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?

To who and what for? It's not illegal.

Aww, don't be upset just because some posters have expressed a different opinion to you.

I would report it to 101, just in case. Keep an eye on your kitchen scraps, lock up your water supplies and dig up anything in your garden that could be a source of food.

And we don't know which one OP is referring to, all we know is they have legs...
Even if they are more boho/hippy style who have a 10k van it's incredibly nasty to label them as thieving trespasses with absolutely no evidence to suggest this.

Absolutely! I'm sure there would be a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth about house prices going down and where is the human waste going? (and where IS the human waste going?) if the boot were on the other foot.

Lots of the usual, dreary, right on replies here.
I’m with OP, how many people, if they are totally honest, would want homeless people living in vans or tents right outside their house?? Have you seen the photos of van lined streets in residential Bristol?

I'd wonder if the van was keeping away the 'boy racers' who seem to frequent every car park around here, zooming (loudly) about on their little mopeds or their souped up cars with exhausts that wake everyone in the vicinity.

There are worse things to worry about living opposite a car park than a van with a pair of legs in it.

I absolutely wouldn't want a homeless person li ing outside my house and certainly not in a tent but OP has said they are living in their van in a carpark, people live in vans so they can move around, they will be gone before she knows it.

You absolute strange person OP !!! Their not homeless their van lifer really need to give your head a wobble seriously

lol why what a odd person

Haven’t read the full thread to see if it’s been suggested, but you can get locks for outside taps OP. My neighbour has one that sits over the top of theirs as their outside tap is at the front of the house.

It’s a hard one, you want to have compassion if they are homeless but I can understand your stress at not wanting them to access your property.

I would tell them they are welcome to take water from the outdoor tap.

Do you think homeless people don't deserve clean water? I thought your post was going to be some kind of moral dilemma about the haves and have nots. I'm buying a house while homeless people have to live opposite in a car park.

But nope. You're 'worried' they're 'stealing' cold water.

Aww, you seem furious, you poor thing.

Are you encouraging homeless people to live outside your home or just thinking OP should welcome them?

This has probably already been said but you can get a device to lock your outside tap to prevent theft of water (yes, it would be theft if anyone took it without your consent once you own the property). You can get them from B&Q and other places for about £12

Have you spoken to the vendor about it? How far into the sale are you?

It's not a van parked outside your house, it's in a community car park. I find it very odd that you see this van and instantly think they are going to break into your garden and take water from the outside tap. Seems a very extreme thought process to me. Blimey, my dream is to buy a van and travel the UK with my dog, hope people don't worry about me nicking their water. Very very strange and to be honest, if you are so anxious about stuff like this why on earth did you buy a house opposite a car park. I'm sure a lot worse goes on in there than some poor sod parking his van there.

I would be worried aswell OP. confused why people think you should not be. It's not like your condemning them. But, that's your new home and it will be empty for a while. You have reason to believe they are homeless and may be entering the premises either inside or outside and possibly using the water. Obviously no one would want that even if just for safety reasons for you children (and yourself) when you move in.. how long has the van been there?

I couldn't begrudge somebody homeless water from an out door tap. But I would want a more neutral person to check on them, can you contact social services

What should she say to Social Services?
"I saw a van with a pair of legs on view"?

You don't have any evidence they are 'stealing' your water or know anything about them and are making massive assumptions based on just seeing a van parked up with people in it! Perhaps they are visiting family or staying for work etc.

Why not go and say hi and say that you are moving into the house and noticed them there several times. You could ask them about the neighbours/ neighbourhood/ if the carpark is ever an issue etc. We live near a carpark where local kids like to sit in their cars and smoke weed/ play loud music / eat McDonald's and drop litter) I'd much rather have some quiet & stealthy van-life people!

Do you have a room you can put them up in, in the house you are proposing to buy? If they are sleeping in a van they won't want much, just somewhere to sleep and possibly occasional use of the kitchen and bathroom. This way you may be able to help them get on their feet until they can find a place of their own.

Or maybe they could stay in a spare room of one of the many posters pretending they’d be happy with having homeless people living really near them.
Having grown up in an area with a lot of people living in vans I can assure you it’s not a positive.

You begrudge homeless people kitchen scraps? Dear God.

Most outside taps are in secure back gardens.