Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Balls from neighbours in my garden

58 replies

tempname1234 · 29/09/2025 10:13

We have newish neighbours that have a few children. They’ve given the children a basketball stand and football goalie net - set up right at the shared fence line.

we now have the joyful sound of the football or basketball hitting the fence from as early as 7:30 (welcoming the shorter days!) in the morning through the day in the weekends, from after school week days.

we work from home. We also have a lovely garden with many lovely plants for all year round colour having planned and cultivated the garden for many, many years.

we have the best constant noise of the balls hitting the fence, the back of the basket ball hoop, balls in the garden breaking our plants, hitting our garden furniture etc.

for all of the summer, we have asked nicely both in person and by text to please ask their children to stop this. Clearly they don’t.

AIBU? would I be unreasonable to not return the multitude of balls that end up in my garden? Looking for solutions to at least stop the destruction of my garden plants (less noise would be ideal too). The noise gives me migraines!

any other suggestions??

OP posts:
Highlighta · 29/09/2025 10:40

HedwigEliza · 29/09/2025 10:35

Deflate children’s footballs… really?

Aren’t some people are nasty and self-centred. God forbid the children play.

It can get too much. Like for me for eg, I work from home. During the school holidays the ball would come over repeatedly and then it would get thrown back when on a break if the dog didn't get it first. But for me it was the incessant calling of my name to get me to throw the ball back each time. They kicked it over and want it back immediately. Numerous times a day.

This is not being nasty or self-centered to be on call to an 8 and 6 year old.

HedwigEliza · 29/09/2025 10:35

Deflate children’s footballs… really?

Aren’t some people are nasty and self-centred. God forbid the children play.

Highlighta · 29/09/2025 10:34

I found the solution to this.

I have a ball obsessed Labrador who spends a lot of his time in the garden (by choice). Many balls have come over and if I do not see them before him, he claims them. I have told the parents that they should do their best to prevent an expensive ball coming over, as if he gets it first, chances are he will pop it.

The net was moved to the other side and we get the odd tennis ball every now then now is all. If I find him with one, I let him play with it for a while, and when he is not there I throw it back over. Sometimes complete with teeth marks.

If I were not too far away I could lend him to you for a day. 😀 So, do you know anyone with an energetic dog to use the same excuse?

FuzzyWolf · 29/09/2025 10:31

You can do one of several things. I’d probably insist that the parents come round to collect the balls and each time you show them the damage it has caused.

Do you own the fence? You can send them a formal letter advising you will take legal action over the damage to your fence, damage to your pots and property and general nuisance they are causing.

Tessasanderson · 29/09/2025 10:30

PlaceIntheClouds · 29/09/2025 10:28

If the parents do not do anything to try and mitigate the problem buy a ball valve from the internet for a few quid.

Start deflating the balls a little tiny bit each time they land in your garden. Gradually increase the amount of air you take out until the parents get fed up of pumping them back again. Obviously do this indoors out of sight.

Deny all knowledge.

You cannot reason with inconsiderate people but you can inconvenience them enough to change their behaviour.

Edited

This is genius. Haha.

Honestly this is the kind of thinking that will succeed. Inconvenience the parents and problems get sorted.

PlaceIntheClouds · 29/09/2025 10:28

If the parents do not do anything to try and mitigate the problem buy a ball valve from the internet for a few quid.

Start deflating the balls a little tiny bit each time they land in your garden. Gradually increase the amount of air you take out until the parents get fed up of pumping them back again. Obviously do this indoors out of sight.

Deny all knowledge.

You cannot reason with inconsiderate people but you can inconvenience them enough to change their behaviour.

Tessasanderson · 29/09/2025 10:27

Ive found that the best solution for this is to inconvenience the parents. Do not refuse to give the balls back. Do not insist that the children dont play their ball games. This will make you out to be the ogre in this.

Instead speak to the parents with understanding (unless you are able to back up being aggressive) and request that 1) No one goes into your garden to recover the balls. 2) Only the parents come around to ask for their balls back.

Trust me, the parents will be thoroughly pissed off after a while having to come around and ask for the balls back and will make changes.

We had it a few years ago but it wasnt quite so polite when my partner who lives in the gym and boxes told the neighbour to come and have a private chat face to face if he ever wanted a ball back. The neighbour waited until he was out and spoke to my DD and got his childs ball back. It has NEVER come in our garden again since.

KimberleyClark · 29/09/2025 10:20

It’s really antisocial of them to have the goal and basketball against the side fence,they should have it at the back. Have you discussed moving them with them?