Cupramax

Looking for some advice here, not outright war...

Mum is having a few problems with her new neighbours and has already had a "set to" with them due to them creating havoc decorating/drilling at 11pm when she was trying to get to sleep and the latest thing thats winding her up is them parking a large Mitsubishi L200 crewcab and huge box trailer in the road about 20 feet away right in front of her kitchen window(which normally has a nice view)

Is there anything she can do to prevent them doing this as she is retired so spends a lot of time at home in the kitchen. She is getting herself so wound up about it she's going to have a heart attack before long.

Any (sensible) help much appreciated.

fitzscoob

sorry if this has already been tried, but the best bet would be a reasoned discussion between the two parties involved. If they cannot sort it out between themselves then I think you will need to get professional advice.... sorry i cant be of any real help :P

Brendan Hughes

Sorry, but if I moved into a house, and parked my car on the public street - particularly if I needed it there while decorating - I know what I'd think about some old biddy whining that I'm blocking "her" view that she's had for X years. Harsh, but true.

The drilling at 11pm is more serious though.

Good luck.

Cupramax

The box trailer is business related with the new owner, nothing to do with the decorating.

To give you some idea of size the 2 houses in question are semidetached and the L200+boxtrailer take up 3 spaces outside the houses...

OllyK

As per fitzscoob's comments. It sounds like the drilling / decorating may have been a one off, but if they continue bein gnoicsy in otherways, try talking to them, failing that get on to the council who can test the volume of the noise and take action if they are exceeding limits

As for the Van, depends if it is parked legally on the public highway, if so, not much she can do other than have a chat and ask them if they can locate it else where. If it is on her property, blocking her access or otherwise parked illegally then she call the police / council to take action

OllyK

In which case check that they have permission to operate a business from there as well.

Cupramax

They aren't operating the business from there.

imlach

The only true method is to come to an amicable agreement, and quick if possible.

Drilling after 11pm is bad form if the properties are attached. Polite letter/conversation may help....ask kindly if they could refrain from noisy work after 11pm, but use a bit of give & take.

Which is more important - the view or the noise? Be quite stern on one, and be flexible on the other.

Council route (environmental health) should be your last resort.

imlach

Also, without knowing the exact layout of the parking, difficult to assertain if they are taking the pi$$ or not....are the 3 spaces outside their own property, or are the 3 spaces shared (or outside your mum's property?). Has she lost a space?

Again, nothing to prevent them parking on public roads, but 'bad form' if they are kind of "using" your mum's share of the spaces.

Cupramax

Its not a small road, there isn't allocated parking as such. Just room for 3 cars outside the 2 houses with the driveways at each end. Whenever the L200 and trailer are parked there there's no room outside the houses.

They also have room for 5 cars on their drive (the neighbours). Mum is considering always leaving her car there so they cant do it. I went round at lunchtime to have a look and it is an eyesore. I centainly wouldn't want it regularly dumped outside my house....

OllyK

Sounds like a "reasonable" course of action if they are not willing to be a bit more thoughtful. But be careful as this could escalate, i.e. as soon as she goes out they move the van to block he view on purpose etc.

InvisibleMan

does she live in a council house or council(housing association) area? if so theyll be in breach of their tenancy. Theres all sorts of rules (noise, not allowed to have washing hanging washing out & mad stuff like that...) if theyre renting from the association then its possible its them thats doing the work (you should have had a letter telling you what/when work will be carried out).

Dazza01

you can ring the council and make a formal compliant about the noise, they will then send a letter to the occupier/owner telling them of the compliant, but they will not say who its from, but they will also send u a form to fill in and keep a record of the noise ie drilling / time / date

You then keep a record for the next 28 days, noting down all problems with them, then if they still persist the council will look at the form note from the times entered when is best to come round and do a "STAKE OUT" recording te noise levels, if found to be above exceptable levels they will take them to court BUT you have to be prepared to attend as a witness if u don't agree to this they will do nothing.

