HELP NEEDED!! - Builders Covanent re Caravan on drive

seven-day-weekend

The vans and commercial vehicles, if as I understand from your post, are parked on a public highway without parking restrictions, are legally parked, so there is nothing anyone can do about them.

As to your caravan, as I understand it is up to whoever put the covenant in ther to enforce it.

I would have a word with your own lawyer.

I would also have a word with your neighbour about why they are making such a fuss after all this time.

trudiha

Gorgeous_George wrote: »

Before I do something unsociable, I usually imagine the town if EVERY house had the same idea. Maybe an old washing machine on the drive or a stack of old TVs on the lawn. I could call it 'art'.

GG

Here in East London, you don't need to imagine.

clutton_2

""I would be horrified if my neighbours stored a caravan on their drive"

for gods sake WHY GG ???

its their drive - their caravan - their house - unless its blocking your light or access to your house - what has it got to do with you ????

nelly_2

BobProperty wrote: »

There was one somewhere on the net where the owner stiffed the plumber over the CH and the new bathroom and only paid him for the CH. The plumber did the bathroom perfectly OK except for one thing, the toilet waste only went through the inner skin of the wall. :eek:

Excellent!

vix2000

I agree with clutton. I'm amazed why all these people on here want to dictate what other people keep on their drives. Live and let live, I say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SquatNow

The OP should park the caravan on the road outside his neighbours house until they agree to bog off. If that doesn't work, as suggested, mastic their front door shut. (I'm sure it was me the came up with this idea 6 monhts ago... if you glue the lock they can drill the lock out, if you mastic the door shut they have to get builders in to cut the front door up to get it open then replace the door and frame!!! Or glue up all the air bricks... see if they can sell a house that smells of damp!!!)

Random: Probably safer to have the van stored at a storage facility if it's not used often. Plenty of cheap indoor ones on disused airfields... stops it being knicked and protects it from the elements. Keeps the drive free for you car.

sparklycat

Ah this is all so interesting, wish I'd read this post in March.
We have just completed on our house :j and during the sale our buyers solictor queried a covenant on the house. The house was an ex council house and was built in the 1920's. It was sold off in the 80's of course and was privately owned from then. The covenant stated the following things:

No aerial must be erected without permission.
No animals or poulty must be kept on land.
Driveway only allow parking for 2 cars,no more and must not be parked in front of building line.(including caravans and boats)
No sheds must erected without permission.(the list goes on )

When we bought the property, an aerial was in place, (what house doesn't have one?)shed was in garden, big gravelled driveway and a porch over front door. These had been in place since 1980's. Yet we we were asked to get retrospective permission from the council????:mad: we were even asked did we have permission for the kerb to be dropped for the driveway??? as you can imagine things got a little stressful. It was the council who dropped the kerb when they made improvements to the road !! The whole street is the same, people park in front of their houses,(including vans, caravans etc) they all have aerials etc, did they all have "permission"?? So we paid £100 :huh: to the council and amazingly it was granted just like that!!

It was felt it wasn't relevant as the covenant was for council tenants at the time (and was over 30 yrs old!)and our solictor when we bought the property didn't even raise them. Can't believe it ,seems when people feel like it they can enforce it. I think it is another way for council's to make a quick buck.

So, I think it is really sad that someone can be so petty about these things and after 20 odd years??, as previously said ,good neighbours are hard to come by and that is far more important than a caravan. What is society coming to, so very sad. I wish you luck , hope they get their just deserts!!

silvercar

Not only is it the builder who has to enforce the covenant, he has also to show that he is suffering a loss by not enforcing it. That was how my solicitor explained some old and dodgy covenants on my house.

Anne3333

I have EXACTLY this problem, my neighbour in a terraced town house parks his caravan on the drive. Looking down on it from my sitting room window, all you see is the roof which is a mildew green at best. I have been unable to convert my downstairs garage to a habitable room due to the lack of light caused by the caravan and it would definitely effect my resale value. Caravan owners need to take into account other peoples feelings and right to light, and preferably park their monstrosities elsewhere!

Bungarm2001

I have the same convenant in my deeds. As far as I'm concerned, the neighbours wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of taking me to court should I wish to put a caravan on my drive. (incidently, I would never do this as I also think they are unsightly ghastly things no matter how new or modern they are.) It would be SOLELY up to the original builder to enforce this. What can they do? It's just a letter. Ignore it and wait it out, see what they try on next.

I love the post about 'squatters rights' for your caravan!! In all seriousness, it is probably a very valid point!

I am as confused as others on here as to why now the neighbours are getting chelpie?? Have you done something really terrible like let a bunch of hippies move into it??

As for the fact mentioned by others that having a caravan parked on a drive can reduce the value of a neighbouring property, there is no doubt that in certain circumstances, it can. If others are parking all sorts on their driveways, then in this case, I don't think it's a valid point either.