Campervan parking at home

sylvester1954

sylvester1954

Joined
May 24, 2014
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North Devon
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Autosleeper Kingham
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Good evening. I wonder if anyone on hear has an informed view on the following.
We've bought a brand new house on a development on the Midlands. We have a small car and an AS Kingham.
Looking through the development documents regarding parking in the driveway of my house they state ' No caravan, or house on wheels, or boat, or yacht trailer shall be parked or permitted to stand on the property.'
I am hoping that as the paragraph doesn't not specifically refer to "motorhome' or "campervan" that l will be allowed to park accordingly. I have never in my 10 years of campervan heard them referred to as "House on Wheels" so l am hopeful that title would not include motorhome or campervan and is aimed at something else ie Sheppard's hut or even any such vehicle without independent power?
I want to test the water through MHF before checking with the developers first.
Any thoughts?
 
sylvester1954 said:
Good evening. I wonder if anyone on hear has an informed view on the following.
We've bought a brand new house on a development on the Midlands. We have a small car and an AS Kingham.
Looking through the development documents regarding parking in the driveway of my house they state ' No caravan, or house on wheels, or boat, or yacht trailer shall be parked or permitted to stand on the property.'
I am hoping that as the paragraph doesn't not specifically refer to "motorhome' or "campervan" that l will be allowed to park accordingly. I have never in my 10 years of campervan heard them referred to as "House on Wheels" so l am hopeful that title would not include motorhome or campervan and is aimed at something else ie Sheppard's hut or even any such vehicle without independent power?
I want to test the water through MHF before checking with the developers first.
Any thoughts?
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My development is "no caravans, no work vans, no commercial vehicles". So we've slipped through the net.

I'd take legal advice. House on wheels sounds like it has the intent of covering motorhomes.
 
If you had asked your solicitor he would probably tell you it’s not allowed. Probably it is only likely to be enforced whilst the estate is being built to keep it looking tidy and attractive to house buyers. If your neighbours object if you spoil their view or block out light they will be on to the developer to force you to move it away.
 
Wording sound like a very old clause - homes on wheels used to be used to prohibit Travellers buying a plot then setting up on it.
Worth also checking who the restriction is in favour of.
If it is the developer they won't care once the last house is sold and the company may well be dissolved soon after.
If there is a Residents Association which inherits the restrictions there may be more of an issue.

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My understanding is that if its in the covenant then in the first instance its up to the developers to enforce, after 10 years most do not bother, any action other than the developers must be undertaken with the other freeholders on the development at their expense and no guarantee of them getting their legal fees back if successful, we had something similar with caravans and builders signed vans where we live and on the council website it basically says * if its a caravan parked on somebodies property unless someone is living full time in it we are not bothered and will not enforce covenants* I could well be wrong as each local authority area will have its own planning dept who may take a differing view. I would contact your LA planning dept and ask them , if the m/home is taxed, insured and MOT'ed (if applicable) then you could argue that it it your transport and they would be depriving you of your mobility.
 
Guigsy said:
My development is "no caravans, no work vans, no commercial vehicles". So we've slipped through the net.
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A Motorhome is classed as a Motor Caravan so if it says no caravans you are stuffed.

Although in practice if no one complains you are OK but if someone does complain it's upto the owners of the covinent to take action, if it's the original builders and all the properties are sold they are unlikely to waste money doing anything.

Most of the properties on our estate have a covinent prohibiting cavans, loads of people have caravans and Motorhome but the estate was built in the 1930's and the owners/builder are long gone.
Doesn't affect us our house was build in the 60's no covinent on ours.
 
Take legal advice. It's not unusual for new estates to have quite restrictive covenants when it comes to parking things like vans, motorhomes and caravans. Either that or just ignore it, park up anyway and plead ignorance if anyone comes along to complain . . . .
 
Ignore it and wait to see what happens as said before it does not specifically say motorhome
That is specifically what you have
It is not you home it’s a leisure vechile
This is not legal advice thought but often if you ask you can then not plead ignorance

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Lenny HB said:
A Motorhome is classed as a Motor Caravan so if it says no caravans you are stuffed.

Although in practice if no one complains you are OK but if someone does complain it's upto the owners of the covinent to take action, if it's the original builders and all the properties are sold they are unlikely to waste money doing anything.

Most of the properties on our estate have a covinent prohibiting cavans, loads of people have caravans and Motorhome but the estate was built in the 1930's and the owners/builder are long gone.
Doesn't affect us our house was build in the 60's no covinent on ours.
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Maybe the ’Van with windows’ title given by the DVLA May be useful after all 👏👏
 
pappajohn said:
Pretty obvious really.
Should have asked about covenants before buying then it would come as no surprise.
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I am not of a legal mind but is it not specific enough
For instance a properly is a built
Should it not have stated within the curtilidge of the property
 
If somebody complains park it on the road outside your house.
If it is MOT‘d and taxed it is road legal.
They might then concede that it is better parked on your drive.
These covenants are woefully out of date when most self employed tradesmen use transits and the like parked at home.
 
