To think home covenants are beyond ridiculous!

[Inconvenientcovenant29]

I know I am being unreasonable and I only think they are ridiculous because the covenant is stopping me putting any kind of boundary line up at the front of my house!

I would really like an ankle height fence around both sides of my drive way and grass area but the covenant says no! I would prefer it to be higher if I could to stop postman just walking straight across the drive even if they don’t have anything for my house and to stop my neighbour cycling down the middle of my drive because he doesn’t want to scratch his precious car by just walking the bike to the end of the drive and then riding off (it makes me so angry)

We did put plants down as a tester to stop them reversing off from our drive.. but the plants have died as I’m rubbish at keeping plants alive and I am reluctant to move them as it will start up again.

Is there any kind of breaking a covenant or just creating something which works as a loop hole. I like the sound of those chain link fencing with the poles but I guess they would complain about them.

Our 80's house has a covenant to stop fences in the front gardens. We got sick of people walking right across ours and put up a fence like quite a few others on the estate. Nothing has happened.

We had “ not allowed to set up a coconut shy”
.
Madness!

omg. My life dream is ruined

The complete paragraph is about making bricks, tiles, glass .... and burning sand?

Not burning lime? That's quite a common one.

I'm all for the caravan/campervan one.
But then I live in a flat and we all have allocated parking and its bloody annoying when they park caravans and campervans in the turning area.

We can’t boil bones…

I’m not allowed to keep racing pigeons or give piano lessons (mad!)
I also have to keep drainage ditch beyond the end of my garden but still on my land clear (sensible as I live on a reclaimed marsh)

I have a huge list... if anyone wants I can post the ridiculous ones

We're not allowed to keep rabbits! No idea why not, maybe related to the fact we're on a former dock.

We live in a 1920s semi with a 120ft garden. We can't keep more than 2 horses in the garden or take alcohol into the garage. The garage was built on land previously owned by the Methodist Church which explains the alcohol, but I can't imagine anyone wanting to keep horses in a suburban garden.

Ours has the usual ones about keeping fowl, no vans, caravans or houses on wheels(!) etc. can be even brought onto the estate. For the most part the person benefitting is "The Transferor" which was the company set up for the purpose of developing the 17 houses along the road. I know, because they wrote to me to ensure any known liabilities etc were identified, that the company was wound up years ago.

We don't worry if our small touring caravan is on the drive for a few days while it's cleaned and sorted if we've been away for more than a long weekend. However pay for it to be stored off site and wouldn't dream of it being at home all the time.

There are a whole load of conditions around the grass at the front upon which the only indication of the boundaries are lines on the Land Registry Plan. Some of us share them and the mowing, others have planted hedges which are now way over 2 metres high. No issues.

I think OP would find the same.

On a linked theme

Where we lived before there were also prohibitions over demarcation of shared front lawns. However, next door (No40) and house on other side of him (No38) had posts linked by a cheap and naff plastic chain.

After we'd been there a couple of years 38 changed hands. Mr Smith duly left upon completion at around midday, having stowed the kid's rabbits in their hutch in his car. Mr Jones from no 40 was moving the fence so as to gain a couple of square feet of clover infested grass from his (ex) neighbour. If Smithy had forgotten the rabbit food and come back Jones would have been caught in the act.

As my gran would have said, there's nowt so queer as folk.

How old are the covenants?
If they are old it wouldn’t bother me.

😂😂

My house was built in the 70s and has the same covenant; no fences at the front of the house. Every house in the street has the same covenant, and we are now the only house without a fence. Just do it, nothing will happen. If you're really worried then get legal advice or get some ornamental rocks, as suggested by PP.

It took me a while to type but here are some of them

To paint using good quality materials in a workmanlike manner in appropriate and tasteful colours in the interior decorating years
(Note there is no reference to what the interior decorating years actually are…) my dad said he instantly wanted to paint a room black

Not to use the premises for any dangerous or immoral purpose

Not to hang or expose so visible any clothes or washing (I have a private garden, still not allowed)

Not to shake a mat, broom or other article

At least once every month to properly clean all windows which must be properly curtained or fitted with blinds appropriate to a private residence

We have a covenant which says the front garden should be open plan. We planted a privet hedge years ago to stop the postman walking across our living room window as a short cut to next door. Other neighbours have also put in hedges/post and rail fences.
Another covenant says no commercial vehicles on drives. I can assure you that every other property has a van on it. No action has ever been taken.

When we were buying the house there were all sorts of clauses saying we had to get permission from the builders for ridiculous things eg putting up a TV aerial. We got the solicitor to add a clause to say permission could not be withheld without good reason. We got permission for tv aerial, converting garage to a room, putting up an extension.

I think a lot of it is ridiculous copy and paste stuff in the contracts and enables them to keep control whilst the whole development is built and sold. After that I don't think the developers really care.

We had this- the property was near to a railway tunnel. Not directly over, but the other end of the street was.

We're not allowed to hold beanfeasts 🤷🏼‍♀️

Exactly the same on my old estate, it drives me nuts how many caravans and vans there are though- blocking visibility on corners etc. genuinely does cause danger.

I have to allow 3 named members of the family who built my property access to my garden and rear of my property. It was built in the 1850's so I'm pretty sure they're all dead now.

I'm not allowed a shooting gallery in my back garden, apparently.

Some of these covenants are so funny and I’d not be able to contain the laughter if I had read some of these during house moves or if I was say the original owner of the house.. like in the 70’s damn I was going to shy coconuts in my spare time 😅

We’ve actually got the original owners deeds from when the house was built as they must have thought that paperwork was something we required..

There are a lot of covenants but no random funny ones I’m afraid.

I’m not allowed hunt grouse as all the grouse are reserved for Lady so-and-so’s hunting parties. Think it dates back to 1923.

Life is short. Don't worry about such pettiness.

This is the covenant section for the front of the house. I’ve highlighted section 10 and 11 which shows the information about the front of the house I think.

apparently a fence no higher than 18 inches.. The previous keepers broke section 11B as they’ve removed one patch of drive to change the driveway up.

Do you think by the sounds of the covenant I can put something up at the front or not…