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.

For breaching a restrictive covenant. They are are in deeds for a reason. They knew full well when they bought their house that they weren't allowed to park a motorhome in their driveway. Imagine if we all had boats and caravans in our driveways!

Overhanging pavement however is not good form and the council should act

Better than someone ramming a pram or wheelchair along its back end

I thought restrictive covenants were only in place for a year or so after the development is finished.

Is the property freehold or leasehold?
If you choose to bring a civil action, you will have to fund it. If there are precedents
elsewhere on the same estate, you will probably not succeed. Not a lawyer, just recently discussed a similar restriction with one.

Best to see what it looks like once it’s parked . If it encroaches on the pavement or neighbouring property, raise it with the council ( take photos). In that case the council are likely to act pretty quickly.

I wouldn't mind if everyone had a boat or motor home on their drive as long as they still could still park their cars on their drives. I could see that it could get out of hand if everyone had to park their car on the road or in visitor spaces and there were parking problems for neighbours.
Other than that, good luck to them!

How old are the houses?
The builders put these covenants in the deeds to make sure no-one spoils the look of the development whilst they are trying to sell the houses. After that, I'm not sure why they would care and in my experience everyone does as they please.

Our deeds (and those of the 20 other houses built at the same time) also say no commercial vehicles or caravans on driveways, and all front gardens to remain open plan, amongst other ridiculous covenants.
I can tell you there are numerous commercial vans parked on driveways and one very large motorhome (which although doesn't block the pavement in itself, they park their car behind it, which does go over the pavement - although in a place that doesn't really matter). There are a number of houses with hedges or fences around the front gardens now too.

I think the only reasonable objection you might be able to get action on is the overhanging the pavement bit, in which case the council may take action BUT they could presumably just park it on the road outside their house (assuming there is space) which would be legal and not breaking any covenants.

If you are on a new build estate then builder or management company may take action.

i wouldn't want a large work van either...

It would be brilliant. All that boating and swinging

Unfortunately, some people are more entitled than others. The covenants are pretty black and white.

I can honestly never understand why people care about stuff like this. We have the same rule on our estate and a few people do have motor homes. I could not give a shiny shit. One even hangs over the pavement but it absolutely affects no one in any tangible way.

A friend of mine took advice on this issue (although a caravan) and was told only the developer could enforce the covenants, and in most cases they don't bother.

Also look at the wording, does it actually say "caravans, boats or similar?" Because an argument could be that what groups them as a common category is the fact they're a towable vehicle. A motorhome isn't. How confident would you be that you could argue a motorhome was similar? If there's no restriction on light goods or heavy goods vehicles you might find a motorhome doesn't fall into the same group as a boat or caravan, these being engineless (on the road).

I asked for advice not your useless opinion

You sound like a nightmare, having a motorhome on the next drive is not going to impact you at all
. Just get on with your life

You posted in AIBU so asked if you were bring unreasonable. Yes you are.

No need to be so rude to @IamnotSethRogan . So what have they said when you told them you weren’t happy?

Our neighbour parks his annoying motorhome on the on-street parking outside our houses. Makes it a bloody nightmare to see to pull out of our drive. Unfortunately completely legal so I just inwardly moan and hope he sells it some time soon. We did toy with parking our/relatives’ cars in his space when the motorhome was away so he couldn’t park it there when he got back but I prefer a quiet life.

Yes but who holds the covenant? That's who you need to address it with as they are the ones who can take any action and if they won't then the covenants are worthless
Has anyone else breached the covenant? If they have then it's unlikely to be enforceable unless they take action against everyone.
The overhanging the pavement thing is likely to be the only card you hold if the council don't like it.
Many MH's and caravans are stolen from people's drives. My parents next door neighbours had brought their brand new Hobby caravan (a favourite for travelling, I believe) from secure storage the night before their first month long trip, packed it up ready to go. Locked, loaded and alarmed and parked two cars behind it.
Got up early the next morning. Two cars exactly where they had left them but no caravan.
It might not be there long😉

I'm sorry if you don't like my opinion but having bad relations with a close neighbour over something so trivial is going to be much worse in the long run than a motor home.

God I wish I had this problem

I think you need legal advice on how to enforce a covenant and then perhaps find out if the other neighbours are willing to chip in on the cost of a solicitor’s letter.

Hyacinth Bucket is alive and well then.

You sound like a nightmare. First getting in a flap over a motor home then being naasty to a PP.

"Iimagine if we all had boats and caravans"... I am imagining, and it's still no big deal. It would look like every winner from Bullseye lived on the same estate.

They are a horrible eyesore.

I knew someone who lived in a terraced house with just 5 ft of pavement between their window and the kerb. The next door neighbour bought a huge motorhome and parked it almost permanently (why the hell didn't they use the ruddy thing??) opposite my friend's window, blocking the light and their view of anything but this monster.

Not breaking any laws. Just a completely selfish, insensitive, inconsiderate oaf.

Affect your property values!? What the actual fuck? 😂