Home yard

[Hinchy]

Just after some advice.

 

At the minute I store some of my tools at my property and logs for my own personal use, any chip and other waste gets taken to different sites. We are about to move into a property with a very large garden with a double garage and office space above. I would like to store some clean wood chip for landscaping jobs that I do, logs and all my tools at the property. Main reason for this is security. Do I need to get planning permission for any of this or change the use to commercial? or can I just carry on as I have been doing? 

 

[simonm]

The only issue I've had is a miserable neighbour moaning to the council who claimed I was operating a sawmill from my property! I spent 1 day cutting logs for my own fire ha.

As for keeping tools, vehicles never had a problem, I think you would be unlucky for the council to come down on you as every other tradesman keeps his tools at home. I see no issue unless you have mountains of chip & logs & machinery running often  

[Rough Hewn]

Check the deeds for covenants. After 5 years in my last yard, neighbour sent the owners a letter giving one week to clear everything within one meter of the boundary.
A "friendly" letter before he took us to court.

[Hinchy]

Well in our previous house we had no bother with any neighbours despite firing machines up every now and then.

 

I am currently using one of my parents rentals whilst we wait for the legal stuff to go through with the new property, all the paperwork and stuff is up to date. In return for free rent my old man wanted two beech trees taking down and the logs would be used by him. A week after this was done a letter came through from the council reporting that I was running a sawmill and selling logs without planning permission, that same day a member of the council came out and did a spot check. I showed him the tree that had been taken down and the one we were planning on taking down. His own words were "is that it" and " I have better things to do". So he said just carry on as you are and off he went. About three week later another letter with pretty much the exact same wording came through, following day another spot check by the council to find no logs or secret sawmill. This time I pushed to find out who it was that was doing the reporting but they wouldn't tell me. However, next door overheard And came straight over to tell me it was a moaning twat in the corner, apparently he was going knocking on doors to try and get the business shut down with a list of signatures (the list contained one...his). I went and confronted the chap in question and invited him round at any time to come and see this fictitious sawmill, he declined so I politely told him to mind his own business. A week passed by and during high winds another beech had shed a large branch nearly taking out a neighbours conservatory, being just over the road they'd asked if I would sort it which I did. Three days later guess what arrived through the door, another sawmill had sprung up at my property. I phoned the council and lost my rag but they were sympathetic and said they didn't feel the need to come out again and would not be perusing the matter. Surprisingly the council advised me that I should contact the police and report it as non voilent harresment. The police came round I showed them the work that had been done and around the place for evidence of a sawmill next door came over and backed up what I said and off the police went. That moaning twat has now been warned not to contact the council with false accusations or action will be taken against him.

 

2 months at this property, three council letters, two council spot checks, one police visit and its safe to say I love nothing more than giving the moaining twat the cheesiest of smiles when he drives past.

 

ironically some of the other neighbours I think felt a bit sorry for me when they heard what was going on so out of the 8 houses on the street 5 would like tree work doing. 

[daveatdave]

good result it would be nice if a tree came down onto his house 

[Warners]

15 hours ago, Rough Hewn said:

Check the deeds for covenants. After 5 years in my last yard, neighbour sent the owners a letter giving one week to clear everything within one meter of the boundary.
A "friendly" letter before he took us to court.

Yep, check the deeds. Most will say you can't operate a business from a residential address or park commercial vehicles, etc, however in reality a lot of folk do without any problems... just pays to know in advance, just in case.

[Rough Hewn]

Change of use.
Depending on where you live it's either council rubber stamp or lots of paperwork.
Can't remember which way round, but some change of use is just a formality.
Good luck mate.

[donnk]

On 10/1/2017 at 18:53, Rough Hewn said:

Check the deeds for covenants. After 5 years in my last yard, neighbour sent the owners a letter giving one week to clear everything within one meter of the boundary.
A "friendly" letter before he took us to court.

what a load of tosh.

 

There are no 'covenant' police, its purely civil matter. Your neighbour would have to spend a 5 figure sum on legals to take you to court. You would probably have legal protection with your buildings insurance to defend, not that it would ever come to that.

 

I think some people would jump of a cliff if someone gave them a 'legal document' and told them to do so.

 

man up ladies.

 

With regards to the change of use, parking your work truck at home isnt a problem. Storing work stuff at home isnt a problem. Having the public visting your home for work WILL be a problem. Dumping tip 3 times a day (assume you will fill up at some point and have to move it ?) WILL be a problem

 

It boils down to common sense, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck then its probably a duck. Dont look like a duck.

[Rough Hewn]

what a load of tosh.
 
There are no 'covenant' police, its purely civil matter. Your neighbour would have to spend a 5 figure sum on legals to take you to court. You would probably have legal protection with your buildings insurance to defend, not that it would ever come to that.
 
I think some people would jump of a cliff if someone gave them a 'legal document' and told them to do so.
 
man up ladies.
 
With regards to the change of use, parking your work truck at home isnt a problem. Storing work stuff at home isnt a problem. Having the public visting your home for work WILL be a problem. Dumping tip 3 times a day (assume you will fill up at some point and have to move it ?) WILL be a problem
 
It boils down to common sense, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck then its probably a duck. Dont look like a duck.

Sorry Donk, it's not tosh.
It happened to me.
The owners are ladies, ones a lawyer.
However they are spineless, so capitulated.
I got ducked.
Sadly common sense isn't common, and often has duck all to do with the law.
No covenant police?
Why have covenants if they aren't enforced?
Hmmm...
Tosh.....

[donnk]

so it happened to you then ? When did you goto court ? What were your solicitor costs ?

 

Did a big burly 'covenant enforcer' appear ?

 

If you just fold then its non argument.

 

I'm a builder we see covenants all the time, normally like 'you shall not build more than x on this land'. We take out indemnity policy to protect against enforcement and these cost less than £100. We are talking about builds £500k+

 

That is how highly the insurance specialists rate covenants. 

 

So tosh they are. Bullies are bullies and have to be stood against.