Neighbours' motorhome

[BlueFinch2]

Our neighbours intend to permanently park a large motorhome on their driveway. The 20 or so homes in our cul-de-sac are all subject to the same restrictive covenants, one of which prohibits parking ‘boats, caravans or similar’ vehicles in front of the properties. We’ve already raised our concerns with them, highlighting both the covenants and the potential impact on our property value.

The motorhome would be parked in a highly visible part of the estate, detracting from the overall appearance of the area. Additionally, their driveway isn’t large enough to fully accommodate a vehicle of that size, meaning it would significantly overhang the pavement.

We now face a few options: accept the situation, attempt to persuade them to reconsider, or seek legal advice. Advice from others that have been in a similar situation would be particularly helpful.

My advice would be to contact the other residents in the affected area and together get legal advice and present it to the neighbours that want to bring their motorhome to their driveway.

If it is a short term thing (think a few weeks while they source a different permanent site for it) then I would be flexible but only to a point. If it goes after that, you need to have a plan in place for what to do next.

My neighbour had a motor home on his driveway for years and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

But as soon as he upgraded it to a larger model, and it overhung onto the pavement, the council were on him like a rash.

Probably best to start with the council as they're your best bet.

There’s so many details missing here:
How do you know?
Whats your relationship with them normally?
Do they know already that you object and , if so, how have they responded?
What practical impacts would it have?
Is it there already?
Do you know what other neighbours think?

Are you planning on moving?

Accept it. It's not a boat or a caravan, it's no different to someone having a large work van. And they will need to have it at home some of the time in order to do things like charge the leisure batteries and fill it with water.

We had one for a few years and no-one in my road minded ours being on our drive, because they're reasonable people, not judgey, and we all like to get along. No-one minds when the guy next door but one brings a fucking great horsebox home for a few nights and parks it on the street, either.

Is this a wind up? Detract from property values?! Get a grip!

I think you're kidding yourself. They're an eyesore. All you know is you didn't mind.

Who enforces these covenants? The local council, the property developers?

@LakieLady i bet people did object but didn’t know what to do about it.

It is “or similar” to a caravan isn’t it? This is exactly the sort of thing these clauses cover.

Raise with your local Council. If there is anything enforceable it's likely they are the only ones that can do anything about it.

As I mentioned in the post, they intend to soon, and we have already told them our concerns. We have an okay relationship. No idea what the others think. The practical concerns are: it will block light into either our living room or the people next to them, depending on where it is parked, it will negatively affect the value of our home, motorhomes are an eyesore (although motorhome owners can't bear to hear that of course), it will, much like a high fence, block our view when coming out of the drive, which could be dangerous, and it will overhang the pavement.

Must be a motorhome owner ))

We could potentially enforce it by bringing a civil action.

I wish I was! And I certainly would not begrudge any of my neighbours who had one and parked it on their drive.
Taking up half the street? Yes, that would maybe annoy me. But what people park on their own drive is none of my business, covenant or not.

A civil action 🤣🤣 why?!

Civil action? For a motorhome?!

No plans to move but they are retirees so it's probably their forever home. If we don't object now we could be stuck with it until we decide to move.

I agree that parking a motor home on the drive is reasonable but NOT if it overhangs the pavement surely?

Maybe if it's a really busy street I guess?

If it’s overhanging pavement or road then the council can take action and serve notice to remove obstruction from highway.

I can't imagine it devalues your home - I think that's melodramatic

However launching a civil action would class as a neighbour dispute which would impact your homes saleability

This.

I agree with you. Motorhomes devalue the local property and are an eyesore. They agreed to the restrictive covenants when they purchased the place and should abide by them now. I don't know how easy it is to enforce the covenants though. Good luck!

The only thing that would bother me is if it was hanging over the pavement and a car parked on the pavement would be just as bad. There are several people with caravans or camper vans on my road and it doesn't bother me at all.

Do you know why they think they're exempt from the covenant on your properties? Is it a bit vague about exactly what it covers? If they are clearly in breach then absolutely take legal action. Presumably they knew their property came with covenants when they bought it. It doesn't matter if other people think you should suck it up - you don't need to if the covenant doesn't allow it. And it absolutely can't overhang the pavement, covenant or not. They sound like selfish areses.