Neighbour selling scrap metal

anewman

Ok not sure where to post this, but this board seems somewhat relevant to the subject. I'm just a little irked that a neighbour continually has a dodgy looking truck with the words "scrap metal" parking around the back to load a sizeable quantity of scrap metal items, ranging from laundry airers to washing machines. When this is here it blocks in all our cars, and they once told a builder who visited us that they would be 10 minutes and blocked him in for what was probably 20 minutes. It appears that the neighbour goes around the local area, possibly in skips etc, collecting scrap metal and presumably fill their garden up with it (due to the arrangement of the properties and walls etc it is not possible to see into the garden). Just followed one in scraping his truck all up the side of the wall. The other annoyance is when they throw scrap metal items over the wall in order to load the truck, and my car is parked there so any screws etc on the ground or flying objects would probably cause damage.

Well clearly they're doing this for a bit of money, understandable in today's climate. However, my understanding was that it was against the law to trade in scrap metal without some kind of waste disposal license. For example http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/index.aspx?articleid=5213 and http://www.kentnews.co.uk/p_363/Mobile_Article/a_7846/Illegal_scrap_metal_merchant_ordered_to_pay_%C2%A3500

It could even be the case that both the neighbour and the driver of the truck are operating illegally?

If this is illegal does anyone know the best way to go about reporting it?

PlutoinCapricorn

Many people come on MSE asking about the legalities of running a business from home. Many worry unnecessarily, as what they are doing does not affect anyone else. However, there are some problem areas.

A major factor is possible nuisance to the neighbours: and it seems that you are being affected. Perhaps your local council can help. Also, is the neighbour a tenant? The landlord may have rules about running a business. Have you googled the Postcode to see if anything is being advertised? This could be evidence. Is this a totally residential area?

newsseller12

All your neighbour needs is to register as a scrap merchant with your local council which is free and he must have a waste carriers license which is issued by the enviroment agency which costs £150 and is valid for 3 years.

colino

Complain to your LA long and hard. They would never in a million years allow the change of use on the premises required and the licences needed to run a scrappy from a residential street. Too many guys like this operating on the wrong side of the law taking money out the pockets of legit traders.

skint-student-nurse

OP, you are not located in the south west are you??? Your story seems very familiar to a situation that is happening where i live, and the frustrating bit is that they are going around saying that they are the council scrap collectors!

lincroft1710

I'm certain both Environmental Health and HMRC would be interested in your neighbour's activities.

luplou

I think if its actually affecting you, you should go have a word and see if you can sort out something amicably with regards to the nuisance of screws and scraping walls etc as I am sure they will appreciate you confronting them rather than going behind their back but as far as running a business from home, why are you reporting them? What they get up to on there property doesn't concern you. People should really keep themselves to themselves and find something to do with their time rather than prying into other peoples lives.

duchy

What utter rubbish luplou-residential homes are just that (NOT commercial premises) -as another poster said councils don't allow businesses to operate from anywhere -by your reckoning-I could set up a business involving drilling in my front room-directly against the ajoining wall to your home and run the drill for 24 hours a day. People are entitled to "quiet enjoyment" of their homes without the greedy and money obsessed wrecking it without any comeback.

luplou

Hes collecting a bit of scrap on his truck not sawing in the garden from dawn till dusk. I think your post is a bit ott! The fact its on his own premises and out of sight as the op said "due to the arrangement of the properties and walls etc it is not possible to see into the garden ". The probability is its not there for long as he probably 'weighs it in' the next day and it doesn't concern the op what he puts in his garden. Is it my business what you put in yours??? If hes out earning a living and its not through theft or deceit, why should he be penalised. Would it be better if he were down the job centre claiming benefits instead?

geordie_joe

duchy wrote: »

What utter rubbish luplou-residential homes are just that (NOT commercial premises)

Actually it is you who is talking utter rubbish. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands of people who run businesses from their home.

duchy wrote: »

-as another poster said councils don't allow businesses to operate from anywhere

Actually they do. Many people run their business from home, in my town the council have sold off two public toilets to be used as business premises. One is now a barbers and the other a fast food outlet.

duchy wrote: »

-by your reckoning-I could set up a business involving drilling in my front room-directly against the ajoining wall to your home and run the drill for 24 hours a day.

You can do that if you want to, but you'd have to work out a way to make money from drilling your own wall, and to prevent it disturbing the neighbours.

duchy wrote: »

People are entitled to "quiet enjoyment" of their homes without the greedy and money obsessed wrecking it without any comeback.

This is the point, you can run a business from your own home, but you can't disturb the neighbours too much.

The neighbour may or may not be running a legit business, I don't know the answer to that. But if he is disturbing the neighbours then they can complain and try to get him stopped. But telling the council he is running a business from his home isn't enough.

Unless the business isn't legit, and he's not paying his taxes. Then a word in the right ear will be enough.

moonrakerz

geordie_joe wrote: »

in my town the council have sold off two public toilets to be used as business premises. One is now .............. a fast food outlet.

I think I've eaten there - NEVER again !!