just collected our motor home yesterday I’m now very depressed because (1 Viewer)

Sep 10, 2011
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Hello all
We just collected our motor home yesterday and all the excitement has just been knocked out of me, I’m now very depressed :Sad: because we live in a semidetached and our neighbour has just popped round and said its blocking the light and they have to have the light on in the kitchen and that’s not true because its in front of our kitchen window and we don’t need the light on.
He works for the council and said we will need to move it :cry:but we have nowhere else to keep it and we have said on our insurance we will keep it there.
We try hard to get on with our neighbours when they had a conservatory built to replace the old one it extended out a meter longer than the old one and as it faces south stops our sunlight in our garden but for the sake of good relations we said nothing
I am at a total loss now to know what to do:cry:
 

EthnGeoff

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It's very unlikely that your neighbour could win his case on the light issue. You need to check your deeds to make sure there are no bylaws in place to prevent you parking a caravan on your drive. Even then is is debatable whether your motorhome constitutes being a caravan. I would say take the moaning minnies on and beat them.
Good Luck.
Geoff.:thumb:
 
Nov 30, 2009
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I think i would ask to go into their kitchen to see how much , if any light is blocked.
Remind them about the conservatory being bigger than the last one they had . Resulting in your loss of sunlight in the garden . Then if that didnt pacify them , offer to put a large fence or trellis up so they cant see your motorhome. Which would block the light anyway.
I can see both points of view BTW. (Another reason why we keep ours in storage.)
But if its not written in the deeds that you cant keep a caravan there , then there is not much that can be done about it.
You could also argue the point that it isn't a caravan too.
Check with the council , then you know where you stand legally. :thumb:
Enjoy your new toy. Its probably a bit of the green eyed monster syndrome anyway:winky:
 

motor roamin

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Whatever you do try to solve it without involving solicitors, I have been there on a different niebour dispute, he involved solicitors because he refused to speak to me, I won in court and it still cost me £89,000, just be careful, if you have no restrictions on your deeds then you should be OK but don't antagonise the situation as I am sure you feel like doing.

Good luck

All the best Rick
 

RKE

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It's very unlikely that your neighbour could win his case on the light issue. You need to check your deeds to make sure there are no bylaws in place to prevent you parking a caravan on your drive. Even then is is debatable whether your motorhome constitutes being a caravan. I would say take the moaning minnies on and beat them.
Good Luck.
Geoff.:thumb:

I agree........As long as there are no covenants in place there ain't a lot they can do about it.....and even if there is a covenant very often it's
unenforceable for a number of reasons.

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Says he works for the Council-must be the only one who does!:ROFLMAO: He is probaly some lowly pen pusher!
 

sedge

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Hear Hear.

In a rented house it's either the rental agreement or in any event, rented or purchased, a local bye-law that will say whether it's OK or not.

Friends of ours - tuggers - went into rented accommodation and checked with the letting agency that it was 100% OK before they signed. They confirmed - in writing! - that it was. But he soon had a neighbour - and not even next door at that - banging on his door telling him he couldn't park that monstrocity on his drive.

Some people think they know better than anyone else, and especially as he was wearing the hat that says 'I work for the Council' you were supposed to kow tow ..... don't. He intended to upset you and he has. Therefore unless you fight back (not literally!) then he's won, mate.

Make a phonecall tomorrow to the Council, and whatever the actual answer is, ask for it in writing. ie you want to know if you are in breach of something, what that certain thing actually says.

As in general I have discovered over the last 2 years that an awful lot of the general public are entirely unaware of what a motorhome is, be prepared to explain! (They firstly think it's a caravan or a trailer. Then they think it's an enormous RV. Or a Dormobile. Then they imagine a white van used for trade purposes, and then I have sometimes had to give up ..... :Doh: )
 

chatter

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havent the councils abolished that rule about light being blocked, lots of folk used it about hedges and trees, fencing etc. My mum really does have to have the lights on practically 24/7 in her bungalow as its surrounded by trees planted by the council to be in keeping with the area (was part of the local forestry commission) didnt used to be that bad but now (fully grown trees) not only does it block the light but she has to use sky as she cant get a decent picture with just an ariel unless its winter, and shes been told that nothing can be done about it

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John-Laika
Sep 10, 2011
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Hear Hear.

In a rented house it's either the rental agreement or in any event, rented or purchased, a local bye-law that will say whether it's OK or not.

Friends of ours - tuggers - went into rented accommodation and checked with the letting agency that it was 100% OK before they signed. They confirmed - in writing! - that it was. But he soon had a neighbour - and not even next door at that - banging on his door telling him he couldn't park that monstrocity on his drive.

Some people think they know better than anyone else, and especially as he was wearing the hat that says 'I work for the Council' you were supposed to kow tow ..... don't. He intended to upset you and he has. Therefore unless you fight back (not literally!) then he's won, mate.

