Selling cars from residential property.

[1stlifeline]

Can anyone tell me if there is anything I can do about a next door neighbour who is turning the cul de sac into a scrapyard. We are in private rented accomodation, both houses owned by the same landlord who dosnt seem to care what the tenant does.

At the moment despite having 3 car space between every 2 houses he ha 5 cars in the street. The cul de sac has parking bays for each house but as we are at the bottom end the cars are all clustered outside in the bay and also in the turning spaces. It dosnt really affect the other residents too much as they can all drive in and out without having to come to the bottom.

 

Today we have had 6 lots of viewers and its the same every weekend. They are open plan gardens as well so people are constantly standing on my lawn to look under the car bonnets. At the weekend I constantly have a stream of cars parking outside my window and often struggle to park when I come home.

20 mins ago a vehicle turned up with yet another car on the trailer and deposited it outside. The driver was wearing a high vis with a company name on the back and when I looked on the net it is a massive scrapdealers about 20 miles away. He hands them a wad of cash and then sells the cars on.

 

Isnt it illegal to run a business from home which is what he seems to be doing, he dosnt work so must be making a living this way.

 

Im really fed up of it but hes not the kind of guy you can approach. I have mentioned it to the rental agents but nothing gets done.

What steps can I take please?

[srhbit]

hi have you tried the local council trading standerd

as they might help

[buzby]

Or the DVLA - just report the Reg No's online and wait for the boys to pay a visit. The Council will take more interest in someone running a breakers yard in the street. Explain you;re concerned from the Health & Safety factors of residual dluids, kids playground etc...

[1stlifeline]

Thank you for the replies. I will contact the council. I will also contact the DVLA but just out of interest, what would they get involved for? Is it because he is not the registered owner or because they may not be roadworthy?

 

Im assuming the scrapyard are buying them and then just passing the paperwork straight to him so they will still be registered in the orig owners name. Its worrying because if they are scrapped by the owners then they are not being given any checks before being sold on.

[johnhowell]

Contact HMRC as I understand that if you sell too many cars privately then HMRC are interested as earned income. It may be as low as 6 cars a year. There was a TV programme some years ago that showed a local council seizing vehicles for sale as they were park on the highway verge - not private land.

 

Good luck,

John

[patdavies]

Also contact the council planning department to complain.

[odds]

Check the tax on them. My mother in law had a very similar problem, some guy selling cars from his house and taking up the parking turning space. I just clocked that one wasn't taxed and reported it online. Soon put a stop to it

[buzby]

Thank you for the replies. I will contact the council. I will also contact the DVLA but just out of interest, what would they get involved for?

 

There has to be a certificate confirming destruction that is ussed to remove the VRM from the live database. If they are not doing so, then assuming the vehicles are on a public strreet they will be clamped and fines levied. Even if he's not the RK, he'll notice pretty quickly.

[Dodgy Solicitor]

I would echo waht other have said about contacting the Council. You certainly need Council permission to run such a business from home!

 

You may also like to contact the HMRC Tax evasion line 0800 788 887 to advise them of the business (chances are he has never registered the business) and he probably should be paying Income Tax and making NI contributions.

 

If you think he may be claiming benefits, inform the local JobCentre and Council Tax Benefit department or simply call the DWP hotline on 0800 854 440.

 

Finally, you may like to check the vehicle registration numbers on the DVLA database...

 

http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk

Then click on 'Vehicle Enquiry' on Left Hand Panel.

[Storminorman]

IstLifeline,

 

I totaly understand your situation and have been through the same frustrating scenario as yourself, cars blocking your drive, no where to park day or night, engines being reved, breaker yard lorries, oil over the street so your kids get covered, no feelings for yourself or others, scared to complain, our thug even blocked a funeral car from getting to our house.

 

First of all we tried the council, yes they did come round after about a week, funnily enough that week, we only had 13 cars that were near enough abandoned that week, but normally it could have been 20 plus.

 

They checked all the cars, 5 had no tax, the next day all was gone, within a week, they all slowly returned, this went on for months, even though this man was working out of a council house, we complained to the council every week, the police, and even our local MP, no one hardly ever came out, and if they did, it was us who were made to feel that we were wasting their time.

 

One weekend my son had, had enough and took this man on, my son was punched, kicked on the ground and this man even smashed our front door, police were involved, it went to court, the man was fined a small amount, and the outcome was we were told by the local police to just move, as this man has been doing this on every place he has ever lived.

 

My advice, MOVE, and find a decent landlord that will not accept these thugs that ruin your life, most councils are a waste of time, they are to busy out catching Goldsfish selling Grandmas.

[1stlifeline]

Update time. Seems this guy can just get away with it. The council dont care a the street is 'unadopted' so hes not actually parking the cars on a public road. As far as the tax on them goes the same applies.

[Conniff]

I would try health and safety next then.

[srhbit]

just read your up date

is there other people in the street /road you can talk to and get a letter for him to read

ie if there a old person who need medical treat ment ie 24 hour nurse or disable person with walking difficulty

i know the next bit is differant but it might help you on what i mean

( my mother in law was in need of 24 hour care when she was alive and me and her daughter went to some houses and said please dont park there as of the lack of space and they were ok with us we also put a note up asking people not to park )

but i would try the concil again or the local m.p.

xxsarah