To park my motorhome on my drive for the duration of lockdown?

[cantdothisnow1]

I have a motorhome that is kept in storage in normal times.

I have 2 autistic kids who can't go to school, we normally get out and about as much as possible for sanity but obviously from Thursday movements are restricted.

WIBU to park my motorhome on the drive for lockdown to give us more space? This would technically be in breach of restrictive covenants on our property.

Logic behind it being that the kids would have a breakout room if needed. We had some major mental health problems in the first lockdown.

WWYD?

I’d do it. Just let your neighbours know in advance and let them know it’s only for a limited period. Hopefully they are not twatty enough to not understand why you are doing it.

I'm surprised that some people are being so uptight about you doing this. We're in exceptional times, your children will almost certainly benefit from having "somewhere else" to go. If crappy neighbour across the road complains, explain why it is there politely and if she still complains walk away. She is not the boss of you.

I hope it makes a difference for all of you.

I have a Twatty neighbour too who hates anything I do (I keep myself to myself and always consider the impact of anything on neighbours, though it's rare that I'm exciting enough to cause an inconvenience!) yet he can lean over my fence and hack down my plants, stare into my house (had to grow large Bush I don't want so he couldnt, now he complains about that, told me i cant feed the birds, to get rid of my pets, makes insanely loud noises that scare the crap out of us for no reason...

So I'm afraid you will get crap off Twatty neighbours (you don't need me to tell you Twatty neighbour wrote that letter from the street all by themselves).

However I would put letters through doors and say that due to covid it's needed as a temporary learning facility and if anyone has issues can they please contact you so you can address them before you do.

Personally I would love to have a mobile home and be able to use it for extra space, time out, trips... But my Twatty neighbours wouldn't allow it and I have no covenant!

I think I would go directly to the neighbors you know will object and explain you need to keep it temporarily because the storage place is going to close and you have to start it weekly or it freezes up. Explains it will be a lifesaver during lucky for your kids as they have to be homeschooled and go stir crazy in the house all day. Say you will return it to storage when you can.

Just put note in moterhome window, very polite note. Leave it at that. Don't stress and hope you get some peace sweetie. Bad neighbours are objects of hell

There does come a point where you have to do what is best for you and your family I think. And I think this is reasonable.

Op, what did you decide in the end?

SCOTUK has just given a very interesting ruling on covenants.

www.supremecourt.uk/cases/uksc-2019-0006.html

TL;DR is that covenants are very much protected in law, and trying to be a smart arse over them can cost dearly (in this case the loss of an already built block of flats).

By all means, feel free to ignore covenants if you don't like them. But do not be surprised if they get enforced - and you end up paying for it all.

Worth noting that SCOTUK also gave some examples where courts might disapply a covenant. But "because it suits me" wasn't one.

It's also interesting to read the courts reasoning behind the justification for covenants.