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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Neighbour started selling cars form home. Nowhere to park.

26 replies

Oblomov · 04/08/2008 09:48

Obviously not a crime. But we live in a close. Garages which people park infront of. And a bay, where people park. None of them are allocated in any way.

Round the corner, more houses, with unallocated spaces. Then on the corner of that, a block of flats.

Bloke from block of flats has started selling cars. Has parked 4, in our bay that has enough spaces for 6.

It is a bit cheeky, isn't it ?
What can you do ?

OP posts:

EffiePerine · 04/08/2008 09:49

I would inform the police tbh - they may be of dodgy provenance

belgo · 04/08/2008 09:50

Agree speak to your police. Are you sure he's trading legally?

Uriel · 04/08/2008 09:50

Ring the Council to get an idea of whether it's ok? He might need a licence to do this from home/cause other people a nuisance.

belgo · 04/08/2008 09:51

If he's using the road to park cars for part of his business, would he not need planning permission, in a similar way cafes need permission to put tables and chairs onto the pavement outside the cafe?

lizziemun · 04/08/2008 09:51

Speak to your local council they should be able to do something.

MadameCheese · 04/08/2008 09:52

I don't think you are allowed to sell cars parked on public highways, agree would inform police

Kewcumber · 04/08/2008 09:52

and he would need to pay business rates on part of his home.

Slouchy · 04/08/2008 09:52

Land Registry will tell you if it allowed to run a business from your home/park business vehicles outside. Lots of residential places forbid this.

milknosugar · 04/08/2008 09:52

i think you sometimes need planning permission to run a business from home, try the council.

differentID · 04/08/2008 09:53

If you run a business from home you need to pay business rates and have all sorts of permission and extra insurances too, don't you?

noonki · 04/08/2008 09:54

my DH is normally a really mellow bloke - but when it comes to parking he turns into a victor meldrew - I will send him round to grumble loudly on your behalf!

YANBU really annoying

Smittals · 04/08/2008 09:54

Am sure I saw a 'Rogue Trader' episode or similar with a bloke selling cars from a lay by - it was illegal to sell like this iirc.

NotQuiteCockney · 04/08/2008 10:02

I would try to talk to him directly, first, maybe?

DillyTanty · 04/08/2008 10:05

oh god i wouldn't. do a bit of sneaking around first.

Moomin · 04/08/2008 10:05

I wouldn't talk to him, personally. If you don't get any joy with him face-to-face and then you have to inform the authorities, he'll know or at least suspect it was you. If he was the sort that would stop doing what he's doing at your request, surely he'd ahve been the sort to have asked his neighbours if they minded in the first place?

Someone was doing this on a housing estate in our town and it was reported to the police by a lot of residents. It is illegal and he was stopped from trading there.

Original poster

Oblomov · 04/08/2008 10:10

Right, so who do I ring first ?
Council or land registry ?

OP posts:

MadameCheese · 04/08/2008 10:14

Try council first they should put you in the right direction, there's no harm in phoning your local police station for advice either. Why not email the council?

Seeline · 04/08/2008 10:15

I'd ring the Council - Planning Department and speak to the Enforcement Officer. I would also ring Trading Standards and the Police. are the cars on the public highway? if so they need to be MOT'd taxed and insured. If they are on private proerty, he would need the permission of the land owner to use it. Land Registry wouldn't be able to do much. It is quite likely that there is a restriction on the deeds but it is difficult to enforce these through the courts.

Original poster

Oblomov · 04/08/2008 10:36

O.K. have rung council. Roads and highways section. She said, not allowed to. She said what is the name of your road. I said I wasn't sure I wanted to report it as such. I felt so evil. She said, no , I just need the name of the road, not your name. We will look into it. I ummmmm'd and ahhh'd. Then I told her the name of our close. I feel terrible.

OP posts:

Seeline · 04/08/2008 10:39

Don't feel bad. Think what would happen if he started to expand his business, or others started to copy him. Also if he is selling cars then presumably people have to come to the premises to buy them - do you really want loads of strangers turning up. You've done the right thng.

beanieb · 04/08/2008 10:41

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to park up cars with 'for sale' signs in them. My sister was spoken to by the police when she did this with her own car.

Don't feel terrible about it, it's not fair on you to have your parking spaces taken.

Katisha · 04/08/2008 10:42

It's not you who should be feeling terrible, YOur neighbour is taking great advantage of you all.

GillianLovesMarmite · 04/08/2008 10:43

I wouldn't feel bad about it - if it's illegal activity and it's effecting your life you've every right to report it (and you never know - one of the other neighbours may also have reported it too as these things rarely only effect one person).
If it is legal, then nothing will happen so it's no problem.
The man across the road from us buys and sells cars - when we first moved in we didn't realise what was going on - as he bought ones out of tax date and always parked them in front of our house (we live in a really nice 1930s semi on a nice street) I phoned the police every time as I thought we were in an area where dodgy cars were being dumped!! It's still a nuisance when he has like 6 on the go as each house has enough drive space for say 2 cars and room in front for 1 and he also has 2 vans... It was initially really annoying, however, now it's just quite funny as he buys some bizzarre and amusing things - too identifiable to mention here!! but a sort of wacky races assortment. Plus - he's good a fixing cars, doing paint touch ups etc and is generaly quite funny despite the fact I'm sure it's quite legal - although it must be as he has previously been reported...

squiffy · 04/08/2008 11:36

The thing with cars is that if you buy and sell them then they are usually tax free, but if you do it 'as a trade' (and the DVLA will be able to tell the Tax Office if there is a high 'turnover' of cars) then it is taxable, and all normal business registration, insurances and taxes apply (and that's on top of business rates issues and whether you have the right to use a public highway to carry on a trade). Of course one would hope that he wasn't claiming any social security benefits at the same time...

I would be tempted to drop him an annonomous letter telling him all this and implying that if it continues, law-abiding people might feel it their duty to report on him...

ruddynorah · 04/08/2008 11:42

why are you feeling terrible?

he should feel terrible but clearly doesn't.

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