Make a phonecall tomorrow to the Council, and whatever the actual answer is, ask for it in writing. ie you want to know if you are in breach of something, what that certain thing actually says.

As in general I have discovered over the last 2 years that an awful lot of the general public are entirely unaware of what a motorhome is, be prepared to explain! (They firstly think it's a caravan or a trailer. Then they think it's an enormous RV. Or a Dormobile. Then they imagine a white van used for trade purposes, and then I have sometimes had to give up ..... :Doh: )
Our house is mot rented .
Thanks for all your comments I will check with the council next wee to see where we stand
 

Pat4Neil

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Thats a shame, We know you were really excited about getting the motorhome.

Check it out with the council first, dont just give in to hearsay. We have ours on the drive, and have been lucky with both sets of adjoining drive neighbours. We over hang the shared drive a little, but were the only ones that use it has they took their garage away a few years ago. It does block our light out though, but that is our choice it doesnt effect them and they dont mind.

We have now hopefully sold our house, even with the motorhome on the drive blocking out the light.

I am sure you can work through things, yes remind him of the fact that his conservatory has blocked some of your sun out too, and feel its all about give and take and thats why you didnts complain.

Good luck, its only one small problem that can hopefully be sorted out.

We sent a pm regarding your other questions regarding the Laika, I am sure we can point you in the right direction with some of the work you need to do, so give us a ring.

Pat and neil
 
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By all means check with the local council, but your deeds will hold the secret to if any restricting covenants exist . I certainly would not consider moving the motorhome until you are clear where you stand .

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Chris

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By all means check with the local council, but your deeds will hold the secret to if any restricting covenants exist . I certainly would not consider moving the motorhome until you are clear where you stand .


The council do not have the power to officiate on right to light issues.
It's a non issue because as someone else posted you would be entitled to erect a fence as high as your motorhome.

Obviously you need to pacify your neighbour.

Just tell him it wont be there most weekends:winky:
 

Terry

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Tell him to Bo----ks just like he is talking :thumb:He does not have a right to light and chances are your van is white so reflecting more light than your brick wall into his kitchen ::bigsmile: So long as it is on your drive and not infringing onto his there is nothing he can do :Eeek::thumb:
I am having a problem with my neighbor about hedging but I think she is getting the message slowly :ROFLMAO:She set off cutting her conifers down from about 8 ft (which gave me privacy) to 4 ft which then let her nosy into my garden/patio area so I bought some 3 ft fencing panels and stuck them on top of my patio wall blocking her back out :thumb:She has now gone to the bottom of her garden and cut my fire thorn hedge (about 3ft thick same as her conifers) back in line with the boundary which she is perfectly entitled to do but this has left her nosing into my garden again as it is only about 6 ins thick now,so I have gone out and bought some cheapo cane fencing and extended the nice fencing by the 6 ft I left it short because of the FThorn.:thumb:She now has to look onto her now 5 ft high conifers and my nice fence top with the last 6 ft of cane fence which I cannot see because of my now 6 ins wide FT and other plants :ROFLMAO:Btw she has done the same with her other side neighbor so she can see into his garden (he has done the same as me :ROFLMAO:) If she keeps on snipping away I will mark out the boundary dig up half her conifers (split down the middle)and build a nice breeze wall (brick on my side)for her to look at ::bigsmile:I may even paint the side she looks at orange or something :Eeek:I canot understand why she feels the need to keep cutting spy holes through what is/was a perfectly good hedge :Smile:The other side stuck up a old dust sheet last yr to stop her :ROFLMAO:She spends hours looking into our garden through the holes she cuts into the hedge and we spend a bit of time watching her do it to ours and next door but one :ROFLMAO: I think she is loosing her marbles ::bigsmile:
terry
 

Jaws

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Unless it is written no caravans or motorhomes in a local covenent tell him to go forth..

Under English law you are NOT entitled to light.. I know this for an absolute fact having sat in on plenty of planning applications

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tick59

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Hello all
We just collected our motor home yesterday and all the excitement has just been knocked out of me, I’m now very depressed :Sad: because we live in a semidetached and our neighbour has just popped round and said its blocking the light and they have to have the light on in the kitchen and that’s not true because its in front of our kitchen window and we don’t need the light on.
He works for the council and said we will need to move it :cry:but we have nowhere else to keep it and we have said on our insurance we will keep it there.
We try hard to get on with our neighbours when they had a conservatory built to replace the old one it extended out a meter longer than the old one and as it faces south stops our sunlight in our garden but for the sake of good relations we said nothing
I am at a total loss now to know what to do:cry:
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:Who You Going to call THE GEORDIE HEAVY BOYS. Thats who we'll put his lights out.Ha!Ha!
 

philk

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Light

John & Cheryl,
Your motorhome is a taxed, insured road vehicle unlike a caravan. Speak to your insurers and ask them if moving to the road in front of your house,in sight, would affect your policy. If not you can vary it between your drive and the road.

