Dilemma

[diplomaticandtactful]

believe me i am considering all the options including parking on the roadway just to be spiteful as we have a huge yard to park on. But till the lawyers confirm exactly what i am entitled to do or not, I am playing it very cool and cautious as no point in throwing a wobbly if they then say that our title deeds are not clear specific etc. As that is what we have to rely on assuming that the numpties have no shame, manners, or neighbourly bones in their bodies. To date we have been very reasonable and not made a fuss, but this week i have really really been annoyed, And have had to curb my first instinct which is to go and have a screaming match with the nasty cow and make things 100 times worse. I am just ignoring them all I went out and weeded the garden at the front, next to where the car was parked, never said a word just walked past with my wheelbarrow. The real me was dying to say shall i just tip all this here given this appears to be the shit heap for all the rubbish but i wheeled it back and put all the weeds in a pile on my own land in a hidden corner. I don't use that gateway with a vehicle at the moment as our hen run blocks the way out from there i.e. you can drive right out from there past the stable block, but we have put up heras panels to make a bit run for the hens, so we don't take a car through there now but in the future we, or someone else who owns the place, might want to which is why i am making a fuss about it. Ditto i have an access right through another neighbour's property to get to our field gate, i rarely use it, but i do just now and then and when it changes hands i will make a point of it, plus the prospective owner knows that it exists. I am pretty pissed off that the 'livery' person and her brat and her Freelander are there most of the time now - she had the pony tied up on the driveway bathing it with the brat running around screaming and the car on the grass verge. It's the noise as much as anything, there are now three toddlers and 4 dogs. the daughters have split up with their partners and moved back home so we have all their kids and kids stuff cluttering up the road, and their vehicles as well. So it is much more noisy and disruptive. Now they can do that in their own bloody garden - which they don't have as they built kennels so only have a tiny courtyard for 2 adults 2 grown up daughters who are loud and 3 kids plus the livery girl and her kid. Essentially the roadway is being used as their unofficial garden and yard.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Surely they're not leaving it like that!?

I would expect so, given they haven't moved it today and they had the pickup there last night so could have taken it away but then they would have to dump it where they live. If it isn't gone by Monday words will be said.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Had a bit of a brainwave, we are having a Fresh Start for Hens rehoming here on 19th June. So I will write a letter to the other three houses, telling them that we will have an all day event, over 200 hens here and as many as 50 plus cars. I will say that they are all coming to timed slots and will park on our yard and for the smaller vehicles we will be operating a one way system. But the larger ones will have to exit via the entrance. And what we will be putting in verge protection measures to protect the communal entrances etc. Brilliant! So draft that, drop through doors and then once i have a couple of more coats of paint on my sticks and stones (which are not intended to break bones) i will put them in place ready for the event. Perfect timing.

"
Fresh Start for Hens Event 19th June 2021

Just to let you know that we will be hosting a battery hen rehoming event in our stable block at the house. More than 250 ex caged hens are the lucky ones to be rehomed when a large facility of 48,500 hens will be cleared and go for slaughter. If you would like to see what a spent hen looks like and where cheap eggs come from, please come and see them.

The hens will be delivered to the stables in a large van, unloaded, fed and watered. They may be a bit noisy when they are liberated. The adopters will then come to collect them throughout the day. They will have timed slots and will park on our main yard. If they follow the schedule there should be no back up of traffic on the communal road or main road. We cannot at the moment say how many vehicles will attend as that will depend on how many hens are rehomed per adoptee.

We will operate a one-way system for the smaller vehicles but larger ones will have to exit by the same route. We hope this will not cause any inconvenience and there will be volunteers to assist. We will be putting verge protection measures in place to avoid damage to the communal entrance and will clear up any litter generated though we hope that people will be responsible.

We just wanted to let you if you have children and pets that there will additional traffic entering the premises."

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

They have taken the pony out in the box and left her car protecting the space. I could go and park there and block her in and stop the box coming back but won't do that till we get the legal view as if i park there i am doing what they do. Here are the views of our entrance way.

 

[carthorse]

I'll be interested to see if your advance notice means they'll create an even bigger obstruction.

Going back to your previous comment about there now being no access for emergency vehicles. I would report that immediately to whoever will deal with it - that's not an inconvenience, that's potentially putting lives at risk. Maybe take a photo of a car on places where there would be access trouble to show it wouldn't be possible to get a big vehicle past.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I'll be interested to see if your advance notice means they'll create an even bigger obstruction.

