Who can i ring to get my parents neighbours to move their shitty caravan?

[VinegarTits]

Not really an AIBU but traffic is high here so...

My folks have been trying to sell their house for 18 months, the next door neighbours have a dirty old caravan parked in their garden, nearly every viewing they have had has told the estate agents that the house is lovely but they are put off by the state of the neighbours front garden/caravan (it really is bad and can be seen on google maps)

is there something legally my dad can do to get them to shift it?

[Merrylegs]

It is an eyesore and takes up a lot of space.

If your parents are really desperate to sell and the neighbours really aren't using the caravan, I would say the best idea is to buy it from the neighbours at a price they are unlikely to refuse. Then your parents can tow it to a storage area and sell it on at their leisure.

(Even if they buy it for £1000 and sell it on for £100 it would be worth it to sell their house.)

[EggyAllenPoe]

aren't there planning restrictions on caravans on front drives?

fairly sure some complaints against them have been upheld on planning grounds...

[Stiefeliblue]

how about a hot renovation?

[GloriaSmut]

It doesn't look anywhere near manky enough to put off all potential buyers. If I liked a house I wouldn't be deterred by a slightly grubby caravan on the neighbour's drive. People make up any number of barmy reasons why they won't put in an offer and unless every viewer has mentioned the caravan I don't think that's the reason why the house won't sell.

[ivykaty44]

planning restrictions are more lax now - so I doubt that would be the way forward

[VivaLeBeaver]

How about your parents offerred to buy the caravan? If its not been used in ten years they may be keen to sell.

[confuseddotcodotuk]

Do check the deeds if you can, my grandparents and I were chatting about this the other day as they've just been given a caravan and can only place it on their front garden so they're going to check their deeds to make sure this is okay. If it's not okay for your neighbours they will be asked to move it elsewhere.

[Fimbo]

We had numerous viewers to our last house and a lot of them were put off by next door's trampoline which dominated the smallish gardens and was right by the boundary fence.

[refmum]

yep,trampolines = lots of noisy kids,would put me off too

[dickcheeseandthecrackers]

Many sympathies, we had similar problems with our old neighbours. Used a massive tarp to cover their garage and it was such an eyesore.

Agree with the bribe advice. Offer them £500 to move it.

[bellavita]

Oh Vinny, what a bugger

In my street there are no caravans allowed either. It is worthwhile getting the deeds etc checked out.

I think it would be worthwhile paying someone to lose it somewhere....

[Suchffun]

I agree with buying it off the neighbours just for the sake of getting rid of it. OR move it (with their permission) onto your parents drive.

I'd overlook a manky caravan assuming it was about to move house...

BTW - what campsite is that gorgeous picture from? v envious!

[VinegarTits]

they cant afford to buy it, personally i think they should touch the fucking thing, or get someone to steal it/tow it away when they are out

the campsite is low wray near windermere, its beautiful there

[Tangle]

Can they afford not to? Have they calculated how much they've already lost in the time the house hasn't sold (in mortgage payments, price reduction, insurance...)? If you can't find another way to force the neighbours to remove the caravan, wouldn't it be better to offer them something for it now (even if its just a couple of hundred - you can always leave it open to haggle and walk away) and get the house sold before they loose more? They could always give it a scrub and stick it on Ebay, and probably recoup some of the money.

[VinegarTits]

they have no savings, its all tied up in the house, they are both not working so wouldnt get a loan, there is no way (even if the neighbour wanted to sell) they can buy it, they cant even afford a cover to hide the damn thing

[VinegarTits]

oh and washing it would mean my dad having to do a 200 mile trip to wash it, but tbh he has washed it before when he lived there and it was still an eyesore

if there is nothing he can do legally then he is just going to have to hope someone will lower standards will see past the filthy thing

[Fimbo]

I am confused by the picture tbh. Where is your parents house in relation to where the caravan is sited because it looks like it is sitting on a patch of grass marked out for cars on a road. Or should their be another fence behind the caravan that is missing?

[VinegarTits]

my parents house it to the right, their front garden is in line with the caravan, the neighbours house is set back behind the garage, so actually the neighbours dont have to see the caravan from their house, but whoever buys my parents house will have to look at it whenever they step out the door

[Fimbo]

Ah then yes it would put me off big time. I have been googling and there is a caravan forum, maybe they would have the answer. Is the neighbour open to the idea of getting rid of it? There maybe some scrappers who would take it away for nothing.

[VinegarTits]

i have put up a clearer pic so you can see how close it is to their house

[Fimbo]

\link{http://www.essexcaravanbreakers.co.uk/1.html\free removal here for instance}

[VinegarTits]

thanks fimbo, i will mention that to my dad

[Fimbo]

Maybe making the fence higher would be the answer but again would cost £££££

[VinegarTits]

i have found a site for a local caravan breakers, will print off and give it to my dad, they pick up free of charge and pay you for your caravan, im sure the neighbour wont object to a bit of cash for his shit heap (unless he is an awkward twat)

thanks!