Philk
 

old-mo

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If as I see the picture you reverse onto your drive and it is the bulk of the rear that is supposedly stopping the light...

Why not drive in that way the bonnet is not so high as the rear and should be less of a problem..

I believe the right to light does not stand now...

But I believe the two meter high new fence is still in force..:RollEyes:

Which makes a mockery of some one planting Fir tree`s which can grow to over 50ft.. We had some over 60ft, but had them took out for our own benefit..

But the neighbor complained cos we could see into their kitchen... Tough says I they are on my property and belong to me, I will do what I want with them.,, put some bloody net curtains up..:RollEyes::Doh:

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chrisgreen

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tell him if he want's to pay your morgage,then he can tell you what to do,untill he pay's your morgage,he can cant tell what to do on your own land,and tell him to get stuffed:thumb:
 

beachcaster

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Certainly dont move it until you establish the facts.

Tomorrow I would ring the council and ask for advice.
Unless it is written in a covenent in your deeds I cant see you will have a problem.
Some neighbors are just busy bodies.......dont give in to them be polite
and carry on .

barry
 

Hollyberry

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You've had sound advice here--do nothing, check with your deeds, highly unlikely that there is anything in there to stop you. It is then up to the neighbour to actually do something to stop you.
Rub your chin, look thoughtful, mention his conservatory and then the fact that you could put up a high fence and plant leylandii (you can still do that in the UK?) He'll back off.

I am quite expecting my one Brit neighbour to come out with some comment when I collect my m/home next week........

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Chris

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Unless it is written no caravans or motorhomes in a local covenent tell him to go forth..

Under English law you are NOT entitled to light.. I know this for an absolute fact having sat in on plenty of planning applications

That's not strictly true Jaws. The planners don't worry about it but it's still a right which you can enforce in court. As you will know planners don't even have to consider whether you own the land you are seeking to develop.

In the present case though I do not see the neighbour can do anything at all. it's no different to parking a work van on your drive.
 

Wildman

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terry;493831:Rofl1:She spends hours looking into our garden through the holes she cuts into the hedge and we spend a bit of time watching her do it to ours and next door but one :Rofl1: I think she is loosing her marbles :BigGrin: terry[/QUOTE said:
either stop sunbathing in the nude or start to do so either way will stop her.:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

Chris

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I had a nutty neighbour at my last house. On rubbish collection day she insisted on putting her bins on my drive:Eeek:

There are some weirdos around.

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old-mo

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Re the covenant bit....

I think you will find unless it is a millionaires road that covenants are put in place by the builder or agent selling..

Picture a lovely new estate.... The builder by way of wanting to sell will often put these covenants on to sell the property`s..

They dont want the estate agent if involved to bring prospective buyers onto a new estate and the place littered with unsightly Vans/Caravans/Motorhomes and boats on trailers..:RollEyes::Doh:


Usually after a few years you can apply to have said covenants removed.. :thumb:
 

grumps147

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Certainly dont move it until you establish the facts.

Tomorrow I would ring the council and ask for advice.
Unless it is written in a covenent in your deeds I cant see you will have a problem.
Some neighbors are just busy bodies.......dont give in to them be polite
and carry on .

barry

The above summarises the issue.

I would try and find out a thing or two about the neighbour just in case. Where in the council do they work, is it in planning? Be careful of advice over the phone, very soon rescinded later, if you can get some written confirmation, they may already have a leaflet on the issue. Just how big is their new conservatory if its bigger than the last, does that infringe planning regs?

And, the biggest reason for staying polite and calm in any dealings, in mentioning he works for the council is this some sort of threat, enough to constitute harrasment or abuse of position - keep that one up your sleeve in case things do go the wrong way.

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Wildman

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welcome to the world of NIMBY cheer up you have years of enjoyment to look forward to. Ask your neighbor if he had planning permission to extent his conservatory and suggest you should check when you contact the council about your right to park. Most likely he will do a u-turn, and start being nice to you. remember you can park elsewhere if you have to but he would have to demolish his conservatory if it breached planning regs.
 

nucs200

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As you live in the west midlands the same as me you only have to drive around and see all the vans large mercs etc. caravans, motorhomes, trade vehicles, even cherry pickers parked on peoples drives, that makes you think he,s talking out of his a##e. We have a motorhome a van and 3 cars on ours and its a only a semi with a hedge either side no problem. Strikes me he came round a bit sharpish if you only got it yesterday to suggest thats its personal and i bet they think hes a dickhead at the council where he works anyway, so i would just cock a deaf un and not worry about it. Go and enjoy it dont let him get to you.:Smile:
 

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