Neighbour doing 'homers on cars' ... Insurance query

GD366

Hello,

I’m in the process of gathering facts before I speak with my neighbour.    We get on fine, and I intend to keep it that way.

However, he’s a young lad, who works full time as a mechanic.   He also decided to fix cars in a two bay parking space outside my property.   He’s not a registered business.  But I intend to get him to confirm if he has a) permission from the council to do this and b) has be any indemnity insurance.   (I expect, the answer is no.  But we will see, after I have garnered all the facts.

I am currently checking with the council, what the rules are for ‘running a business from home.’   I even had to tell them about myself…and I only have a laptop and printer for my business (and yes, told my home insurance people too I was working from home now…all covered).

My issue with the neighbour is the following (I’ll try to keep it brief)

• He’s running an uninsured business (potentially)
• He has no insurance should he damage my car or other cars
• He has no insurance to claim against for him and his visitors (which can be up to 5 or 6 a week) leaning and weakening my wooden fence, if it need replaced.   (Yes, I do remind him about this).  He also puts tires against it and puts his weight against the fence when jacking up (using a sizeable jack with a leverage handle).   So, the fence is becoming weak.
• He has never cleaned the area (again, despite being asked to) of general detritus and because he does oil changes and services, huge oil deposits.   These oil spills turn into oil slicks when it is raining.   Damaging the brick work and of course local pets walk through the puddles if there is no car there.  Plus I don’t want oily feet when I am getting into my own car.
• He has also, as my bin are closer dropped oily rags and bit of his work into mine (including half drunk coffee cups and food).   Again, asked not to do this.

I could go on…LOL.   I am going to speak with him about these issues and see if there is something I can do to help him become legal.  (like register as mobile mechanic and go fix cars at the customers houses.

I am awaiting call from the council to find out what the legal position is for me.   The road we live on is classified as a ‘adopted road’, no name, but still us under the road traffic act (so I’m told).

Should I also be informing my own home insurance that there is an uninsured/unregistered part time car mechanic business outside my house.   And should I also tell my car insurance people the same, in case my car gets damaged, by him working beside my car or him or his visitors/clients moving theirs (it can be tight)?

Even if it turns out he has insurance, should I tell my own insurance companies?

Any feedback would be helpful, as I just at the point of garnering my facts, before I speak with him in details.

Kind regards,

G

HansOndabush

Sounds like if you seriously want to sort this out then you will most likely cease 'getting on fine'.

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q621.htm

davidmcn

GD366 said:

I am currently checking with the council, what the rules are for ‘running a business from home.’   I even had to tell them about myself…and I only have a laptop and printer for my business (and yes, told my home insurance people too I was working from home now…all covered).

What made you think you "had to" tell the council or your insurers? Half the country is working from home - it's not an issue if all you're doing is tapping away on your laptop at your kitchen table.

GD366 said:

Should I also be informing my own home insurance that there is an uninsured/unregistered part time car mechanic business outside my house.   And should I also tell my car insurance people the same,

No. All you'd do is confuse the call centre monkeys. If they haven't asked a relevant question, you don't need to have a chat with them about it. They're already taking on the risk that somebody uninsured might damage your car or house.

theoretica

I think you have too many complaints there and too many stakeholders - which makes it easy for it to be 'someone else's problem'.  I would ask your local councillor what can possibly be done about the oil and pollution - if your area has elections coming up they should be very responsive.

TELLIT01

Running any business on the side of the road is unlikely to be permitted by the council.  If he can put all vehicles on his own drive to work on them it's more a question of whether or not permission is required from the council to do that.  In the current environment they make look more sympathetically on that aspect.  Pollution is another matter and council may well take action on that.

tommyedinburgh

GD366 said:

Hello,

I’m in the process of gathering facts before I speak with my neighbour.    We get on fine, and I intend to keep it that way.

However, he’s a young lad, who works full time as a mechanic.   He also decided to fix cars in a two bay parking space outside my property.   He’s not a registered business.  But I intend to get him to confirm if he has a) permission from the council to do this and b) has be any indemnity insurance.   (I expect, the answer is no.  But we will see, after I have garnered all the facts.

I am currently checking with the council, what the rules are for ‘running a business from home.’   I even had to tell them about myself…and I only have a laptop and printer for my business (and yes, told my home insurance people too I was working from home now…all covered).