Only know this cos the daft old dear from number 4 complined to the council rgds my zorst, she said i sit outside my house revving it up like mad yer right............nothing came of it cos she's just a busy body who thinks she owns the whole crescent

Cupramax

Nope, both properties are private (from new, not bought ex council) and have substancial driveways

davegtt

what will she achieve by parking her car infront of the house, only preventing the neighbours parking there and the car will still be blocking the veiw as such...

the drilling is a bit unfair but as said could well be a 1 off. the car issue just sounds like your mum could well be winding herself up. I know people get wound up on purpose when theres no real need to be, just being difficult. Not saying your mum is difficult just a point

end of the day they are entiltled to park there L200 there if they wish.

davegtt

ohh another thing that might be of use to you, the box trailer.. does it have any signs on it as such advertising the business, I know my parents house they bought in 1995 part of the agreement was that no commercial vehicles are to be parked ont he street, my dad works for british gas and has a van, the neighbour across the road was moaning it was an eye sore and devaluing his property, really causing problems for dad until he threatened him and that shut him up...lmao now they dont have any problems at all...

imlach

Be wary on this. As soon as things become "formal complaints", it has to be mentioned when you come to sell the house. If buyers get wind of neighbour issues, it can put one more hurdle in selling it.

Anyway, rules like this vary from council to council. Some are more efficient than others, and in some councils, environmental health only come to monitor at a set time on a set day, and if there is no noise there & then, then it's tricky....

Cupramax

Slight difference between her small car and a 10 foot high 20 foot long box trailer though.

Granted they can park there if it doesn't cause an obstruction (which it does with the trailer) as A) its a bus route and B) its parked directly opposite a junction and C) it prevents anybody in mums driveway seeing whats coming down the road one way so may cause an accident.

edited due to typo

Cupramax

Yep, its got the business details over it. sorry dont quite follow above?

OllyK

That'll be the clincher!!! Need to check a few odds and sods, but with a truck you can't park within 15m of a junction, I'll have a quick dig for ya and see what the score is with a trailer on its own.

OllyK

Extract from hiway code - no law to back this up sdaly, just "advice" on good practice:

DO NOT park your vehicle or trailer on the road where it would endanger, inconvenience or obstruct pedestrians or other road users. For example, do not stop
near a school entrance
anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services
at or near a bus stop or taxi rank
on the approach to a level crossing
opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space
near the brow of a hill or hump bridge
opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle
where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane
where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users
in front of an entrance to a property
on a bend.

imlach

I'd worry less about the drilling/decorating. They can't go on with this forever, so has to stop sometime....

Parking is a real annoyance though. Legally, she can do nowt IMHO. Her best bet is still to swallow some humble pie, and try to be nicey-nice to the neighbours, and gradually make them see her point of view if possible.

OllyK

The full parking page is here See if there is anything else you can use

Cupramax

Thanks, thats great !!! Scoobynet to the rescue as usuall and not one stupid comment either

InvisibleMan

WIBBLE

Cupramax

Dazza01

Good job u put this at the end then

sorry this isnt very sensible really is it

davegtt

Sorry what I was trying to say, maybe when she bought her house (and the neighbours bought theirs) there might be something in there that says parking a commercial vehicle on the street is forbidden etc like as I said my parents gaff they shouldnt be allowed to park his gas van on his drive every night it has to be garaged same with his neighbours electricity van but nobody bothers them about it but if they didnt like the look of my dads gas van they could complain about it... maybe something similar in your mothers place.... just a suggestion

David_Wallis

I'd get seriously pissed if someone told me where I can and cant park my car.. oh my new neighbours did.. told me I wasnt allowed to park outside their house...

I parked in my drive way, on the road next to the bottom of their driveway.. otherside of the road outside their house.. (surrounded) and left the cars there for two / three days.. Took a lot of help from friends.. and luckily parents were on holiday for that week.. could get cars up and down the street, but not a chance they were going in or out of the drive way.. will see if I can find the video / photo's...

They tried complaining to the police.. they came around asked if the car was mine at the bottom of the drive.. I said yes.. nothing illegal.. Asked who the others were, I said friends.. had been drinking and left them.. When he asked the real reason.. he couldnt stop laughing.. one of the nicest coppers Ive met.

Basically theyve just moved in, things wont be normal for a couple of months.. bear with them.. dont **** them off as you dont know what they might do.. you'll have to live next door to them and its very easy to make someones life hell.. ask my current neighbours... slamming a gate a simple but effective one.. as is letting the dog bark at them (at 6.0am)

Edited to add not to mention holding 3000rpm for 10mins..

David

Cupramax

This isn't a parking dispute, its a looking at the side of a box trailer problem. In general agree with the diplomacy bit thats easier said the done due to the problems with noise (which has now stopped)