Buying house - homeless outside

[Whatinthedoopla]

Hi,

I'm buying a house, and opposite the garden is the community car park. Area is lovely, people are lovely. However, I've noticed thpere has been a van parked right outside the garden (obviously in a parking space), and has been there for weeks. I thought nothing of it, then saw they they open the door and it looks like people live in it! And they look homeless, I saw they legs popping out of the van.

The house has now been emptied, and I'm worried that the homeless people are going into the garden to get water from the tap outside.

My partner isn't worried, but I am, or AIBU?

What should I do?

I’ve had van living outside my house. Nice enough people but without solid walls the noise was excessive, comings and going’s and raised voices during the night, peeing in my garden, emptying toilets down the drain outside my house which stunk, their rubbish in my bin, constantly bbqs and drinking etc so behaviour could get a bit lively. I wouldn’t recommend living cheek by jowl like this with them.

Why do you think they are using your water?

If they are using water - and it’s a big ‘if’ - they are unlikely to do so once the house is occupied- and if they do, it’s trespassing and can be reported.
I’d be more worried that the Council are not enforcing their overnight rules- as this may encourage others to stop there as well.

Well obviously because they live in a van and don't have their own water and have parked very near an empty house with an obvious outside tap.

OP I'd phone the council now and say a van has been illegally parked over night for a week on the street you're moving to and it appears people are living in it. See how they respond. I wouldn't want this OP, who knows what they're doing with their shit.

If it’s your water bill you’re worried about, get a stop-cock put in so you can turn off the outside tap from inside when you aren’t using it…

Sorry, I haven’t RTFT, but I have someone who seems to live in a campervan outside my house part of the time. They are so quiet I didn’t realise there was ever anyone in the van until my DH mentioned it. However, if I thought they were using my water or if they disturbed me in any way whatsoever I’d be on the phone to the council and possibly the police before you could say knife. So I totally get why you are concerned. I would speak to the council now and also speak to your solicitor and find out where you stand.

I would be very concerned about this, homeless legs is just the start, it WILL lead to fence peeping and before you know it they'll be after your water for sure.

As another poster said, the thing to do here is to report them for being like rats, they are probably dirty anyway.

My local water company have put the price up a lot recently, my bill will go up by an extra £30 a month. I'm on a meter so I wouldn't be happy with someone helping themselves to water that I will have to pay for.

Perhaps check the crime incidents reported for the car park/ street? That might give you a better indication of what goes on after dark - and it might be a lot worse than folk sleeping in vans!

The "One broken window" approach worked in NYC.

Unfortunately that's been proved to be a popular myth. Although there was a drop in crimes like theft, burglary, and assault when this approach was introduced, this decrease in crime actually began before the zero tolerance policing approach was introduced, and was mirrored across the US at the time although other cities didn't follow the policy.

It is likely that this decrease was in fact due to other factors, such as a major fall in NYC's unemployment rate. The decrease also continued after they stopped the policy. Additionally, there was no effect on the stats for serious crime like murder, rape and robbery with violence, so it is clear that the broken window approach didn't work in that context. If anything, that might suggest that aggressive policing for minor offences tends to push criminals into more serious offences.

There is no “obviously” about it.

The OP thinks they are going to use the water.

I asked why. Which is a reasonable question.

OP may have noticed something had moved or is on a water meter and the consumption had gone up.

A lot of assumptions are being made about the van and why it’s there and that the occupants are thieves.

That's just silly! They might be lovely people who will turn out to be friendly, helpful neighbours. Starting off with the assumption that they're going to be awful is exactly the wrong way to go.

I think you missed the sarcasm of @VoodooQualities ’ post…

Has anyone suggested to log it with 101 yet?

As soon as I posted my comment, I realized that might be the case! (Sorry, @VoodooQualities) But I was shocked by the number of comments along those lines. I can imagine what horrible neighbours the judgemental snobs would be.

Yes, the judgment is strong on here.

OP you shouldn't have mentioned the word homeless. It makes all the faux white knights jump on their pedestals to try and make you feel bad, all for showing parental due diligence before moving into an area.

I guarantee you the same people berating you would show interest or concern why a van full of people are living in a car park for weeks opposite their soon-to-be new home.

An outside tap lock would work

Not really. The car park over the back from me has a five-star rating on the van-life websites, so evidently is used and enjoyed by them. It has free parking overnight - paid during the day; it has toilets that are cleaned every night; it's near the shops and a nice little park. Never seen or heard any hassle there.

I don't know any van dwellers to ask, but I'd have thought them quite likely to deal with anyone abusing the facilities. They want the good places to stay open, presumably.

Turn the water off until you move in. Secure your garden and in the meantime remove the outside tap.
It could be one of your neighbours is allowing them to park in their space, so contact whoever controls the parking that the van has inhabitants. Ignore the negative naysayers on here, they don't have this on their doorstep.

Think it depends on the rules of that particular car park.

Count yourself lucky you have a roof over your head and try to help them.

Yes. Get the water turned off.

I'm still unreasonably charmed by the idea of homeless legs, though.

I think it's really kind of your partner not to object to them helping themselves to water.

I think what I would do is go and talk to them and tell them to help themselves to the water while they can and you are happy to do this because when you move in you'll be closing the garden off.