Neighbours enormous caravan parked on the road (not drive) for months

[AchillesLastStand]

My neighbours have an enormous caravan that has been parked outside their house on the road for over three months or longer that they have up for sale. It’s directly opposite my house and impacts DH’s ability to reverse out of our drive. He has to reverse out at angle going across our front garden rather than straight. Also no one can park outside our house. Tradesmen have had to park up the road and carry heavy equipment with them.

One of our neighbours is having building work done and we had a cement lorry reversing down the road yesterday past the caravan and now I’ve noticed a small bump on the side of the caravan. I know our neighbours are going to try and pin it on us even though they have no proof and the caravan shouldn’t be parked there that long in the first place obstructing traffic. They have a drive which they’re using for vehicles but I wouldn’t mind if the caravan was parked there for that amount of time. Surely then don’t own the road outside their house and it shouldn’t be there. AIBU,

But having had a Google I don’t think a caravan is classed in law as a vehicle because it doesn’t carry goods or people when in transit. A trailer is classed as a vehicle though. The law is very vague on the definition.

No it doesn't include the road. But that says what they can't act on, it's not explicit about what they can!

Ooh I would hate this, it would make the street seem so trashy but I don't think there's much you can do

Why is it being a cheap skates to park on the road?
Lots of people store all types of vehicle on the road, mostly cars but that doesn't mean you can't store other vehicles on the road either

Why don’t you ask them to move it?

If they were to ask if you hit it, it would be the perfect time to flag that of course it wasn't you, you've had MONTHS of negotiating it and while it's been a pain you are now quite the pro!

*optional MN head tilt and death stare

Ooh I would hate this, it would make the street seem so trashy but I don't think there's much you can do

If you really objected strongly - when they move the caravan you could park your car there and leave it - not moving it.

That way your dh could reverse easier, but then they might put the caravan outside someone else's house?

If there are no residents parking restrictions then it is legal.

For Controlled Parking Zones it would be worthwhile checking with your council. I found out that my area covered by a controlled parking zone says the parking permit does not include a trailer or caravan attached to the car.

But there is no guidance on what to do with trailers.

It does say that Civil Enforcement Officers have no legal ability to issue a PCN to anything except a motorized vehicle (specifically excludes bicycles, trailers and caravan). So a very grey area.

I think I’ll have to. It didn’t bother me at first but it’s the size of a small bus and it’s becoming a massive nuisance. I honestly thought they wouldn’t have the nerve to have it parked there so long. I saw one of our other neighbours complaining about it a couple of weeks ago and they aren’t obstructed by it like we are and they haven’t moved it, so I don’t think they’ll care less if I do complain.

I honestly thought they wouldn’t have the nerve to have it parked there so long.

If it's parked legally, they don't need a 'nerve'. The same as you don't need a 'nerve' to park your car in the street.

Just take a photo, email it to the council and ask them to clarify it's ok/not ok.

You shouldn't be reversing off your drive anyway.

It's much safer for everyone to drive off

I know someone who was told by the council to move their caravan which they were parking on the road. So the council might tell them. To be honest I'm amazed it hasn't been stolen yet. They go like hot cakes round here even out of peoples driveways when they're behind gates.

You shouldn't be reversing out of your drive way.

You need to reverse in and drive out

no. the curtilage is land around a property and forming part of it.

I wouldn't want to look at it either. It's one reason why I won't get a caravan, because I don't want look at it on my drive.

However, you shouldn't be reversing into a road. You should reverse into your drive and the drive out forwards. If your disabled mum has difficulty, why doesn't she park in your drive of you meet her and drive it on.

Unless it's illegal for them to have it there there's not much you can do apart from appealing to their better judgement.

I can't understand how it's legal to park a caravan on the road when it's illegal to park an untaxed vehicle.

Wouldn't have thought so as that's public

Ring them

If you don’t think your neighbours will move it if you ask, I’d just go straight down the anonymous complaint to the council - otherwise if they tell you no and then you go to the council it’ll be obvious who reported it.

As long as it’s not fully blocking the footpath, and not illegally parked, there’s nothing you can do.

We had this on our last house but in our case their caravan was actually fully blocking the path so wheelchairs etc couldn’t get through. We reported to council who spoke to them and they moved it slightly further onto the road so that a pram/wheelchair/pedestrian could get down the path alongside it and were told that’s fine. As long as it’s not fully obstructing the footpath nothing can be done.

Regardless of whether the council will get it moved or not, you have every right to be pissed off about it! It would make me grind my teeth every time I saw it and mutter obscenities.

Cant your mother park across your drive or is there not room

Have you read the OP's updates, or are you being deliberately obtuse? The "what did they say when" turn of phrase is one of the most irritating things on MN. Dripping with smug superiority.

If the neighbours come round and accuse you of denting their caravan, the obvious answer is something like "what makes you think that? Do you think the way you have parked it makes it difficult to for us to access our drive? Isn't that illegal?"