Caught neighbours using my garden

[Weird21]

I have a block of flats next to my house and I thought for a while things have been moved in my garden and it seemed a bit weird. I’ve got a lock on the gate and it’s always locked. So over the weekend I’ve installed a small out door camera under my guttering which records the whole back garden.

So I’ve come home tonight after work (I work the late shift) and found two cigarette butts on the path by my seating area. So I checked the camera and the neighbors have climbed my wall and been sitting in my garden from 2pm until 8pm using my seating and table. To say I’m annoyed is an understatement but how to I confront them as they aren’t the friendliest of people at the best of times. So I guess they’ve been doing this since the nice weather began.

Unfortunately it’s not difficult to see i’m out as I have to drive to work and so once my cars not there they obviously know I’m out.

I just don’t know how to approach this as I’m a single woman and just concerned it’ll escalate but I can’t allow this what would you all do? I thought maybe a note through their door asking them to not use it anymore. They haven’t seen the camera but now I wonder how long it’s been going on.

Just read the Mirror, they shouldn't have printed that knowing how vulnerable poster is and how aggressive neighbours can be.

We have peace of mind and I like it.

Do you have peace of mind when you learn that the US has one of the highest gun death rates in the world? That places you up there with Brazil and Columbia.

The rate for the US is 12.2 per 100000 people. For the UK it is 0.23.

worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-deaths-by-country

@DogsSausages

Just read the Mirror, they shouldn't have printed that knowing how vulnerable poster is and how aggressive neighbours can be.

You’d argue that you shouldn’t write such easily identifiable stories on a public forum when such trash papers regularly pick this stuff up

Dont say anything just use anti climb paint on your fence. Don’t get into an argument as they obviously dont care about you. Sadly

Get someone else to drive your car away while you sit in your house. Then when they've made them selves comfortable, pop your head out of the window and tell them to get out!!

Cheeky Fuckers!!!

What about a radio controlled sprinkler system? Once theyve lit their ciggie, turn it on and let them get nice and soggy?

@MariposaLilly
Tony Martin shot the trespasser in the back. That's why he went to jail

Any update OP?

Pyracantha against your boundary. They will not climb over when that is there!
How DARE they! Poor you.

@MariposaLilly
An important issue in the Tony Martin case was that of reasonable force. One of the key factors was that the intruders were shot in the back as they were exiting the property. Therefore, the force was not reasonable in the face of a threat that was diminishing i.e. the burglars were leaving. Other cases have held that intruders have been lawfully killed by home owners. It is very fact specific.

@a8mint

Sadly, in England, tresspass is not a crime, and anything you do to hurt them will land you in trouble not them.

Trespass is not a crime here but OP has the right to ‘ban’ these CFs from her property. As per my understanding, OP informs police (with proof) that these CFs are entering her property and are trespassers who can damage her property yada yada. Therefore, OP is informing police that these CFs are banned from her property now. After this, police takes it as a crime as it is no longer just trespassing, and deals with it accordingly. (This is DH’s experience of dealing with something quite similar).

I would put one of the cameras that let's you know if/when someone there. Once activated I'd call police and say that there are trespassers on your property and ad a single lady you are afraid to confront them could they go and sort them. Do you not know any burly rugby type personnel that could go round and scare the shit out of them. I think that a notice on your table saying they are on cctv as having trespassed and have been reported should scare them enough or put out some old chairs with anti vandal paint on so it sticks on their clothes. Cf's I'd be livid

I think I would put a polite notice on the table/chairs. Just say you are aware that someone is using your garden, but claim you don't know who. You respectfully ask that they don't do it in future otherwise you will have to escalate it as criminal trespass on private property.

Hopefully they will take the hint and no embarrassment on either side if they don't know you know who they are. Then worry about further steps if they continue to use your garden.

[quote NoNotYou]@MariposaLilly
Tony Martin shot the trespasser in the back. That's why he went to jail[/quote]
He shot the boy in the dark as there had been thefts on his farm. The police wouldn’t help him. Yes he took the law into his own hands but he was at the end of his tether.

The other guy with him left him to die and wasn’t actually injured by Tony but by his own stupid fault.

I would plant pyracantha along all fence lines. It is the best defence because of the long thorns it has lively white flowers in Spring and berries red yellow or orange in winter ..best hedging to stop vandals ..the other shrub is berberis magnolia the thorns are even longer

I'm sorry but all the 'subtle hints' and suggestions of deterrents, leaving notes etc, really don't begin to wash in this case!
These scumbags are not 'cheeky', they are taking the absolute fucking piss!!
Why should you need to move your own furniture in and out to give scumbag trespassers, totally illegal, a 'hint'!!!???
It's YOUR property!!
Totally irrelevant that there's a park close by, sorry, but even if the nearest park is a 50 mile treck on hot coals, STILL doesn't justify them trespassing on your property and use it!!
Definitely go out Friday then call the police!! These cnuts need to be held to account!!
Absolute liberty!!
I'm fuming for you!! 🤣

I agree about making the camera obvious. First though (you can usually monitor them on an app), call the Police and say that you are at work and can see that there are people in your back garden (without adding that they are sitting around). They will go around and check if they a trying to break into your house.

After the Police have done their thing, make that camera obvious and put up a warning sign. I have one saying ‘Smile, you’re on Camera’!

What was the outcome of the garden intrusion? Did I miss this?

I'd contact the housing association they are with and provide them with evidence. As landlords they will be able to do more than the police would. Unfortunately, I know this from my own experience of the neighbour from hell.

Buy vandal paint and paint the fence with it. it sticks to all clothes and never washes out!

I hope you do manage to get some help from police and housing association but I thought I would share some tips just in case.

I live in housing association flats with a set of neighbours which is an absolute nightmare. We have to provide the housing association with a years worth of anti social behaviour complaints for them to take them to court and evict. However, any antisocial behaviour, criminal damage, trespassing, drugs etc that is caught on film and reported to the police can get them fines, warnings and even arrests. If you have a log of video evidence and have reported to the police and have a crime number then report it to housing association again and give them the crime number but report it via email so that it’s in writing. The more evidence you have the better. Then if you ever do snap (which worries or not you might find yourself doing eventually I myself found myself yelling out of my window at 3am for my crappy neighbours to shut up in not so polite words because they had kept us awake for the previous 8 nights in a row and I just lost it). Anyway, if you ever do snap and they start getting gobby back hopefully in view and hearing of your camera, you can call the police and say they are intimidating you and that you’re scared and coupled with the history you’ve been logging and video evidence the police will have to do something. They can also do a community impact survey where they go around asking other neighbours about whether they feel the offending neighbour is negatively impacting the community etc.

If you report to the police when they are there the police maybe don’t need to say that there is a camera. For all your intruders need to know is that someone has spotted intruders in your garden when they know there is a single woman living there. Unless of course there are only one or two neighbours who could see in your harness that and would then cause trouble for them 🤷🏼‍♀️

I hope you manage to get this sorted. Years ago my mum used to have a child from. Next door whilst she was in just randomly come into her garden the parents did nothing to stop him and mum felt intimidated by them. The comments that have been posted have been helpfuly and I wish you luck in resolving this.

Actually re the Tony Martin shooting burglars comments, a Sikh man in Coventry who badly beat up a burglar not long ago wasn't prosecuted. It was just before Covid. For speed, I'd go with V obvious camera, CCTV sticker & trellis on top of the wall. The paint is prob expensive & you need signs to say it's there. Do you know anyone with a dog who could spend the afternoon there meanwhile ? .

Bloody cheek, drop them a note and if they persist put some barbed wire along the wall. Cheek