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

WIAWSNB

Hi Kit.

Start keeping records.

If you haven't already, I'd fit a CCTV camera to cover your front drive, and if it overlaps slightly on to a neighbouring shred drive, that shouldn't be an issue. It'll likely also cover part of the road, so you can see the cars that come and go - including lowloaders. 

Download all the relevant clips, and keep them secure - do not share them with anyone until action is required, and then only with authorised folk - ie council and police. Your camera will have an SD card which will overwrite every couple of weeks, so that takes care of the majority of ICO privacy issues. 

Keep a record of the cars - makes, models, reg numbers, how long they were there for.

Check selling sites that cover your locality - even try a Google for 'cars for sale in BH3 6NT' or whatevs. 

Evidence evidence evidence. 

From the link given by Singhini;

Necessary Registrations and Licenses

To legally sell cars in the UK, certain registrations and licences are essential. You must register with the DVLA and obtain trade plates if you're a motor trader. Additionally, having a trade insurance policy is crucial for protection. Once you become the keeper of the vehicle, you'll also need to pay for VED and add another keeper to the record. Ensure compliance with all necessary paperwork and regulations, including declaring SORN for any vehicles not in use, to avoid legal issues. Understanding the requirements for registrations and licences, including the changes in road tax since October 2014, is fundamental to operating within the law when selling cars.

Easy to check online whether a vehicle is taxed or SORNed - screenshot the result for each vehicle.

Once you have enough info, contact your local Trading Standards. 

This is hellish for you, but I fear it isn't going to go away by itself. So you either suck it up, or you tackle it :-(

Any other neighbours concerned? Best to act in concert. 

I take it there isn't the possibility of putting up a boundary fence betwixt you? 

(If they are already talking short-term at the house, this might even encourage a quicker move!)

Mistral001

 You could report them for not having Planning Permission, but since they live next door the old adage of "never fall out with your neighbours" applies here.  I would wait until some of the other neighbours, who are not so close to the problem as you, complain.   In the meantime, you could give them hints like putting up a small fence between you and your neighbour.  You might think, why should you pay money for a fence when they are the one at fault.  However, tackling this through officialdom or by writing letters to them threatening legal action etc. is bound to be just as expensive and could take years to resolve.

Be aware, always be polite to them and when you talk to them about the problem, always say how it affects you directly.  It is just a business operating from someone's house.  Many people do it now.  

PS.  They are probably quite good at making sure that they do not park any of the cars they have for sale on the street as businesses that increase the number of cars parked outside is a red flag as far as Planning goes.  So a fence could make it more difficult for them to operate their business from their house.

WIAWSNB

Whatever you plan to do about this, Kit, don't do anything until you have accrued enough evidence. And ideally have other neighbours on board too.

If you can all submit complaints simultaneously, then whichever department is involved can truly state to the miscreants they had 'multiple' complaints. 

Kit1

WIAWSNB said:

Hi Kit.

Start keeping records.

If you haven't already, I'd fit a CCTV camera to cover your front drive, and if it overlaps slightly on to a neighbouring shred drive, that shouldn't be an issue. It'll likely also cover part of the road, so you can see the cars that come and go - including lowloaders. 

Download all the relevant clips, and keep them secure - do not share them with anyone until action is required, and then only with authorised folk - ie council and police. Your camera will have an SD card which will overwrite every couple of weeks, so that takes care of the majority of ICO privacy issues. 

Keep a record of the cars - makes, models, reg numbers, how long they were there for.

Check selling sites that cover your locality - even try a Google for 'cars for sale in BH3 6NT' or whatevs. 

Evidence evidence evidence. 

From the link given by Singhini;

Necessary Registrations and Licenses

To legally sell cars in the UK, certain registrations and licences are essential. You must register with the DVLA and obtain trade plates if you're a motor trader. Additionally, having a trade insurance policy is crucial for protection. Once you become the keeper of the vehicle, you'll also need to pay for VED and add another keeper to the record. Ensure compliance with all necessary paperwork and regulations, including declaring SORN for any vehicles not in use, to avoid legal issues. Understanding the requirements for registrations and licences, including the changes in road tax since October 2014, is fundamental to operating within the law when selling cars.

