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?

Rules are there to be broken

Go for it

Do not let your neighbours know about the covenants, if you need the extra space for a while then do it! Unusual times and all that.

Do it. I wish I could

Covenants are enforceable. Neighbours on our road have had acrimonious disputes over caravans and motor homes, blocking views, sight when reversing cars etc. I would explain to neighbours and assess their opinions.

In the 90's when we bought a new build there was a covenant like this and the builders told me it was so that when the estate was being built prospective buyers wouldn't be put off my motorhomes, caravans etc on drives and after the houses were sold no one enforced the covenant. I would pop a note through neighbours who are opposite or next door explaining it is there for the children's wellbeing during lockdown and 'Hope it doesn't cause any problems for you' , Most people are understanding when they know a reason for others actions.

I would do it. Don’t mention the covenant. I would explain to my neighbours that because of exceptional circumstances and the the very real specific needs of my children I needed to give my children some space during lockdown.

Only an unfeeling person would nt support you at such a moment. I would also consider calling my MP (dont laugh) we did it for advice over my daughter and grandson when they took refuge with us during full lockdown and my daughter needed to be able collect items from her home. Our MP was very understanding and supportive and very down to earth. We were glad we had contacted her.

I’d do it. We have a caravan which is in storage, however I’d like it on our drive just to have somewhere else to go and escape from my four walls if necessary. Unfortunately, we took our caravan for its annual service last Saturday and they’re closing tomorrow and can’t get to pick it up due to work. Ah well never mind!

A neighbour's perspective here.
My friend lives in a beautiful new build house with stunning views.
There is a covenant on every house re boats and caravans in the driveways.
My friend lives there (DF) not me.

DNs who live opposite her (but below her as the estate is on a hill) moved a very large caravan onto their drive in the summer. They said it would be there for a day. It has not moved since. All the neighbours are a bit miffed and the covenant is important to them. So they have politely asked for it to be moved.

It's not just the view of the caravan that is winding them up. Since the caravan takes up a lot of space all the visitors to the property park on the road. This includes the elderly mother's carer who visits daily, tradesmen and family members (they are grandparents and not observant of the no family visiting rules - we are in Wales so I'm working from Welsh corona restrictions). There is a car(s) parked outside a lot of the time. This impedes my DF's ability to turn out of her driveway. It's a private road and no yellow lines (ie no prohibition on parking), but the driveways are large and if the caravan wasn't there then there would be space for all these cars.

I do not think my DF or her other neighbours are twats for wanting it moved. The covenant is there for a reason. It is inaccurate to say who will want to enforce it - most covenants are easily enforced. In the case of DF she would have taken steps to enforce it, otherwise the caravan would have been there for the next x years. Following the polite request the DNs are arranging to move it to a storage facility.

In my example the DNs are CFs because they parked the caravan there under false pretences, telling everyone it would only be for a day. They bought the property less than a year ago in full knowledge of the covenant. You are obviously not a CF and are sensitive to your neighbours' possible objections and the terms of the covenant. You have special reasons for wanting the caravan there on a very temporary basis. Please don't let this become an issue. Speak to or pop a note into your neighbours to explain the position and perhaps give them a bottle of wine as a gesture, like you would if you were having noisy building works.

Just do it. Who spends hours a day gazing out of their windows to be offended by something on their opposite neighbour's drive? I certainly don't. I rarely look out of our windows as I'm too busy doing other stuff inside.

Do it.

I like the idea of pretending it's there for repairs and now it's stuck there because of lockdown.

Just pop a note through all your neighbours doors saying it won't be there permanently, just until the lockdown is lifted and it will go back into storage.

I wouldn't volunteer any reason why it's there unless pushed.

I'm not normally a rule breaker but you've extenuating circumstances.

Do it but put a note in window explaining it's only going to be during lockdown. Start not with Thankyou for your understanding

Check the restrictive covenant is still enforceable, a neighbour has discovered ours aren't.

@TooTrusting

A neighbour's perspective here. My friend lives in a beautiful new build house with stunning views. There is a covenant on every house re boats and caravans in the driveways. My friend lives there (DF) not me.

DNs who live opposite her (but below her as the estate is on a hill) moved a very large caravan onto their drive in the summer. They said it would be there for a day. It has not moved since. All the neighbours are a bit miffed and the covenant is important to them. So they have politely asked for it to be moved.

