Wheelie bin eyesore. Help!

rosturra

I have a problem with neighbour leaving bins outside my house all week, but it's complicated as it's not on public highway.

Long story short, 10 years ago we sold part of our front garden to neighbour. This was to give neighbour an off street parking place, and direct access to highway. Previously landlocked.

Sale was land sale, but only ever intended to be a parking space. We arranged dropped kerb & laid gravel before sale. The parking space long side is adjacent to our property, one short side abuts their property, the other the public highway. Our front gate also opens onto the parking space. We need access across drive to get onto highway.

Sale was before wheelie bins came in, and to be honest we didn't even contemplate putting a restrictive covenant to explicitly exclude bins from being left there.

Whereas we did restrict access to single car/van, no lorry/trailer. No buildings etc.

We had no problems with original neighbour, who used to bring bins into garden. But house recently sold.

New neighbour obviously wants to use the front garden to sit in. Has installed ornaments, bench, pot plants etc, and evidently doesn't want to sit next to bins, or now has no room for bin storage.

So she leaves bins out on parking space all week. This is alongside our fence and entrance gate. So anyone viewing our property from front gets an eyeful of 2 wheelie bins. Looks a bit chavvy. Wife is really upset at this.

So question one. Is neighbour being unreasonable? Are bins an eyesore? Is it neighbourly to leave them out all week? Outside someone else's property, even if she has the legal right to do so.

Or are we being petty? We should suck it up, not worth the risk of having bad relationship with neighbour.

Just want a consensus. Would be reassured by the thought that we were morally right, before we consider approaching her.


Question two. I've had a look at the transfer agreement to see if we are saved by the small print. Found these provisions:

“Not to sell the parking space separate to owner's property…”

“Not to build on the parking space and keep the same as such for the purpose of parking one vehicle.”

These ( and other provisions) seem to identify the land in question as a parking place, as opposed to just a piece of land e.g. to extend a garden.

Any legal beavers here? Or suggest another suitable site for asking this.

Does 'to keep same for the purpose of parking’ mean solely for the use of parking? As opposed to other uses, such as bin storage?

Or am I clutching at straws? Would I need the word "solely" or "exclusively" to be enforceable?

Again don't really want to go down the legal route. (Expense, neighbour relationships etc) But would be nice to know I had this as an option.

I would send a photo link, but don't want neighbour to know. Sods law would be a friend recognises it and tells her!

philatio

are we being petty?

I think you've answered your own question.

PasturesNew

Their land I'm afraid. If you wanted to restrict the use of the land to prevent potential eyesores and nuisances, you should've written that into the original sale.

His choice to sit on his land like a chav, taking in the view and watching the sunset over the top of his festering bins while necking Stella.

All you can do is set fire to them when he's not looking, or try to speak with him about it and see if he's open to any form of compromise.

Tip: Don't point out he's a scummy peasant chav bringing down the property values in the street.... they get a bit irked when you do that.

DoaM

This might be better on The House Buying, Renting & Selling Board.

agrinnall

Be glad you don't live in Birmingham, nearly all the houses in my street have at least 1 bin outside at the moment (reduced from 2 or 3 because they finally collected general waste and recycling last week) and some areas without bins have large piles of festering garbage sacks complete with rat infestations.

BorisThomson

PasturesNew wrote: »

Their land I'm afraid. If you wanted to restrict the use of the land to prevent potential eyesores and nuisances, you should've written that into the original sale.

His choice to sit on his land like a chav, taking in the view and watching the sunset over the top of his festering bins while necking Stella.

All you can do is set fire to them when he's not looking, or try to speak with him about it and see if he's open to any form of compromise.

Tip: Don't point out he's a scummy peasant chav bringing down the property values in the street.... they get a bit irked when you do that.

You've misread the OP. The neighbour does not want the bins in the garden, hence why they are on the driveway.

As for the rest of your post, it's sounds like you've been on the ale!

hollydays

I can only think of one possible solution , and I'm not sure it will work.
You can buy wicker screens or similar to go round wheely bins. You could Order two sets , and fib to your neighbour that you ordered one but accidentally got two, and would he like the spare one for his bins?
It's possible he'll get the hump at your suggestion his bins need hiding but I don't see what other option you've got.
If your wife or you has already shown disapproval this definitely won't work.
You can't make him move them .
https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/chairworks/product/wheelie-bin-screen-double?istCompanyId=aa76f5e6-d733-4e56-8409-574cea196cc9&istItemId=xmxmtxqmaq&istBid=t&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI26XKyt3F1QIVBLftCh1DpATnEAQYBiABEgLqF_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CP7q2uLdxdUCFcQB0wodotAInA

I lived in a village where one house had their front garden full of car parts and scrap, think yourself lucky.

ssparks2003

Their bins, their drive, their choice.

elsien

PasturesNew wrote: »

Their land I'm afraid. If you wanted to restrict the use of the land to prevent potential eyesores and nuisances, you should've written that into the original sale.

His choice to sit on his land like a chav, taking in the view and watching the sunset over the top of his festering bins while necking Stella.

All you can do is set fire to them when he's not looking, or try to speak with him about it and see if he's open to any form of compromise.

Tip: Don't point out he's a scummy peasant chav bringing down the property values in the street.... they get a bit irked when you do that.

How does wanting to do up and sit in your front garden watching the world go by make you a chav? Surely it's better than a rat infested wilderness populated with old fridges, which is the other end of the spectrum.

OP I live in an area of terraces where many people have the bins out the front of the houses. Parent lives in a much more well to do area where many bins live on the front drive because people have built utility rooms over what used to be the access to the back garden.
I am failing to see your issue.

hollydays

elsien wrote: »

How does wanting to do up and sit in your front garden watching the world go by make you a chav? Surely it's better than a rat infested wilderness populated with old fridges, which is the other end of the spectrum.

OP I live in an area of terraces where many people have the bins out the front of the houses. Parent lives in a much more well to do area where many bins live on the front drive because people have built utility rooms over what used to be the access to the back garden.
I am failing to see your issue.

I see the ops issue, they think it looks scruffy. It tend to agree it's not a great look, but there's still not a lot they can do.

DoaM

ssparks2003 wrote: »

Their bins, their drive, their choice.

Not necessarily ...

rosturra wrote: »

Question two. I've had a look at the transfer agreement to see if we are saved by the small print. Found these provisions:

“Not to sell the parking space separate to owner's property…”

“Not to build on the parking space and keep the same as such for the purpose of parking one vehicle.”

To my mind the OP has a valid claim - if a car can't be parked there because of the bins. Enforcing it however is a different matter.