as i can afford..from any neighbours as i am sick to death of the selfishness and inconsiderate behaviours of others. I would never ever buy a shared anything..

Seconded. I would avoid completely at all costs. It is all well and good while you have a decent set of people living there, it only takes one set of neighbours to change and you have constant legal battles on your hands sorting out civil disputes, suing people for their "share" of maintaining the road etc.
I deal with no end of terraced properties with shared alleyways and you wouldn't believe how much even a thin alleyway (I believe some parts of the country use the term "ginnell") cause. One person will fly tip in the alleyway and it desn't go down very well when we tell the person it is their land and they are jointly and severably responsible for maintaining it! Even owner/occupiers seem to think they are not responsible. When I say you need to go back to your solicitor who processed the paperwork if they did not tell you you were responsible, they seem to go "oh yeah I do remember the solicitor saying something about it". Same when they need any maintenence such as resurfacing.

Strapped

Shared driveway... * shudder * NEVER again.

lb364

Thanks for all the responses, definitely some things to consider!

How can I find out what kind of allotment plots they are?

NeverAgain_2

First step with the allotments would be to ask the local authority if they know about or own them.