Home traders

[Marc 6]

Hi, I know this subject has been covered before but I guess it's always a concern and relevant to us who trade from home..

Basically my neighbours are getting the notepads out and busy documenting every fiddle fart , Actually had my next door neighbours father standing at the top of my drive watching a customer drive off in his new car.. Also has the comments you've more cars than Arnold Clark ,'a lot of Money in second hand cars' I know a man who makes a fortune'.. Jovial at first but not now. BTW I have a 3 to 4 car length drive and absolutely no cars are kept on public roads

It's looking like I'll have to start selling cars from a relatives house which is a real downer. I live in a great postcode area and it helped

It's a concern when writing invoices and using an address that is nothing to do with me other than a relatives house. Is that even legal? Damn :-/

 

 

[Dave2302 387]

I had this donkeys years ago when I lived in England SE !!

It's just typical jealous cunts with the "He's doing OK, must be on the fiddle" mentality, but believe me these arse holes can, and probably will get you shut down !!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but ..........................

The first and minimum thing that will happen is your local Council will hit you for Business Rates etc etc, but they would probably issue enforcement proceedings after warning you, to close you down by saying Residential Area Property is not suitable for Motor Trades  

I'd advise against Invoices with all different details, HMRC would have a "field day" and cane you with "their estimates of un declared " for that

HTH

[BHM 994]

You’re planning on moving business premises because of a few nosey neighbours? Ignore them, they don’t put jam on your bread.

As for jealousy over cars get used to it, for some reason I’ve never fully understood, cars rear-up the green eyed monster. 

Comments like what you’ve received only show them up for the bitter jealous bastards they are - you aren’t going to change their views so let them get on with it safe in the knowledge that every ‘new’ car will be eating away at their souls. 

[Dave2302 387]

On a 4 Car drive, you can have 4 Cars, but Council would need proof they are registered to you or anyone living at yours on Electoral Roll, and not "In Trade", which apart from de valuing your stock would be a right PITA !!

[AutoJacob 34]

I would tell them to mind their own, be civil but if they're watching customers when arriving that's just weird and you should have a little chat with them.

Believe it or not I have the same problem with a neighbouring business at my premise, they're nosey parkers and think no one can see them starring out of the window.

You will get this everywhere you go

[Arfur Dealy 823]

2 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

I had this donkeys years ago when I lived in England SE !!

It's just typical jealous cunts with the "He's doing OK, must be on the fiddle" mentality, but believe me these arse holes can, and probably will get you shut down !!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but ..........................

The first and minimum thing that will happen is your local Council will hit you for Business Rates etc etc, but they would probably issue enforcement proceedings after warning you, to close you down by saying Residential Area Property is not suitable for Motor Trades  

I'd advise against Invoices with all different details, HMRC would have a "field day" and cane you with "their estimates of un declared " for that

HTH

This has been covered before, if the main use of your home is family home then the use hasn’t changed. You have every right to be self employed and to work from your home. 

BHM, put this argument to bed previously. with a link to the government website about small businesses. Maybe he can find the link or thread. 

[BHM 994]

Just now, Dave2302 said:

On a 4 Car drive, you can have 4 Cars, but Council would need proof they are registered to you or anyone living at yours on Electoral Roll, and not "In Trade", which apart from de valuing your stock would be a right PITA !!

Dave, no offence but you’re living in the dark ages.  The planning regulations changed years ago (I’m not going to repeat myself yet again - search Planning Portal) and within reason, basically no changes to the property to accommodate your business, you can do what you want from home apart from a few regulated businesses such as child-minding & arms trading (I kid you not!)

[Dave2302 387]

OK, Apologies, just seen AD post, but 35 years ago Dartford BC shut me down !!

I'll watch

No offence taken btw

So what about prep work ??

I'm bloody sure painting a wing or draining oil would cause a problem, simply selling maybe not ??

[Mark101 536]

Hi Marc

I too am a home trader but I currently have about 15 cars (including my Transit and my car transporter) on my driveway, only the Transit is in the road, right in the very corner of the cul de sac under a tree (where no one else would want to park).

I was worried sick about the neighbours but to be fair they have taken a genuine interest and I go out of my way to befriend them and to respect them.  There's still one or two that I "worry" about and one two faced bastard (i can just tell).

