"Joy" wrote in message
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"J J Levin" wrote in message
...
"Joy" wrote in message
. ..
"trubble" wrote in message
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On Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:47:01 -0000, "Christina Websell"
wrote:

They came round with a solution.
"We've decided that we will let you get your car out if you will agree
to
let us do this.. build a 6ft 1 wall in front of your kitchen window and
they
gave me something to sign.
I was quite kind and took their letter and said I might have have to
let a
solicitor see this.
I have been in touch with the council about having my own drop kerb and
when
I get this permission (which I will) I will do this so they cannot ever
block me in.



Rather than having the existing curb removed and replaced with a 'low
spot' you can drive your car over, would it be possible to simply have
some hot asphalt put down to make a short 'ramp'?

I've seen where this has been done, and if the existing curb isn't too
high, it does work very well, at a SMALL fraction of the cost of
removing the existing curb, etc.

I have bought bags of cold asphalt mix at a building supply store that
would work; they were 40 lb (18 KG). It's work to put it in, and
probably not as durable as hot asphalt, but probably would cost less
than $100, and only take a few hours to put into place, at most.

If it was me, I would just DO this. But, I live in America, where the
local government would probably THANK me.

The same America where performing any sort of construction on one's
property without a permit can get one into trouble with the law? Where
the streets are public property, and extending a ramp out into the
street is almost certainly illegal?

Joy


No, you would not want to build on your own property without a permit.
(1) It can cause damages to your property that of your neighbors as well
as your person or family if the builder does not have the proper license
and insurance. Digging in the wrong area can zap an underground electric
grid -- don't we all love blackouts -- or hit a water main which can
flood the neighborhood. Your neighbors will be ever so grateful (and YOU
have to pay for the repairs). (2) If you build a wall improperly, and
later sell the house and the wall collapses on the next tenant and kills
his child, you might face civil and/or criminal prosecution; (3) Imagine
if I did not ask for a permit but added a shiny new hammered bronze roof
to my house, and when the sun hit my roof the entire neighborhood would
be blinded by the glare from my new shiny roof. I'm sure you'd then thank
those people who require permits and detailed construction plans before
allowing you to build on your own properrty.

This is also the same America where "easements" exist. We lived in a
house where my neighbor was landlocked, and had no driveway out into the
street. My deed said that an "easemaent " had been created many years
ago, whereby I had to let him use my driveway in order to drive from his
driveway onto the street. We always had nice neighbors, and it would not
occur to me to block them any more than it would occur to them to build a
wall next to my kitchen window.

I wonder if the law in your country does not mandate that the neighbors
need to allow you to leave your property if their property somehow blocks
yours. Certainly in the US if they blocked you, I think you could file
charges for illegal detention, interfering with your right to drive to
work, etc.

Have you consulted a lawyer? Sometimes it's expensive but can solve a lot
of problems.

Jay

My country is the US, and I am not the person with the problem.

Joy


I am aware. I'm sorry, I should have made it clear that my suggestion
regarding a lawyer was intended for the person with the problem, who
apparently does not reside in the US. My comments re the need for building
permits was really a defense of the need for permits and proper licenses to
build. I once paid $300.00 for a town permit to permit me to upgrade the
electrical system in my old house. I was not pleased, it's a lot of money,
but the electrician who obtained the permit, and gave me a bill saying it
was done according to code, did absolutely the correct thing to protect
himself and myself. I apologize for the confusion.

Jay