To think they should just ask me

[GlumyGloomer]

The neighbours on both sides of us have kids, so balls in the garden are a regular occurrence. We're the newbies in the row but I've swapped numbers with both neighbours. Whenever a new ball arrives (or shoe or whatever) I message both sides to find out in which direction I should chuck it back. It's a little thing but I'm just getting fed up of being responsible for returning the things. Why can't whoever has lost a ball just text me to get it back? Surely that's better than having to bother both sides each time? The latest ball has been sat outside for 3 days, because I'm waiting to see if/when they take a bit of responsibility.
One side has just sold their house, so the situation may resolve on it's own, but I've never been in this position before and just wondered what the usual garden etiquette is?

Glumy it's an advert on telly for Cadbury chocolate. You should YouTube it !!

@GlumyGloomer

Guessing it doesn't stretch to Green & Blacks though...

I would give them the full service for G&Bs. Clean them before returning, a little spray of perfume and delivered to their door .

Just wait till they contact you or a grubby kid comes and knocks

Probably the parents have told them to be more careful or they won’t get them back and you’re sending them back too quick lol!

I would give them the full service for G&Bs. Clean them before returning, a little spray of perfume and delivered to their door .

Wouldn't it be a spray of sanitiser these days? Only the best sanitiser of course!!

Anyone chucking G&B over my fence would get their balls punctured (not envy).

Ok, as a mum of a ball thrower I am soooooo embarrassed every time this happens and I always tell the boys they MUST not disturb the neighbour to get the ball back. It is up to the neighbour IF they choose to give it back. So if I was your neighbour I wouldnt dream of texting you to ask for the ball back, I'd just wait for you. The reason I'm like this is that some people get super angry about balls going in their garden and deliberately keep them to 'teach them a lesson' so I'm scared!

I think, like a pp, I'd just chuck them in one random direction or the other. If it's mildly annoying to them to have to then go round to the other neighbour, they would surely see that it's also rather annoying for you and not involve you.

But more likely I would keep a cardboard box at the front gate with all of them, for the owners to claim them back. (I'd like to hope they wouldn't get nicked, but if they did, it wouldn't really be your fault.)

Why are you messaging them? If they're in the garden and you are too, then they can shout for it, or if you com across something, just leave it on the front step?

Can you put the balls into a box outside your back gate. Just text them to say from now on they'll all be there, so to go get it from there?

Right, full valet and return at random in hopes of chocolate it is.
@CarolVordermansArse I'm now intrigued as to what you would seem acceptable. Am I selling my ball disinfect and return/regift services short?

@Jamhandprints thanks for that perspective, but I really doubt they are embarrassed. One side actually got a bit annoyed when we had our falling down garage demolished and he saw how many of his footballs which had been on the roof were now in the skip..

*deem instead of seem

Tell the kids to write their house number or their name on their balls with marker pen , which would sound very wrong in any other post

There is a limit to everyone's patience. I wouldn't text. If they want it, they will ask. I would also after a while stop returning them.
Pop up nets don't cost that much.