Stopping neighbours coming into my garden?

[niehgboursandgarden]

Sounds stupid doesn't it but how do I do this?

I have a 6ft fence. Not allowed to have a higher one as per council regs. I have a garden gate, that's kept locked.

I know they have been in there today because (as on previous occasions) a ball gets kicked over and a day or so later, it's suddenly not there. I saw the ball yesterday it was at least 20ft from the fence that separates our respective gardens so not like they could reach it from their garden.

I have been in all day but from my home office I cannot see my side gate nor the garden (I work at the front of the house so I can see deliveries etc). I am sick of the intrusion, I rarely ever use my garden because I don't feel safe out there, I only go out there if my DP or DC are with me.

What can I do? I don't think a camera would deter them. I'm sick of feeling I have no privacy.

If I confront them they will laugh and say I'm mental. And then I'll have months of the kids name calling me, and DP when he's here (he works away).

Moving is not an option for a couple of years yet and I am wary of escalating any dispute because then I'd have to declare it when I came to sell. I just want them to stop coming in my bloody garden!

Spikes on the fence, start chucking the ball into their front garden every time it comes over.

If they can't teach their kids not to thrown a ball over the fence, they don't sound smart enough to reason with.

@HalzTangz

From reading an update they do knock, and it's not always returned swiftly

If my children were regularly kicking balls into a neighbour’s garden, I would ban ball games. I think I have had three or four balls come over in six years, and one drone from another house. OP your neighbours sound absolutely horrible, and I can’t believe the entitled comments on the thread that you should be trying to return balls swiftly to obnoxious, bratty teenagers. Get cameras up, and see what they are doing.

I get not going down at night and throwing it back but why not in the morning before work rather than waiting till you had finished work in the evening

I used to go in my neighbours gardens to get my balls back. I don't think its a big deal at all.

@DumplingsAndStew

You keep saying you usually or sometimes give the balls back quickly. What's the reasons why you don't or wouldn't?

How about the fact that the OP has better things to do with her time than remain permanently on standby in the garden, ready to return any stray balls within seconds of their arrival?

@NigellaSeed

I used to go in my neighbours gardens to get my balls back. I don't think its a big deal at all.

It depends. What about people with dogs? My garden is cat proofed so the gate is kept shut and I wouldn't want anyone coming in in case they let him out or damaged the fence.

I really do feel it's an invasion of privacy, like coming into my house uninvited. It feels very intrusive. I can honestly say I never went into anyone's garden as a child to get a ball and I certainly didn't allow my DC to either.

Whoever said they are bullying me is right, that's exactly how this feels.

OP - you have done nothing wrong, and some of the comments on this thread have been disgusting. Especially the ones from the poster who then threw a strop at being called ‘cunty’. It’s amazing how sensitive badly behaved people suddenly become when someone points out what an utter arsehole they’re being.

Personally I’d be throwing each and every ball back punctured until they learn. They don’t seem to care that these balls could damage your property - perhaps it’s time they realised their balls might ‘accidentally’ be damaged when landing in your garden.

@MrsClatterbuck

I get not going down at night and throwing it back but why not in the morning before work rather than waiting till you had finished work in the evening

Bloody hell, who plans their day around throwing back random balls? I for one would not be rushing my breakfast or risking missing a train to make sure some brat who couldn’t be arsed to be careful got their ball back.

I find the idea that the OP should be on ball patrol all day - ‘popping on’ a dressing gown so that she can ‘nip out’ in the dark to return a ball ‘swiftly’ - ridiculous. Depending on the size of her garden or the time of year, she might not even notice for hours or days.

A very tall Holly hedge along the fence, you can grow it higher than the fence, privacy and protection in one.

And also might keep balls their side.

You need a quick thorn hedge (nature’s answer to barbed wire) pretty to look at, flails your skin off close up!

www.tree-shop.co.uk/product/hawthorn-quickthorn-hedging/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3fGt_6rd8gIViZ7tCh0EyA0MEAAYAiAAEgJpfvD_BwE

I think you are getting a hard time here OP.
Regardless of whether the children's balls are in your garden it does not give them the right to trespass in your garden.
I wouldn't allow my children to do this as it's wrong... it's not their property and they stay out of it.
It's not just a moral issue but a safety issue.. other people's gardens could have ponds, unsafe fencing etc and whilst I'm not an overprotective parent children need to know that they can't access other people's property on a whim... they wouldn't access a building site or a electricity station to get their ball back so they stay out of other people's personal and private space.

I would be hiding in the garden in camo with a super soaker in hand. Honestly, fuck that. The neighbours sound awful, and the invasion of privacy is unnerving.

Can you write to your council to ask for an exception to the 6ft high fence rule? Or can you put spikes on your side (separate but parallel to the fence) as a deterrent.

If they are coming in to get their ball they DO have a right. One of the situations in which you can trespass is to retrieve "chattels" on someone else's property. That could be a ball, your dog, or any other possession. Yes it would be polite to knock and ask, but perhaps they are scared of you if they don't do this?

@HotPenguin

If they are coming in to get their ball they DO have a right. One of the situations in which you can trespass is to retrieve "chattels" on someone else's property. That could be a ball, your dog, or any other possession. Yes it would be polite to knock and ask, but perhaps they are scared of you if they don't do this?

I think the fact that they verbally abuse me, and also do knock when they feel like it shows they are not scared of me, quite the opposite. They feel entitled to behave exactly as they please.

Throw balls back whenever possible.

Get some small wooden wedges to hammer in between the posts and panels if you have concrete panels, this will secure them. And nails to fix in panels to wooden posts. Doesn't have to be substantial, just a deterrent in case they are lifting panels up to climb under.

If this doesn't help, get some loose trellis and tack it up to the top edge of your fence. The aim isn't to get the height, it's to present a flimsy barrier that would be broken should they climb over it.

If they are faced with causing damage in order to retrieve a ball I expect you'll get a knock on the door each time they need a ball back.

@HotPenguin

If they are coming in to get their ball they DO have a right. One of the situations in which you can trespass is to retrieve "chattels" on someone else's property. That could be a ball, your dog, or any other possession. Yes it would be polite to knock and ask, but perhaps they are scared of you if they don't do this?

But what if the OP had a dog? No doubt the little darlings would be moaning if they got a nip from a dog when they are trespassing! And what happens if they damage the fence getting in? I doubt the parents would pay for that.

Scared of the OP? Have you read the posts where she explains how they verbally abuse her?

Throw the ball back, and next time you see them, tell them to knock and you'll happily give them the ball if you haven't seen it/thrown it back over already.
If that's the only reason they're going I. Your garden it's not that bad, although I agree they shouldn't do it.
I thought you were going to say they've been using your garden as theirs, for sunbathing h, playing etc.

This is a really tough situation, sorry about this.
Here's what I'd do:

1. Talk to a solicitor who specialises in this kind of issue, neighbor disputes and so on. Take their advice
2. Get a camera, any evidence of this happening can be useful
3. (You can do this today) check for how they're getting in and put something in the way.

I'm not going to talk to them about it because they will just laugh at me and start their oh she's a nutter rhetoric.

I don't wish unpleasant things on people generally (not even my ex partner who physically and emotionally abused me for years) but these lot...

I'm simply saying that they are entitled to get their ball back. The verbal abuse wasn't the original subject of the post.

There was another thread on here where a possibly neglected younger child (from description) was kicking over balls on purpose for attention. The advice was to stab his balls or not give them back! I can’t believe some posters are telling you you should be running out to throw the balls back faster for rude teenagers! I really think some posters just like to argue with whatever an op is saying