Going back to your previous comment about there now being no access for emergency vehicles. I would report that immediately to whoever will deal with it - that's not an inconvenience, that's potentially putting lives at risk. Maybe take a photo of a car on places where there would be access trouble to show it wouldn't be possible to get a big vehicle past.

have loads of photos of vehicles parked, this has been going on for 10 years and with the previous owners. I don't think they will sabotage the event because if they do i will just call the police. It would also be excellent evidence for a lawyer, we have been reasonable, telling everyone well in advance, organising a one way system where possible, parking only on our land. They have a lot to lose, if environmental, planning or just legal say they cannot park the muck trailer there they have nowhere else for it to go so cannot use their stables.....

 

[Huggy]

Had a bit of a brainwave, we are having a Fresh Start for Hens rehoming here on 19th June. So I will write a letter to the other three houses, telling them that we will have an all day event, over 200 hens here and as many as 50 plus cars. I will say that they are all coming to timed slots and will park on our yard and for the smaller vehicles we will be operating a one way system. But the larger ones will have to exit via the entrance. And what we will be putting in verge protection measures to protect the communal entrances etc. Brilliant! So draft that, drop through doors and then once i have a couple of more coats of paint on my sticks and stones (which are not intended to break bones) i will put them in place ready for the event. Perfect timing.

"
Fresh Start for Hens Event 19th June 2021

Just to let you know that we will be hosting a battery hen rehoming event in our stable block at the house. More than 250 ex caged hens are the lucky ones to be rehomed when a large facility of 48,500 hens will be cleared and go for slaughter. If you would like to see what a spent hen looks like and where cheap eggs come from, please come and see them.

The hens will be delivered to the stables in a large van, unloaded, fed and watered. They may be a bit noisy when they are liberated. The adopters will then come to collect them throughout the day. They will have timed slots and will park on our main yard. If they follow the schedule there should be no back up of traffic on the communal road or main road. We cannot at the moment say how many vehicles will attend as that will depend on how many hens are rehomed per adoptee.

We will operate a one-way system for the smaller vehicles but larger ones will have to exit by the same route. We hope this will not cause any inconvenience and there will be volunteers to assist. We will be putting verge protection measures in place to avoid damage to the communal entrance and will clear up any litter generated though we hope that people will be responsible.

We just wanted to let you if you have children and pets that there will additional traffic entering the premises."

Smart thinking!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Sounds like a good constructive step.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

The thing that has changed this week is that when i spoke to the neighbour whose house, with yard, big barn and small paddock, is up for sale they had made a low offer on it. NOT for their own use i.e. to move their horse box, muck trailer, not use the stables at the house. BUT to build more stables and have a livery yard, all of which traffic would go past our house, and be right in our face as our field runs alongside there. This would have solved all the issues for their own horses, but no, they had to push it further and want to use it as a commercial yard - with a 3 acre paddock! So no consideration for neighbours, just how to make money. That was the turning point, till then, i would have been happy for them to buy it, in fact i could have bought it myself but it brought nothing to the party for us other than blocking someone else buying it. The fact that they couldn't be content that it solved their own parking issues, their own horses, wasn't the consideration, and frankly just f the neighbours. So that is my turning point, till then i was sympathetic, but they showed their true colours, happy to shaft us with a smile on their face.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Have finished painting my stones. The livery person's Freelander was parked across out gateway again yesterday afternoon. Funnily enough when i drove past where she lives and has her other horses on rented land, the field has been ploughed up, leaving just a track around it. Not sure what is going on there, if they are in dispute with the owner who wants them out.

Today we put the stones around the edge of the grass - again she parked across the gateway. We have some printed signs, so they will go up tomorrow morning. Getting very irritated.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Signage up this morning. If she continues to block the gateway, not sure what next other than to block it with the trailer we use to go to the dump which is full of rubbish

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

One of the neighbours had a chat with OH today. Dad who we believe has left the house now. The two daughters, who are late 20s/30s with three children are now there as they have split up with their partners. So mum and 2 daughters single parents now. They will try not to park in front of the gateway but no mention of the livery person, and her box vacating. OH did not mention her so wait and see what they do, otherwise can see it going legal planning and environmental health. I feel sorry for their ex partners as they were nice lads. The two girls are loud and spoiled and very like mum, I can see why dad has moved out!

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

And so yesterday when we try to get out her Freelander is parked alongside the box blocking the entire road. When we got back the box had gone but her freelander was there and has been there overnight and a white car now blocking the entrance. where the two cars are parked those are the only dedicated parking spaces they have

 

[MrC]

Why not just put up signs saying any cars blocking this gate will be towed then? Inform them you need this access clear and if they don’t you will call the tow truck and they will have to pay to get their car back? Report them for livery if they aren’t supposed to have to either.

