Why is it that when we buy a property we only pay for the actual area of the plot and not the land outside our house? Simple, it does not belong to us and is common to all the people.
However, In reality, it’s not that simple. Some of us follow the thought process of ‘what is ours, is strictly ours and what we’ve not owned by us within our vicinity is also ours!!’ This ladies and gentlemen, is the basis of most neighbourhood fights and court cases, we all are witnessing these days. To add to the problem, we do not have any specific notifications or laws to support this to date.
Capturing Spaces
When it comes to Parking, for example, the only guideline I could find was that you cannot park a vehicle outside somebody’s house in front of their gate hampering their movement, other than that nothing.
Sushant Lok Residents use all sorts of tactics to ‘Reserve’ the space outside their homes or across. From adding cones to chains to tactfully placing Gamlas, some of us have shown quite the creativity. Not only that, empty plots are being used to park cars and suddenly the right to park in these spaces has gone to the homeowners next to it.
Another interesting fact that I came across was how PG owners are charging their tenants a fee for using the stilt parking. As a result, no one buys the space and then goes and parks their vehicles in front of other homes, creating an altercation with neighbours.
I remember a resident in A Block was sold their property under the pretext that the fountain in the lawns across is theirs. One day the lady asked Mali to turn on the fountain only to realise that it’s a community feature and not her personal fountain!
High Ramps & Blocked Drains
Another big issue is building huge high ramps outside on the public road which is only 7 to 12 meters wide and making the road less and less wider. Ramps should be street level and ideally shouldn’t be made; however it has become a regular practice for homeowners to build huge ramps and cover the side ditches completely and in the event of overflow of these Naalis nothing can be done and stagnant water creates diseases.
Each day newspapers are screaming of cases that have neighbourhood enmity verbal fights and sometimes physical attacks too. People block common areas with chains, plants, hedges and flooring to put their vehicles or their garden chairs etc..
Authorities need to make new notifications and guidelines to manage this multi-level living in the metros at least and we as neighbours should have more compassion for another one. Instead of going out with each other on WhatsApp groups, probably a “Please” would be a good start.
