What Can I Do Next?

[bednobs]

Hi, i live near a canal. the moorings on the canal are for 14 days only, then people have to move on. However, people take the mick and stay there far longer than this, seemingly with impunity. There is an enforcement officer from the canal and rivers trust, who doesn't seem to do any enforcing, who i have been in touch with many times. The people who moor there benefit from all the amenities that other people who live nearby do (fire, police, ambulance, putting their rubbish in the public bins an so on) but don't have to pay council tax like i do for the privilege.
One person has been there for 11 months now, and another person is living on a non-residential mooring, and claims he doesn't when anyone inquires (despite his car being there most nights, lights being on and his cat being on the boat) There are around 5 other boats who have been there for the order of months rather than days too
I have tried talking to them (not surprisingly got hostile replies) spoken to the enforcement officer on seven seperate occasions (only comes during day so living there man is out at work so can't prove he's living there and officer tells me he can't do anything about 11 months man because he's not licensed) Been to the local authority (council) who are not interested, parish council (who supposedly wrote a letter to c&r trust but no action has occurred). What next?
I know i could just not care, but unfortunately the consequences of not caring are unappealing to me. Can anyone recommend who i could go to next, or who to approach or what steps to take
Thanks

[boxtops]

Bednobs, why does it bother you - do they trouble you, these people?

[DJHawkes]

the fire brigade, anyone health and saftey orientated would love it.

[DJHawkes]

or the environmental health, what is the waste disposal arraneement sewerage wise?

[bednobs]

hi boxy, i don't really want to go into it - but as i said, the consequences for me of not caring are v unappealing :( I don't mean to be mysterios, but i'd rather keep it vauge

[bednobs]

dotty, i presume he's using a nearby field as a toilet

[DJHawkes]

http://www.livingonaboat.co.uk/do-i-need-a-licence-to-live-on-a-boat.html

[Buenchico]

Get the local media involved. While press coverage won't directly help, it's likely to spur the appropriate authorities into action..

[DJHawkes]

and does the landowner know that?

[Sparkles62]

Do these people bother you, surely its better to have neighbours, people around you. better than being on your own?

[DJHawkes]

also just read there that if you live on a houseboat in a 'permanent mooring' you are liable for band a council tax

[EDDIE51]

I don't think there is anything you can do, the people whose job it is to enforce the rules don't care or don't want to do anything. You could write to the local papers and see if you can get any one intrested , but I don't see what more you can do. The houseboat owners may not pay council tax but they will be paying a mooring fee to cover the cost of services. I know a houseboat owner and the mooring fees are at least as much as the council tax on a small house. His boat is in Ely and fees are over £20 a week.

[bednobs]

i don't really wan to go into why it bothers me or why i want to do something.
the landowners of the field don't care - they have a very large estate of land which this field probably represents 0.1% They don't own the towpath.
How would i approach local media chris? Letter to the editor? contact one of the reporters? Would they really be interested though?

[bednobs]

the thing is they are NOT paying eddie - 1 of them is on a non-residential mooring which was refused permission for residence and the other one is not licensed hence not paying

[EDDIE51]

Even a non residential mooring has a daily mooring fee , how is he getting away with not paying ?
To contact your local paper just write to the editor , the address will be in the paper. They may publish the letter but remember it has to have your name and address which will be published as well. ( they can not by law publish anonymous letters) Other wise just phone the papers news desk and ask if they are interested in running a story.

[DJHawkes]

if he is not living there where is his car registered to then?

[ladybird49]

Which canal is it ? you need to phone canal and river trust yourself to report the unlicensed boat , licensed boats pay more than most householders pay in council tax , why do you want rid of the boaters ?

[DJHawkes]

go to your local library and ask to look at the electoral roll, it is illegal not to be on it, if they are registered at another address why are they not living there? if they are regsitered at the moorings, how are they doing that if they are not living there?

[EDDIE51]

I would report the enforcement officer to his employers , he must work for someone. He seems to be useless how can he say he can do nothing about an unlicenced boat ? If that was the case the canals would be full of unlicenced boats mooring for free.

[bednobs]

the non-residential mooring is owned by someone and it is supposed to be used for non-residential purposes. he is letting someone live there - there is no daily mooring fee as it is privately owned.
Ladybird, i don't want all boaters gone by any means, but they are taking the mick out of people like you who pay substantial fees to moor your boat, when they stay for months on end without paying, or move their boats 50 yards, then back again. I have a lot of boating friends who simply can't come here anymore, because all the 14 day mooring is taken up by people who have been there months (or nearly year)! I have called canal and rivers trust 7 times and it is they who have told me he is unlicensed and they can't move hom on until he becomes so. I have no idea where his car is registered, nor what his name is

[EDDIE51]

DJHawkes if the moorings are not registerd as permanent then they will not show as an address on the electoral roll. Do the moorings have a post code ? that would indicate they are residential.
You say the parish council wrote to the Canal and Rivers Trust , that is who the enforcement officer will work for, so report him for not doing his job and losing them money by not collecting mooring fees.