Page 9 | To not want neighbours coming in my garden?

Pelsall116 · 20/03/2022 18:16

@Inthesameboatatmo

Secure the fences and get trellis and put spiky plants in said trellis. Also threaten them with police for trespassing and damaged to property its not on at all. You have more patience than me op.

You could reprt any damage to the police but no good threatening police for trespass alone since trespass is a civil offence and police only deal in crimina;l matters; you would have to get an injunction taken out against them

Strangeways19 · 20/03/2022 18:16

I think I would've thrown them back & then say if you want balls throwing back can you knock rather than come through the fence? We used to have a neighbour like this always balls in our garden but he'd just come over & ask. I never minded this

Alrightqueenie · 20/03/2022 18:27

Try installing one of those sonic cat deterrents on the panels bordering both gardens. They transmit sound waves which are uncomfortable for cats & children. That should keep them away from your side of the garden.

www.amazon.co.uk/PestBye-Battery-Operated-Waterproof-Repellent/dp/B004SGC75S?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Alrightqueenie · 20/03/2022 18:28

Also plant black bamboo in pots along the fence, they're fast growers & shoot up to 8 feet. Perfect for screening and privacy.

DeegeeDee · 20/03/2022 18:39

@Rowgtfc72

I used to check the garden when I got in from work and chuck balls back. Caught the big teenager climbing over once and let tha Jack Russell out. Totally stupid dog but he didn't know that and didn't climb over again. Came to an arrangement with the mum that I'd chuck back once a day- anything else would come in my house and wait till the next day so no point climbing over. She was sensible and agreed. Found we had less balls after that. The one legged boy caught fishing in my fishpond was a completely different story.

Not to derail but what??? Please share.

Op - sorry for what is happening. I hope you're able to make use of some of the good suggestions made to minimise what is a stressful situation.

Whatdramain2022 · 20/03/2022 18:41

@Rosebuud

I think things have deteriorated very badly if you could hear them, knew the balls were there and didn’t jist pop out and throw them over, you were clearly just sitting there listening. As a pp said, then jist say hey just knock if you want them

Sure it’s annoying but honestly not worth all this emotion.

She was in the bath. You think she should have gone out into her garden stark naked and dripping wet? That would have sorted the problem!

Mirw · 20/03/2022 18:45

Speak to your community police officers and ask them to have a word. That's what they are there for. Getting the police at the door re trespass which is what it is, usually works. Your garden today, someone else's shop or workshop in the future.

Whatdramain2022 · 20/03/2022 18:58

@MyDcAreMarvel

You sound very petty op. Surely it’s easier for you if they just get their own balls.

You must be the next door neighbour!

masterblaster · 20/03/2022 19:00

You sound like quite a misery. We had kids next door knocking balls over and we would throw them back, and now we have kids they knock balls over and they get thrown back. Kids playing is not something I would ever want to get annoyed about, tbh.

Original poster

Hosta13 · 20/03/2022 19:01

The police here are pretty useless and ineffectual so I don't think there's any point contacting them. When I got burgled no one even came round. I had to report a couple of minor things which would fall under the remit of community officers, either no response or a nothing they can do. I honestly think this will be no different.

My best bet is securing the fence myself, well either me doing it or paying someone (I'm not sure if I can screw the brackets I've ordered to the fence, I'll give it a go but I might have to pay some DIY person to do it)

OP posts:

HELLITHURT · 20/03/2022 19:02

@Mirw

Speak to your community police officers and ask them to have a word. That's what they are there for. Getting the police at the door re trespass which is what it is, usually works. Your garden today, someone else's shop or workshop in the future.

Are you for real?? Kids knocking balls over abs getting them back, next stop criminals

HELLITHURT · 20/03/2022 19:04

@Hosta13

The police here are pretty useless and ineffectual so I don't think there's any point contacting them. When I got burgled no one even came round. I had to report a couple of minor things which would fall under the remit of community officers, either no response or a nothing they can do. I honestly think this will be no different.

My best bet is securing the fence myself, well either me doing it or paying someone (I'm not sure if I can screw the brackets I've ordered to the fence, I'll give it a go but I might have to pay some DIY person to do it)

Probably didn't co e round because @Mirw had them out about balls In har garden and the massive issue that caused 🙄!

smilingontheinside · 20/03/2022 19:09

I bought some metal "strips" off amazon that you screw to each panel either side of the concrete posts. This stops them rattling in the wind and fom being lifted. They were easy yo for did them myself. You can get a dmall blink camera ftom amazon as well that eill alert you on uour phone if they come into your garden(think they do a talkback one as well that'll scare em) might be worth investing in.

Original poster

Hosta13 · 20/03/2022 19:09

@masterblaster maybe you should try reading my actual posts. Then you'll see im not complaining that balls come into my garden per se although I think most people would be irritated by having 5+ balls being thrown into their garden regularly.

I give the balls back. I've never refused to do so. But clearly if I don't do it immediately and without them asking (so they clearly expect me to be checking my garden every 5 mins), my neighbours feel entitled to trespass into my garden.

I've never suggested they do this. They know full well I would not be happy about it, because of me asking them not to climb the fence/ enter my garden when the old much lower fence was in place. I think the parents response was that I was being unfair and 'its just kids'

I find kids playing unnecessarily noisily irritating. I find the stream of balls irritating. But I would and have put up with both. It's the trespassing that I will not tolerate and frankly nor should I have to. If they want a bigger garden like mine they can move, not use mine as a bloody extension.

