AIBU should I report my neighbour?

[Poppygirl96]

My neighbour is using the keep clear part at the end of our dead end road to open a mechanics business from home. He has cars and motorcycles parked up there constantly that he’s working on and it makes a lot of noise during the day. People have been coming and going constantly to pick up their vehicle or drop off so there’s never anywhere to park and we can’t use the keep clear area to do our three point turns and the noise can be so loud. He’s clearly flouting the lockdown rules to do this. Me and him have animosity already due to a previous minor falling out so I’m hesitant to report him but it’s getting too much. AIBU to want to report him for this and how do I go about it if I’m not?

It's petty to report someone trying to make ends meet The same argument could be applied to people helping themselves to goods from other people's houses and selling them on.

This guy is claiming exclusive use of a communal asset and depriving the rest of the community of its use.

On the other hand, if he's ousted from the turning circle he may merely relocate to his driveway, which might not be an improvement.

No wonder so many people get away with doing what the hell they want when the attitude is that it’s petty/being a grass to report them.

Lockdown rules aside, running a mechanic business on a residential communal area is illegal, and it is the kind of business where very stringent health and safety rules need to apply.

And you can bet money that if he’s running an illegal business then he’s not paying tax, and probably is furlowed from his normal job at the taxpayer’s expense.

I don't think you are being petty at all to report.

He's inconveniencing the area and he's noisy.

It's a residential area, not a business area.

Report it to the council and see what happens.

I can't believe the responses on this thread. Insanity. No you can't run a business from the road in front of houses and prevent people from parking and driving. Report him
to council.

I wouldn't be saying anything. Times like these he is trying to keep a roof over his head. Show a bit of kindness

This is one for the local council surely.

Noise issues
Not paying business rates
Using/obstructing public highway for business

"Times like these" do not absolve people from following the law, especially when he is causing suffering/inconvenience to others. Everyone is trying to keep a roof over their heads, that doesnt mean we can all start ignoring the law to do so.

YANBU, what he is doing is either licensed and registered or is an illegal operation. If you report it and it is the former, then he will have no problem proving that if the council come around. If it is the latter then it is his own fault if he receives consequences..

safety & tax avoidance - if he wants to operate a private business especially one that affects other neighbours he needs to be reported
he is not being considerate to others let alone kind

YANBU.

Not for "lockdown rules" but for the possible breach of planning permission.

Why should anyone be kind to someone who A,has no issue with causing noise/obstruction to his neighbours with his business which has no legal right to be there,and B, has no consideration for the people who could get hurt because his business is in a public residential area and therefore accidents are a very real possibility and he won’t have insurance.

If the bloke was dealing drugs from his house, or running a brothel would people say that he was just trying to keep a roof over his head and to but out?

What happens if a spark or flying piece of metal seriously injures or kills someone passing by on that public road? Should it be written off as an accident because the poor bloke is just trying to keep a roof over his head? Never mind that he won’t have public liability insurance and doesn’t pay business rates or tax.

Show a bit of kindness Yeah cos he's being like super kind.

I am guessing those who are talking about being spiteful and a grass have never lived next door to an illegal business. They have zero consideration for the neighbours so why should they be shown any back. Totally selfish behaviour and par of the course that they inconvenience everyone else in the road.

Trading standards I think it would be OP.

Report re incorrect use/noise disturbance.yanbu.

There are some really daft replies on here. Don't you know how dangerous a car repair business can be if not set up properly? Have you thought about how he's disposing of waste? Of course he needs reporting. Bloody hell...

I bet some of the 'show some kindness' people would have a different opinion if they were unable to park/being inconvenienced by noise/having strangers backwards and forwards all times of day. And who's to say that after lockdown he won't decide to continue? No overheads for work space, probably no insurance … He clearly isn't registered with the council, as there's no way they would allow him to work from an area he doesn't own/rent. I think I would speak with the council.

I wonder whether he has registered to pay business rates.

You can't just start up that sort of business from home, nor can you use a public road to park your vehicles.

Fair enough, I can see both points to be honest but I do think instead of reporting him you should speak to him personally first.

I didn't ever speak to my neighbour about his illegal shenanigans, (I didn't report him either as they were known anyway) seriously I was not going to be bringing trouble to my doorstep. (He is really not a nice person) I'm not sure people involved in businesses like that will just pack up tools because a neighbour said "please".

Nothing to do with lockdown. Report him for taking over a public road to run a business on. I was going to suggest waiting a bit as times are hard, but as others have pointed out he can repair them outside the car owners house.