what recourse do we have, travellers running a business from our estate

frenchmartini

please bear with me.
we had a traveller family living in our estate until 2 weeks ago. They sold cars from the drive, but it wasn't really the drive, there was that many cars they spilled on to the green (which is wrecked thanks to them and we pay to have it mown and kept right) and cars dumped all the way round the area outside their house.

other home owners couldn't park, nor could they get anywhere near their house because of them.

so, they've gone. except they haven't gone. they are still here every day selling cars from outside their old rented house. they seem to have teamed up with the guy who rents next door. the wife drives up, he (the main guy) gets out and starts his wheeling and dealing. for the day.

we are SICK of it.

i am looking out my window at a tip heap. there are cars everywhere. the place looks like a ****hole. there are teen boys and men all over the place and I am now feeling vulnerable in my own home.

have we any recourse? the local county council, social welfare, the revenue, the gardai?

The residents association is meeting later.

we want it stopped. surely to good god there are ways of protecting ourselves from this.

Paulw

Contact the council straight away.

Have a look at the cars. If they have no tax/insurance/NCT then you can report it to the Gardai, and they can impound the vehicles.

frenchmartini

thank you.
who in the council, as in what department. i had a look online at the various departments but just not sure who the best contact is.

appreciate your reply.

Private Joker

Contact the community warden for the area, get in touch with the roads department or environment section for their number.

Cody Pomeray

The cheapest way of resolving this is through the local authority, whether the family in question are local authority tenants or not (although, better if they are).

No Pants

Let the Revenue know too, make sure he's collecting and passing on VAT, PRSI, etc. from his business.

Victor

Talk to the council planning department first. Complaints there should be confidential.

Santa Cruz

Mod Edit: Please read the forum Charter, paying particular attention to the section on Prejudicial Posts.

mrjoneill

Have seen all this before, unless you devote much time and energy and get a strong community action up and running and maybe live in a fortification for a period just forget about it. And from what I have seen getting this community action up and running can be extremely difficult from both fear and intimidation. And local authorities differ in their pro activeness from area to area too. And you will of coursed be automatically tagged with being “anti traveller” label. Since this is private residence rented it could have a PRTB angle. This body took a landlord to court over his tenants in a recent case in Bishopstown in Cork.


“The PRTB is involved in dispute resolution and acts as an arbitrator between landlords, tenants and local residents. Residents associations in Bishopstown have referred landlords to the PRTB before, but it is an extraordinarily long process and needs to be speeded up,” he said.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/meeting-to-seek-action-over-drunk-students-205918.html

frenchmartini

thanks.

nuac

This is unauthorised use and development of the lands contrary to the Planning Acts 2000-2010

You should ask the local authority planning office to seek an injunction under S 160 Planning and Development Act 2000.

Can be got into Circuit COurt within weeks. Breach of it is punishable as contempt of court

If for any reason the Council do not act any resident of group of residents can apply for the injunction.

frenchmartini

thank you Nuac, that is very helpful information.

mikemac1

Council and State are motivated by money.

It's why the Revenue are efficient and Social Protection are not.

Your council wants their rates and Revenue want their dues too

Talk to both

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Mod Edit: Please read the forum Charter, paying particular attention to the section on Prejudicial Posts.

Nothing I posted was prejudicial. It just reflected the experiences of communities all over Ireland when dealing with Traveller related issues.
It seems that the Mod is part of the cosy little cartel who cannot see anything wrong with the Traveller behaviour. Does any serious poster believe that a "settled person" would be allowed get away with these antics?

Cody Pomeray

Who said they have been allowed get away with it?

The OP seems to indicate that a response to the disruption was only instigated two days ago, when the Residents Association was to meet.

If the association take an action invoking the tort of private nuisance and it is dismissed because the Judge cites the need to go easy on travellers, maybe then you'll have a point. For now , nobody has "gotten away with" anything at this seemingly early stage.

nuac

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

Who said they have been allowed get away with it?

The OP seems to indicate that a response to the disruption was only instigated two days ago, when the Residents Association was to meet.

If the association take an action invoking the tort of private nuisance and it is dismissed because the Judge cites the need to go easy on travellers, maybe then you'll have a point. For now , nobody has "gotten away with" anything at this seemingly early stage.

CodyP

A private nuisance action takes too long to get to court.

A Section 160 PDA 2000 motion can be served on ten days notice, no prior Civil Bill. Judge can abridge that notice period on an ex parte application.
Wide series of remedies. imho and experience, only way to go

Some good photographs exhibited with the affidavit will get it across to the court.

Cody Pomeray

Ok, I'm just giving an example there. The best course of action is to involve the local authority before taking any legal action. The point is no application or petition seems to have been denied, nobody has gotten away with anything.

seamus

Yeah, I'd go with the quickest and easiest solution here. Check the cars which are parked in public (i.e. any not parked on a driveway). If they do not have tax or insurance displayed, contact the Gardai to report them. The Gardai have the power to issue fines for each instance of non-display and will impound any vehicles where the tax is significantly out of date.

It might even be worth going down to the station and discussing it with the Sergeant rather than just making a single report. If they know the scale of it, then they can arrange to arrive in force and sort it out in one swoop.

hullaballoo

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Nothing I posted was prejudicial. It just reflected the experiences of communities all over Ireland when dealing with Traveller related issues.
It seems that the Mod is part of the cosy little cartel who cannot see anything wrong with the Traveller behaviour. Does any serious poster believe that a "settled person" would be allowed get away with these antics?

Do not argue with a moderator in-thread. That is a site-wide rule. If you have a grievance with a moderator, your first step is to PM the moderator.

hullaballoo

Can people please try and keep themselves together in this thread. I shouldn't have to start cleaning up threads after only 20 or so posts. Keep your prejudices to yourself and deal with the problem the OP is facing for what it is; an issue with people operating a business that is causing a problem for its neighbours.

Lbeard

Santa Cruz wrote: »

Nothing I posted was prejudicial. It just reflected the experiences of communities all over Ireland when dealing with Traveller related issues.

Yes, but you're not meant say these things in public. Santa, you're probably not middle-class are you. You're a working class conservative - uneducated and uncultured. If you ever want to graduate from being an Eliza Doolittle to a proper gentle-lady, it's more than your dirty little face you'll need to wash. You'll have to do something about the dirty little way you talk too. Middle-class people register their displeasure through condescending and supercilious head nods. They never say anything - they let each other know.

It seems that the Mod is part of the cosy little cartel who cannot see anything wrong with the Traveller behaviour.

Of course the mods see something wrong with Traveller behaviour - They're conservative middle-class people, they see something wrong with everyone who isn't conservative and middle-class. But that includes you. Do you see what I'm getting at here. You're making a Faux Pas (that's pronounced F-oh Pah, not Fox Pass, in case you ever want to use that little bit of French to impress people, I wouldn't want you falling on your arse). That is an error of manners.

Does any serious poster believe that a "settled person" would be allowed get away with these antics?

"settled persons" get away with far worse. Do you think a traveller could walk into a bank, and get a rake of mortgages to buy houses to rent out to the lower classes - and then be forgiven when there weren't enough lower class people to rent the houses. Do you think a traveller, could get a job as a human resource manager, or an administrator in the health board, or a marketing manager, even if they had the same qualifications, as a "settled person". Do you think a traveller would be allowed engage in any economic activity other than selling second hand cars and carpets. Can you imagine a traveller being allowed to become a solicitor, an accountant, or even a school teacher, ?......Neither can I. But it is charmingly funny to think about it - Like those PG Tips ads where they dressed monkeys up as people and had them doing people things - they were very funny, weren't they, remember.

Santa, if you want to move up in the world, or at least avoid falling further down. A very important thing you must learn. We never say how the world works. Because how the world works is very ugly. Just because something is true doesn't mean it's okay for you to say it - if it is an ugly truth, it will make people feel ugly. Do you understand, Santa. It's all about making the world a better place.

Santa, it's just the way things are.


***Moderator: the user was banned for two weeks for this post.***

hullaballoo

*Sigh.*