Becoming homeless for my dream job

[ForTidyFinch]

I've been offered and ideal job in the town where I currently live but my short term tenancy is due to end in a couple of weeks. I have tried everything to find a new place to live. There is nothing available in this small town and I have no friends or family living close enough to help. I have decided to start the job and then live in my car. I've reached a desperate point now where I think there is little chance of me being able to rent privately even if something does become available. A run of bad luck has drained my finances and a CCJ was taken out against me without my knowledge (for overstaying in a service station when my car was broken down!) This was taken out while I was living abroad and I have only just found out. So there goes the chance of renting privately. So the choice I see it is being homeless and destitute staying with relatives or living in my car and starting this interesting job opportunity. I think I will live in my car. WWYD

That’s now invalid though because the car doesn’t run.

it’s just not going to work, you aren’t going to be able to hold down a job and live in a broken down car at the side of the road.

I'm sorry but this made me laugh 😂

But the more I read this, the more I'm struggling to believe any of it real. None of it adds up?!?! And nobody can be naive enough to think that they can start their new "dream job" in their small, rural town, with nobody finding out they live in their car. What if OP bumps into someone from work in the leisure centre when she's going in for a shower in the morning??

Are there any local homelessness charities that might be able to give you advice/support? I'd know where to direct you local to me, but obviously don't know where you are (and you're right not to be saying). Churches might be a good place to ask what's available - not to expect them to fix anything, but they often know what's available in terms of wider support in the local area.

I think you are overthinking the CCJ fund a landlord that doesn't use an agency and explain to them and evidence what it was for.

If I bump into somebody in the leisure centre so what? I'm not going to walk around the leisure centre with a big homeless sign on am I? They will assume I am there for the same reasons they are surely? I'm glad you find the situation so hilarious at least I have made a few people laugh today 😂

I was agreeing with you/backing you, hopefully that was clear! :)

More than a little naive IMO, you can't just sleep in a randomly parked up unroadworthy car for weeks on end :/

Cars break down while having a valid MOT.

It hasn’t just broke down though has it. Op has deemed it unroadworthy and worth only scrap

Go for it OP. It's not ideal butnhopefully give you a chance to build your credit score up.. See if you can challenge the ccj being on your record later on down the line.
Look at hmos, student let's, if there a uni local then even shared student private let's etc. Good luck! Itl be hard but better than at home and regretting your prospects.

OP - can you get a van? You can find one fairly cheap

try homestay.com
I know someone who used this recently. Cheaper options available.
You may be able to negotiate rates for a longer stay

I’d say this would be ok for a couple of months until the weather gets cold, then you might struggle.

I read a story about a guy who lives in his fiat 500 and has a gym membership to use the shower etc for £40 a month. I’d take the job though if it’s your dream job.

Yes, but if the car can't be driven, what is OP going to do when the police inevitably come knocking and tell her she needs to move on?

She seems to be missing the fact that it's illegal to sleep in your car in the vast majority of residential areas or even car parks. The police can (and do) move you on and can fine you if you refuse or if they catch you there again.

DH has tried sleeping in his car on the way back from late night fishing trips and been moved on several times. She won't get away with it for long.

Have also heard good things about home stay and also www.trustedhousesitters.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleAds_Direct_Search_Non-Brand_UK_Acquisitions&utm_content=HO_HouseSitterLocation&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADBK-M7W5ykgvbDW0li-lp4lET-jT

I don't find the situation hilarious OP. I found what @ComtesseDeSpair said funny in the way it was worded.

But sorry, you are still being massively naive. You're just ignoring everyone telling you that this is a ridiculous idea and not listening to any of the sensible and practical options offered.

Apols didn't notice that the car is not fixable but you still need to be a responsible car owner while you still have it or you could end up with a lot of trouble. This is quite a complicated area. IFAIR, you can park a car on a public road if it's not roadworthy, say after being damaged in an accident, so long as it is not unsafe while it is stationary, but it must be taxed and to be taxed it must have a valid MOT certificate in force and of course if it wouldn't then be driveable to the MOT testing station nor would it pass its MOT then at that point it wouldn't be taxable so it couldn't stay there. You mustn't drive an unroadworthy car on a public road even if it does have an MOT certificate in force although what constitutes unroadworthy, and whether you can drive it to a(nother) garage is a bit complicated.

