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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this neighour should not have taken kid's ball

277 replies

junipertree2 · 03/05/2021 08:58

My sons were playing with a brand new football in our very small back garden yesterday when it bounced over the wall, down a path (our street is on a slope and we are the higher side) and came to rest on the opposite side of the street behind the back wheel of a neighbour's car. (The houses have no fences or gates.) Within about thirty seconds, he had raced out of his house and taken the ball.

Needless to say, my son who had just paid £17 for this ball was very upset and annoyed. AIBU to think that this man had no right to do this? He is a middle aged man who doesn't like children playing in front of his house, hates footballs and shouts a lot at boys in the street. But I am on my own and money is very tight.

OP posts:
cabbageking · 03/05/2021 09:47

Go and ask for it back.
It bounced over a wall in a small garden at the rear and ended up behind the wheel in the road at the front . Doubt anyone saw much.
If they play football in the street and his car is there no wonder he shouts at them.

motherloaded · 03/05/2021 09:49

Gosh some people are determined to not let kids be kids aren't they? They were playing football in their own garden! Fresh air, exercise-the horror! Whilst unfortunate it rolled over the street, hardly the crime of the year is it?

Don't be disingenuous. In the very small back garden described by they OP, it's not exercise and it's a nuisance for everybody else - it's not fun at all for the kids themselves.

Parks exist for a reason.

Nith · 03/05/2021 09:49

@NailsNeedDoing

Go and apologise for the ball being in his garden and nearly causing damage to his car, politely ask for it back, and then tell your children that your garden is too small to play football in so from now on the ball can only be used in the park.
It wasn't in the neighbour's garden.

What he has done is technically theft.

Doghead · 03/05/2021 09:50

"I suspect your neighbour may have just reached the end of his tether."

This.

Come on OP. The ball hit the guys car didn't it. Its likely hit the car many many times before. Just take your child out to the local park. A small back garden is not the place to play with a football and your child needs to learn this.

roguetomato · 03/05/2021 09:53

I can see why neighbour maybe annoyed if the ball hit his car regularly, but also a bit surprised that you let your dc play where ball can run into the sloped street, where I assume car might be passing? Isn't that kind of dangerous?

ElphabaTWitch · 03/05/2021 09:53

Go and get the kids ball back. Don’t teach them that you should let people walk all over you. Don’t get into an argument - just ask for the ball, listen to his rant with a smile, keep asking for the ball. If he refuses call the cops. Dial 101. Theft isn’t legal.

ElphabaTWitch · 03/05/2021 09:55

@roguetomato
The kids were playing in the back garden. They weren’t playing in the road or running around his front garden. Get a grip. He may be fed up with balls hitting his car but there’s nothing here to suggest that OPs kids do it regularly. Stop being so up yourself.

BlackCatShadow · 03/05/2021 09:58

I would apologize and ask for it back. I don’t think a small garden is a good place to practice football though. Are there no parks nearby?

HeidiHoNeighbour · 03/05/2021 10:01

This whole situation is a bit weird.

You said “within 30 seconds” did you see this?
If so, why didn’t you stop him?

Did the ball damage his car?
It might have and that’s why he is keeping the ball until someone collects it and can help explain the damage.

It matters not the the ball cost £17 or that you are on your own and money is tight (if it really did cost £17, maybe they should be more careful).

Go ask for ball back and apologise.

CharlotteRose90 · 03/05/2021 10:03

Apologise, get the ball back and take your kids to a nearby back. We have neighbours like you who think it’s hilarious to boot footballs and basketballs at the joint fence so much it goes flying over and has hit my dog a couple times now. I currently have 4 of their balls in my garden from last weekend as I won’t them back till I get an apology. Balls like that are parks . Get a softball if it’s in the garden.!

CharlotteRose90 · 03/05/2021 10:03

@CharlotteRose90

Apologise, get the ball back and take your kids to a nearby back. We have neighbours like you who think it’s hilarious to boot footballs and basketballs at the joint fence so much it goes flying over and has hit my dog a couple times now. I currently have 4 of their balls in my garden from last weekend as I won’t them back till I get an apology. Balls like that are parks . Get a softball if it’s in the garden.!
Nearby park not back 🙈
Thatisnotwhatisaid · 03/05/2021 10:05

What a twat. Ask for it back, he’s stolen it.

Chewbecca · 03/05/2021 10:06

I suspect he is waiting for your DS to knock and ask for it back, and he’ll give him a short lecture about not risking causing damage or a nuisance to neighbours.

The story will end there.

Horehound · 03/05/2021 10:08

[quote HerMammy]@Horehound
I doubt he can hear this on the opposite side of the street from her back garden.
OP go and ask for it back, a ball rolling down the street hasn’t damaged his car, he sounds like an arse.[/quote]
Opposite end of street? She said their street is a path with no fences or anything so doesn't sound like the house is far away and nothing to break the noise either.
What we have is OPs side and she hasn't said if she actually saw this happening or if it's what the son told her. Had the ball going over multiple times? How does she know it didn't hit his car? Since we all know it's a bit weird to just take a ball it leads me to believe the ball did hit the guys car

HeidiHoNeighbour · 03/05/2021 10:10

It is only theft if he intends to permanently deprive the owner of it.

They may just want a conversation

steff13 · 03/05/2021 10:12

If he raced out within 30 seconds, that may also support that it hit the car. Perhaps he heard it hit the car, so he rushed out to see what happened.

PegasusReturns · 03/05/2021 10:13

And then what happened?

nimbuscloud · 03/05/2021 10:19

Will this make it to 40 pages before the op comes back to let people know if something went to the man’s house and asked for the ball back?

nimbuscloud · 03/05/2021 10:20

Someone- not something.

TidyDancer · 03/05/2021 10:20

Yeah I agree with others, a very small back garden is not the place for football and I would guess this is the culmination of several times of this happening.

Go apologise, ask for the ball back and assure the neighbour it won't happen again.

waitingforthenextseason · 03/05/2021 10:22

I'd be calling the police if he didn't promptly return the ball when asked.

DenisetheMenace · 03/05/2021 10:22

Guessing this wasn’t a one off?

HumunaHey · 03/05/2021 10:26

Yabu for not simply knocking the foor and asking for it back.

SpringtimeSummertime · 03/05/2021 10:28

The ball was kicked out of your small garden and came to rest next to his car on the street? That’s all?

Was this happening over and over all day? Did the ball hit his car at any point?
What did he say when you went to get it?

moofolk · 03/05/2021 10:29

Knock knock

Scuse me mister can we have our ball back please?

Won't be the first or last time a kid and neighbour have this conversation