OP posts:

HomeHomeInTheRange · 20/03/2022 19:18

Speak to your community police officers and ask them to have a word. That's what they are there for. Getting the police at the door re trespass which is what it is, usually works. Your garden today, someone else's shop or workshop in the future.

Trespass is a civil matter. Balls in gardens is a Civil matter. The police will not take the slightest bit of notice. And can you imagine the first question any police officer might ask: "Have you spoken to them about this and asked them not to?" OP: "No".

OP, seriously, speak to the Dad. He obviously knows there is an issue and was reluctant to lift the fence. Before you endure any more stress or spend money fixing the fence, speak to him! Say you will chuck balls back when you see them, but under no circumstances do you want his children climbing into your garden or your fence being moved or disturbed.

It is normal for people to communicate about these things.

What harm is there in asking?

Might help him find his backbone

Windypants21 · 20/03/2022 19:27

I am astounded that people are completely ignoring the fact that it is ANNOYING THE OP, its her garden. It appears some dont think she has any say how or when she allows people to enter it and she just puts up with random balls dropping on her, her garden , flower beds or whatever. Saying it's just kids being kids is fine if it's your kids irritating everyone else because they're not irritating you obviously. Footballs break and damage things. Drop the balls back at 5 am every morning for a week. See how that goes down. Ps you're not being miserable the parents of these kids are being selfish dxxks. Since these posters are so understanding it would be interesting to see how patient they would be if you started to kick the balls at their car, windows or anything else they held dear when returning them.

Rowgtfc72 · 20/03/2022 19:37

@DeegeeDee 10 yr old lad with prosthetic leg. Shinned over a 6ft wall and my shed and took my fishing net to catch my goldfish. Had to put him out the back gate once I'd found the key.
He liked to sit in the tree on my front and chuck his false leg at the other kids in the street. Family were eventually moved on thank god.

Mandyjack · 20/03/2022 19:38

@Hosta13

I don't particularly like my neighbours. They have a lot of unruly children, and the family as a whole are generally quite loud and irritating. That said I'm happy to keep myself to myself, and accept noise is a fact of life when you live in a built up area and houses are only a few feet apart.

What I do object to is them intruding (for want of a better term), into my property. The children used to ride bikes on my driveway, I now keep my front gated locked. They also used to frequently climb over the 4ft fence between our properties into my back garden. I replaced it with a 6ft fence last year but have had suspicions they still enter my garden as things would be moved, or I'd hear a ball being kicked over but when I'd go outside to look there wasn't one there.

Today I was in the garden and found 4 of their balls that must've been kicked over earlier today which I threw back - I always do throw the balls back, although sometimes it might be a day or two as I don't go out in the garden every day, am at work, can't be bothered going out there if its raining etc. They very rarely knock to ask for the balls back and rely on me throwing them over but if they do ask I give them back straight away.

So about half an hour later I hear all the kids in the garden (its warm and sunny here today so I've got windows and doors open)whining to the parents about how their balls are in my garden, and can't dad just lift the fence panel again so they can retrieve them. There are 2 that it seems I missed, ones in a bush and another one in the far corner and despite having 10+ balls and the 4 I've chucked back, they need these ones. They've seen them from looking over the fence I assume, they have a climbing frame near the fence which they can see over into my garden from. So anyway dad kind of fobs them off ineffectually but its clear this is what they've done more than once for them to even suggest it. They're still going on about it an hour later and saying well we'll climb over her gate then and get them that way.

This isn't on is it? I wouldn't have dared go in someones garden when I was a child and there's no way my parents would have allowed it either. I'm now trying to work out how I can stop them lifting the panel, because clearly although they didn't do it today they have and I'm sure will again. It feels really intrusive and unpleasant.

They're not tiny BTW, ages range from 8-13.

You can get connectors for panels that stop people stealing them so will stop them sliding them up.

Mandyjack · 20/03/2022 19:41

You could also put that spikey plastic stuff on top of the panels that people use to stop pigeons and cats. They won't want to climb over them then

Ionlydomassiveones · 20/03/2022 19:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Original poster

Hosta13 · 20/03/2022 19:41

I really don't want to speak to them. Honestly their attitude is that kids do as they please. It's not for me to help the father find his backbone. If he can't stop his kids kicking their balls over (and really the number indicates there is a deliberate element to it) now, me speaking to him will make zero difference. It is very clear they regard me as some lower form of life who isn't deserving of any respect. Me speaking to them won't so anything. In fact I suspect it may make it worse.

OP posts:

Ionlydomassiveones · 20/03/2022 19:47

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

watchingrnfire · 20/03/2022 19:47

Well in that case op, don't throw their balls back. Throw them out of your garden in to the back of your garden. Or take it in, stab it and throw in the bin. Obvs do that when they don't see you retrieving the balls, do it enough times they will ensure their balls are not going in to your garden. If they ask you, say you have not seen their balls

woodhill · 20/03/2022 19:57

@Hosta13

I really don't want to speak to them. Honestly their attitude is that kids do as they please. It's not for me to help the father find his backbone. If he can't stop his kids kicking their balls over (and really the number indicates there is a deliberate element to it) now, me speaking to him will make zero difference. It is very clear they regard me as some lower form of life who isn't deserving of any respect. Me speaking to them won't so anything. In fact I suspect it may make it worse.

What an awful attitude they have OP

Are you on your own, is that why they are trespassing?

Nickwinkle · 20/03/2022 19:57

The amount of people on here justifying the neighbours actions is unreal 😳

Forget knocking on next door's to see if I can borrow some sugar... may as well just let myself in! Will be much less hassle for them than having to open the door.