Abusive neighbour

[tanalle24]

I have a neighbour that is refusing to give my children’s footballs back, she said she is going to put them in the bin as they have landed in her garden. She’s also sent me aggressive messages, insulting my children and sworn at me, I have remained civil throughout the exchanges but I’m starting to feel intimidated in my own home and worried what she’s capable of next.

Why are your kids balls landing in your neighbour’s garden?

Just stop kicking balls into her garden? Easy solution!

Tell the kids not to kick it over.

Yep, as above. I grow lots of flowers, plants etc and balls landing in my garden would massively piss me off.

Block her so she can't send messages and don't let them kick balls in her garden.

The balls shouldn't go in her garden but if they do she shouldn't touch them other than to throw them back. If she does it's theft under the theft act 1968.

Who owns the fence? Can you build it up higher to avoid the balls going over?

I don't agree that the kids should stop playing football in their own garden. Sometimes balls go over - normal people just chuck it back! Takes 2 seconds to do this.

Block her, but save the abusive messages in case things escalate and you need evidence of her behaviour.

I have to admit I have sympathy for her. Neighbours are constantly kicking balls into my garden. They damage plants and expect me to drop what I'm doing to immediately return to them pisses me off (although I've managed to adjust expectations on that score). And those that don't land in the garden get kicked against and damage (my) fence. I now only return very soft, lightweight ones. Big, heavy, hard ones seem to get "lost".

https://www.networldsports.co.uk/stop-that-ball-trade-ball-stop-net-post-system.html+netting_length-10ft~Extender~Kit?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=15861213011&gbraid=0AAAAADn0RBmbfl5fUUeqQNfTUq4gnwmpt&gclid=CjwKCAjwrNrQBhBjEiwAoR4VO7Us0Sk_7hRqkw2-vnrhyGLUK8Rk2KiSw0Emjnfgl2f5JMkFcX2F5RoCVqcQAvD_BwE

get this type of net to stop the balls going over. fret it on your side of the garden and hopefully it will eradicate the problem

It's annoying though when it's several times a day. I just think that there's other games kids could play, we used to build obstacle courses and all sorts when our children were younger as we had one set of neighbours who had a lovely garden and didn't want footballs damaging their plants. There's enough parks to go to to play football.

Unfortunately I'm on your neighbours side. She shouldn't. Intimidate you but we had this issue. They'd pelt it so hard it would go over three gardens and got wedged in our shed! It was constant. We built an extra high fence and it still didn't help. We spoke to the parents, asked them to play on the field and they were just rude little gits.
In the end we have moved as our two couldn't play in the garden because of it

How many balls has she already given back? Have you made any effort to stop it happening? She may have every right to be pissed off with it happening - two sides, etc, etc...they'll be back at school soon.

Her keeping the balls is probably her only chance of respite from the constant, repetitive thud of the balls being kicked against her fence tbh.

I imagine this has been going on for a while and she's reached the end of her tether.

There shouldn't ever be "balls" in your neighbour's garden! I have a 13 year old, I think we've had 3 balls go over a fence in 13 years. If there are multiple balls landing in your neighbours garden, tell your kids NOT to play with balls in the garden. If you teach your kids not to be so anti-social you might find your neighbour changes too.

Best go to the park. I had similar neighbours like yourself - I always wondered why they would never go to the park which was only a minute away. Their kids were older and repeatedly kicking the ball against their fence which damaged it. Luckily we never had to pay for it. Eventually they moved, so will see what kind of neighbours we get next. I just never threw back the ball - I have big trees and hedges.

This can be frustrating especially if the ball hits you or your windows/ plants!

And ten times worse if it’s being kicked off your fence

But she is breaking the law if she keeps the balls.

I'm sure the police have things better to do about footballs. The abuse on the other hand.

People don’t give a shit if their kid is whacking a ball all over the place. It’s their right. As long as they don’t have them under their feet. Sorry, I’ve had years of it. I’d like to stab the balls with a knife.

How old are your kids, how many balls have they kicked over into her garden.

My ds quite often does this. It’s always by accident. The neighbours throw it back. It’s a non issue. Are we really saying that children shouldn’t be allowed to play football in their own gardens?

If she's already told them numerous times to stop kicking balls into her garden and if they keep doing it she won't give them back, then she isn't breaking the law, is she? She's given them notice of what will happen, and they have ignored it.

There are few things that enrage keen gardeners more than having their plants trashed by careless and inconsiderate neighbours.

It's so refreshing to see so many being honest about kids and how annoying they are with their repetitive ball kicking against fences etc. It's enough to drive one crazy. I'm team neighbour.

Regularly intrusion of footballs causing damage constitutes a Private Nuisance, so she could actually take them to the civil court about this.

If done on purpose to annoy or cause damage, then it can move from being a civil dispute to a criminal offence.

Why did you give her your phone number?