to hope I can do something about neighbour's garden?

[Doradolittle]

There's a house on my short road that is really stressing me out as it makes Steptoe and Son's yard look tidy, especially as we are about to put our house on the market... I live on an ok street, in the sense that almost every house is cared for a bit. Its just a 20s terraced road but this house really sticks out as an eyesore which makes it harder to ignore.

They have a giant rusty people-carrier that has been off the road, with let down tyres for at least 4 years - parked in their front garden (small, paved, with drop kerb). It is completely filled with boxes of tat they pick up from car boot sales to sell on.

The van is surrounded on all sides by boxes of more stuff / bed frames / old bikes / sideboards - some of which get sold and picked up, but most of which have been there for a year or so. They've even had a huge wardrobe on the footpath so they had to climb over it to get in the house.
Because the garden is full of boxes they have to keep their bins on the pavement.
Because the garden is full of boxes they park their car across their drop kerb and on the pavement in front of their house. So the whole car is in effect on the pavement. You can still just about walk on the pavement between the car and the garden, as its a wide one, but it certainly takes up more than half of the space. The drop kerb has one of those h-lines, if that makes a difference.

They also have at least 11 cats - they are left to breed unchecked and a new litter of kittens usually appears every 3 months or so.
There are other things too, which I know I can't do much about and its daft of me to care, but it just looks so awful and makes the street look run down: e.g. they just have sheets pinned up at every window instead of curtains - except the children's room, where there is nothing at all and he leaves his bare light bulb on in his room all night and all day.

Is there anything I can legitimately complain to the council about to just try to improve something about the general appearance of the house, never mind something about improving the cats' welfare? I know I may well be told off for being judgemental about what people choose to do with their property, but damn me, its such a fugly eyesore and I like things to look harmonious and cared for...

[Neverpolishghillies]

Sounds like they aren't really coping with life,

I doubt you will get anywhere objecting to an eyesore.

Ring 101 and ask if someone could enforce the no parking on the pavement.

You could express concern to the RSPCA about the cats.

[dannydyerismydad]

A house near me was like this. The council didn't care to do anything to help the homeowner, or the neighbours who had to put up with it.

I might have told them I saw rats in the front garden. And that might have had an effect...

[Doradolittle]

Ooh hang on, I think I can see a tail poking out of one of the boxes...

[Afishcalledchips]

I don't think 101 is for that neverpolish, maybe try the local council.

Are their children being looked after properly, it sounds a but chaotic?

[Bloodybridget]

OP I know how you feel - we live in a reasonably tidy street, next door to the worst house, old furniture left out the front for months, old toys, overflowing bins and random bits of rubbish. I sometimes wonder what I could say to the neighbours if we ever wanted to sell - probably nothing actually.

[Doradolittle]

Well, I didn't really want to get into their parenting choices, Afish, but I can see into the boy's room and can see he sleeps on a bunk bed with a double mattress balanced precariously on the top layer and the bottom layer has a massive screen tucked inside, on which he plays computer games until late into the night - so not ideal. But I'm sure they seem happy enough..they've certainly got enough pets to play with!
Actually, on that subject my neighbour has worries about their two huge dogs. Apparently they never get walked anymore (mother used to walk the children to school plus dog, but now its only ever seen at the front door when it opens to let people in or out)

[Claraoswald36]

Yanbu. Sounds a bit chaotic

[Mouthfulofquiz]

I live on a lovely street - but the house opposite was going a bit that way.. I was a bit worried that there was an elderly person in there on their own as I'd never seen the owner. I complained / enquired to the council, as I thought there may be a pest control issue.
They sent someone round and spoke to the owner (who actually doesn't live there - he lives a few streets away but keeps it empty) and he's been told to tidy it up. He's since been there every Saturday morning. It might be worth you trying that?

[theloneplanner]

Ask your local planning enforcement department to look into serving a section 215 notice on the owners - the notices can be used when the condition of land/property is effecting the amenity of an area.

[Doradolittle]

That sounds promising, thank you

[SweetSuz]

OP definitely try everything possible, I saw a house I loved recently but went on Google streetview and it was next door to a house that sounded pretty much like the one you describe. Completely put me off and I didn't view it purely because of that.

If nothing works I'd even just approach them and offer to help with or fund the gardening, perhaps a friendly chat to explain you want to facilitate the sale of your property (rather than just directly giving the impression that the state of his garden is putting off buyers, even though this is true).
and might lend your free time to come over and help clear the garden.

Who cares if it offends them? All you want is to be able to sell/move and you wont have to see them for much longer anyway.

[Doradolittle]

Thing is, I don't think she considers it junk to be cleared out but stuff that she's trying to sell (even though most of it sits there for ever). Unless I offer to buy her entire stock and the van it all lives in, I can't see where else its going to go...

[ohtheholidays]

I'd be more worried about the poor children living in a home like that more than anything else.

Your local council shoul have a department that deals with enviromental health,tell them how bad it is,they should send someone around to have a look at the garden and they'll take it from there.

I'd also be giving SS a call and the RSPCA as well.When I was growing up there were a new family that moved in round the corner from us,they both worked,bought the house,only had 1 little girl.But within months of moving in the back garden and the house was destroyed.That poor little girls life was not a good one.My Mum looked out for her at school and made she that she had a big lunch there every day and in the evening and the holidays I'd give her food from our house.

There could be anything going on there OP.

[blankmind]

SweetSuz Google Streetview isn't necessarily up to date, you could have been looking a few years into the past.

[Doradolittle]

Well it looks as though Imogen has dealt with at least 3 boxes for me ... Smashed china all over the road.