What to do - camper van parked long term opposite house...

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What to do - camper van parked long term opposite house...

95 posts & 57 voices | Started 2 years ago by DT78 | Latest reply from surfer

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DT78 - Member

Hoping for some collective advice, there has been a rather large old hymer camper van parked on the street opposite our house now for some 6 weeks. I don't think anyone is actually living in it but it's causing a real pain with parking (terraced road).

I've thought about phoning the council but it's got a valid tax disk. I have a sneaky thought it might be something to do with the back street garage a few roads over. (no proof though)

Neighbours don't know whose it is either. It's not in a restricted parking zone or anything like that.

Any suggestions? Any way I can get the council to move it?

Posted 2 years ago #
steveh - Member

If it's parked on a road, is taxed, mot'd and insured and not blocking anyones drive etc then there is nothing you can do to move it as it's legally parked.

You can get the owners details from the DVLA if you have cause for a few quid though. This would allow you at least to talk to the owners.

Posted 2 years ago #
uplink - Member

Move lodgers into it?

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

Why is it causing a pain?

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_C - Member

Why is it causing a pain?

Perhaps its blocking the view of the hottie in the bedroom opposite???

Posted 2 years ago #
TheLittlestHobo - Member

£10 to some local scallies to pot all the windows one night. Then a call to the old bill to report it has been vandalised. Surely the police will then do something about contacting the owner. Or the owner will find out and then decide that parking such a thing on the Bronx is too dangerous.

You could always do the window smashing yourself, but easier and safer to pay some local kids.

Posted 2 years ago #
Dobbo - Member

Posted 2 years ago #
uplink - Member

There'll be a lot of fireworks going astray on Thursday evening

Posted 2 years ago #
porterclough - Member

A guy that lived in the next street used to park his Hymer outside my house sometimes, blocked out all the light those things are so big. Perhaps he moved to your neck of the woods and lives round the corner from you now? I can see why he wouldn't want to park it outside his own house.

Posted 2 years ago #
genesis - Member

Think there is a traffic and planning by law that if a vehicle for habitation over a certain length is parked for a certain period of time that it requires planning permission?

Posted 2 years ago #
D0NK - Member

Hmm on the one hand I've no sympathy for those who complain about other people parking cars outside their house - if you want a space for your car outside your house get one with a drive or something. But on the other hand a behemoth like that? Why isn't it parked near the owners place?

Just a thought but can articulated lorries park wherever they want aswell? You can't let your leylandii grow too tall but a 16ft high vehicle is fine?! Seems a bit bonkers.

Posted 2 years ago #
TheLittlestHobo - Member

Lorries cant park where they like. There are council by laws which restrict wagons parking on streets.

Posted 2 years ago #
IanMunro - Member

Look on the bright side, Alan Bennett had some old tramp live in her camper van in his drive for about 15 years

Posted 2 years ago #
binners - Member

Posted 2 years ago #
DT78 - Member

It's a pain because it blocks light to my neighbour's house. Parking is now difficult as it takes up a good two spots and if you park next to it getitng out safely is more difficult as it blocks visibility. Also means 2 cars can't pass safely at that point, making it more likely for wing mirrors to be knocked off etc...

None of these are huge deals, but after 6 weeks with no sign of being moved etc.. it's getting annoying especially as it might be sat there for the 51 weeks of the year the owner isn't using it....

I was wondering if there is anything I can do about it.

Posted 2 years ago #
DT78 - Member

Whilst putting it's windows out / setting it on fire might seem attractive I would rather some 'legal' suggestions !

Posted 2 years ago #
Dobbo - Member

Ian Munro - Member

Look on the bright side, Alan Bennett had some old tramp live in her camper van in his drive for about 15 years

We saw Lady in the Van at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, pretty good play. See, he didn't moan, he made good come from it

Posted 2 years ago #
thejesmonddingo - Member

Let the tyres down,tell the police it's been abandoned,and causing an obstruction.
Ian

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

I was wondering if there is anything I can do about it.

At the end of the day it's just causing an inconvenience, there's nothing legally wrong with it. My neighbours recently reported my other halfs car as it was parked outside their house (they didn't mind, just assumed it was pinched as it didnt move) and the police turned up, looked it over and said "its all legal, but thanks for checking, bye".

Posted 2 years ago #
uplink - Member

OK - ring the council & tell them that you believe that it's leaking some sort of effluent into the street & then into the surface water drains

they'll come out then

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

and check it out, realise you're lying and go away again. Wasted taxes...

Posted 2 years ago #
jimmy - Member

Do something sooner rather than later. If its an obstruction tell the police. I had the same issue a few years back when a caravan made getting into and out of my garage very difficult. Inevitably I bumped it one day, refused to pay for the repair until they moved it. Glued up garage locks and damaged cars (mine) ensued but I was powerless to prove it was them (he was a postie, up at the crack of dawn so guessing he did it then).