If it's permanently off road for the time being it has to be declared as SORN to the DVLA instead. You need to inform your insurer of the facts in order for your insurance to be valid.

Have a look at Honest John on this type of topic (www.honestjohn.co.uk), and www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-safe

And start here for info on roadworthiness, MOTs etc.
www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-safe

No idea what the law is about sleeping in a car parked on a public road. People do it in emergencies such as accident and snow tailbacks and when leaving a home for their own safety or locked out, but doing it day after day isn't the same thing as doing it for a temporary unplanned reason.

OP you'll need to factor in walking to work or bus or train when looking for this housing for the job, or buying a new roadworthy if cheap car, so this is getting more logistically challenging. And how will you get to work if a new car breaks down. You may manage to get more for your car for scrap than you realise, I got about £300 for a car that was not economical to fix but the rest of it was in good condition. If I could have been bothered with more faff I could have probably got more.

Thank you for all the wishes of good luck and all the interesting nuggets of advice. I was thinking of this as a temporary solution in my mind to stop myself falling into poverty and/or permanent homelessness and hopelessness. I have and will continue to look for any type of rental or spare room and have tried almost everything suggested. This is my last resort choices to be made in the next couple of weeks after months of trying.

@Tartfulodger
An MOT is valid whether the car is able to be driven or not, if it's mot, tax and insurance are valid it's mechanical condition is irrelevant
An MOT does not check the condition of an engine, clutch or gears

The MOT may be valid, but if the police approach OP and ask her to move on, she won't be able to - and then what happens?

Not sure a PP's comment about sleeping in a car being illegal in a majority of places was entirely helpful as it's more complicated than that.

Can't vouch for the accuracy of it but see here as a starting point, lots of good advice about sleeping in cars, plus the very important point that you can't sleep in your car if you are infit to drive because of drink or drugs so if you DO live in a your car for a bit, you won't be able to have a drink (or take drugs) that hasn't left your system by the time you bed down for the night.

https://dontdisappoint.me.uk/resources/lifestyle/legal-places-to-sleep-in-car-uk/

I have no further contributions to make to this topic and am off to buy a dishwasher online as it's Prime Day. Good luck OP!

Sorry for reposting the same url twice, the first one was a typo, no further url to add about the car issues.

You have a few options here.

1.) Renting privately - just because you have a CCJ against you doesn't mean you can't rent from a private landlord if you can show them you have previously rented and show income etc. I manged to do this myself so know it can be done. Look on Open rent, Gumtree or Facebook for private renting options. If you can put down a few months rent in advance will definitely help secure a place too.

2.) House share. This is your best option IMHO. Look on spareroom.co.uk. Lots of options here until you can save up to rent privately or build you credit up to get a mortgage etc.

3.) Live with family and save up.

Whatever you do, don't live in your car. The colder months will soon kick in and you will be unable to do it.

I'd try to live in the car OP, over the summer at least, this will give you time to save money and hopefully the airB&B lot will have dried up by the end of the summer and you can rent a room.

I know posters have called you naive, but I think they're the ones being naive and have no idea just how difficult it is to find somewhere to live. It's awful we have allowed this to happen, that a young women with a good job can only find shelter in a broken down car. And as for the police, they are not (or at least shouldn't) force you to get out of the car (that you can't move) and just wander the streets alone at night. They might try to force you to engage with homeless services which I assume you would be willing to do anyway,

Which sensible and practical options have I not listened to? I have read every reply on this thread but I can reply to every post. Many of the ideas I have already tried. I have thanked some of those who have suggested something I hadn't thought of. How do you know what I am ignoring? And why does it make you so angry?

@WilfredDidNotStealYourSausages there's a big difference between kipping for a few hours/for a night while on a road trip, and permanently living out of your car, though.

As OP's car isn't roadworthy, technically the latter is illegal, and if the police ask her to move on - it will be a huge issue as she can't actually drive her car.

https://connection-at-stmartins.org.uk/news-item/life-in-a-car/#:~:text=Legality,of%20the%20UK)%20without%20permission.

EDIT: for clarification.