It's like something out of The Castle: a man living in a caravan on land he owns in outback WA facing eviction by the local council.

Self-described introvert Roland Gopel has found his own patch of paradise on top of a hill overlooking the townsite of Menzies, 730km inland from Perth.

The 58-year-old, with a thick grey beard and flowing hair, lives alone in bushland in a caravan borrowed from a friend, with only the flies for company.

Leaving Perth behind because of sky-high rental prices, he settled on Menzies, population 250, two years ago for its affordability.

"I was getting nowhere renting in Perth … I couldn't find a place where I could afford," Mr Gopel said.

"I ended up moving five times within one year in Perth and I'd had a gutful of moving around."

Solar panels connect to a converter and 12 batteries providing power to Mr Gopel's caravan. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

He paid $4,500 a few years ago for the quarter-acre block on Suiter Street.

The sprawling views of the bushland are only interrupted by his closest neighbour, Prospector Pete, and the trains that roar past the back of his block.

He has no toilet or sewerage, periodically emptying a bucket at the local caravan park, but has his own rainwater tank for drinking and showering.

There are solar panels set up for electricity, though not enough power in his 12 batteries to run air conditioning, as well as a satellite dish for internet for the self-confessed computer nerd.

Mr Gopel moved to Menzies for cheaper housing in mid-2015. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Man just wants to be left alone

Mr Gopel says he pays his rates and should be left alone to live in peace, although he concedes that is looking highly unlikely.

He is being penalised $50 a day for what the Shire of Menzies calls "camping illegally".

Menzies is an historic gold mining town with a single pub and a population of about 250. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Shire CEO Rhonda Evans said there was an incorrect belief within some sections of the community that people who pay their rates can do what they want with their property.

She declined to comment further because the matter is still before the courts.

On August 1, Mr Gopel was fined $1,000 plus court costs of $1,745.50, while the Shire began seeking a $50 daily penalty.

The fine has grown to $4,750 in the three months since his last court appearance.

The Shire of Menzies is taking legal action against Mr Gopel for illegal camping. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Man says he has nowhere else to go

Mr Gopel has lived something of a nomadic existence, holding various jobs as a pig farmer and most recently as a truck driver, and is now in the process of applying for a disability pension.

He has told the Shire "they're dreaming" if they expect him to pay the fines, maintaining no-one has the right to tell him what to do on his property.

The makeshift clothes line set up by Mr Gopel on his property. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Mr Gopel described the legal action taken by the council as "government overreach".

"There's no mortgage, I pay my rates but I have no services," he said.

"I'm doing no harm. There are quite a few of the locals who have no problem with me being here.

"If I didn't live here I'd be homeless."

Mr Gopel has a water tank, which is about two-thirds full, for drinking and showering, plus a chicken coop. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Court date set for later this month

Mr Gopel said he sees parallels between his story and the movie, The Castle, the fictional story of a working class family's fight to stay in its Melbourne home after the government moves to compulsorily acquire the land for an airport expansion.

The movie ended up in the High Court, but Mr Gopel's due to appear next in the Leonora Magistrate's Court on November 21.

He is undecided whether he will attend court, or whether he will engage legal counsel.