I've moved now but still contemplating revenge.

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

Caravans have to be attached to the towing vehicle to be left there, by law, IIRC. A camper van has its own rights to be there. In this case the road is wide enough for cars to pass easily (just not side by side) so I can't see the problem. While annoying, it does seem a little NIMBYish.

Posted 2 years ago #
DT78 - Member

I have absolutely no problem with people parking outside/near my house for short periods, that's part and parcel of having a terrace (yes I'd love a drive/garage etc.... unfortunately those aren't free..)

The issue I've got is it's not moved in 6 weeks and looks unlikely to.

At the end of the day, why hasn't the owner parked it outside their own place? - most likely for all the reasons I've mentioned, it's big, ugly, blocks light and causes parking / passing issues.

So yes a bit of NIMBY, but justified I think, doubt many of you would be too happy with a perm camper come lorry outside your front window.

Unfortunately unless it's untaxed I don't think I have any actual rights to get it moved so going to have to put up with it (unless anyone can come up with something I don't know)

Posted 2 years ago #
coffeeking - Member

Fairly easy to get hold of the owners address, just ask the DVLA IIRC.

Part way down, £2.50 request for keepers info

Posted 2 years ago #
theboatman - Member

It's a pain because it blocks light to my neighbour's house.

Spend more time at your own house

Posted 2 years ago #
esselgruntfuttock - Member

Stick a wheel clamp on it & see how long it is before someone turns up!

Posted 2 years ago #
BigJohn - Member

Just check there isn't a student in there who has seriously overslept.

(Based on my experience as father of 3 students)

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

Had a similar thing outside our place a year or so ago...on a terraced street too...almost identical to your situation. Unfortunately, beyond the front wall of your house, you have no jurisdiction over who parks there - as long as there's tax and insurance (not necessarily MOT) the owner has a right to leave it there. Pain the arse though - it shows lack of consideration on the owner's part I guess. Just have to suck it up.

[I did finally manage to catch the owner and just walked out to him and his missus and said, "I want that ****ing piece of **** moved and my neighbours and I don't want to even be able to see it with binoculars..ever again. Now ****ing move it yesterday!" and didn't wait for a response before walking off...shaking like a leaf. It was gone in five minutes and we haven't seen it since. Only thing is, it's probably being a pain in the arse outside someone else's house now...classic NIMBYism on my part ]

Posted 2 years ago #
FOG - Member

I live near a Uni where there is little parking so the employees and students park on my road, outside my house, across my drive so that I rarely get to park within a days walk of my house. That is annoying. The council claim to be making the area a residents parking zone but that will just move the problem to somebody's road a bit further out!

Posted 2 years ago #
Onzadog - Member

Legally, not a lot you could do. However, if the filler cap was missing the council would have to remove it as it poses a danger to public safety!

Posted 2 years ago #
Gary_C - Member

Might be stating the obvious,but have you not phoned the police with the reg? It could be an outstanding stolen.

Posted 2 years ago #
avdave2 - Member

I've told my boss that the first thing I'll do when I win the lottery is to buy a dirty rusty but legal old camper and park it outside his house. Oh and it'll be a proper home-made job at that.

Posted 2 years ago #
DT78 - Member

Not called the police or the council yet as I didn't really think I had any right to (unfortunately).

Anyway the plot thickens, apparently the chap who owns it occassionally turns up during the week, and he arrives by car, which makes me think he's not even in one of the nearby streets.... cheeky get.

Posted 2 years ago #
Kit - Member

Would it cause any obstruction to a fire engine? If so, you might have a case for getting it shifted...

Posted 2 years ago #
big_n_daft - Member

matchsticks are very good at letting tires down

after a couple of weeks he'll move it

alernatively make up a "police aware" label and stick it on the windscreen

Posted 2 years ago #
TheLittlestHobo - Member

If he is turning up regular to check on it then he is bothered about its wellbeing. If you dont want to do the £10 smash it up thing then fill a cup with nitromorse and walk past it one night and pour it over the bonnet or other panel. See how the owner feels getting wound up about someone being a git to them.

Posted 2 years ago #
HoratioHufnagel - Member

Maybe put a fake polite 'police' notice in the window warning the owner of break-ins in the area?

Posted 2 years ago #
takisawa2 - Member

Just imagine...you had one of those breakdown policies that covered you to drive any car.
And you called up, under the pretence that you'd lost the keys to your lovely motorhome.
And you had it recovered to some dodgy industrial estate somewhere a good few miles away.

That would be terrible...wouldnt it...

Posted 2 years ago #
Junkyard - Member

Polite notice on car stating what you have said here about it being a pain? Say you are warning them as some neighbours are threatening to damage it and you would not want that to happen. Un signed and escalate if you must.

Posted 2 years ago #

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