It's not just the view of the caravan that is winding them up. Since the caravan takes up a lot of space all the visitors to the property park on the road. This includes the elderly mother's carer who visits daily, tradesmen and family members (they are grandparents and not observant of the no family visiting rules - we are in Wales so I'm working from Welsh corona restrictions). There is a car(s) parked outside a lot of the time. This impedes my DF's ability to turn out of her driveway. It's a private road and no yellow lines (ie no prohibition on parking), but the driveways are large and if the caravan wasn't there then there would be space for all these cars.

I do not think my DF or her other neighbours are twats for wanting it moved. The covenant is there for a reason. It is inaccurate to say who will want to enforce it - most covenants are easily enforced. In the case of DF she would have taken steps to enforce it, otherwise the caravan would have been there for the next x years. Following the polite request the DNs are arranging to move it to a storage facility.

In my example the DNs are CFs because they parked the caravan there under false pretences, telling everyone it would only be for a day. They bought the property less than a year ago in full knowledge of the covenant. You are obviously not a CF and are sensitive to your neighbours' possible objections and the terms of the covenant. You have special reasons for wanting the caravan there on a very temporary basis. Please don't let this become an issue. Speak to or pop a note into your neighbours to explain the position and perhaps give them a bottle of wine as a gesture, like you would if you were having noisy building works.

Absolutely none of that applies to me, no nice views here and it would not be long term.

Check the covenant again, its likely to mention caravans not allowed not motorhome which is a motorised vehicle which you are allowed to park on the drive.

@alig99

Check the covenant again, its likely to mention caravans not allowed not motorhome which is a motorised vehicle which you are allowed to park on the drive.

will do thanks.

Send an email out text around to the neighbours and explain what you're thinking of doing and why. Ask then if there are any objections, if not you'll pick the caravan up tomorrow.

Bit unreasonable to accuse your neighbours of being the twats is it not

Just go get the thing and stop agonising about it. There won't be any repercussions you care about more than the MH benefits.

Do it if it's only for four weeks. One of our neighbours has one permanently on their drive. It takes up all the space so their family and visitors abandon park their cars outside everyone else's houses, which can be irritating. But as a one off emergency measure, I wouldn't mind if I were your neighbour.

@cantdothisnow1
It does apply to you though! Take away the nice views, the rest is there. Namely the covenant and how to make sure an issue doesn't become an argument.
Just drop in a note if you don't want to speak to them, or knock on their door! A small gift would be a nice gesture. Just explain! All they will want to know is that it is short term. If you like, spin them a line about it coming out of storage for a service and it can't now go back until the end of lockdown and you're terribly sorry.
If you say something like this there is very unlikely to be any argument from the neighbours. They may just accept it and be ok with you. If they get narky there will be nothing they can do to force you to remove it in the very short term. And by the time they do make a fuss (if they do) you will have lockdown as an excuse that you can't move it straight away but will be doing so as soon as you can (ie when lockdown ends).

@Weirdwonders

Bit unreasonable to accuse your neighbours of being the twats is it not

I was asked if my neighbours were twats. I replied that they can be fairly twatty.

Don't try to derail the thread. You don't know anything about them or how they can be.

They are likely to kick up a stink if I choose to park the MH here even though my kids have disabilities but think nothing of breaking lockdown rules themselves.

In my mind that makes them twatty.

They were very very difficult when my eldest was first diagnosed and his behaviour was difficult. They called the police rather than asking me if everything was OK.

Is it that hard to believe that some people have difficult (or even twatty) neighbours?

Make sure it is very secure. Some twatwaffle tried to steal mine from behind closed (not locked) gates. Absolutely fucked it trying to hot wire it. Wankers. Loads of it happening at the moment.

Not allowed to work hard for nice things.

Oh and to clarify my son wasn't not breaking any laws when they called the police they were concerned about his welfare. I see them every day as they are always pottering around in their front garden, they didn't bother to ask me!

@RubbishQueen

Make sure it is very secure. Some twatwaffle tried to steal mine from behind closed (not locked) gates. Absolutely fucked it trying to hot wire it. Wankers. Loads of it happening at the moment.

Not allowed to work hard for nice things.

That's awful. They are hot property at the moment as the market for them is huge.

Ignore the double negative in the post about my son not breaking laws. Just thinking about it makes me emotional .