Bramidan said:
If somebody complains park it on the road outside your house.
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Don't be silly, park it outside their house. :rofl:

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We bought our house new in 1977, there is a similar codicil in the missive pertaining to the house. We've had either a caravan or motorhome parked on the drive for the last 35 years and not one neighbour has done anything about it. Others have had caravans as well. I suggest it's unlikely to be acted on.
 
sylvester1954 said:
Good evening. I wonder if anyone on hear has an informed view on the following.
We've bought a brand new house on a development on the Midlands. We have a small car and an AS Kingham.
Looking through the development documents regarding parking in the driveway of my house they state ' No caravan, or house on wheels, or boat, or yacht trailer shall be parked or permitted to stand on the property.'
I am hoping that as the paragraph doesn't not specifically refer to "motorhome' or "campervan" that l will be allowed to park accordingly. I have never in my 10 years of campervan heard them referred to as "House on Wheels" so l am hopeful that title would not include motorhome or campervan and is aimed at something else ie Sheppard's hut or even any such vehicle without independent power?
I want to test the water through MHF before checking with the developers first.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Simple answer.
Get a magnetic sign made for a fictitious business that you run, with a mobile number on, put it on the van and claim its a works vehicle.
Before long I am SURE there will be many vans parked on the estate for other residents, some even sign written in varying degrees of colour, who will also have a second car to be parked.
Before long, the area will probably have vans of all descriptions parked in drives, on the road, half on pavement/half on road etc etc.
Some even with ladders on the roof!
Don't really see that clause as fully enforceable by the developers tbh.
By the council however, perhaps a different kettle of fish.
 
Is it a freehold or leasehold property

Mine had no commercial vehicle ban until all properties sold (only 19) now there's 10 vans and my camper

I walked away from a newbuild leasehold property as the developers said no vans.csmpers etc.

The funniest was a cheeky neighbour used the drive of an unsold house to park his caravan and got a letter from the developer threatening legal action

He could not understand hiw they new it was his caravan until I pointed out the long orange cable running from the van to their house and through the window to the plug socket :doh:
 
PeterCarole29 said:
Ignore it and wait to see what happens as said before it does not specifically say motorhome
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& that is why it does not specifically state 'motorhome' as it is all encompassing.Nothing that can be lived in is allowed
PeterCarole29 said:
That is specifically what you have
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as above , caravan ,that they stated before was ambiguous
Otter Spotter said:
Maybe the ’Van with windows’ title given by the DVLA May be useful after all 👏👏
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No because if te OP reads on it will also cover any type of van, any type of commercial vehicle, nothing that is sign written whatsoever , also it is unusual for it to sa y boat trailer as usually it states any type of trailer so as to keep out the banger racers who have scrap permanently on trailers & work on them
Bramidan said:
These covenants are woefully out of date when most self employed tradesmen use transits and the like parked at home.
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No these are the up to date ones . been refined to cover ANY type of living accommodation as above ,any type of van, commercial vehicle has been covered by them for at least 30 years. On the estate I bought on, off plan, the sales personnel refused absolutely to even take a deposit off my mate when he turned up in his works high top van & they asked him where he was proposing parking that? when he said at home they refused to sell to him.
He complained as I was buying there, but the difference was I could get my transit in the garage. developers backed the sales staff
Harrogate motorhomer said:
Developers are not interested after they have left the site.
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& that is true .If they are still on site constructing they won't be happy, especially if someone complains
Captain Yoghurtpot said:
Get a magnetic sign made for a fictitious business that you run, with a mobile number on, put it on the van and claim its a works vehicle.
Click to expand...
They are the first things banned anything sign written, anything commercial, any type of works van.

depends also whether the council want to enforce any? When the new town Welwyn Garden city was started all the above applied .You couldn't even have a trailer tent or caravan unless it went inside your garage.

To be honest I didn't think that there was anyone left who did not know about all these covenants? Remember no washing lines out the front & chickens usually banned also

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"House on wheels". What even is that??? My van is not a house on wheels. Not even close. Its a van with accommodation. Nor is it a caravan.
Park in your drive.
If the neighbours complain then argue your case, if not then it's all good.
 
Russell's Dad said:
"House on wheels". What even is that??? My van is not a house on wheels. Not even close. Its a van with accommodation. Nor is it a caravan.
Park in your drive.
If the neighbours complain then argue your case, if not then it's all good.
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You can’t have this on your drive….😆

IMG_0107.jpeg
 
This sort of covenant really does impact on your personal liberty. As long as it does not seriously impact on other's personal liberty you'd think it's a tough call. Were a motorhome not so big that it does impede on other's light or manoeuvrability, where's the problem? Just not liking the look of it, or the colour, is not sufficient.The motorhome has wheels and can move at any time.
 

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