Can you live in a caravan in a shared drive?

[moodypants]

I live with my son in a property with a shared drive, wich so far had not given us any problems. The drive is at the front of the house and there is space for 4 cars if parked tightly next to each other.
My neighbours have a caravan and two cars and they asked me if they could park it on the drive over winter, I only have one car so I had no problem and it worked fine for the first year.
The problem is that now the son has moved in and is living in the caravan, but still using the facilities in the house. The mains for the caravan also run to "my part" of the passageway that lead to their house and to my garden. At first I thought the boy was going through a tough phase and that it was provisional, but half a year later he is still there.
Could this affect my insurance or anything if something happened?

Thank you

[wilkesneil]

leave them to it i say, it shouldn't affect your insurance as its a caravan. the only issue i see is the mains really, are you footing the bill for the shared passageway or is the mains lead running along it but plugged into their house, not sure how your neighbours stand legally as to having it parked as my mom also has a caravan yet on her housing estate the deeds say "no caravans" for every house. few people do take caravans to the homes over night while they clean the out or to sell them.

[bushbaby_de]

They will likely have a planning permission problem. If the caravan is now being lived in, effectively as an extra bedroom to the main house, it would fall to be assessed as a building within the curtilage of a dwelling under permitted development rights - which doesn't allow anything to be erected to the front of the house. Within certain limits it would likely be ok if they moved it into their rear garden though.

[moodypants]

thanks for your replies so far!

The mains run from their house, I am failry certain I am not paying for this.

The son does use the toilet in the main house and only sleeps and has his stuff in the caravan, which is parket in front of my house.

However I believe it does have something to do with my house as the land the caravan is in is marked on the deeds as being part of my property with reservations of right of access and parking to the neighbours, therefore isn't the caravan effectively in my property? hence my concern of the impact this may (or may not) have on my life should something go wrong (ie fire, theft in my house,....etc)

[Buenchico]

Please see my answer here:
http://www.theanswerb...n/Question224524.html
(If you click on the second link, please note that it goes to the second page of the Parliamentary Answer. Click on 'Previous section' to read it from the beginning).

Chris

[bushbaby_de]

Eddie - see my answer. Even though they can use it as an extension of the house, they have to site it within the rules - which doesn't include in front of the dwelling.

[Twenty20]

I think you're all missing the point. The caravan is on the OP's land.

moodypants - if you don't like having the person living there or, indeed, think the neighbours are taking the p!ss with the caravan situation, then ask them to move it. It's your land, after all.

[moodypants]

Guys thank you all for your answers!

Eddie51, I also thank you for your answers even though I find them of little or no use and particularly dislike your patronising attitude, however having seen some of the replies you post on other questions this doesn't come as a surprise. I suggest you read my two previous posts fully and carefully before making foolish statements.
To refresh your memory:
- "The mains run from their house": so before you make accusations of my neighbours stealing my electricity and patronising comments about the location of my sockets or how to check whether it goes in the dark or not I suggest you read the question and clarification carefully to avoid MAKING A FOOL OF YOUSELF and wasting our time.
- In response to your comment "the questioner is not even certain it is on her land" would you like to please refer to my previous post "the land the caravan is in is marked on the deeds as being part of my property with reservations of right of access and parking to the neighbours" if you got confused by the question following this statement please see the meaning of rethorical question (I have included a link for you http://en.wikipedia.o...i/Rhetorical_question )

Based on your behaviour on this threat and the replies observed in other similar questions coupled with the fact that I find your patronising tone offensive and that you seem to consistantly miss the point, your replies will be ignored from now on. I however do thank you for taking the time and effort to produce them.

[SkellieMonster]

You could contact your local council and let them know what has happened.

If, say, the caravan catches fire, and it's parked close to your property, your insurance company could wash their hands of you.

I think that even though the neighbour's son 'only sleeps' in the van, it is still subject to planning laws.