How to get relatives car off my property

[Avacadosprinkles]

A relative has left their car in my garage for the last 10 years. I want to sell my house and they won't move it. They could move it to their own property but don't want to. It was always meant to be temporary. I have brought it up several times over the years and they just brush me off with excuses every time. I have ran out of patience. What legal route do I need to take. I don't want to dispose of or sell the car I just want to get it towed to their driveway, but Google seems to suggest I could be prosecuted for criminal damage if I do

Tell them someone broke into the garage and tried to move the car and it’s now parked outside the garage, u reported the break in to the police but as nothing was taken or damaged no further action. Suggest they collect their car asap as it is SORN and move your stuff into the garage advising you are packing for a house move, so they need to take their vehicle.

@Avacadosprinkles have you checked your home insurance to see if you have legal cover included?

Yes but from the list of things which is covered under the legal coverage, this is not something that can go through the home insurance . I have emailed a solicitor this morning for a quote

Why are you paying a solicitor for this nonsense? Just grow a backbone for free.

@Avacadosprinkles can you tell
them you are having work done on your garage as issues were found on a survey or something like that and you want to ensure they are aware and you won’t be accepting responsibility for damage as they havent removed it as requested.

when you decide what to do - the car can easily be removed from the garage using car dollies. Just don’t forget to chuck the rear wheels when you put the dollies on the front wheels!

if it weren’t for the fact they may go nuclear I’d probably do that and tell them you’ve put it on drive/main road and they need to move it.

good luck. I certainly wouldn’t be tip going around a relative who has no care for the stress they are causing you.

They wouldn't move it to allow me to complete work on the garage and could see for themselves it's not going to be any risk to their car currently
Not tip toeing around them anymore, they've had plenty of chances to do the right thing, so now going to go down the legal route to force removal whether they like it or not

I would send a letter, then the solicitors letter. Then if no response get it lifted and towed, they put roller skates (for want of the technical name) under the wheels and then push it out to where they can crane it on to the lorry - you’ll need a tow company that can wheel it out to the lorry, and lift it on and off. Like how the police have cars towed that they don’t have the keys for. There’s pretty much zero chance of damage like that, and doubtful it’ll start if it’s been sat for 10 years anyway. What are they going to do once its sat on their own drive, can’t see they’d have any comeback, but you will most likely get stuck with the towing bill, but worth it to be shot of it and her I’d say!

Are you sure you're not going to be tip-toeing around them any more? Because all of your responses on this thread suggest that's all you're capable of doing. Maybe look at getting some help for your anxiety as well as getting legal advice? It could really help you going forward in life.

No, I'm going through the legal route to get the car off my property. I would rather spend £100s now instead of £1000s later or do anything illegal that could mean I'm committing a criminal offence
Once the car is off my property then I will not be speaking to this relative again. They've made their feelings quite clear with their actions. I'm hoping by acting as reasonable as possible that it will not implode the rest of my family relationships but if it does, then so be it. I can't regret anything if I try to do things the correct way.

For everyone screaming at the OP to get legal advice, just take a breath.

She posted just after 4pm yesterday (Monday) seeking advice before she took legal advice. It appears she has done her homework because she’s on top of the Torts available, the difference between a car on her property as opposed to a sofa.

Presumably she wants to instruct a solicitor to say, under this legislation/civil process please begin proceedings. I would expect this is so she doesn’t waste hours of a solicitor’s time being told what she can and can’t do.

And PPs are screaming at her to get legal advice. Well, she emailed a solicitor this morning before 9am. What would you expect between 4pm yesterday and 9am this morning?

And then there are the intrusive questions: tell us the make and model, (which could be very identifying), did you inherit your house, how old are you and your relative - all of which are irrelevant to her query.

Then there are the unhelpful suggestions to just dump it in the road, or deliver it to her relative’s address. The OP has very clearly (and calmly in my view) said, I want to sell my house, my relative’s car is on my property, they won’t move it voluntarily, how do I get the car moved to their property legally before I put my house on the market.

Then there are suggestions she’s being dramatic. She’s not dramatic, she’s at the end of her tether, trying to resolve a problem and asking for our help and support.

Lay off her. She’s doing her best, and her life is not entertainment for MN posters.

I completely agree. Some of the responses on here have been incredibly aggressive and accusatory.

Thank you

Do you have the keys? Towing shouldn’t cause damage if you have the keys. I would give them a timescale for collecting it saying tow after 28 days in not collected.

No keys, it's locked and alarmed

Hi @Avacadosprinkles

It's pretty obvious to all (including your family members) that you have NOT been the 'bad person' in this sorry tale of selfish and manipulative behaviour.

If anyone blamed you in any way, then they are being completely unreasonable, so why would you want to have them in your life?

The car's owner has space on their property for THEIR car, so there is no justification for not moving it.

Good luck with pursuing the legal route.

What about ringing your home insurance and seeing if you have legal cover? My brother used his to get advice about his unfair dismissal. He got a lot of good advice and a letter sent to his employer.

Well said @RetiredFromExplaining !

This gas covered by PPs and responded to by the OP that home insurance doesn’t cover this type of legal dispute.

THIS

But also if you leave your garage unlocked and someone fire bombs it that’s just too bad for all affected- you and any chancers who’ve dumped their property on you 😁

Sorry op I couldn’t help it 😁

put The house up for sale. When you’ve got a moving date, let them know. They’ll have to move it then.

Put the house up for sale with a free car in the garage. Send relatives a link.

Of course there is a reason why OP is paying a solicitor for this. Op knows why.

i hope you get a good solicitor- you will need them.

I have already answered why I want to go the route I've chosen, so everyone else on this thread who has read my comments also knows why. You just don't want to accept anything I say because I don't want to answer the irrelevant questions you are asking and derail the thread