What would you do?
 

We moved house in August and since then I've noticed that what I assume is the son of a neighbour over the road repairs cars in their garage. This seems to carry on during the week, as well as weekends, but I still can't be sure if he's working on his own vehicle or is trading.

It's not really an issue except that he seems to be assisted on a fairly regular basis by a guy with an oldish VW Jetta type car that has an exhaust that is both loud and has what can only be described as a horrible sound that occurs every time he changes gear. Now I like a nice sounding exhaust like any other petrolhead, but this one is just nasty. Quite why he persists with it I can't think. Unless he's deaf, of course.

Anyway since lockdown commenced I've noticed, by dint of the row, that this guy is still turning up to mess about with cars in the neighbours garage.

So potentially there seem to be a number of things going on. Possibly using a domestic garage for trade purposes without planning permission. Driving an obnoxiously noisy vehicle. Visiting premises when you should be staying home in lockdown.

I obviously don't want to antagonise a new neighbour and wonder if there's anything low key that can be done.

turn a blind eye.
Jokingly mention the exhaust so you are in no way having a go about it and perhaps the same for the gear box.

Unless there is a parking, noise, safety, eye sore or pollution problem I think I would look the other way.

If they are his own vehicles what would you do? If the issue is that it could be a business and that is the only thing, then may be look away.

macafee2

If you take the number plate information then you can check if any of the vehicles, including that noisy one, are taxed, mot'd and insured on the DVLA website.

I agree with Ian, unless it affects your daily life, leave them to get on with it. The last thing that you need is to end up getting into a neighbourly dispute. If there are laws/rules being broken then eventually they will get found out or someone else will grass them up.

Working on cars is aloud in lockdown and you never know the new neighbour might be able to help you out one day.

If you can live with the noise I would accept it, the car wont last forever.

Your best bet is turning a blind eye even if the situation is frustrating. If they are causing substantial noise disturbance or creating environmental pollution you can report the neighbours to Environmental Health, but I doubt they'll be interested.

I suspect the Jetta has had something done with its wastegate - there's a trend amongst chavvy VAG car drivers to tune their TDIs so they sound like a broken old trains, and smoke like one. There's a few like that knocking around Crewe.

Various light vans and cars turn up on the Tarmac parking area in the cul-de-sac I live in, they stay there for a few days until they are seen jacked up, bonnets open etc, being repaired by the son of one of my neighbours. Once fixed, they disappear, but on occasions they are there a few weeks before they go.

Apart from the sound of a trolley Jack being pulled around, and the occasional power tool being used, he's not causing a noise problem, and everyone has enough space to park their cars.

So I take the view of other members, it's not causing me any problems, so I will keep my counsel. No point in stirring things up.

Aloud,---that's very apt.--With that noisy vehicle.---:bowdown:





Allowed.

I realise that working on a car is allowed, but I suspect having your mate round to help you isn't within government lockdown rules. If he's being paid to assist then it's work and is within the rules, but working on cars for reward in a domestic garage requires planning permission and all sorts of fire regs, health and safety, insurance etc. Plus during this cold weather they often burn horrible noxious stuff in a 45 gallon drum outside the garage and when it's windless high pressure, as recently, it makes the air in our garden foul, making me cough and splutter.

You've hit the nail on the head there. If the guy is repairing other people's cars as a business and doesn't have the necessary permits etc (whatever they might be) then his mate can't officially be an employee, so is just helping out. If it's the guy's own car then he's still technically only helping out.

Either way he's being a selfish %$*& and breaking lockdown rules by coming over and needs to be reported. That might sound harsh, but to put things in perspective it would only take one person on every street to be out when they shouldn't and there'd be in excess of 1.5 million people flouting the law. Some might be thinking along the lines of 'well he's only in contact with one other person so it doesn't really matter' but who else might he be mixing with either at home or by going to other places he shouldn't? That's the sort of attitude that's had at least some influence on this country's current high infection and mortality rates.