Neighbour seems to think he has the right to jump our fence

[Twatforaneighbour]

We moved in about 3 years ago and put up a fence on top of an existing low height wall (which we own) across the front of our front garden which has a footpath the other side. We got planning to do this.

One of our neighbours had an issue with this, because his adult son (early 20s) liked to walk across our front garden and hop over our wall to save him from walking around. He put in a complaint when we went for planning saying that if the fence went up, we would need to make it safe as his son would be climbing over! The council made no comment on this.

This has made it inconvenient for him as it adds 5 mins walking time to walk down the road and up the public footpath. Since the fence went up, we clarified with the neighbour (the dad) that this was our property and our fence/wall, to make 100% sure there was no misunderstanding with who owns what, which he agreed.

We have now got video from our ring doorbell of "someone" walking across our garden and jumping the fence. It is unlikely to be anyone else as we are at the end if a small road.

What would you do? Trespassing is not a criminal offence. So far we cannot for sure identify the person as it was at night and not a great image.

They obviously see no issue with doing it so speaking to them wont help, Considered anti climb spikes but have seen you can be liable if trespasser gets injured on your property.
WIBU to get spikes if I put a warning with it?
Any suggestions? If he keeps doing it, it will end in damage to the fence and probably us paying for it

I'd install a gate at the end of your drive so he can't access your land at all! What a cheeky fucker.

So looking at that, why doesn’t he put a gate in the fence of his own garden to cut down the 5min walk!!

Dog shit on top of the fence. Thorny Bush grown at the bottom of the fence. Get a dog. Automatic sprinklers.

OP your neighbour is batshit.

@Cattenberg if your neighbours sold and I moved in, the first thing I would do is remove the gate and put in a fence panel and put fencing up in my front garden. Sorry not sorry.

I would definitely be putting a gate into my own fence if I were him but honestly that sounds extremely annoying for you.

Trip wire
A nasty barking dog on a lead
Barbed wire
That sharp metal stuff they use to stop pidgeons

Yes I’d be annoyed too

My first suggestion was dog shit smeared along the top.

But, how about these type of planters right along the fence (with spiky plants)

www.notonthehighstreet.com/selections/product/set-of-two-french-grey-hanging-balcony-planters?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=15221184607&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=u&cq_plt=gp&DGMKT=FID__TID_pla-1269942452083_PID_1021420_CRI_1269942452083&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIypndx4Gt9AIVyuN3Ch1cyQ44EAQYBSABEgKYzPD_BwE

Cheeky sod could use his own fence! Send your DH to climb over their fence -would be really funny if you caught him coming over your drive and just followed to his house and into their garden!

I would let them know that you have cameras on the property and have seen him doing it.

@ThirdElephant

Have you pointed out to his dad that he can just jump his own fence? And that you'll be charging him for any repairs of damage that is a result of his kid climbing over your property?

From the few occasions we've tried to speak to him, he just grunts or mumbles at us and walks off even though we have been polite and reasonable. After his comment, on record to the council during the planning application, I dont think we are likely to get anywhere.

I could plant the spiky hedges but they would take up pretty much all the 'garden' area and was kind of liking having a few flowers there. Its a shame I have to either put up with it or change my property to deter it. All the other neighbours are lovely, theres always one that ruins it.

Excellent diagram OP - makes much more sense now! He should just put a gate in his own back garden! (Or TBH it looks like an extra one or two minutes max to walk round)

@Cattenberg

I was on your side until I read that it takes the neighbour an extra five minutes to walk round. That adds up to a lot of wasted time. I’m not surprised he jumps the fence when he thinks you’re not looking.

WTAF? Five minutes is nothing.

Why can't the cheeky fucker jump his own back fence?

The bloody nerve is some people!

dig a 4 foot deep trench in front of the fence, fill with sump oil/dogshit and cover with leaves. Sorted

Increase the height with trellis, plant very spiky pyracantha.

@Twatforaneighbour

Here's a slightly out of proportion diagram, my back garden is not actually as big as the neighbours plot but you get the gist of the layout of the road!

The neighbour opposite walks out of his door, turns right across my drive, over my little bit of garden and over the fence.

Well the solution here is your neighbour puts a back gate into the footpath. Everyone is happy.

@Cattenberg

He’s not a hoard of strangers, he’s your next door neighbour, accessing his home the way he always has done. Legally, you don’t have to let him take the short cut, but I personally wouldn’t have put up the fence.

How do you know? He might only have developed these lazy tendencies just before OP put the fence up. He might have only moved in around that time. It does seem quite significant that it is only the son who does this, the neighbour himself seems to cope fine without.

1.Vicious dog (or other scary creature) kept loose in garden?

1. Dig a sunken garden?
2. Sprinkler?
3. Broken glass cemented onto wall? (if allowed these days)
4. Video cameras?

Unfortunately we can't make the fence higher as we made it as high as the planning stipulated (its at 2m with wall plus fence on top).

Im thinking I'll definitely get an extra camera or the ring spotlight to start with. I like the idea of the motion sprinkler but the hose connection is all the way round the back so not sure if I could do that. I might also dig the small trench and put some fertiliser in over the winter as it would be good for the garden anyway and see if that puts him off. It would definitely make it harder for him as he has to get his foot onto the wall to get over the fence!

Cat spikes wouldn't be a bad shout. They hurt more with weight applied so a strapping lad leaning on them would get a bit of a prick approproate
Cheap as well on amazon.

In the long term I'd go for bushes as suggested and anti climb paint. I'm also petty enough that I'd buy an air horn and wait quietly for him to jump.

You could do that but make it a nice soggy bog garden that will stay permanently wet and squidgy. You dig out the bed, line with a pond liner and fill with soil and water. You can grow pretty plants in it after the neighbour has landed in it a couple of times up to his ankles in wet mud (and its very good for wildlife).

www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/gardening-for-wetlands/how-to-create-a-bog-garden-for-wildlife

Another thought, pleached trees or some bamboo in pots. This time of year you can haggle with a garden center for things like bamboo. I got 6 7ft ones for £120 last winter, popped them in cheap b&q Bell pots and lined them along the fence.

I wouldn't care.

Whack in loads of bamboo canes. Tie string between them and hang with lots of bells.

Smear wall with treacle

Hang washing line between house and fence. At approximately neck height. Don’t have it too tight though. Just enough to give him a fright.

Have a compost heap. A smelly, squishy compost heap.

He’s an absolute buffoon. What is the mentality of someone who does that?

@Heartdogs

I wouldn't care.

Would you care if he broke the fence you had just paid to put up by climbing over it?

Or you could leave loads of squeaky dog toys lying in his path, cunningly hidden under grass cuttings etc.