# Cars (many) outside house



## Thrifty1 (6 Feb 2007)

Following on from an earlier post, i am looking for advice also. I am moving into a new house in a few weeks. It is a new private estate just outside a small town. We have noticed on our many trips there while it is being built that a house across the road has about 10 cars parked outside.

They are probably cars being bought and sold by the owner, but most of them just look like scrap, they are filthy and some have been there months at least.

The are parked in the garden and also on the grass verge at the side of the road.

They are a terrible eye sore and really detract from the area. 

There are about 5 other houses on this side of the road also.

Is there anything we can do about getting them moved when we move in?

Thanks.


----------



## Jimmy Mook (6 Feb 2007)

Have you tried calling to the house and discussing it with the occupant?


----------



## Thrifty1 (6 Feb 2007)

No we havent, we dont know who is living there or what the circumstances are.

To be honest i dont think i would, they may not be at all forthcoming and could cause problems.

Id rather go down the anonymous route just in case.


----------



## Seagull (6 Feb 2007)

It might be worth your while as a first step to find out whether the property is rented. 
Was there a clause in your purchase contract that restricts the type of business that can be run from the house?


----------



## Thrifty1 (6 Feb 2007)

Its not a house in the estate its at the entrance on the opposite side of the road.

Its an older type house, probably about 5 of them in total, the rest are grand but this has a load of rust buckets parked outside.


----------



## monkeyboy (6 Feb 2007)

In my opinion you probably could have them moved by using some fomr of local authority legislation.
Doing this in a small estate however, you are likely to be found out as the instigator.
Could make life more hassle than it is worth.

If you lived there and the cars appeaered I would have sympathy but you have bought knowing the are there and are going to move in and try and make changes on a resident who has been there before you.

I just would not have bought here if I had an issue with something.


----------



## Megan (6 Feb 2007)

Have you talked to any of the other residents in your estate. I have a similar problem on the service road that I live on. It looks like the only way to have it solved is to have our service road made a resident only parking area. You would need to contact your local council about having that done. This is a big problem in alot of estates with people parking cars and geting public transport on to work in Dublin. 
If the cars are just scrap I am sure your local council could have them removed.


----------



## Sue Ellen (6 Feb 2007)

Speak to your local community garda and seek their advice.  They will know the best approach.


----------



## Megan (6 Feb 2007)

sueellen said:


> Speak to your local community garda and seek their advice.  They will know the best approach.


Where would you get one of those?


----------



## ClubMan (6 Feb 2007)

The local _Garda _station perhaps?


----------



## dontaskme (7 Feb 2007)

Thrifty1 said:


> They are probably cars being bought and sold by the owner, but most of them just look like scrap, they are filthy and some have been there months at least.


 
If someone is carrying on a business on a residential premises that could be a local authority issue.


----------



## Thrifty1 (7 Feb 2007)

Thanks, i think the local auth might be the way to go alright, it looks to be a small scrap yard so hopefully they will help.


----------



## Megan (7 Feb 2007)

ClubMan said:


> The local _Garda _station perhaps?


Very funny Clubman. I tried there - they have plenty of guards but no *"community" *guard for my area.


----------



## ClubMan (7 Feb 2007)

I wasn't (intentionally) being funny. I was just giving a straight answer to your seemingly basic question. What were you advised when you asked at your local station? Perhaps  is of some use?


----------



## Megan (7 Feb 2007)

Thanks Clubman for those links. Will suggest those at our next resident's meeting. The Garda Station just told me that they had no community guard in the area I live in.


----------



## ClubMan (7 Feb 2007)

Is there a _Neighbourhood Watch _or _Community Alert _scheme in operation? Surely they have somebody to liaise with the local community even if there is no dedicated community _Garda_?


----------



## bond-007 (8 Feb 2007)

This is probably none of the OPs business.


----------



## ClubMan (8 Feb 2007)

That is a possibility that I was just considering myself. If the vehicles are parked on the owner's own land and don't fall foul of any relevant littering/eyesore regulations then that would seem to be the case.


----------



## CCOVICH (8 Feb 2007)

I would have thought that '10 cars' that 'look like scrap' would suggest that there is an 'eyesore' issue at least and it would certainly bother me.


----------



## ClubMan (8 Feb 2007)

The original post is not totally clear and there could be some subjectivity to this:


Thrifty1 said:


> They are probably cars being bought and sold by the owner, but most of them just look like scrap, they are filthy and some have been there months at least.


Probably best to contact the relevant local authority first as mentioned above.


----------



## Dreamerb (8 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> I would have thought that '10 cars' that 'look like scrap' would suggest that there is an 'eyesore' issue at least and it would certainly bother me.


There's also the strong possibility that the activity being carried on constitutes an unauthorised waste / waste recovery operation. Or another commercial activity which would require appropriate zoning / payment of rates. Either possibility indicates that it's a matter for the relevant sections of the local authority - respectively, waste management section, planners, rates section.


----------



## ubiquitous (8 Feb 2007)

Dreamerb said:


> There's also the strong possibility that the activity being carried on constitutes an unauthorised waste / waste recovery operation.


Hardly likely if the operation concerned is being carried on in full public view in a residential area? 



