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?

Dont knife the ball. Use a needle between the seams to puncture it. It will take a while to deflate so will appear undamaged if you throw it back straight away. Plus no visible puncture wounds for you to be accused of making.

My neighbours have a goal ,they miss it ,it makes no difference

What is the legal position on unwanted objects being kicked or thrown into your garden?
Do the police really visit to tell you to return the balls? What if you act all confused and say 'Balls? There are balls in my garden?'

I had this with my neighbours from the day they moved in! He was doing it so hard he kept knocking bits of wood out. He did it 3 or 4 times and we ended up with holes in it.
I found out who they rent from and contacted them and they ended up needing to replace fence . Not heard a peep from them since.

DS spoken like a true expert. That is both evil and genius

Do you have trees or bushes that the ball could get 'lost' in for a while if they come looking for them?

To the poster who says that the neighbours get respite during winter but what about summer when everyone wants to get out!?

Usually the parks aren't as swamped as gardens in my experience!

What about those footballs on a bit of elastic......like, football-tetherball? I hear they are good for actually improving skills....

People shouldn't need a respite from someone choosing to be a PITA.
They should have a noise-and-battery-abatement order issued against the perpetrator

Yeah i was a bit at the poster saying that at least her neighbours got a break when the gardens are unusable.
Lucky them.

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.

She sounds almost human in her neatness.

If I ball ends up in my garden it's gone forever. People know we have dogs and to not even bother asking if the ball has survived sadly for my dogs balls very rarely come over as much as they loved ripping them up in a game of "my ball!", "no my ball".

I remember my grandad putting nails though bits of wood and leaving them laying around the back garden after 6pm when I was little, doubt that would be ok anymore.

Hi OP I know this is a very old thread but just on the chance you read it did it ever get resolved?

I’m at my wits end. The neighbours have destroyed my fence. It’s new we only put it up less than a year ago as their son kicked the old one to bits. I’ve not said anything as I lack in confidence but he has destroyed the fence, destroyed my last and my rose bush and my kids have been very close to ball being kicked in their heads! I’m really struggling with depression at the moment and cannot even sit outside for 5 minutes. He starts playing his ball from 8am till about 6 or 7 at night. When he having lunch we quickly go out and my kids play and I mange to read a book before the bloody thudding starts.

Their side of fence is lovely and well kept which infuriates me as why doesn’t he kick his side instead?

The parents are educated and professional people but still don’t consider other people may want to use their garden without the constant thud thud. Like even if he was allocated 4 hours a day that would create a happy place for all of us. Everyone needs to use their garden so he doesn’t have any extra right to be causing a nuisance.