# parking on your own driveway?



## 103675 (Mar 31, 2007)

Delighted to say that we have just bought our first motorhome which will arrive next week.  Please can anyone let us know of any issues around parking your motorhome on your own drive way. I have heard rumblings that neighbours are at liberty to complain...spoilt views etc.
Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks

Dee


----------



## 104705 (May 24, 2007)

Obviously there are neighbours who will complain, but most disputes seem to surround those houses that have historic covernants preventing caravans from being parked.


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

There have been other threads which have talked about this, it depends if there is any restriction or covenants in your deeds. if your driveway runs down the side of the house there will be no problem, are there any vans or other comercial vehicles parked on neighbors drives.or caravans.if so then again there should be no problem.should your front gardens be open plan, with nothing but cars parked, you may wish to check with neigbours.hope this helps.

cabby


----------



## rickwiggans (May 10, 2006)

Hi,

There are losts of posts around this topic - hopefully the search function will lead you to some of the issues people have discussed.

The main issues are likely to be around restrictive covenants. Is there anything in your deeds to prevent it? If there is , as I understand it, only the person who originally put it in place can enforce it. Often this was the builder, who may well have lost interest by now. 

There are also sometimes local authority byelaws. A quick call to your local planning department should be able to help out.

How well do you get on with your neighbours? A friendly word up front may well put your mind at rest (and theirs). It also depends what you are getting. A small panel van probably won't raise many eyebrows, whereas a 40ft American RV might! Also, where on your drive - in front or behind the front line of the building, and is it in anybody's face so to speak?

Good luck

Rick


----------



## 103675 (Mar 31, 2007)

*historic covernants*

Any idea how we would find out about historic covernants which would prevent us from parking outside our home on our drive?


----------



## rickwiggans (May 10, 2006)

To see if there are covenants, you probably need to get a look at your deeds

Rick


----------



## 103675 (Mar 31, 2007)

yep will do thanks and will contact local planning dept to see. Our drive runs to the right hand front side of our house so the MH will be visible...all 22ft of it but will not extend onto pathways. No one else has a van, caravan or anything bigger than long cars. We'll see.


----------



## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

I would definitely have a word with your neighbours before it arrives. How do you get on with them? Are you friendly anyway?

We're on good terms with our neighbours, and before we got ours, I told them I'd be parking it in the back garden, and did they mind? If they did, we could put it in storage, but obviously we'd prefer to have it at home.

There were no problems, and one of the neighbours (who must be at least 70) offered to help me putting down the hardstanding for it  

Gerald


----------



## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

DEENGEE said:


> yep will do thanks and will contact local planning dept to see. Our drive runs to the right hand front side of our house so the MH will be visible...all 22ft of it but will not extend onto pathways. No one else has a van, caravan or anything bigger than long cars. We'll see.


If your house is new then there will more than likely be a covenant on it put there by the builders that precludes parking of caravans and commercial vans.
It is most unlikely that the builders will force the issue on this and the local authority will probably not bother unless sufficient complaints are received from neighbours.
I would not consider the legalities in this. I would be more concerned about the neighbours reaction to 22 feet of MH sticking out from your property.
Have you asked them if they mind? We occasionally park ours on our front prior to a holiday and I have asked everyone if they mind. Nobody objected as long as it was only for short periods.
Have a word with yours FIRST!!!!!! This might stop any problems in the future. Don't just park it and hope.
We don't park ours as it is a damn nuisance and is also not secure when parked on the drive. Much rather put it into storage.
Another point to consider is if the MH is there all the time and then it disappears it is a dead give away that you are away.


----------



## maggyd (Oct 18, 2007)

*Re: historic covernants*



DEENGEE said:


> Any idea how we would find out about historic covernants which would prevent us from parking outside our home on our drive?


I wouldnt bother!! lookin or enquireing you will soon know if someone complains and then you can look around for storage Im sure you will find a caravan storage or farm nearbye. In my experience when we have asked at other properties for something like a couple of block paving stones so we werent driving on grass!! we were told" NO you cant" by a jobsworth. We went ahead anyway it looked much better and we were never approached to remove them.


----------



## WingPete (Jan 29, 2006)

*Apart from covenants*

Think about the van being on view to all and sundry.
When you go away all the neighbourhood will know.
But so may the opportunists in the area. 
When you are away, your home becomes vulnerable, unless you have considered that already. 
Plus, try to screen it from public access, so vandals can be detered.
Had a window broken by some idiots on a spree one time, who pushed a tree stake through side window, over 6 foot fence.
By all means, let neighbours know of your concerns, and enrole them into being guardians of the home (s).


----------



## suffolkian (Jul 25, 2007)

Just a point to consider. The Tax disc on my M/H is the same as the one on my car - PLG. As it's neither a caravan nor a commercial vehicle I don't see any covenants coming into force on this issue.

I may be wrong but worth considering. However in either case it would be courteous to let your immediate neighbours know what is happening. Imagine if you were in their shoes.

Ian


----------



## Invicta (Feb 9, 2006)

Can be very difficult to track down the originator of a covenant. 

It is possible to take out insurance against the originator turning up to enforce a covenant. 

The vendor of a piece of land my daughter and her partner were purchasing with their house had to take out such insurance as no one knew whether or not there was a covenant on it that would have stopped them building on the land. 

12 years later no-one has come forward!


----------



## passionwagon (Nov 13, 2005)

*Parking on your Drive etc*

8O You will find the following interesting from my previous investigations and posts.
Interesting replies. 
Look at your house deeds to see how the covenant is written it is generally in schedule 2 or 3. 
First check whether or not the restriction is part of the original planning permission-your local council will tell you but do not let them be confused with a caravan restriction which is only there to stop habitation-not parking. If they say it is meant to cover parking of MH ( very unlikely as such specific statements are unusual) then you will have to apply for planning permission alerting everyone to your need! 
If the council say no then the enforcement is 
1- the person or company that put the covenant on the original land transaction i.e. could have been 50 years ago. They can enforce the covenant in the magistrates court but you can object and may get a symphthetic decision. [You can of course write to the covenantor and ask for a dispensation- has been done and generally costs nothing or £50.] 
2-other residents who suffer the same covenant who as a group will need to take you to the magistates court etc. 
The idea of covenants is try and keep estates and developments from getting eyesores. 
Any actions will cost these people money which they cannot get back from you. If they did start an action remember most houshold policies give cover for legal defence to £50000 on neighbour disputes! 
What would I do? Park it on drive and await for any letters (ignoring the anonymous ones) and go from there-if someone is deteremined take it to the wire-there are no fines. :wink:


----------



## 103675 (Mar 31, 2007)

*thanks*

many thanks for all the brill advice. Spoke to immediate neighbours this afternoon who....lo and behold....have asked if they will be able to hire it from us when we aren't using it. Ha. And so have created enlarged driveway this afternoon in readiness. One broken garden fork later...waiting. Then there's the question of a microwave for on board....and where to go first trip.


----------



## Fuzzyfelts (Apr 23, 2007)

Over the last 8 years I have had three different campervans parked on my drive from a VW campervan to my present Fiat Timberland - no complaints from the neighbours and they keep an eye out when we are away - I'm just lucky to have such lovely neighbours!


----------