My issue with the neighbour is the following (I’ll try to keep it brief)

• He’s running an uninsured business (potentially)
• He has no insurance should he damage my car or other cars
• He has no insurance to claim against for him and his visitors (which can be up to 5 or 6 a week) leaning and weakening my wooden fence, if it need replaced.   (Yes, I do remind him about this).  He also puts tires against it and puts his weight against the fence when jacking up (using a sizeable jack with a leverage handle).   So, the fence is becoming weak.
• He has never cleaned the area (again, despite being asked to) of general detritus and because he does oil changes and services, huge oil deposits.   These oil spills turn into oil slicks when it is raining.   Damaging the brick work and of course local pets walk through the puddles if there is no car there.  Plus I don’t want oily feet when I am getting into my own car.
• He has also, as my bin are closer dropped oily rags and bit of his work into mine (including half drunk coffee cups and food).   Again, asked not to do this.

I could go on…LOL.   I am going to speak with him about these issues and see if there is something I can do to help him become legal.  (like register as mobile mechanic and go fix cars at the customers houses.

I am awaiting call from the council to find out what the legal position is for me.   The road we live on is classified as a ‘adopted road’, no name, but still us under the road traffic act (so I’m told).

Should I also be informing my own home insurance that there is an uninsured/unregistered part time car mechanic business outside my house.   And should I also tell my car insurance people the same, in case my car gets damaged, by him working beside my car or him or his visitors/clients moving theirs (it can be tight)?

Even if it turns out he has insurance, should I tell my own insurance companies?

Any feedback would be helpful, as I just at the point of garnering my facts, before I speak with him in details.

Kind regards,

G

Try and find something else more positive to fill your thoughts and time with. As others have stated, he’s a young lad likely working hard to get a house deposit or the likes together. Cut him some slack and put a bit of work his way when your car needs repairs. 

GD366

Mickey666 said:

However, he’s a young lad, who works full time as a mechanic.   He also decided to fix cars in a two bay parking space outside my property.  

How about giving the young lad a break?

He has a full-time job and is also prepared to work in his own time to make additional income.  He might be saving hard for a deposit on a house.  Whatever the reason, he sounds like a hard-working lad trying hard to support himself.  Yes, he's bending the rules, but times are tough and it's hardly likely to be his permanent mode of working is it?

Maybe have a 'quiet word' and explain that he's taking a risk by working on a public road and that you wouldn't like to see him get into trouble (in a non-threatening way of course).  Ask him what his plans are.  He might only be doing a few cars for friends.

But actively reporting him to the council and/or police is a step too far I'd say - and is certainly not going to result in you remaining remaining 'on good terms'.

Oh joy,...yet another person not fulling reading the post before they reply (sigh).    I said I was collecting all the facts before I spoke with him....and that I wanted to help.   But I needed to know should I make my insurance companies aware....they might well be very cheesed off if I don't inform them a business (part time or otherwise is operating outside my property and I don't tell them.

Ditzy_Mitzy

How long has this been going on?  I ask because we had exactly the same 'issue' in our road.  The chap gave up after a few weeks, I assume because of the difficulties inherent in working on modern cars in the street without electricity, water and so on.  It doesn't seem to be a particularly viable business!  Perhaps give him a little time to see if he gives up of his own volition.  

GD366

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

How long has this been going on?  I ask because we had exactly the same 'issue' in our road.  The chap gave up after a few weeks, I assume because of the difficulties inherent in working on modern cars in the street without electricity, water and so on.  It doesn't seem to be a particularly viable business!  Perhaps give him a little time to see if he gives up of his own volition.  

Thanks Ditzy, it's been going on for about a year.  I didn't mind at first as it was the odd car.  I have spoken with him nicely in the past and even helped him, by giving him some materials to catch oils spills (but he's not used it) But its increasing and now causing issuing.   You would think from the others replying I was being a scrooge.  But I do want to help him....but has to be made aware of the implications of running a business and the protentional impacts it has on his other neighbours.    Where does the money come from when my buckling fence finally falls over after all his visitors and him leaning on it?    So, my post was just a fact gathering exercise, what I should do in terms of telling my insurance....but a few people here don't seem to have read it that way...LOL

Aretnap

You are only obliged to tell your insurer about things that they specifically ask you about. It's extremely unlikely that your insurer will have asked about whether your neighbours are repairing cars near your house (for profit or otherwise) - it certainly isn't one of the standard questions.

Sea_Shell

Why do you think you'd need to tell YOUR insurers about your neighbours?

I can't ever remember being asked what businesses my neighbours may be running from home.

If your worried about claiming for your fence, I'd suggest it would either result in a claim against your neighbour (if they caused the damage) or it could be deemed to be wear and tear, and the fence has just got wobbly over the years.

Maybe look into bolstering the fence.  Are the posts concreted in?