Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Living in Van on Driveway

91 replies

AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 16:49

AIBU?

I'm not sure how long this has been going on for as I didn't really take notice at first....but, about a month ago I started to take notice of a van that kept visiting our close and stopping on a driveway. I thought at first it was just the neighbours work vehicle but I then realise it was actually a converted van. I then noticed that people were actually living in the van.

The last few weeks it's been there pretty permanently (at least from what I can see when i'm home from work or off work).

The issue is it looks directly into our kitchen/dinner area where we spend a lot of our time and you buy a house knowing which rooms people overlook you.

AIBU to not want them to live on the driveway and also, what do I do about this? Is it legal and what can I do about it? I don't want to annoy the neighbours but I want our privacy.

OP posts:
Ohyesiam · 20/09/2019 17:43

I don't understand why i have to change my house?

Well, because it would solve your problem.
Live and let live.

If you want you could ask how long they are staying. I lived in a van over one winter, it was only doable because it has a wood burner( converted horse box) , so they might be moving on soon.

tobedtoMNandfart · 20/09/2019 17:43

Where are they shitting ... would be my first question.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:44

@SunburstsOrMarbleHalls yes - a couple of times I've looked out and caught one of the peoples eye.

Neighbours tend to keep themselves around here. I worry that if i say something to them and they say "tough" and I contact the council as others have suggested, they'll know exactly who it is. I don't want to cause problems and if they're moving on soon - I've got no problem with it. But with it being already 6 weeks, i worry this is long term.

OP posts:
AmIThough · 20/09/2019 17:45

If you're looking into his van why shouldn't he look into your window Grin

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:45

@tobedtoMNandfart i really, really don't want to know Grin
Lets just say if the Roses flower well next year...we'll know

OP posts:
DontDribbleOnTheCarpet · 20/09/2019 17:46

I'd be worried about them, with the cold weather coming soon. I certainly wouldn't be worrying about my kitchen being looked at. Why would I?

A couple of years ago, a camper van showed up at the bottom of our garden(right next to the shore). The man who owned it asked if he could stay there for a while and we were happy to let him. He had nowhere else to live and was trying to get work in the area. He did no harm and his dog was very well trained. I think our neighbour gave him eggs from her hens and he even looked at our kitchens. Nothing bad happened. Eventually (after about 2 months) he moved on.

I think it's really sad that your first thought isn't that some poor person may be in a terrible situation and that you are more worried about your privacy. Shame on you.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:46

@AmIThough So if someone was standing outside your house and looking in your window all the time, you'd be fine with that...or would you call the police?

OP posts:
Treaclebee · 20/09/2019 17:47

I think contacting the council without having a friendly chat with either the neighbours or the people in the van would be unreasonable.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:48

@DontDribbleOnTheCarpet if it was a homeless people i'd totally understand. This is not, it's a lifestyle choice.

OP posts:
AmIThough · 20/09/2019 17:48

How do you know they didn't see you looking at them out the corner of their eye, which is why they looked at you?

You're just being over dramatic and ignoring sensible advice.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:49

@WhenOneDoorClosesAnotherOpens that's really interesting. I presume because it was on the road that the police had the authority to do that?

OP posts:
Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:51

@AmIThough because quite simply i wasn't looking out the corner of my eye at the time :D

It's literally the distance of my front garden and an alleyway path to the van. We're talking about a car and a half away.
.
I'm listening and ready - as i said, I've left it for a while but should i leave it forever, is that what you're saying?

OP posts:
AmIThough · 20/09/2019 17:55

No I think you should ask your neighbour what's going on and then contact the council if they don't give you an acceptable answer

TellySavalashairbrush · 20/09/2019 17:56

It’s not ideal for you, but I can’t imagine it being forever. Fortunately it will start to get dark earlier soon, then you can close your blinds and pretend they’re not there. I’d be very surprised if this is genuinely a lifestyle choice, or if it is the novelty will eventually wear off.

olympicsrock · 20/09/2019 17:57

Go and talk to them OP . I think 6 weeks is long enough to for a temporary situation to live and let live ...

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 17:57

@AmIThough okay, I shall. Do I give them a bit longer or contact them now?

OP posts:
Treaclebee · 20/09/2019 18:00

Op go and have a chat this evening with your neighbour.

LuckyLou7 · 20/09/2019 18:00

What access do the van dwellers have to toilet facilities? If they have a chemical toilet, where are they emptying it? I live by the coast and over the summer, lots of campervans 'wild camp' along the seafront. I was walking home from work one morning, after a nightshift, and saw one person emptying their chemical toilet into the sea.Dirty fuckers.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 18:08

@LuckyLou7 unsure, we live right next door to a field so could be going for a wild wee! However, I don't want to accuse them of doing anything without knowing for definite (and won't be going out with the dog on a poop hunt, even if he loves doing that!) Dirty Fuckers indeed.
I say lifestyle choice as it's the surfer esk people who wild camp like that. I don't like labelling people but want people to understand that i'm not trying to oust homeless people in the same sense as a real homeless person. I hope that makes sense.

OP posts:
WhenOneDoorClosesAnotherOpens · 20/09/2019 18:09

AbbaG12 Fri 20-Sep-19 17:49:22 @WhenOneDoorClosesAnotherOpens that's really interesting. I presume because it was on the road that the police had the authority to do that?

I'm not completely sure what happened. My friend had been telling me about the situation as we often walk together in her neighbourhood. One day she saw the police speaking with the people in the van and afterwards the people drove away and have not returned (this was at the begining of the summer). All of the residents admited to phoning the council, but none would admit to phoning the police. So we presume the council phoned the police. They were parked on the road, so perhaps that's different to being on a drive? I'm not really sure about the legalities of it all tbh.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 18:09

as In your wild campers are dirty fuckers. I don't know about these guys! I haven't seen them doing such things and as I said, don't want to accuse them of doing so.

OP posts:
Moondancer73 · 20/09/2019 18:12

Maybe it's relatives of the people that own the drive - has it occurred to you that they don't have anywhere else to live and if you get them moved on then you could disrupt their life further?

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 18:13

@WhenOneDoorClosesAnotherOpens I'm not sure of the legality either, that's why I asked. It's making me think I should leave them be from the responses i'm getting. The thing is, it's only about a car and a halfs distance from our window, the distance of our front garden and the pathway to the alley. I wish I could put a diagram. I'm not sure people realise how close it is and how closely they can see in. If it was a little further away, i'd not be fussed.
It's funny, I really didn't notice at first as everyone in the neighbourhood keeps to themselves and I think they were only parking later on at night, plus we were out a lot in the holidays. It's since the end of the holidays and my routines gone back to normal that it's been so noticeable. It was when we caught each others eye that made me feel a bit odd.

OP posts:
Grumpelstilskin · 20/09/2019 18:13

We lived in a caravan in our own drive for almost 18 months to renovate our property. Thankfully, we did not have a neighbour like you.

Original poster
AbbaG12 · 20/09/2019 18:14

@Moondancer73 this is definitely a lifestyle choice and not homeless people.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread