Think my new neighbour is selling cars from his drive. Can he do this?

Kit1

New neighbour moved in a week last Friday and within 2 days he had crammed 2 transits and 3 cars on his small drive. One transit is right up against my side fence and he jumps down onto my drive when he moves it which is almost every day so he can squeeze a smaller car behind it again next to my fence (no idea how he gets out his side). Then he moves transit when partner gets home and moves car somewhere for it to appear a few days later and within an hour or so someone is here looking at it. Then that one disappears to be replaced by another and the saga begins again.

Last Thursday about 10pm a car loader arrived and dropped of another car. Which in the morning was moved behind transit and then at the weekend he brought moved the transit so he could move the car and when partner arrived she got back in her within minutes of arriving home and sat at the top of the drive for ages waiting to get out but the road was clear, looked out and there was a police car opposite talking to someone. They waited a good 5/10 mins for the policeman to go before they left the drive.

Sunday another car appeared and yesterday morning l heard loud voices outside and when l looked out he was talking to someone and they were standing on my drive. Later when l checked our CCTV they didn't just stand on our drive talking the person almost sat on my car which is reversed off the drive in an area we have made in our garden so our other car isn't taking room on our drive so visitors can park taking photos of the car and a little later another loader arrived and took the car away. Later on another car arrived which is parked on the drive. They have 3 vehicles in a row on their drive with hardly any room to get between them. She just got out of her car on my drive and walked up and down trying to work out where she can squeeze by. Home 5 mins and did the same to get back in her car.

The car on the drive at the moment isn't taxed and l can only guess the others weren't either - wouldn't need to wait for the police car to move if it was.

Does anyone know if they can sell this many cars from their drive? If they are selling a few a week then this is a business and my title deeds tell me l can't operate a business like this from my home. I have lived here over 25 years, so have things changed?

Never had a problem with neighbours before but guess that is about to change.
My OH spoke to them the day after they moved in and before the first car arrived and asked 'If they were all moved in' Man almost ignored him but the woman eventually spoke and said 'They were so pleased to have moved to a really nice area'. Didn't take them long to change that with 5/6 cars on their drive and only 2 of them living there. We live on a main road and no-one else has this many cars crammed on their drive. It's only a small semi.

Mark_d

Your neighbour would need planning permission if he is running a business as you suggest.

WIAWSNB

And to conform with all the other requirements of being a trader.
Check Autotrader, eBay etc for vehicles for sale at your postcode.

DrDeejUK

I suspect not. He'd need some sort of public liability insurance. 

MyRealNameToo

DrDeejUK said:

I suspect not. He'd need some sort of public liability insurance. 

And you know they dont have public liability insurance how? There is no legal requirement for them to have it by the way. 


There are a range of insurance intermediaries that sell Motor Trade policies that actively encourage people to set up a home based business selling cars but do warn of potential neighbour complaints and the small amount of storage you'll have on your driveway. Most do state to "check with your council" but little else. 

They may need change of use via the local planning office but not necessarily, based on Peake v Secretary of State for Wales [1971] there are various cases of planning officers stating that low key sales from home dont materially change the character of the home from a private residence. 

I've never gotten my head around covenants on deeds and who has the right to enforce them, someone may step in and confirm but just because your deeds say so doesnt automatically mean theirs say no business. 

singhini

@Kit1

i thought someone could sell upto 6 cars a year before being considered a trader. However a quick search of the internet it suggests its 12 cars.

https://www.themotorworks.org/blog/how-many-cars-can-you-sell-in-a-year-uk#:~:text=The Significance of the 12-Car Rule&text=This rule stipulates that if,for operating outside the regulations.

Nobbie1967

singhini said:

@Kit1

i thought someone could sell upto 6 cars a year before being considered a trader. However a quick search of the internet it suggests its 12 cars.

https://www.themotorworks.org/blog/how-many-cars-can-you-sell-in-a-year-uk#:~:text=The Significance of the 12-Car Rule&text=This rule stipulates that if,for operating outside the regulations.

There is no 6 or 12 car rule. If you buy and sell cars for profit you are a trader whether you sell 2 or 2 hundred. That article reads like AI generated slop.

outtatune

Are they renting? If so notify the landlord; the tenancy agreement will probably have something about running a business from the property.

Kit1

singhini said:

@Kit1

i thought someone could sell upto 6 cars a year before being considered a trader. However a quick search of the internet it suggests its 12 cars.

https://www.themotorworks.org/blog/how-many-cars-can-you-sell-in-a-year-uk#:~:text=The Significance of the 12-Car Rule&text=This rule stipulates that if,for operating outside the regulations.

Thank you for the info.
They have been here less than a week and about 5/6 different cars have come and gone. One sold the day after they moved in, another the next day then gone, followed by another come and go, one late Thursday evening left the next day or day after, one arrived Sunday and sold Monday (stood on my drive and almost sat on my car) and collected on a low loader, anther arrived later and looked like it was sold last night so by the end of their two/three weeks they should excide that limit at this rate.

Kit1

Nobbie1967 said:

singhini said:

@Kit1

i thought someone could sell upto 6 cars a year before being considered a trader. However a quick search of the internet it suggests its 12 cars.

https://www.themotorworks.org/blog/how-many-cars-can-you-sell-in-a-year-uk#:~:text=The Significance of the 12-Car Rule&text=This rule stipulates that if,for operating outside the regulations.

There is no 6 or 12 car rule. If you buy and sell cars for profit you are a trader whether you sell 2 or 2 hundred. That article reads like AI generated slop.

That was the only info l could find too when l tried to find out what you were allowed to do.
We checked our title deeds and we aren't allowed to run a business from our property but we have lived here for over 25 years - have things changed? If so how would l find out?

Kit1

outtatune said:

Are they renting? If so notify the landlord; the tenancy agreement will probably have something about running a business from the property.

Sadly not. They bought the house. They have had builders round too with their vans almost daily and he talks really loudly so you can't not hear what he is saying even with the windows closed and they plan to do it up, stay a couple of years then sell. If only it was a couple of months.