Parents standing on my front lawn

[Twizbe]

Trying to decide if I say something to the Head so thought I'd ask here first.

I live next to a 2 form entry junior school. Our house is the last of 3 down a single track private dead end road. The end of the road is a gate for the school. Our property boundaries the school.

When we moved in this gate was just emergency access / gardener access for the school. No kids used this entrance.

After covid the school use this gate for year 6. Since the schools went back after Xmas we have 60 kids using this gate morning and evening.

A few times now I've seen parents stood on our lawn or in sunny weather sat on it.

Today I came home and this bloke was stood almost at our front door playing with the leaves on a young tree in the lawn (it's about waist height)

He just gave me a dirty look at I turned my car into my drive.

AIBU to ask the school to remind parents that this is private property and not a place to sit / stand.

I don't think it's causing a scene to point out to people that they're on private property and could they leave. Though I'm not the best at dealing with such people since I worry that since they have such disregard they might be confrontational.

I think contacting the school is fine. So is putting up a sign.

Go round the parents with a ticket machine theyll soon vanish.

I would ask them to move myself rather than pass the buck on to the school.

If you haven't actually asked anyone not to stand in your garden, you're being a bit previous to assume they'd refuse to move.
Just open your window and explain they're on private property. Only a right Neanderthal would stand their ground.

@Twizbe

I'm glad I'm not being silly about this. I am thinking about putting up a small picket fence type thing. Though it is very clear that it's our garden and not just part of the road.

Pyracantha grows quickly and is sharp. I’d do a small wire fence backed up by hedging plants. Eventually the hedge will swallow up the fence.

Add in a sprinkler if necessary to make your point.

I'd put a fence up.

Penguin bollards

You can hire event barriers;they are about waist hire and easily movable;I don't think they are too expensive to hire either

@MondeoFan

I feel for you, I live a couple of doors away from a school and children run over my front garden and not only that parents park across my drive regardless of whether there's a car on the drive or not. This has resulted in arguments over the years. Parents literally yelling at me that they'll park where they like. Def do something about it

I live opposite a school and have this all the time. Luckily the school agree with me and have a name and shame section in their newsletters, as in they'll print the reg numbers of people who block my access.. it has cut down on dickhead parents doing it

Or buy a couple

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124380777992

These glaring idiots probably assume you’re picking up kids too and want to give you the hairy eyeball for being so uncouth for driving up the driveway which goes against the school rules, etc, instead of loitering quietly on private property like they are.

Don’t suppose penguin bollards are the answer this time. 🥴

@Justilou1

Don’t suppose penguin bollards are the answer this time. 🥴

Of course not. The queue would just use them as seats!

Put a fence up. But why did you say the man was stood in your garden?

Definitely report it.

I used to live opposite a school & they used the land behind our row of properties as a car park. Fair enough -we had no car at the time so not too bad.

Until someone parked with their bumper right up against our gate & I literally couldn’t get out as there wasn’t room to squeeze through.

We didn’t live there long thank god

Fence

Omg this would drive me mad and what if someone tripped on your property and tried to sue you or something, I would put up a fence if possible and a "private property , cctv in operation " use and email the principal of the school

Fence. And large angry goose behind it !

@DumplingsAndStew

Some people are brazen. I'd say, every time, to every person "can you please get out of my garden, thanks". Do the school kids do it too?

I'm also wondering why parents need to be picking up year 6 kids from the gate, isn't that like 10/11 year old??

I've only seen 1 or 2 kids do it and their parents have stopped them.

Some parents do wait at the top and in the morning most let the kids walk down the road themselves.

To be frank I would just suck it up. If you live next to a school, you just need to accept that there is going to be activity at pick up and drop off times.

Clearly it’s not ideal having people on your property but I can’t imagine they’re present for long.

Especially with social distancing, parents are often not allowed onto the school site at pick up. There therefore isn’t really much other option than to stand where you can.

Not unreasonable, and buy a sprinkler.

Oooh I like the electrified fence idea - visions of blackened, curly hair and rising wisps of smoke !!

The easiest thing to do when dealing with someone in this situation is to state, and repeat, the facts. Politely.

“You’re standing on my lawn.”
“You’re sitting in my lawn.”
You may not have realised, but this is my garden.”

etc.

Most reasonable people will apologise and move.

Jesus! Electric fences, angry geese, bollards...
Just ask them to move

Get a sign made up - big bold letters. PRIVATE PROPERTY, PLEASE KEEP OFF, CCTV IN OPERATION, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED.