Hi, we recently bought a old motorhome. 90s one and we live in a posh area but we live in a council house in between 2 home owners. Not had much luck since we moved here as each side of us thinks they are the boss of us because they own their home and we are just poor council tenants.
Anyway, the day we brought our motorhome back we parked it on the street outside our driveway. The paths are very wide and the road isn't narrow or anything, it's never a busy road, car goes past every 30 seconds - 2 mins. Every 10 mins at night maybe.
The road has a slight curve but wouldn't call it a sharp bend.
Anyway my neighbour got her husband to come and say that our motorhome blocks her view of the road when she reverses out her drive.
There is a good view of the road from when I looked myself but if a car comes driving past fast then it would all of a sudden be behind her car which she doesn't like.
I wouldn't mind moving it out the way but if we got treated with respect when we moved in I wouldn't mind. She told my son our garden looks a mess and the other neighbour said our drive looks like a scrap yard and questioned us if we have mot and tax etc on our cars.
I've lost all respect for the neighbours now.
We had only just moved in and got made to feel like failures as it takes me a while to get things done as I struggle with anxiety and depression and my partner has autism as well as my son.
Would you move the motorhome ? Is she really struggling to reverve? Or is she being picky because it's an eye sore to her and she'd never dream of having an old caravan.
Point out to them it isn't advisable to reverse out of a drive, they should reverse in and drive out!
From the highway code:
"When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can."
saxo1
Quote: Originally posted by saxo1 on 03/4/2023
Point out to them it isn't advisable to reverse out of a drive, they should reverse in and drive out!
From the highway code:
"When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can."
saxo1
+1
As they are so keen on questions, ask if she has actually passed her test?
You`re doing nothing illegal, and it dosen`t matter if you own the house or not, you have the same right to park on the road as long as the vehicle doesn`t block a dropped kerb and is taxed and insured.
If they don`t like it that is just unfortunate, they don`t sound like the sort of people you would want to interact with anyway.
Neighbours, the perennial problem. I live on an ex Council Estate which is now about 65% privately owned. We are all mixed together and rub along nicely. Your neighbour sounds lovely, needing to send her husband to make her complaints. Stick to your guns. Make sure you are not seeming to make a mess, and let them get on with it. If there is nothing to upset the Council, you have nothing to worry about. Saxo is correct. Reverse in with good visibility, and drive out. Good luck.
It makes us fortunate that we have good neighbours. It's a small cul de sac and we all know each other to say hello and have odd bbq or get together.
All the kids have grown up and left but we now get them and grandkids visiting.Nice to see, but makes us feel old !
We often allow neighbours visitors to park on our drive as its big as do some of the others!
We had one couple who left after a couple of years as they thought we were not" child friendly "!
No their 2 kids were horrible little oiks who we were glad to see gone!
If your van is legal and correctly parked its no problem.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
You should try and try again to speak with the neighbours. Not easy, but once neighbour feuds start they can easily escalate and get worse over the years.
The present issue is you want to leave your van on the road and they want to back out safely. Do try to find some compromise or it will develop into a series of petty arguments that make your lives miserable.
Empirically the first one to compromise gains the moral high ground.
I agree with Saxo, you should not reverse out of a drive into a roadway.
If they cannot reverse into a drive then they cannot drive competently and should not be on the road.
Nothing to add except to wish the OP good luck in resolving this issue amicably with the neighbours.
There are issues with parking in my neighbourhood, and I have stayed out of it since I moved here in 2006 as I do not wish to take sides!
I have spaces for 3 vehicles on my property without having to park my car or van on the road; and my house, a 2-bed semi, is the only house with a single occupant.
The owners of the other properties in the cul de sac all have multiple vehicles and drivers, and there is not enough space for every vehicle!
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
People opposite us with 2 adult sons have 4 cars with 2 of them parked on the road. They could do the same as us and pave the front garden to make the space, but prefer to use the road.
When we want to use the caravan, I have to ask them in advance to keep the space clear for us. Normally, they are very good at that and I have to say, it is probably better that they park there. If they didn't, there would most likely be a car from the other end of the road take the space (we have experienced that and I would have to leave a note on the windscreen)
What does seem silly, there has been occasion, when I have asked the neighbours to move for me, it has been a problem because the owner is out and they can not move each others cars.
I am very tempted to park our car on our side of the road one day, then they will be completely blocked from parking.
Put the MH on the house driveway. You might have to widen the entrance if there’s a wall or fence there. It’ll be far more handy anyway for when you need to hook it up to a plug in the house to recharge the leisure battery or fill the fresh water or just wash it or even just run the vacuum cleaner round inside. Otherwise you might have to pave the front garden.
You don’t say if you have a car: either park it in front on the drive (deters MH theft too) or on the road where the MH is now, like others park their cars. If won’t block sight lines driving out forwards.
The neighbours are just bullies, little people who make themselves feel big by harassing others, who deserve nothing but contempt. (I once had a boss like that.) But don’t stoop to their level as it would accelerate the difficulties, be better than they are, stay meticulously polite so they have no cause to complain about you. My neighbour used to complain about our MH but in time became jealous of our trips away to places he couldn’t get to. And don’t fear the Council - they have too much work to do, to respond to petty complaints.
