Legal Help Required re Covenant

[Stacetop]

Hi

We keep our van in storage and bring it home occasionally to load and unload. There are restrictive covenants on our property and one that covers the roads of the estate for a caravan or boat trailer. One of our neighbours several doors away in the cul de sac has taken an issue with our van when her direct neighbours also bought one. She has caused them issues including calling the police!

Most of our cul de sac are happy and I screen shot messages to prove that. She is the only one with an issue and has now sent a solicitors letter so I need to find a solicitor to write to her solicitor within 12 days.

Can anyone recommend a solicitor who is an expert in covenants?

 

[Jolak]

Thanks for this useful thread as it puts my mind at rest over a similar issue with my house which I moved into a couple of years ago. I was spending £400 a year on storage, which I could easily stand, but it was 30 miles away, which was a nuisance and I had the issue of the battery discharging when I didn't go for a couple of months. There is a restrictive covenant covering caravans etc, but I thought, **** it, it's my property, I'll do as I wish as long as it doesn't inconvenience or harm anybody. I spent nearly 5 grand to increase my parking area so I could keep my 7+ metre motorhome and my car on the drive as I didn't want my car left on the road to cause a nuisance, which doesn't seem to bother most people nowadays as they seem to have lost the ability to reverse. I spoke to a couple of neighbours who I get on with and they just said that people have done it before and no one has bothered about it, so just do it. So I have, but there has always been the underlying worry that I may have wasted five grand. My house and the surrounding estate was built in the 60's incidentally. The indemnity cover on restrictive covenants is something I wasn't aware of and I don't think I bothered with legal cover. I'm going to dig out my Land Registry documents and make sure I'm prepared for any eventualities. Just this thread alone has made it worthwhile joining this group so many thanks.

 

[Minxy]

We had fun with a neighbour for a good few years (he moved in a good while after us), he didn't like the conifers at the end of our garden adjacent to his side carport, claiming loss of light even though they were on his North side and we kept them trimmed to just above it.

He resorted to getting his buddy solicitor to send us threatening letters which I responded to, he tried to claim a couple of foot of our garden was his so he could chop the trees down. Unfortunately for him the original family who owned our property built his and a few other properties so we were able to speak to the builder who lived only a short distance away. He confirmed that our neighbour was actually on part of our land, about a foot, just at the corner rather than the other way round. I had a good few ping pong letters with the solicitor pointing out bits and bobs and I confirmed I would keep them trimmed just as I always had so he had no option but to desist as I threatened harassment proceedings, eventually he stopped and after a good few years we became buddies with no aggro now.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Someone I knew started making garden ornaments in a shed, someone bubbled him to the council, they changed his rates to business use

If she's being awkward so would I if she's doing anything more than admin

If are being charged business rates surely you would need change of use on the house to a business?

I’ve no idea about that though just a thought.

 

[David and Sally]

Someone I knew started making garden ornaments in a shed,

There’s gnome money in that!

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[Jimbohorlicks]

Thanks for this useful thread as it puts my mind at rest over a similar issue with my house which I moved into a couple of years ago. I was spending £400 a year on storage, which I could easily stand, but it was 30 miles away, which was a nuisance and I had the issue of the battery discharging when I didn't go for a couple of months. There is a restrictive covenant covering caravans etc, but I thought, **** it, it's my property, I'll do as I wish as long as it doesn't inconvenience or harm anybody. I spent nearly 5 grand to increase my parking area so I could keep my 7+ metre motorhome and my car on the drive as I didn't want my car left on the road to cause a nuisance, which doesn't seem to bother most people nowadays as they seem to have lost the ability to reverse. I spoke to a couple of neighbours who I get on with and they just said that people have done it before and no one has bothered about it, so just do it. So I have, but there has always been the underlying worry that I may have wasted five grand. My house and the surrounding estate was built in the 60's incidentally. The indemnity cover on restrictive covenants is something I wasn't aware of and I don't think I bothered with legal cover. I'm going to dig out my Land Registry documents and make sure I'm prepared for any eventualities. Just this thread alone has made it worthwhile joining this group so many thanks.

I wouldn't worry about it, if you have been theteca while and no one has complained the precident has been set.

 

[Rapido925M]

Son in Law has a VW camper which he placed on his drive, along with two cars. Within weeks he had a visit from the Chairman of the Management Committee with a letter of complaint from a neighbour. The estate has "rules" (I'm not sure which one was allegedly being broken) and having such a HUGE vehicle contravened one of them. SiL argued and no action ensued.

At the following Annual General Meeting the issue was listed on the agenda but SiL couldn't attend, so awaited the minutes with trepidation. Sure enough, he was being chastised and was required to remove the camper (we offered to have it in our large garden; it's only 3 miles from their house).

Instead he looked through his documents and argued with Chairman that they were wrong and he wasn't moving it. He did, however, reposition the van so that it was further away from the awkward neighbour but the cars were nearer. This was accepted and all is now sweetness and light.

Gordon

(When the previous neighbour was moving, they had a car boot sale to dispose of some possessions. The Chairman chastised them for advertising the sale and it became another rule: no selling without written permission, which, if given, will not allow advertising nor signs indicating the position of the sale. No-one has had a sale in the last 10y.)

 

[sweetie]

Thanks for this useful thread as it puts my mind at rest over a similar issue with my house which I moved into a couple of years ago. I was spending £400 a year on storage, which I could easily stand, but it was 30 miles away, which was a nuisance and I had the issue of the battery discharging when I didn't go for a couple of months. There is a restrictive covenant covering caravans etc, but I thought, **** it, it's my property, I'll do as I wish as long as it doesn't inconvenience or harm anybody. I spent nearly 5 grand to increase my parking area so I could keep my 7+ metre motorhome and my car on the drive as I didn't want my car left on the road to cause a nuisance, which doesn't seem to bother most people nowadays as they seem to have lost the ability to reverse. I spoke to a couple of neighbours who I get on with and they just said that people have done it before and no one has bothered about it, so just do it. So I have, but there has always been the underlying worry that I may have wasted five grand. My house and the surrounding estate was built in the 60's incidentally. The indemnity cover on restrictive covenants is something I wasn't aware of and I don't think I bothered with legal cover. I'm going to dig out my Land Registry documents and make sure I'm prepared for any eventualities. Just this thread alone has made it worthwhile joining this group so many thanks.

We have a restrictive covenant on our bungalow stating no caravans, when we moved in asked next door neighbour if he minded if we bought motorhome would he object as it would be 2.5 m from his property no problem was the answer. He was the Cromer Mayor at the time. Now been here 21 years and no complaints, and new been there 9 years all ok.
Hope things turn out OK for you.

 

[Stacetop]

Thanks all, I have done some research and will either draft a reply myself or use a solicitor.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Thanks all, I have done some research and will either draft a reply myself or use a solicitor.

Draft a reply yourself ,don't spend. It's not necessary and as advised keep it brief. Ie its a private vehicle, a motorhome, taxed,insured , mot and legally allowed to be on a public road.end of.

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[Wack]

Thanks all, I have done some research and will either draft a reply myself or use a solicitor.

Don't let her intimidate you, just reply to the solicitor yourself, there's nothing to be gained by employing a solicitor, she's just trying to scare you, don't let her