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.

If you can’t tell the difference between a car and a huge motor home then I can’t help you.

But OP said she doesn’t know what others think yet.

No, there is no expiry date.

Enforcing covenants is hard work, although possible. Your easiest solution here is if it is on the pavement (which is part of the public highway).

As well as the council, speak to your local councillor who might be willing to help.

Well obviously 🙄. I just mean in terms of there being a big vehicle parked in someone's driveway. It's just like a really big van 🤷🏻‍♀️.
This thread has been an eye opener. I am seeing my retirement dream of a motorhome or caravan from a new perspective!

Op why don't you post the exact wording of the covenant on your neighbours property here and move this thread or start a new one in legal matters

I'm glad I don't live near you then! If it blocked your living room window or caused you to have to push a wheelchair in the road, then you would care. Covenants are there for a reason, usually to create a pleasant living environment. One day its a motorhome, next it'll be old cars and rusty fridges. And yes, it may well affect house prices.

It all depends how it was set up in the first place. For example if there is a manco, which isn’t always the case in a freehold development of this type, they would have needed to be party to the transfer to be able to enforce plus have a contractual obligation to do so at the request of the transferee (which might also be at the cost of the transferee).

Is anyone else thinking this is all a bit Hyacinth Bucket 😂

As I understand it only the person who put on the restrictive covenant can take action so you might not be able to use that one. But overhanging a pavement will be dealt with by the council.

It's not your covenant to enforce and your legal actions will be a waste of time, it's the developers to enforce and if all the houses on the estate are sold and they have moved on they aren't going to care about enforcing it or bringing action as it would cost them money.

Quite frankly I wouldn't care if they had it there, as long as it didn't encroach on public land.
I'd be concerned if people were living in it.
But otherwise I don't mind what the neighbours choose to have on their property. Noise is much more bothersome.

How big is it?

A lot of Motorhomes are no longer or higher than the types of van which a lot of tradespeople own and park without causing any kind of neighbour dispute

"We had one for a few years and no-one in my road minded ours..."

What you actually mean is nobody said anything to your face about it.

There's a chance it is their covenant to enforce - the covenant binds the land, and when the land is carved up to create individual titles, they're all party to it. The neighbours could well have the benefit of the covenant (one that will withstand testing). Or else what's the point of them?

Twice this month: one covenant from the 1880's and another from 1984, very similar and both stymied the deals. They were enforceable by the neighbours and the sellers knew it.

You understand incorrectly

Is it freehold or leasehold?

If the property is leasehold can you not just contact the management company or freeholder?

You don't know for certain that it breaks the covenant. A motorhome is a roadworthy vehicle powered by its own engine, which doesn't apply to caravans or boats, but does apply to a car for example.

I think the main cause for objection is that it overhangs the pavement, and this is the only way you could get any legal traction. Moaning that it is unsightly or somehow harms property values will get you nowhere, plus you now have neighbours who hate you.

Be careful what you wish for. I bet a lot of people who object to motorhomes and vans on snobbery grounds wouldn't like it if a court decided the covenant also disallowed them from parking their fugly massive SUVs, and that they were only allowed to have a small hatchback.

You find your neighbours hated it. You be kidding yourself if you think they didn't. We had a similar situation in our road and all the neighbours hated it but the neighbours with the motorhome were lovely and no one wanted to say anything. The relief when they sold it you wouldn't believe it

Anyway op the way to tackle this is via the council if it's overhanging on the pavement.

If it overhangs the pavement, you should notify your Council or Local Counsellors.

I was actually seeing your point until you wrote this. Very unkind

I don't have a motor home and I actually don't particularly like them. My previous neighbour whom I shared a private drive with (so in much closer proximity than just across the street) had one and while I didn't love it, it wasn't a battle worth fighting, which I'd say actually makes me pretty wonderful to live near. I can also safely say they didn't end up dumping old cars and rusty fridges on their drive. Motor homes are not a gateway drug to letting your front garden become a scrap metal yard.

What I can say is not causing a fuss about something that, in the long run did not affect my life at all was basically the right option. As previous posters have mentioned property disputes like this do have to be declared which will probably affect house sale prospects more than a motor home the op hasn't seen yet and is catastrophizing.

"...action can be brought by the person/ organisation/ management company that instated the covenant in the first place."

That's not quite correct. It all depends how the covenant is written. It is usually written so that each person who owns one of the properties has the benefit of the restrictive covenant.

But it gets really complicated and the OP definitely needs to speak with a solicitor.

I had this, well similar. The problem for me was that they parked a giant motorhome permanently outside my window, on the road/pavement (semi) legally, giving me the view of the side of a van.

They also had another van on their drive overhanging the pavement significantly and creating a trap/very narrow gap for people to squeeze through on what is a wide pavement. This was to my side, giving me the sense of living at the M5 truck stop.

The problem you’ll have with people like this is that if they don’t already get that this is not neighbourly, they either don’t give a fuck or they are actively trying to piss you off. I eventually bought a car to park in that space while they were away. Now they just have one truck and a car, the truck also doesn’t fit their drive.

Who created the covenant?

I believe it’s up to them to give permission or not

Some covenants are v v old and outdated hence the fact they can be altered easily etc