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

WIAWSNB

Kit1 said:

Thank you. I tend to agree. I want nothing to do with it so am trying to keep a low profile and just go about my usual day. Anyway, every time one of us comes out or goes into our house and it's mainly him who is out doing something to one of the latest cars he jumps up, rushes inside until we are gone then comes back out. But, then again it isn't just when he is sorting the cars. On Thursday we were going out for the evening and he was outside doing something with the doorstep and didn't notice us until l said something to my OH, (nothing about the neighbour - think it was about the time or something trivial). In fact l hadn't seen him as l was locking the door but  spoke as l turned around, so just caught sight of him as he looked round, saw us, jumped up and almost ran inside and didn't come back out until we had crossed the road. 

Bless - he's shy.

Do you know if any other neighbours have noticed what's going on, or have expressed concern? If you can coordinate a simultaneous complaint to the council, it should help take the weight of all. 

onomatopoeia99

Kit1 said:

 Anyway, every time one of us comes out or goes into our house and it's mainly him who is out doing something to one of the latest cars he jumps up, rushes inside until we are gone then comes back out. 

Nice weather at the moment, I'd take a deckchair out and sit on the drive in the sun with a book (sunhat probably advised as well) while he has people round looking at the car.

victor2

onomatopoeia99 said:

Kit1 said:

 Anyway, every time one of us comes out or goes into our house and it's mainly him who is out doing something to one of the latest cars he jumps up, rushes inside until we are gone then comes back out. 

Nice weather at the moment, I'd take a deckchair out and sit on the drive in the sun with a book (sunhat probably advised as well) while he has people round looking at the car.

Or just have a bucket and sponge ready for when a prospective buyer comes, and go out to wash your car while the "customer" is there... 

Kit1

WIAWSNB said:

Kit1 said:

Thank you. I tend to agree. I want nothing to do with it so am trying to keep a low profile and just go about my usual day. Anyway, every time one of us comes out or goes into our house and it's mainly him who is out doing something to one of the latest cars he jumps up, rushes inside until we are gone then comes back out. But, then again it isn't just when he is sorting the cars. On Thursday we were going out for the evening and he was outside doing something with the doorstep and didn't notice us until l said something to my OH, (nothing about the neighbour - think it was about the time or something trivial). In fact l hadn't seen him as l was locking the door but  spoke as l turned around, so just caught sight of him as he looked round, saw us, jumped up and almost ran inside and didn't come back out until we had crossed the road. 

Bless - he's shy.

Do you know if any other neighbours have noticed what's going on, or have expressed concern? If you can coordinate a simultaneous complaint to the council, it should help take the weight of all. 

Not sure. One is on holiday but has  someone staying at their house so you never know and the one other side of us probably can't see very much but OH spoke to that neighbour at the weekend and mentioned the cars coming and going (didn't mention we think/know they are being sold) so maybe now he will take notice.

Kit1

victor2 said:

onomatopoeia99 said:

Kit1 said:

 Anyway, every time one of us comes out or goes into our house and it's mainly him who is out doing something to one of the latest cars he jumps up, rushes inside until we are gone then comes back out. 

Nice weather at the moment, I'd take a deckchair out and sit on the drive in the sun with a book (sunhat probably advised as well) while he has people round looking at the car.

Or just have a bucket and sponge ready for when a prospective buyer comes, and go out to wash your car while the "customer" is there... 

Good idea. Maybe the deckchair would be a give away as it a little noisy with the traffic. Will look out the bucket and have it at the ready.

Mistral001

He is likely getting them from auctions and selling them through the internet. This could be legitimately or not. He might be advertising them as a private sale, which means that he does not have to provide a warranty with the car.  He could be breaking Trading Standards laws by doing this, but I think it could be difficult to prove.  There are many buyers out there who buy privately, as cars bought privately are always a lot cheaper than those bought with a warranty from a dealer. 

Kit1

Just thought l would update you.

No more cars have arrived or been sold in the last few weeks.  
They were on holiday for a while and now they are having building work done. So no car selling at least on the drive for now.

We just came back from a few days away to see the building work in full swing, no issues with that.
But they are still using my drive and today l had had enough.

Having checked my CCTV for the period we were away we noted that the day they had the skip delivered (last Thursday) the new people had the cheek to park on our drive and unload their van - but for now l was letting that go.

But today old skip was taken away and new one put in it's place but this time a little further over. You can't get past the skip without using my drive to get behind but you can park in front of the skip - no issues there. But the builder having been asked to move his van - it is parked outside someone's property on the other side of the main road and am guessing it is blocking their view when trying to get out. So they moved the van and l just saw him about use my drive to park behind the skip so l went out and told them not to use my drive.

I was polite and said the drive wasn't shared and could they please stop using it as if it was, and they could park in front of the skip. I also said if my OH comes home whilst they are there we are not moving our car to let them out - think that is reasonable. They have moved the van.

I now feel really bad because l don't like confrontation but told them l am fed up with this happening all the time and said every time one of them uses my drive l get a notification (l don't but don't think they need to know this) and have now turned this off because l was getting so many.
I expect the new neighbour will have plenty to say when she gets home.

Did l do the wrong thing?

bjorn_toby_wilde

Absolutely not. What you describe isn’t confrontational. You were assertive but polite.

By letting them know this is annoying you they then have the opportunity to do the right thing.

Kit1

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

Absolutely not. What you describe isn’t confrontational. You were assertive but polite.

By letting them know this is annoying you they then have the opportunity to do the right thing.

Thank you.
I just don't want any problems.
I did say we have had more issues in the last month than we have had in the 25 years we have lived here and enough is enough.
I didn't shout. I just said l had had enough and it was 'My drive and not shared like they seem to think and l am now at the point of being fed up with it being used in that way' He did say they were due a delivery tomorrow and would need to block the drive and said that was fine and l wasn't trying to be difficult and knew they had a job to do but just not on my drive and all they had to do was let me know instead of just going ahead. I did point out it was 'My drive' several times and made sure he got the point it isn't their drive or shared.

If they had asked if we didn't mind them using our drive to park the van off the road it might have different but not one of them has asked and like l have said before they run into the house every time they see us - we are not awful people so no idea what that is all about and they haven't even spoken to me. They do the same with their back door, well side door really which faces our property - if we go to the bin and the door is open they close it immediately. I don't really care what they are doing and don't spend my time looking in through their door, didn't do it to the last neighbour so don't think l will start now and the fence is a little higher than me so can't see them anyway and my OH can just about see over it if he goes on his toes, which he doesn't.

I have never been that neighbour and never thought we would have issues but it seems some people don't care and think they can do as they please no matter if it impacts on other people.

Will let you know if she comes round complaining.

twopenny

No you were completely reasonable.
And don't mention 'if they'd asked ' because that will happen and you'll have to say no which again is reasonable but would lead to poor feeling on both sides.