I do NO mechanical, valeting or prep work at home, it is all farmed out (or done quietly in my garage).  I am a quiet neighbour with a lot of cars.

Carry on for as long as you can, it may settle or they get bored.  My immediate neighbour has offered to take me to collect cars and my postman has actually taken me on 4 or 5 runs.

It can and probably will turnaround.  Don't worry about the council until it happens.

The first neighbour to complain to me will receive.

"I park nothing in the road (except the van).  If you want to complain, I shall regsiter and tax all 15 vehicles and park every fucking one of them down the street, you decide your next move."

Edited August 29, 2018 by Mark101

[Del Boy 76]

6 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

"I park nothing in the road (except the van).  If you want to complain, I shall regsiter and tax all 15 vehicles and park every fucking one of them down the street, you decide your next move."

You won’t get away with taxing them and leaving them in the road either. That will REALLY piss the council off. There is a rule that if you are selling cars, you can’t park 2 within 500m of one another. 

Back to the OP, I had a similar problem years ago, I lived in a nice area and started selling cars from home. Could fit about 8 on my drive. It wasn’t long before the neighbours started complaining, they hated foreigners turning up late, and me having old part ex smokers on the drive. 

Anyway I moved in the end and all was well. I moved to another area where property prices are considerably less. I had the council round a couple years ago, they didn’t speak to me they just took pictures of my house and stock etc. To this day I haven’t heard from them. I am assuming they had a complaint but because I have no signs or bunting or balloons anywhere they’re fine with it. 

I too make an effort with the neighbours and even bought a few cars from them and made a tidy profit! 

[Mark101 536]

6 minutes ago, Del Boy said:

You won’t get away with taxing them and leaving them in the road either. That will REALLY piss the council off. There is a rule that if you are selling cars, you can’t park 2 within 500m of one another. 

I meant, I would pack in (in reality find a unit) but simply "keep" the cars and just leave them all road legal, insured and taxed and in the road.

[Arfur Dealy 823]

7 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

I meant, I would pack in (in reality find a unit) but simply "keep" the cars and just leave them all road legal, insured and taxed and in the road.

Only illegal if they are advertised for sale within 500m. 

[Dave2302 387]

LOL, again, 30 years ago, I bought a 7 meter Caravan to park up at our Water Ski Club and stay each weekend.

I was doing a lot of work adding extras like On Board Water Tank etc at home over a winter and it wouldn't go in my garage, so I parked it on the road.

2 weeks later, Council turned up, told me to move it it was not legal........................

I hooked it on my Taxed and Insured Range Rover, plugged in the lights and told 'em to fuck off !!

Used one of my other cars and left it their until Easter, if they'd left me alone, I'd have had it moved by Christmas

Not a damned thing they could do about it, and now i was taking up another space in the road  

[Del Boy 76]

and you wonder why they shut you down Dave? Lol 

[EPV 631]

In some respects I can see the neighbours POV.

It's unsettling having a load of strangers rock up, even if they are polite, quiet etc. See it from their side of the fence, literally.

I have forgiving neighbours but I take care to make sure like Mark, I don't turn the road into a mechanics haven. That said, people are people and I bet I have one or two pairs of beady eyes watching me, saying nowt, tutting loudly to themselves and wondering if what I am doing is legal. 

If this were me, I'd take a bottle round to him, thank him for his patience and understanding in this transitional stage of your business, you're just trying to make your way in the world and sooner rather than later, you'll move into premises as your business expands. Go to the local car wash, get a couple of vouchers for a free car wash and give those to him with the bottle.

Now, at that stage, I would amount this to be me being a reasonable person, respectful of a difficult situation for my neighbours and grateful for their support as you try to make your way in life. If they are, at that stage of me handing over gifts, awkward, argumentative "yeah but its not on is it, after all its a residential road, not a forecourt" then I would walk away, get on the phone to your council, explain the situation, ask them what you need to do legal wise, get proper and above board and then, make no considerations for that neighbour whatsoever, almost going out of your way to be difficult.

That's how I'd play it. The former is definitely preferable to the latter but it all depends on how much charm you can shower on this chap.

