Re Next door neighbours grandson kicking a football against my bloody fence?

[MintyChapstick]

I probably am being unreasonable, but it's driving me mad. We had a whole fucking summer of it last year and now it's happening again, I find myself praying for rainy days and it makes sitting outside in the summer impossible with the constant thud, thud thud of the football. They don't actually aim the ball at my fence btw, but it frequently either hits mine, the people who live over the back and the people who live the other side.

I should say I dont mind the sound of children playing, but th is is something else and I think I'd probably be bit more sympathetic if firstly they actually lived there and secondly if they were little, but they're not. The grandson is year 6 and the friend he plays with is in the first year of secondary school, so Year 7. At the end of our road is a large park with a massive football field, goal posts etc and I don't know why they don't play football there instead?

I know the family who live the other side have complained about it, and they''ve also refused to give back balls that have gone into their garden so it's not just me its pissing off, but im lost about what to do about it? The response to the people who complained was 'where are they supposed to play then? Kids have got to play' we'll I don't know, the fucking park, the road or maybe their own sodding back garden?

WIBU to stab the football with a kitchen knife if it comes over here? Maybe that will shut them up?

[Costacoffeeplease]

I'd be sharpening the kitchen knife now in preparation - but I am an evil witch when it comes to footballs in my garden

[LunaLunaLovegood]

YANBU. Ask them to stop the noise.

[PPie10]

Yanbu, ask them to stop. Speak to the boys directly.

[merrymouse]

I think it's fair for the children to play in the garden and it's difficult to avoid noise. However, if there was a particular time that I knew that my neighbours liked to be in their garden, or when the noise would be particularly inconvenient I would make sure that my children avoided those times.

[Floralnomad]

I have the exact same problem with my neighbours children and some of the children are even older , we also have 3 parks / fields less than a 5 minute walk away - it's been an issue for about 10 yrs now . I have spoken to my neighbour about it as the ball comes over often and we've had issues with it hitting window boxes / animals and it gets better for about 20 minutes and then normal service resumes .

[ridingabike]

You have my sympathy. I'd definitely say something again. My ds is a pain for this as well and I really feel sorry for my neighbours. I do stop him going out before 10am on a Sunday but it's very difficult to stop him playing altogether and we don't have a park nearby. At least the neighbours had respite during the winter as it was far too muddy for him to play out there for about 5 months!

Do you own your fences? The way our house is configured seems to mean that we are responsible for all our fences so at least if my ds wrecks them we have to replace them. This might be another angle - if the ball constantly goes against the fence it weakens it and you don't want to spend £££ on fixing it.

[Stanky]

Tell them that's enough and to go and play at the park.

[MintyChapstick]

The little boy is a rude little sod, so I can't imagine speaking him to would make an ounce of difference. Like I've said, the people they other side complained about it and were ignored.

I'll get the kitchen knife ready I think.

[Voteforpedr0]

Just go out and tell him to kick it against his grandparents wall instead.

[DoreenLethal]

where are they supposed to play then?

'In the park. You know, the big green flat thing, with goalposts all set up for football. In that direction > Walk to the end of the road and I am sure you will trip up over it if you don't know what it looks like'.

[Costacoffeeplease]

Thing is, if it's been too wet and muddy to play in the garden, it will also have been to wet and muddy to sit out so it's not really 5 months respite. I'm sure your neighbour is looking forward to enjoying her garden in peace as much as your son wants to re-enact 1966

[Salmotrutta]

Well, if he's a rude little sod OP You certainly WNBU to have a knife ready to pierce the ball.

I'm all for kids playing outside but I never let mine kick balls against fences etc.

I didn't want to listen to that constant thud- never mind the poor neighbour's!

[MintyChapstick]

merrymouse I don't mind children playing, I don't mind noise. But I do mind my fence being constantly hit, they are not little children they are nearly teenagers and are therefore old enough to take themselves off to the park.

[aprilanne]

if they are akward sods i would not puncture the ball .you can be arrested for not returning balls its theft and puncturing them would be destroying property .they may make make complaint to police .a pain i know but not worth the police at door .my inlaws had a visit from police for not returning balls thats the reason i know this .

[leelu66]

The 10 yo next door to my mum damaged the fence panel whilst kicking his football about. I complained to the landlord by phone and he had the panel replaced. No more balls hitting the fence.

Is your fence in danger of being knocked down? I would have a word with the parents, saying they will be liable for the cost of a new fence if their son knocks it down.

[YellowTulips]

You have my sympathy.

Our NDN has 2 boys (11 and 14) who play football in the garden when the weather permits.

The issue is the garden is too small given their ages and the ball regularly ends up in our garden. It was fine when they we little - but at their current age they need more space.

The noise aside, it's hugely annoying in the summer when sitting outside and trying to relax when constantly interrupted by "can you throw my ball back".

To add to the issue the ball often lands in the pond next to our seating area and I've lost count of the times I've been splashed or even had a ball land on the table we sit at scattering drinks etc.

The irony is my own DS is a similar age and despite having a much bigger garden we send him off to the local park with his friends when he wants to play. I've go no idea why NDN's don't do the same.

Anyway, this year DH have agreed we've had enough and the new policy is if they kick the ball in our garden it stays here for the rest of the day unless they agree to go and play in the park.

[SuburbanRhonda]

Check which fence you're liable for. In our road we're responsible for the right hand one as you face the house. I couldn't care less what happens to the other one

[catewood21]

I don't think you can reasonably complain about the noise, but damage to your fence is another matter. You can't wreck their ball, that would be criminal damage

[merrymouse]

merrymouse I don't mind children playing, I don't mind noise. But I do mind my fence being constantly hit, they are not little children they are nearly teenagers and are therefore old enough to take themselves off to the park.

The problem is that while they might be old enough to take themselves off to the park, your neighbour doesn't seem to be in hurry to make them go to the park. You should certainly complain about damage to the fence, but if you want to enjoy your garden your neighbours might listen to you if you clearly say when you want to have peaceful time in your garden e.g. after 5pm. (Or they might be complete tossers and ignore you, but I think it's worth a shot).

[MintyChapstick]

Really? I'd have though the police would have better things to do that respond to complaints about footballs not being returned from gardens?!

[Oldraver]

I used to have a next door neighbours whose son spent hours kicking the ball at the fence, it was like torture though when I had friends round they asked "doesn't that annoy you ?" and I realised I had tuned it out.

The lad once came round for the ball back and I gave him a hammer and told him to hammer the nails back in..

[JassyAlconleigh]

Is it damaging your fence?

Could you ask the GPs to invest in a large goal? No fence to bang against and it feels much more like playing actual footie. If there are two of them, they can't argue.

They'll be grown out of it and chucking cider cans and fag butts and used jonnies over your fence before you know it and you'll be all nostalgic like.

[howabout]

I would hate this. I think you need an equally noisy and obnoxious hobby for your garden so your neighbours start to value consideration a bit more. Either that or become "that woman" who always shouts over the fence to "give it a rest". Playing tennis in the close was never appreciated at my Grannie's but we only used to do it until the lady next door came back from the shops and told us off. As a mother I would not tolerate my own DC doing this in my garden.

That said, my Uncle is far more saintly than me. He put up with this for 10 years and was very proud to take some of the credit when the boy later became a professional footballer.

[Kidnapped]

Our dog used to love puncturing footballs that flew over the fence.

She used to burst them and then leave them neatly by the back gate for the kid to retrieve them. Her record was 4 in 1 day.