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

Excellent diagram OP.

I do think it is a shame to add 5 minutes to his journey to the gym. Most inconsiderate of you. Poor boy!

Has he broken the fence?

@Heartdogs

Has he broken the fence?

You didn't answer my question but not yet he hasn't, however if he keeps levering himself over it, he will do and then there is a whole different issue of having to deal with him and his parents over proving it was him and who would pay for it. Hence why i'd rather avoid that issue and deter him before it turns into criminal damage.

Just do the anti climb paint for a couple of months, break the cycle?

Absolutely no reason why he cant install a gate in his fence - problem solved! Cheeky neighbours.

Meantime I like the suggestion of a new, wide flower bed in yours full of beautiful horse manure. :)

Could you put plant pots up on the fence? That way he won't be able to get over the pots without causing damage. If there isn't a gate on your drive I'd put one there with a sign that it's private property. I'd also shout at the son whenever I saw him doing it.

What an absolute CF.

I'm just here for Cattenberg's nonsense.

@Twatforaneighbour

why doesn't the neighbour put a back gate in his fence so he can access his own garden directly from the footpath?

@Butchyrestingface

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!

This is my flabber being gasted ➡️➡️➡️ 😵‍💫🤯🤯🤭

I too wondered why no one else had touched on this deranged response! (What a cheeky frigger!)

@Cattitudes

Motion activated sprinkler hidden in some bushes.

Absolutely!

This is a recycled thread.

Treacle, blackthorn, cesspit, sprinkler and "all kinds of poo out there ..." -- this is why I love the collective wisdom of MN.

OP, you have my sympathy, tho being in Australia I can't offer you anything "legal". Here, trespassing was such a problem we had to sort out this shit with legislation. Now it's a $5000 max fine or six months in jail -- and that's for non-aggravated trespass, which is what your entitled brat of a neighbour is doing.

Good luck, and all I can suggest is that you put the hard word on your LA to enact a local law. (That's if you don't want to run at him naked and crazy, as I probably would.) It really sucks that you have to go to all this trouble and expense to protect your property and privacy.

@Twatforaneighbour

This would piss me off too.

I think the bog garden could be the answer. Make it deep enough so it fills the twat's shoes when he steps into it. Maybe add a bit of nice ripe manure too.

Once he's spent half an hour or so cleaning himself up a few times he'll realise that actually 5 minutes spent going round the other way is not so bad after all.

OP
You say he grunts and doesn't communicate

I'd have dropped a note with the biggest font available saying

WHY CAN'T YOU JUMP OVER YOUR OWN BLOODY FENCE.

Failing that, pretty plants with thorns.

How on earth can someone just jump a 2m/6ft high fence?

You are absolutely not being unreasonable.
Can't believe the amount of people suggesting you are!!!!

I would never ever ever tolerate this.

X

@chitchatchatter

How on earth can someone just jump a 2m/6ft high fence?

Well, it sounds like it's attached to the low wall, so that's the foothold.

I love the sprinkler idea, can't believe anyone would think his behaviour is ok lol.

He can have two choice, walk around your property or get sprinklered every time he comes in to yours.... bet it wont take long for him to start walking around............or more likely to complain about the sprinklers lol

He’s got to be their PFB

Cat spikes and a sprinkler. If you are wanting flowers get some manure you can tend to pick it up for free from most stables as well.

Manure along the fence line water well for rotten purposes of course and sit back and watch the cameras for fun when he got shitty shoes and sore hands.

Our former neighbour was jumping our (rural) gate, but to take photos. he knew we had cameras so he stayed away from those.

DH caught him once still trying to get back out, and a couple of months earlier he told me he entered our place to try and find a ''smell' that was supposedly wafting through their house from our way.

These times he was told to stay off our property. In the end after DH's confrontation with him, I reported it on our non emergency police web page and they were out to see us and him the next day.

He was cautioned and had no reason to give to the police, however it certainly gave him a fright, enough to tell others we had dobbed him in for growing cannabis and thus the police came out and found nothing.

so I would certainly have a word with your local community police and see what they suggest. A visit from them would help nip things in the bud so to speak, but I would suggest getting some very obvious cameras outside beforehand.

Easy! Get a dog.

No. get two.

Nobody minds the postie crossing lawns because they are providing a valuable service to all in the neighbourhood. This lazy clown is just thinking of himself.

I do know of an island where nobody licks their doors, though, and people take shortcuts between streets right though others' houses - in at the front door and out at the back, or vice versa! The local pastor told the story of being new and finding himself greeted by a stranger passing through his kitchen.

Locks, not licks! I hope nobody licks their doors anywhere. 🤭