Easy to check online whether a vehicle is taxed or SORNed - screenshot the result for each vehicle.

Once you have enough info, contact your local Trading Standards. 

This is hellish for you, but I fear it isn't going to go away by itself. So you either suck it up, or you tackle it :-(

Any other neighbours concerned? Best to act in concert. 

I take it there isn't the possibility of putting up a boundary fence betwixt you? 

(If they are already talking short-term at the house, this might even encourage a quicker move!)

Thank you for the great advice.
We already have CCTV so today l have gone through every day from the moment they moved in, not even two weeks so didn't take long.
I have written down every time a car has arrived (couldn't get all the reg numbers) and there have been 8. One or two might have been the same car being brought back from wherever they kept it, as they must have them somewhere else.
First car was sold the morning of their 2nd day. Car arrived and within 15 mins or so the buyers were there to look at and must have taken it for a test drive because they went out then came back. A few minutes after returning they must have bought it and driven it away.
Few days later next one arrived, Next day another. First one was taken away than a few hours later another arrived on a loader, which they took away the next morning. Two days later another one arrives, few hours later buyer arrives, test drives but don't think they bought because she drove it away and brought a white one back (maybe the one delivered the other night). 
Next day buyer comes to look at white one, all over my drive taking photos of it, practically outside my front door at one time and almost sitting on my car taking photos. He buys it and another loader arrives to take it away.
A few hours later they bring another car. Buyer arrives the next morning, again all over my drive looking at said car, must buy it because they drive off in it.
So if they have sold these in less the two weeks they will hit the 12 they are allowed to sell by Friday and if that is the case, not a bad and they would have only been there 14 days.
Oh and he has just gone out in the other transit they own and that hasn't been taxed since about 2022. Fingers crossed they get stopped - but sadly these people never seem too. Expect he used my drive as his means of entry as usual, after all he can't open the passenger because it is against his wall and it just fits between the all and my fence so no other option. Am tempted to put another fence panel there tomorrow if it's parked there and watch him try and get into the van.

TELLIT01

There's a house down the road from us, thankfully far enough so their activities don't directly affect us, who are clearly running a van repair and sales business.  There are vans parked on the road at the side of their house, plus at least 2 on their drive at any time.  The drive is quite short so they are overhanging the footpath.

Kit1

Seems like they have moved into the van selling area now. Brought home another transit this afternoon and someone has just arrived and taken it for a test drive.

Boohoo

Kit1 said:

Seems like they have moved into the van selling area now. Brought home another transit this afternoon and someone has just arrived and taken it for a test drive.

It begs the question why is he getting vehicle's delivered or driven to his abode and then people/buyers coming to that place to test drive and or buy these vehicles.

Slinky

Boohoo said:

Kit1 said:

Seems like they have moved into the van selling area now. Brought home another transit this afternoon and someone has just arrived and taken it for a test drive.

It begs the question why is he getting vehicle's delivered or driven to his abode and then people/buyers coming to that place to test drive and or buy these vehicles.

Is he getting hold of vehicles from a garage that takes them in as part exchange when people buy a new vehicle? Hence arriving on a low loader. They get sold from his drive as a much cherished well looked after vehicle from a private seller, rather than a traded in uncertain history vehicle bought at auction. Or maybe he's buying them at auction.

Is it always the same low loader? Could you follow it back to where its come from when it leaves?

I'd report the dodgy van with no insurance. Has it been SORN'd?

WIAWSNB

Boohoo said:

Kit1 said:

Seems like they have moved into the van selling area now. Brought home another transit this afternoon and someone has just arrived and taken it for a test drive.

It begs the question why is he getting vehicle's delivered or driven to his abode and then people/buyers coming to that place to test drive and or buy these vehicles.

It does, indeed.
It could be he has a separate compound where he keeps these vehicles, and doesn't want potential buyers to know about it - he's keeping it looking as 'non' trade. 
Kit, any luck with finding adverts for these vehicles? Surely he uses an established site such as eBay, Autotrader, Gumtree, Marketplace? If so, if should be easy to find - you know the exact models he is selling.

caprikid1

The challenge of restrictions in deeds is who it applies to and who can actually therefore enforce it.

Often with restrictions on deeds it is the original builder etc so effective unenforceable.