> Or another commercial activity which would require appropriate zoning / payment of rates.


Its a bit naive to assume that the local authority are not already aware that a business is being carried on here. Maybe rates are already being paid to the local authority? The OP has no way of knowing this.


----------



## ubiquitous (8 Feb 2007)

CCOVICH said:


> I would have thought that '10 cars' that 'look like scrap' would suggest that there is an 'eyesore' issue at least and it would certainly bother me.



I would suggest that, while it might bother the OP, it is probably none of their business. They will be living in a separate estate! A number of people live right beside this yard. They may have a right to object, but presumably this state of affairs has been going on and has been tolerated for some time. Its hard, therefore, to see what the problem is.


----------



## JQ2002 (8 Feb 2007)

Any ideas if is there a law preventing others parking outside your house?

The area directly outside my house and wall is constantly being occupied by other neighbours as they have too many cars to park outside there own house. If I'm late back from work I have to park some distance away from my house. Is there anything I can do?

I know my next door neighbour has the same problem. Any ideas on what to do? I have posted messages on the cars asking the owners to park  them elsewhere but to no avail.


----------



## ClubMan (8 Feb 2007)

JQ2002 said:


> Any ideas if is there a law preventing others parking outside your house?
> 
> The area directly outside my house and wall is constantly being occupied by other neighbours as they have too many cars to park outside there own house. If I'm late back from work I have to park some distance away from my house. Is there anything I can do?


If it's a public roadway then anybody can park there as far a I know.


----------



## Mers1 (8 Feb 2007)

Hi all, 

Again following on from recent thread.  Can an abandoned car be removed from an apartment complex?  Is there some law that if it is within a private development the local authority cannot remove it??? the person who owned the car has long since left and contact is impossible.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks


----------



## addob (8 Feb 2007)

Mers1 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Again following on from recent thread. Can an abandoned car be removed from an apartment complex? Is there some law that if it is within a private development the local authority cannot remove it??? the person who owned the car has long since left and contact is impossible.
> 
> ...


 
We moved into a new complex and as with many new complexes there were a string of abandoned cars. We simply called the Garda office and they took down the details and they were removed.
Have you tried that?
addob


----------



## CCOVICH (8 Feb 2007)

I don't think it is always as simple as that.  We had the same problem in a previous development and nothing was moved in my time there (even though it was raised as an ongoing issue and the Gardai were approached).


----------



## Dreamerb (8 Feb 2007)

ubiquitous said:


> Hardly likely if the operation concerned is being carried on in full public view in a residential area?


Without wanting to quote Waste Management Acts at you, basically if these cars are not in working order and are being collected and held at a premises, it's at least distinctly possible that a waste licence or permit would be required. I fail to see how its being in full public view has anything to do with it. 



ubiquitous said:


> Its a bit naive to assume that the local authority are not already aware that a business is being carried on here. Maybe rates are already being paid to the local authority? The OP has no way of knowing this.


Au contraire, it's extremely naive to assume full knowledge on the part of the local authority. Do you seriously believe the local authorities have people driving round to look at all developments to see if they comply with planning, at all premises to check whether rateable commercial activities are being carried on, and round the place generally to check that there's no dumping, illegal collection, etc? Because I can tell you for a fact that there's a limit to what even the most dedicated enforcement drive can do, and if the local authority isn't informed of a situation it can't examine it. 

It may very well be that everything is in order and above board, but if it is not, there is no reason the OP should not check all relevant avenues. If it is, then fair enough - the OP will simply have to put up with it.


----------



## CCOVICH (8 Feb 2007)

Dreamerb said:


> It may very well be that everything is in order and above board, but if it is not, there is no reason the OP should not check all relevant avenues. If it is, then fair enough - the OP will simply have to put up with it.


 

Fully agree.


----------



## ubiquitous (8 Feb 2007)

Dreamerb said:


> Do you seriously believe the local authorities have people driving round to look at all developments to see if they comply with planning, at all premises to check whether rateable commercial activities are being carried on, and round the place generally to check that there's no dumping, illegal collection, etc?



Well in my neck of the woods, the local authority are very proactive (some would say aggressive) in checking up on businesses to ensure rates are being levied. They are also very proactive in relation to illegal dumping, unauthorised burning of rubbish etc. 

Certainly if a business is being operated in full public view (ie alongside a road as against behind closed doors) it would be hard to imagine the rates guys turning a blind eye. Ditto the waste management authorities.


----------



## Dreamerb (8 Feb 2007)

ubiquitous said:


> Well in my neck of the woods, the local authority are very proactive (some would say aggressive) in checking up on businesses to ensure rates are being levied. They are also very proactive in relation to illegal dumping, unauthorised burning of rubbish etc.
> 
> Certainly if a business is being operated in full public view (ie alongside a road as against behind closed doors) it would be hard to imagine the rates guys turning a blind eye. Ditto the waste management authorities.


It's not an issue of turning a blind eye - it's purely that an assumption of knowledge isn't valid. They don't do comprehensive street by street compliance checks on all areas of local authority involvement! And while I know that some of the waste management enforcement teams (for example) are very active, they're targetting particular sectors proactively, but they also respond to complaints.


----------

