To be irritated at people walking across our lawn? (Yes, there's a diagram)

[EduCated]

Diagram attached.

The main culprits are house B, but others in that terrace do it too. The footpath to the end of the row (5 houses) is a dead end, and is higher than the car park below, so they have to come down the footpath and steps.

The path between us and B and the steps are owned by the council, as is the grass next to the car park.

The rest of the gardens in our terrace are all landscaped and have their steps integral to the garden. Ours is the only one to be a lawn, and the slope is relatively steep. The lawn isn't in the best state, but we keep it mowed and try our best. Neighbours have seen us out mowing it.

However some of our neighbours seem to use our lawn rather than the steps, yomping straight across the middle. This morning B was stood in the middle of our lawn faffing with her bike Others have stood and had conversations in the middle, or lugged all their shopping up and down.

To be honest, I wouldn't really mind if it was the occasional nip across, or if they looked a bit sheepish doing it. There's an old chap in about house D who knocked our door to say that he sometimes used our lawn as he finds the steps too much and he was very sorry and was it ok - have absolutely no issues with this whatsoever.

Had I not been feeling hungover under the weather I would have poked my head out this morning, but AIBU to find this irritating?! Is it not obvious that this is our lawn?

It would drive me crazy too! I think ultimately you need some kind of barrier. How about digging a moat?

Fence it, or plant some shrubs , or use some water sprinklers.

Are they kids?

It needs to be all or nothing. Letting a few people sometimes walk across it will never work. I think I'd go down the picket fence and planting option. That way it looks like it's your garden and that its been taken care of. If people still cut across its then far clearer to ask them why they are in your garden.

Sprinklers

Brilliant!!! Please do this!!!

If you're renting, I can't see why it bothers you

Really? If you don't own your own home then your garden should be a free for all? Only owner occupiers have the right to exclusive use of their property?

If you're renting, I can't see why it bothers you

Because whilst we might not be here forever, this is our home. I wouldn't find it any more/less annoying if we owned, it would just open up a few more options for changing the garden.

And the bike wasn't just wheeled, it was left in the middle of the lawn whilst she faded with her water bottle and clips and stuff

I would ask your landlord who will not want people later saying they have some kind of unofficial right of way which diminishes the rights to his land. He could easily put up some very cheap token fence with a few bits of bambooo every few feet which would put most people off.

Of course tenants want privacy of their land! My son just moved back into his house he'd been letting out and he and his tenants both have the same needs - privacy in the garden.

Dig a trapping pit.

I am now picturing some kind of electrified, bamboo lined most guarded by demonic hedgehogs. It's helping.

I had a small fence round my garden, DCs on their way home from school would always sit on it, and then one or two posts would lean over. The answer was to remove it - problem solved.

I think you answer might be to pave that bottom part of your lawn then they can all walk over it to their heart's content and it looks tidy and is not extra work or annoyance for you...... if the LL will pay for it.

Thing is they're not walking across the bottom, they're going diagonally straight across! My proportions are a bit out on their footpath, so it's sort of higher up than in the diagram.

Hammer in some wooden fence stakes:

www.amazon.co.uk/Fencing-1-2Mx50mm-Machine-rounded-treated/dp/B00HUWTFO8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506256962&sr=8-3&keywords=wooden+stakes&tag=mumsnetforum-21

swag a few meters of chain between them:

www.homebase.co.uk/welded-chain-1m_p142200

and watch as people who would previously march across your front garden have to go round the long way That'll be worth the 30/40 quid. I've rented and i've have done it in your shoes.

We had this with ndn. As ours was a housing association they had a word with them........and were told to fuck off. Housing officer had maintenance down that afternoon fencing our lawn and driveway in.

if you're renting, I can't see why it bothers you

Did you mean to be so rude? . I say this as a home owner and ll.

Definitely speak to the ll. The establishment of a right of way should chivvy them along.

The thing is, as pp said i think, the visual deterrent is the main thing. A 2 or 3 foot high loopy fence chain all the way down the side of the slope is an obvious message.

I wish i could come and do it with you OP! Disrespect for peoples boundaries and property winds me right up!

Free solution - let the grass grow long in a 2-ft border round the edge, just mow the middle (will work better next year, especially if you encourage any thistles or Blackberrys that self seed in it). You could also plant crocus in the grassy slope spelling 'fuck off my grass', would be a lovely touch in the spring.

As previous posters have said, I'd go to the landlord and explain that the neighbours are trying to create a right of way across the property. This is not only annoying for you, it's increasing wear and tear on the property and may cause problems for LL in the future if a ROW is established after many years of use.

Putting up a fence should be at the landlords expense. Otherwise you can get chain link fencing and stakes relatively inexpensively.

Ever tried talking to them?.

Justaboy I will do when I next see them. Usually by the time I spot them they'd be halfway down the road before I catch them, and I'm not quite at the stage of running down the road in my dressing gown. At least not yet.

A moat with baby crocodiles, or pirana fish.
Medieval fortifications with hot oil from above.

What about some huge plantars or pots? I can see why you don't want to spend a lot of money on altering the front garden permanently, but maybe something like that you can take with you after.

Deckchair, airgun casually across your lap, cowboy hat low over your eyes and long stalk of grass in your mouth.
Ocassionally take potshots at a 'mole' on your lawn and loudly yell 'Get offa ma land!' followed by cacklin and thigh slappin.
Guarantee it'll do the trick.

We had a similar issue in our house - we solved it by carefully placing a large wooden tub of shrubs exactly where would cause maximum inconvenience to those nipping across the edge.

Failing that, white painted stones round your boundary with a please keep off my lawn notice both ends.