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.

This.👍

The covenant the OP quoted referred to boats, caravans or similar and the common factor there is that they are towed.
Argue about it overhanging the pavement by all means but I think you are on a hiding to nothing about it being covered by the covenant.

Surely if they can afford such a thing they should be able to afford to store it properly
Same as the free loaders " free camping " in their 80K motorhomes

Won't they be away in it, travelling around the country, having adventures?

Agree with these PPs absolutely.

Reckon it’s a suck it up, Buttercup situation.

How rude. People can express an opinion, this thread is not your personal space where you can control every answer

Covenants are there usually to protect the estate whilst it's being sold initially. Nobody gives a shiny 💩 after that!
@BlueFinch2sorry but you're being completely ridiculous. A motor home on someone else's property has absolutely nothing to do with you. Or any of your other neighbours. You can not like it and be ridiculously judgmental about it if you wish but you will be hurting nobody other than yourself.
Was a ridiculous problem to have.

You're right, they are an eyesore. Someone round the corner from me bought one and paved their front garden to park it. It blocks the light from theirs and their attached neighbours' living room. They're an end house and it blocks the view if you turn out of the road next to it. I believe the council are now involved due to the fact it overhangs the pavement amongst the other problems. As far as I can see it never moves so I don't know why they bought it. I hope you find a solution, OP.

You are mistaken. Many restrictive covenants are written so that the people who bought the houses are the beneficiaries.

Are they planning on having someone living in it on their drive or just storing till they go away in it?

We had this on a brand new development. Our neighbour opposite parked a huge red van (as big as a motorhome) on his drive. Several of us politely explained that we had all signed contracts with the builders agreeing to keep to the covenants but he ignored us. We complained to the builders who sent everyone on the road a letter saying " no boats, large vans etc" but he ignored them. Eventually, to save my sanity, I had to learn to ignore it (and them). I've now moved!

I wouldn't buy a house where the ndn had a motor home, caravan or big work van that would block a view or stop light. I'd love a touring caravan and we have a big drive but I wouldn't want to have to look at it.

My parents had a similar situation with their next door neighbour keeping a huge campervan thing on their driveway.

They went away for about two weeks every summer. The rest of the year it just sat on their driveway.

I think it is a bit dependent on the layout and size of your houses whether it has an impact on anyone. That takes judgement, a skill that many don’t possess. There are storage places for these things and, e.g. if you’ve already filled your drive with work vans, it’d be a good idea to use one rather than parking it up in front of your neighbours window.

I would hate this. I find motorhomes on the drive a hideous eyesore as the OP does.

Don't be so bloody ridiculous! They are not an eyesore!!
Get over yourselves! The obnoxious snobbery on this thread is unbelievable!
It's a vehicle that has fuck all to do with anyone other than its owners 😂

Pavement overhang is a valid concern as it affects safety and accessibility.

Everything else is rank snobbery.

I'm a snob because I don't like motorhomes obstructing the pavement and view from a junction? Sure.
More like you're a baby who can't cope when others have an opinion that differs from yours. You need to learn that the world doesn't revolve around you.

It's not snobbery, it's just that your standards are lower.

You are being ridiculous.

The physical motor home will not devalue your property (and BTW you have no entitlement to light hth) however taking malicious legal action will impact the value of your home because it will be classed as a neighbour dispute and legally has to be declared if you ever want to sell your home.

As other ppl have pointed out, builders install covenants to protect the look of the estate whilst house are still being built. They arr normally only enforceable for 12-24 months after the completion of the estate so it is highly unlikely you would get anywhere. Especially using spurious reasons.

the over hanging rhe pavement is you only likely recourse. Have you seen it? Do you know for a fact that it will over hang the pavement or are you making an assumption?

However, they could then just park it on the street and then you would be stuffed because as long as it is insured and taxed there would be nothing you can do.

Lower ? Implying you are judging her standards as opposed to just "different "

A resident who lives in a bungalow on our estate has their motorhome parked on their property, right across their bedroom window, wtf?
There are a pair of semi detached bungalows directly across the road, and that's the view they have out of their lounge window. They were both put up for sale around August, and usually bungalows on this estate are snapped up almost immediately, one has recently sold after being reduced, and the owner told my neighbour the feedback from a lot of viewings was they didn't want to be looking at a car park.

If people can afford to buy and run a motorhome, why can't they afford to park it up on a proper storage site?

I'd be careful about changing your relationship with your neighbours from "OK" to "litigating against". Neighbours who fucking hate you can make your life a misery.

And you'd have to declare a dispute if selling up.

Why not wait and see if it's as awful as you think it will be or whether you can live with it?

Omg let them keep their motor home it’s not doing anyone any harm!

You know neighbours can change or the same neighbours can get new vehicles?

Meanwhile in Gaza.....

Please don't give yourself the extra stress and worry by getting angry about this inconsequential thing. It's not worth it. With any luck they will spending a lot of their holidays in it and you won't see it all year round.