Batshit Neighbours - how would you respond to this message?

[carolinesfrog]

This message is from the neighbours of a rental property my Mum has.

Neighbours HATE the tenants, who are perfectly lovely people. Neighbours like to complain a lot. Neighbours have sent this message.

How would you reply?!

Thank you all! I think past interactions with this neighbour have evidently made us see this as an unreasonable request when it perhaps isn't so.

Obviously start by asking the tenants if they're running a business and if their visitors have hit something ? Not difficult.

What permission and insurances? From whom?

If they're having a lot of visitors and deliveries as part of their business, they need permission from the council @Jessbow

You also need to make your sure your mortgage/tenancy allows you to run a business, and make sure you have the adequate insurance in place to protect yourself too.

I googled Gabion cage. It seems as though they've put one of those in to delineate the drive boundary. If the car hit it, it's only the car that would be damaged.

I'd be tempted to get the neighbour or the tenant to send you a photo of the cage, to ensure that it respects the boundary accurately.

I'd want to check that where neighbours have sited their gabion wall/stones. Is it deliberately placed to block the driveway. Does it make it difficult for the tenants and visitors to get in?
Many businesses can be run from home without permission but your mum is right to check what is going on in case it is something that affects her insurance

If your property has been damaged contact your insurer?

They are two houses with a sort of V shaped shared drive, where each line of the V is the parking for each house if that makes sense.

It doesn't. We need a diagram!

Can your mum install some CCTV to ensure all vehicles can be traced? If she is willing to pay that is, not sure she should have to tbh

I would say
'wait, you're deliberately putting obstacles out to damage people's cars'?

1 - we need a diagram as it includes parking!

2 - yes you need to check what the business is and whether they have permission; it could void your mum's landlord/buildings insurance

I'd put CCTV in anyway for them me. I think my main system was under 300 quid and it's still going strong 3 years later.

They presumably want to know whether the tenant has permission to run a business from home? You need the correct insurance as well as permission from the council - do they have all of that, and if not, why not?

As far as I can see from googling, the only permission they are likely to need is from their landlord.

I think the council only comes into it for particular businesses that need a license, for example child-minders, not for businesses generally.

Similarly, council might come into it if alterations to the property were required, but presumable that's not the case here.

They may need various types of insurance, but if they don't have relevant insurances, I think that's their problem? I don't think it's generally illegal not to be insured, just unwise.

As the landlord, your mum could get into trouble if her tenants are reported for illegally running a business from a domestic dwelling.

It's not generally illegal to run a business from a domestic dwelling, so no-one is going to be in trouble.

Tbh I’d have concerns if I shared a drive and my neighbours set up a business with random people coming and going throughout the day using the shared drive… that needs looking at.

Running a business from home might be restricted by covenants. Anything having stock or visitors to a residential property may also be problematic in terms of insurance and nuisance.
Administrative working is almost certainly never an issue.

It would depend on the business, a self employed plumber or electrician would very often be running a business from home, even having materials delivered to that address, that is entirely normal.

What may not be allowed is for several employees in addition causing unreasonable disturbance to neighbours,

I'd reply damage to cars is dealt with by the car insurance held by the drivers involved. If your car was to be damaged by another car, you would claim through that person's insurance.

When you say you have put (whatever it was) are you telling me you are blocking my tenant's access to their home?

Doesn't really sound that batshit to be fair. Are the tenants running a business? Are they allowed to do so? Does your agreement with them permit for this? And if so, what sort of business, could it be detrimental to your property?

(and the tenants are then not "perfectly lovely" at all if they are running a business without telling you)

I would respond by hitting the block button.

Your mother does not owe Mr Batshit her time, attention, or any explanations.

As PP suggest though, she needs to make sure her landlord insurance is watertight re: whatever business her tenant is running.

You dont even know if the tenants are running a business. What else dont you know?

The neghbours have gone to the trouble of placing a obstruction on the edge of their property to show that your mums tennants are not driving carefully enough and low and behold, it has been damaged. As per their message, it would probably have been their car otherwise.

Rather than call them names. Ask their issues. Then go to the tennants and ask what business they are running. Then deal with the legals of if you want them to remain and carry on their business. Personally i would want to know as they might be causing damage to your mums house in the line of their business.

Stop being dissmissive

I don't think that is "batshit" and if that how they're being treated I'm not surprised they're being difficult.

Neighbours running a business that involves lots of traffic is annoying (and usually requires permisson) and they already have evidence of careless driving and not "owning up".

I think your mum needs to be a better neighbour

If it's a shared drive, there really shouldn't be any obstacles placed on it. Your mum needs to check the deeds to see if both parties have access over the entire drive (or the part of it where the cage has been installed). If they do, then the neighbor has no right to put it there.

Why is the tenant responsible for the visitors actions?

Tbh I'd just ignore or at the most reply something like "thank you for letting me know".

Neighbours running a business that involves lots of traffic is annoying (and usually requires permisson) and they already have evidence of careless driving and not "owning up".

Why would anyone "own up" to hitting a cage of rocks?

I’d firstly find out about the business and see if that is a real legitimate concern.

Then I’d tackle the rest of the issues. If it’s a shared drive the neighbour shouldn’t be putting things up to restrict access

Diagram for those that requested it!