[It's me 615]

4 hours ago, Marc said:

 

Basically my neighbours are getting the notepads out and busy documenting every fiddle fart ,

 

 

if you have a 4 car drive does that mean it looks like an episode of butterflies everytime a punter turns up

what i used to do was meet them at a local petrol station do the business/test drive tyre kick thing  there then bring them back to the house to do the paperwork

if you cant do something similar then im afraid like us lot you need top be looking for premises

soz.

[Del Boy 76]

1 hour ago, EPV said:

get on the phone to your council, explain the situation, ask them what you need to do legal wise, get proper and above board and then, make no considerations for that neighbour whatsoever, almost going out of your way to be difficult.

A good point raised here - however when the council reject the application, that will remove the option of pleading ignorance when the council knock on the door as you have already been told no? Keep well away from the council is my advice here!

[EPV 631]

12 minutes ago, Del Boy said:

A good point raised here - however when the council reject the application, that will remove the option of pleading ignorance when the council knock on the door as you have already been told no? Keep well away from the council is my advice here!

I’m not even talking about applying for anything, i’m saying OP should get on the phone and ask HIS council what he needs to do. Don’t even mention he’s trading, act like he’s intending to start up. 

I doubt his LA will stop him trading 3/4 cars off his drive 

[Dave2302 387]

3 hours ago, Del Boy said:

and you wonder why they shut you down Dave? Lol 

LOL that was about 5 years after I had been told to stop Trading by the Council; so I had gotten premises ........................

I can be an awkward fucker with a long memory 

Thankfully I am no longer in that situation, my nearest neighbour is about 1/6th mile away, behind dense trees, and both immediate neighbours are good Workshop Customers

Folks up here don't give a shit what anyone does, provided it is not impacting upon their own life

Similarly, if a noobie moves in and want's to start telling everyone what to do they soon get educated in "Rural Heilan Life", I've seen one or 2 piss off back south after a couple of years because they have been ostricised by the locals !!

I've been here 11 years now, and will have to be here another 9 at least before I'm classed as a local, but that said I get on well with everyone

[EPV 631]

18 minutes ago, boring dave said:

if you have a 4 car drive does that mean it looks like an episode of butterflies everytime a punter turns up

what i used to do was meet them at a local petrol station do the business/test drive tyre kick thing  there then bring them back to the house to do the paperwork

if you cant do something similar then im afraid like us lot you need top be looking for premises

soz.

This is a good solution. Slightly less professional/more dodgy looking by arranging to meet at a petrol station but you could always find tune this. Explain on the phone you are a doorstopper and out of respect for your neighbours privacy and security you meet away from the home until you know the punter is genuine, paperwork is completed from the comfort of your dining room, free coffee and biscuits all round. State you’re sure the punter understands the need for privacy and security in this day and age. 

 

[Dave2302 387]

/\ /\ /\ LIKE

[Rory RSC 596]

Its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission 

[Arfur Dealy 823]

34 minutes ago, Del Boy said:

A good point raised here - however when the council reject the application, that will remove the option of pleading ignorance when the council knock on the door as you have already been told no? Keep well away from the council is my advice here!

The council have no right to tell you to stop. You can run a business from home without their permission as long as your property doesn’t require major alterations. 

[metcars 397]

7 hours ago, Marc said:

.........................Basically my neighbours are getting the notepads out and busy documenting every fiddle fart , Actually had my next door neighbours father standing at the top of my drive watching a customer drive off in his new car.. .........................................

In my opinion they are doing this in a passive aggressive manner to let you know that they know? IMO generally, people that cause problems are the ones that are friendly to your face. I think it's referred to as 'the mafia kiss'?

[Arfur Dealy 823]

They will genuinely hate you, there may be a couple who give support but deep down they wished you weren’t doing what you are doing. 

 You are bringing their area down, you are devaluing their homes. These people don’t want a Motor Trader in their area. They will talk together in groups, they will stare at you, you will be hated. There is no getting away from it.

You will have punters turning up unannounced, they will knock on neighbours doors asking for you etc etc. 

The coucil will try to bully you, you will get threats and letters. You will get notes on your cars, they will be vandalised and more. It doesn’t matter how discrete you are, they will be watching and believe me some sad retired bastard make there daily goal to stop you. 

Other than that it’s great  Keep Smiling to them, be polite, keep discreet, don’t take up roadside parking and fuck em. You have every right to do what you are doing