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YoungBlueEyes
Posts: 4,046 Forumite
I have a strange question. It sounds like a good thing in principle, but it's niggling me and I can't articulate why. I'm keen to hear your thoughts please.
I've (nearly) bought a terrace house. It's a row of 6, and I'm buying the fifth one. There is a pathway from the pavement at the side of no 1 that then runs across the back of the houses and out again at no 6 where it meets the pavement again. (I hope that makes sense!)
My house would be the fifth one. So in theory only the lady at no 4 would pass my kitchen window, as the first 3 would turn left to go round the back and not come past me.
The people in no 6 have put up a pair of bloody big solid wood gates and keep it locked all the time, so no-one can wander in off the street (from 'our end' at least). The gates are half way down the length of their house so they've effectively created themselves a parking space and keep their car on it.
I know this because I was down there the other day and the lady at no 4 told me. She said she loves it because it makes her feel safe in her garden knowing no-one can poddle round off the street as all the connecting gates along the shared access are locked. "But what if I want to come through with big garden furniture or something? Do we all get a key?" "No we don't do that, but if we need to come through then Mr 6 will open up and help us with whatever. They also collect up our bins (4 5 + 6) and take them to the pavement for the binmen. Saves us a job
And in return they get a free parking space."
So it sounds like a good thing - no-one wandering round, a bit more security, I wouldn't have to worry about leaving my back door or windows open, or strangers wandering through when I'm only in my dressing gown and hanging out the washing etc.
So why is this niggling me...?
I've (nearly) bought a terrace house. It's a row of 6, and I'm buying the fifth one. There is a pathway from the pavement at the side of no 1 that then runs across the back of the houses and out again at no 6 where it meets the pavement again. (I hope that makes sense!)
My house would be the fifth one. So in theory only the lady at no 4 would pass my kitchen window, as the first 3 would turn left to go round the back and not come past me.
The people in no 6 have put up a pair of bloody big solid wood gates and keep it locked all the time, so no-one can wander in off the street (from 'our end' at least). The gates are half way down the length of their house so they've effectively created themselves a parking space and keep their car on it.
I know this because I was down there the other day and the lady at no 4 told me. She said she loves it because it makes her feel safe in her garden knowing no-one can poddle round off the street as all the connecting gates along the shared access are locked. "But what if I want to come through with big garden furniture or something? Do we all get a key?" "No we don't do that, but if we need to come through then Mr 6 will open up and help us with whatever. They also collect up our bins (4 5 + 6) and take them to the pavement for the binmen. Saves us a job
And in return they get a free parking space."So it sounds like a good thing - no-one wandering round, a bit more security, I wouldn't have to worry about leaving my back door or windows open, or strangers wandering through when I'm only in my dressing gown and hanging out the washing etc.
So why is this niggling me...?
The second man to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Bobby Leach, survived the fall but later died as a result of slipping on a piece of orange peel.
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Comments
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My house has this sort of set up.
If they don't own the land (in mine the alley way is not owned by the houses in question) they have no right to block it off.
The issue is, if House 1 decides to do the same thing on the other end your access is totally blocked. They're effectively saying, we're claiming our bit, you lot put up with the shared access from the other end unless we graciously agree to let you through. What if they move and the new people are less co-operative?
It doesn't make your house any more secure because people can still wander along from the other end have a look, then go back again.
Whether anyone has the will or the means to complain is different issue. Are they trying to do an adverse permission land grab?All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
Pedant alert - it's could have, not could of.0 -
Is the pathway some sort of right of way? What do your deeds say about access?
It sounds as though the people at no 6 have pinched the pathway for their own use!0 -
You should discuss this with your solicitor.
That's what you're paying them for.
But in reality, the most important thing is to be polite, use common sense and get to know your neighbours.0 -
What if they move and the next owners are less accommodating?0
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@Elsien People can't wander in as everyone has put locks on their garden gates so there's no access into any gardens from either end of the street. Good point about new neighbours being a possible PITA though... I was thinking more about maintainance costs tbh, I wish I'd thought to ask no4 that. She did say that everyone else was quite happy with it, and it'd been like that for a few years. Yeah it could be a land grab type affair.
@Wicked Lady it's not a ROW, it's shared access. I haven't seen the deeds yet, I've a meeting with my solic on Friday cos my searches are done so I'll raise it with him then. I don't even know if it's possibly council land... I've no experience of shared access.... This is one of my compromises as my budget is small
The second man to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Bobby Leach, survived the fall but later died as a result of slipping on a piece of orange peel.0 -
My first thoughts were for your bins - that's what these paths etc are generally for along with gardening equipment and so on...
One main point would be fire safety... I have no idea how big or small the garden areas are or where any fire assembly point (if any) may be. But if there's anyone in the houses involved with mobility issues, the last thing they would need is for their escape route to be blocked like that, nobody wants to wait for someone else to unlock a barrier in that situation.
It could seem like an extreme situation, and hopefully a very unlikely one. If it's been this way for years I assume there is no factors for the properties?0 -
My first thoughts were for your bins - that's what these paths etc are generally for along with gardening equipment and so on...
One main point would be fire safety... I have no idea how big or small the garden areas are or where any fire assembly point (if any) may be. But if there's anyone in the houses involved with mobility issues, the last thing they would need is for their escape route to be blocked like that, nobody wants to wait for someone else to unlock a barrier in that situation.
It could seem like an extreme situation, and hopefully a very unlikely one. If it's been this way for years I assume there is no factors for the properties?
Lots of terraced houses have back to back gardens with no rear access at all. I've never seen it raised as a fire issue. The fire brigade would probably just go through the neighbouring gardens / houses etc.
Or they'd just knock the gate down.0 -
I don't know about factors... I'll ask solic on Friday.
The garden is an ok size. From memory it's something like 40' long by maybe 12' wide. Enough room to get away from a fire if I couldn't get out the front door The second man to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, Bobby Leach, survived the fall but later died as a result of slipping on a piece of orange peel.0 -
When I owned a terraced house with shared access, the deeds specifically stated which houses had ROW across the driveway and in which capacity ie. No 50 could pass over No 54's driveway (by foot & motor carriage etc etc.) and 52's garden, No 52 could pass over No 54's Driveway and so on....0
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YoungBlueEyes wrote: »I don't know about factors... I'll ask solic on Friday.
The garden is an ok size. From memory it's something like 40' long by maybe 12' wide. Enough room to get away from a fire if I couldn't get out the front door
I think it's also about the fire fighters getting the ladders and hoses to the rear of the property.0
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