Another point, check your insurance: it might be cheaper parked off the road anyway. Take photos of the outside of the MH, just in case one of the neighbours reverses into it but claims it’s a beaten up old vehicle so it wasn’t them.
Then look forward to enjoying your trips away in your MH. Start by looking at the the Site Search here on UKCS.
Don't think you are alone, OR that you are solely prejudiced against because you're not a property owner, some of us suffer R-sole neighbours in streets where we're all equal in being property owners, and of houses of equal value! My neighbours opposite go to extreme lengths to prevent anyone else parking outside there houses (extended family in two adjacent houses), they have coned off 4-5 parking spaces, they have put their own 'No Parking' notices up on lamp posts (all illegal of course!), now they have got the council to put a huge length (far longer than necessary to ensure access!) of white line in front of their drive way, none of us has EVER blocked their driveway! - can't say THEY haven't blocked other people's though!!!! If anyone does park outside their houses they are inclined to use their own cars to 'box them in' so they can't simply drive away!
When the family first moved in some 30 years back, the head of the house was a Asian man displaced from Africa, he was the perfect gentleman, the kind of neighbour you like and prey to have, lovely family. His son was not so neighbourly when he grew up, now his grandson is just a total self indulgent arrogant R-sole who treats everyone with contempt! Where did that family go wrong, good start from a thoroughly decent man/family to a total tosspot in 3 generations!
Sadly there are just some people who are very bad neighbours, and without just cause! Don't break the law with your van, don't go out of your way to upset the neighbours, and then just ignore them and enjoy YOUR life in the knowledge that it's not you that are the bad neighbour.
Quote: Originally posted by HappyCampersMeal on 03/4/2023
Hi, we recently bought a old motorhome. 90s one and we live in a posh area but we live in a council house in between 2 home owners. Not had much luck since we moved here as each side of us thinks they are the boss of us because they own their home and we are just poor council tenants.
Anyway, the day we brought our motorhome back we parked it on the street outside our driveway. The paths are very wide and the road isn't narrow or anything, it's never a busy road, car goes past every 30 seconds - 2 mins. Every 10 mins at night maybe.
The road has a slight curve but wouldn't call it a sharp bend.
Anyway my neighbour got her husband to come and say that our motorhome blocks her view of the road when she reverses out her drive.
There is a good view of the road from when I looked myself but if a car comes driving past fast then it would all of a sudden be behind her car which she doesn't like.
I wouldn't mind moving it out the way but if we got treated with respect when we moved in I wouldn't mind. She told my son our garden looks a mess and the other neighbour said our drive looks like a scrap yard and questioned us if we have mot and tax etc on our cars.
I've lost all respect for the neighbours now.
We had only just moved in and got made to feel like failures as it takes me a while to get things done as I struggle with anxiety and depression and my partner has autism as well as my son.
Would you move the motorhome ? Is she really struggling to reverve? Or is she being picky because it's an eye sore to her and she'd never dream of having an old caravan.
Can the council make me move it if she moans?
Thanks.
We had neighbors like that, they buy a house at a discount from the local council. They take out a loan to do improvements, and suddenly they're better people for it. This quote from the art of war come too mind
“If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.”
― Sun Tzu
Both sides ended up divorced, and the houses didn,t cover the debt.
------------- Certified member of the Outwell Appreciation Society.
My friends reckon I should be certified anyway. And they should know!!
Quote: Originally posted by saxo1 on 04/4/2023
You have to be careful paving over a front garden only certain types are now allowed that must allow water to drain through the surface.
saxo1
Oh yes, but I think there is plenty of information about that. It is one of the major reasons why many people use loose chippings.
We've not had any issues with our neighbours, however we live on a fairly narrow road with on street parking, over the time we have had our Motorhome i have asked the neighbours if they mind if i parked in front of their houses if i have no other option. I then had a drop pavement put in and placed a few slabs in the front garden this removed the parking issue, but still had to ask the neighbours to move cars when we wanted to take the Motorhome out, so i knocked some of my front wall down to give a wider access which worked quite well, the neighbour even said that they didn't mind having to move their car so don't bother with the wall! then eventually block paving my front garden creating a large parking area. I still have a van and car parked on the road, but by keeping the neighbours onside by explaining what I was doing in passing has avoided any friction. Good luck with your predicament, maybe ask their opinion on how to park up your Motorhome...
------------- Regards
Johno
VP and Librarian of the Renault Trafic MK1 Owners group
Saxo is absolutely right, you should never reverse out of a driveway onto a road. Always reverse in and drive out. If your neighbours hit somebody when they are reversing out, regardless of whether your motorhome was there or not, they could be held liable. Provided you vehicle is legal, taxed, MOTd, and insured, you have as much right to park on the road as anyone else.
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Topic: Neighbour isn`t happy...
via mobile 03/4/2023 at 10:44am
If anyone does park outside their houses they are inclined to use their own cars to 'box them in' so they can't simply drive away!
