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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask my neighbour to stop their kids running and riding their bikes all over my drive and garden?

26 replies

Shgytfgtf111 · 01/09/2022 17:47

I think I might well be being very unreasonable so I wanted a seconday opinion of that's OK! I live on a small cul de sac and there are two families on the street with young kids (there are 5 in total, all under 10). Thd kids play in the street which is no problem obviously, in fact I enjoy listening to them play.

The issue is that for the past few days they have started running about over people's gardens, riding their bikes on the drive and grass, squealing etc. I WFH and my dog goes mad at the window when they do it. It always seems to happen when I am on a work call too!

Would i BU to ask their parents to stop them using my garden like it's their own (especially when I'm working) or am I just a massive killjoy?

OP posts:
Peashoots · 01/09/2022 17:49

No you’re not but this will be really difficult to police.
any chance of putting up a small fence making it less accessible?

Original poster
Shgytfgtf111 · 01/09/2022 17:59

Peashoots · 01/09/2022 17:49

No you’re not but this will be really difficult to police.
any chance of putting up a small fence making it less accessible?

No unfortunately I cant put a fence up, the estate is about 30 years old I think but one of the stipulations of buying is that you cant put any fences or walls up at the front. None of the gardens have them so that's probably why they run all overy, because it's so easy! Tbh I can imagine them just climbing all over them if I did have one.

OP posts:
GabriellaMontez · 01/09/2022 17:59

Good fences make good neighbours.

Yanbu. Really annoying.

KatherineofGaunt · 01/09/2022 18:06

Put planters of flowers along the edge of your grass to deter them?

TheFlis12345 · 01/09/2022 18:06

That would drive me nuts. Can you put some plant containers out to at least mark your section?

Verbena1 · 01/09/2022 18:06

Are you allowed to plant some prickly bushes?

Flumo · 01/09/2022 18:07

Speak to the parents, they might not know they are doing it. I'd be more than happy to tell my kids to stop doing stuff like that if they did.

CoffeeBeansGalore · 01/09/2022 18:08

Put some big planters/whisky barrel sized tubs around the front & sides? Not permanent so you are not going against the "rules".

Or some big stones/decorative boulder type things?

IncompleteSenten · 01/09/2022 18:09

You can't have a fence or a wall but can you have tall planters with trellis in them to grow thorny roses up?

noclothesinbed · 01/09/2022 18:11

I would just say to the kids go up that end please away from here as the dog is worried by you If you say it in a nice way I do t see the probleM.

SunshineClouds1 · 01/09/2022 18:11

Flumo · 01/09/2022 18:07

Speak to the parents, they might not know they are doing it. I'd be more than happy to tell my kids to stop doing stuff like that if they did.

Same for me.

Just explain you work x till x on calls and they set the dog off.

StoneofDestiny · 01/09/2022 18:15

Tell the parents they are setting your dog off and you need them to stop.

Original poster
Shgytfgtf111 · 01/09/2022 18:17

Thanks everyone for the replies. It's nice to know I'm not just complaining for no reason! I did consider some bushes/ planters etc but I think they would just dump their bikes and jump through or over them (there are a couple of trees at the front of the garden by the pavement and they always run around and push through them.

A couple of the kids are pretty young so I will try to speak to the parents as my dog is an adult labrador so has a deep, loud bark when it suits him and I don't want him to scare the littles so they end up not liking dogs. I just didn't want to be 'that' neighbour if that makes sense!

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 01/09/2022 18:18

Of course yanbu.

What next - they let themselves into your back garden to play?

If they need a front garden of grass and driveway they can use their own!

I would have suggested the common Mn suggestion of sensored sprinklers but a) we are on a hosepipe ban and b) kids this age will probably think it's amazing and come back more Grin

gingertoast · 01/09/2022 18:18

Bear in mind it's nearly the end of school holidays so it might naturally resolve when they're back at school

CoffeeWithNiles · 01/09/2022 18:21

Speak to the parents - I'm not a fan of spending money to solve a problem when a conversation should work.

Original poster
Shgytfgtf111 · 01/09/2022 18:24

Ha I can totally imagine them loving sprinklers. It would be squealing galore.

I laughed at the thought of them letting themselves into the back garden to play, the dog would definitely kick that idea right into touch.

There will still be after school when I am still working for a couple of hours but that isn't too bad I guess. I'll see how it goes, and have a polite word if need be. Thanks all! 😊

OP posts:
custardbear · 01/09/2022 18:27

God no, speak to the parents as they may not realise. I'd hate this and my dog would bark too

MiauzenKatzenjammer · 01/09/2022 18:29

Put the dog out in the front garden, tied up, on a carefully calculated long lead?

gogohmm · 01/09/2022 18:31

The kids are back to school Monday mostly so perhaps it's worth holding fire until next week and see if the problem goes away

HotWashCycle · 01/09/2022 18:33

I had exactly this at one time, OP. On one occasion a little darling dumped his bike, unseen by me, behind my car on my driveway. When I started to reverse the car, it slightly touched one of his wheels. He saw it happen, went to his nightmare parents and all hell broke loose. They demanded a new bike (though only minor damage to one wheel), reported me to the police - saying that it had happened on the road, not my driveway, and therefore I had committed a road traffic offence. Two heavy policemen came round and spent an hour intimidating me to pay money to this neighbour which I refused to do. I was threatened with loss of my licence and a huge fine. I found out later that the nightmare father who had fabricated the story was an ex-colleague of theirs who had had to leave the police.
I did complain to the police which was a waste of time, as these two officers lied through their teeth and denied demanding money from me.
In short, I would put up a low fence - we had the same clause for our open front gardens, but several people ignored it - and after all who is going to do anything about it 30 years on? Some big pots along the ends of your garden would help too.

Original poster
Shgytfgtf111 · 01/09/2022 18:42

See that's something i am worried about too, if they trip on something and hurt themselves while on my property, would I be liable?

OP posts:
Laiste · 01/09/2022 18:54

curtislaw.co.uk/latest-news/where-are-we-with-liability-to-trespassers/

I found this OP.
It's a bit of a wade through to read it, and it mostly alludes to large properties with big opportunities to hurt trespassers. Like dodgy flat roofs ect.

I woudn't think anyone could sue you if a kid tripped over your garden planters.
I'd get a line of those up both sides of your property and make it an enclosed, 'dead end' area. Much less fun.

SunnyD44 · 01/09/2022 18:57

YANBU

I can’t think of the name of them but you can get those small border fences that stick in the ground, which are less than a foot high and are just for decorative purposes.
Would this be an option?

They’re less than a pound each in places like B&M as they’re only plastic. But it should stop them riding their bikes on your grass at least and you may be able to avoid the conversation with the parents.

NoSquirrels · 01/09/2022 18:57

Just tell the kids themselves not to do it?

That’s what everyone used to do, and it worked. The kids avoided the neighbours houses who were likely to tell them to stop!