Dropped Kerb - unusual question

kiddy_guy

Hi all


My house and my next door neighbour are separated by a wall, but instead of having individual drop kerbs, the council installed many many years ago a double drop kerb.


Their parking is to the side of their house, so they just drive straight out.


Our parking is across the front of our small driveway, which means we have to park at 45 degrees, meaning when we reverse off the drive, we have to reverse out over the road space directly in front of their property . To be clear, this is marked with a white line in front of both properties to stop people parking over the drop kerb.


They occasionally park on their part of the drop kerb on the white line. As we need to back of at an angle, they are directly in the road space we need to reverse without causing a major difficulty.


Anyone got any thoughts. They seem nice people, and am happy to have the chat, but they've recently moved in and unbeknown to them they've done 4 or 5 things that have slightly annoyed me, all of which they could have prevented by being more communicative.


Where does the law sit in terms of blocking your own drop kerb, but at the same stage causing blocking to your neighbour inadvertently?

kirkbyinfurnesslad_2

Just have a talk to them about it rather then worrying about anything "lawful"

getmore4less

Just have the chat

can you reverse into the parking space should make it easier to get out.


even if thye parked a bit furthe back you still have road visiblity issues.

kiddy_guy

As I said, happy to have the conversation, but forewarned is forearmed.


If I actually knew the legal position beforehand that would be rather beneficial.


Just to add, if they park further back it is a lot easier to see backwards coming out at an angle. If they park "as is" I have to come out at 90 degrees onto an A road with the kids a sitting target if I make the wrong move.


It's also not possible to reverse into the space. There's insufficient space to reverse in without having to do a 5 point turn on an A road, which is impossible for various reasons.

System

If the A road is that busy then you should NOT be reversing out on to it without a banksman in any circumstance

This is a situation of not 'if' there is an accident but 'when'.

Iceweasel

I'm having difficulty to imagine/visualize a situation where you can drive in but not be able to reverse in.

You really shouldn't be reversing out into an A road at all.

Without seeing a Google street view I don't think we could advise more.

kiddy_guy

Wouldn't want to post Streetview without making it really obvious.


This A road has a 30mph limit on it with parking on one side. It's straight and clear enough to be able to reverse out IF you can see and IF you are reversing out at an angle.


I understand everyone's desire to look round the problem to try and help, but I'm really after the understanding of whether what they are doing is an offence under the RTA or not.


Thanks in advance.

Redx

the H bar for your driveway only protects that roadway space from being obstructed , the H bar in front of their driveway protects their driveway from being similarly obstructed

so if there are no parking restrictions and they are in front of their own driveway on their H bar then I dont see that you have any rights in this , due to the fact they are not obstructing your driveway (although I accept that you may not be able to get out if their car is in the way even if its legally parkedon the road in front of their driveway

its certainly a strange one , but I dont believe you have access to the road fronting their property and they are not obstructing your driveway or on your H bar

so inconvenient - yes , but possibly something only you can resolve by negotiation

Iceweasel

kiddy_guy wrote: »

Wouldn't want to post Streetview without making it really obvious.


This A road has a 30mph limit on it with parking on one side. It's straight and clear enough to be able to reverse out IF you can see and IF you are reversing out at an angle.


I understand everyone's desire to look round the problem to try and help, but I'm really after the understanding of whether what they are doing is an offence under the RTA or not.


Thanks in advance.

I agree about not posting a google street view - I never meant that you should and I apologize if you thought I was.

Lowered kerbs and white lines have no meaning in law at all - they are there to discourage people from parking.

Parking on a white line at a lowered kerb is not an offence in itself.

However blocking you in is - that would be a crime - but you are saying that it is possible to exit.

Parking and blocking your entry is not a crime and is of no concern to the police.

Daft as it may sound, you have an unassailable right to exit your property - but no rights at all to enter it.

I think you need a friendly chat with your neighbours and explain/show them the difficulty you are experiencing.

No need to mention laws, rights, or police at all - at this stage.

kiddy_guy

Thanks all.


It is really the issue of getting off that's the problem.


I do understand that it's not illegal, but it could be constituted as an offence that is either ticketable or towable, but that assumes that they are blocking tmy drive, when in fact, they are technically just blocking theirs.


As regards the H bar - as it's just 1 double drop kerb, it's one continuous H bar covering both drives.


I will discuss it with them, but I cannot believe they are so ignorant that they cannot realise what an issue it's causing.

comeandgo

What did your previous neighbours do?