I wouldn’t be finicking about. They are in contravention of use according to what you are saying so get it reported and get this stress gone.

Park your trailer up her ass of these white car open the gate and look like your using it. Then they will have to come to you to get the white car out and you can tell them don’t park here and find somewhere else for your lorry as well. If the legal stuff is in your side then tell them so and tell them it will get expensive for them if they don’t comply.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

The box and horse went out on Thursday to an event so her car is now left here in one of the only two parking spaces the neighbour has. The stones we put down to protect the verge were moved so we moved them back. The field they are renting opposite where they rent a house and have 3 x 4 x 4 and a business trailer and had the horsebox has been ploughed up by the field's owner, the horses are still on it but now bare earth. I am told by someone who knows the owner that complaints were made about the horsebox being parked there. They have the same situation where they are renting, private road, too many vehicles for the parking available without blocking access. Just been told a legal firm has been appointed by our insurers and they will be in touch next week.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

The box continues to be here. I have measured the gap when it is parked there, there are 133 inches of gap from their wing mirror to the kerb. My box is 105 inches wide so i have 28 inches to try to get in and out which is not acceptable. And is assuming the box is parked in the same place i.e. not further out.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

So we now have a second horsebox blocking our entrance so yodel couldn't deliver stuff to us. And the latest is that the building behind the horsebox, currently used as a haystore and tack room and feed store is going to be converted into a flat for the daughter who has split with her partner. So where is the big bale hay and all the rest of the crap going to go????

The planning guy has basically told us that if we want to stop them having third parties using the place we need to complain as if we let it go and 5 years from now it escalates the fact that we let it go will count against us. They require a change of use so need to apply for planning, for the livery, and having consulted colleagues, he is basically of the view that they would not grant it given the access issues.

Now concerned that they will start work on the conversion as 'permitted development' but they do need planning for that, as when we thought about converting the garage into a granny flat for mum, we were told we needed full planning. OH is trying to have a chat with neighbour's husband tomorrow but then he is the one who parked the blue/red box there to work on it, and week before there was a blue/grey box again being worked on....so god knows what is happening. See no real option but after chat tomorrow to go legal and via planning otherwise they will get this via the back door like the rest of the stuff. I am not having big bales of hay parked on the driveway, it's bad anough the bloody muck trailer, which since they moved it the smell is more noticeable, and the livery person.s box. Also she turned up yesterday with the french bulldog that attacked Harrison poodle earlier in the year when he was innocently walking past their house, it ran under the fence and grabbed him by the throat!

 

[carthorse]

You need to go down official routes, and first thing Monday morning. By doing nothing more than putting signs up and talking to them you're allowing them to carry on like this. Emails to any and everyone you can think of - local council (planning and highways at the very least), local police, local fire brigade, maybe HMIT if it's an undeclared business, Environment Agency - including photos. Speak to your planning guy again, he may have names you can contact, You have to take formal action unless you want to be stuck with this. You're not on good terms with them now so it's not like there's much to lose.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

You need to go down official routes, and first thing Monday morning. By doing nothing more than putting signs up and talking to them you're allowing them to carry on like this. Emails to any and everyone you can think of - local council (planning and highways at the very least), local police, local fire brigade, maybe HMIT if it's an undeclared business, Environment Agency - including photos. Speak to your planning guy again, he may have names you can contact, You have to take formal action unless you want to be stuck with this. You're not on good terms with them now so it's not like there's much to lose.

The planning guy we are speaking to and have forwarded all documents and photos has been very good, he has basically said please report for enforcement and has checked with other colleagues and basically they would not be given permission for livery given the set up. He is the enforcement officer so he would be our first port of call and he has gone extremely off records and told us not to let it drift as then the council might not be able to enforce it. They would have to apply for change of use which would bring in all the other departments, highways, enviromental etc and they could end up much worse off. I will contact him again about the proposed development of the ex garage (haybarn and feedstore) and tack room as unless they shed one of the stables, there is nowhere for the contents to go - except on the driveway. Our lawyers are primed to write as soon as we give them the go ahead. OH is due to have a word tomorrow for one last let's resolve this amicably and if that fails then yes we will go nuclear.

 

[MrC]

Honestly I wouldn’t bother my butt being amicable. You have been moaning about this for months now and nothings getting better.

Get the lawyers to start and get the complaints in. This is the problem folk don’t want hassle but you’re getting the hassle anyway so what’s they difference. Get it sorted the official way and be done with it. If this was outside my house I’d have chapped it on the head months ago.