It's a trampoline one

[HappyKoala56]

We have a considerable sized garden, around 100ft. We created a kind of split around two thirds of the way down - we have a bench under a freestanding Arbor with trellises attached, so the end of our garden is not completely cut off but is a bit of an obscured view from the house. The idea of this being we have a large patio for entertaining, followed by a pretty garden area with the trellis, then behind the trellis is the kids area. Here we have additional seating, a ping pong table and a trampoline against the back fence.

A neighbour that backs on to us has been round to ask us to move the trampoline. I want to start this by saying we are absolutely on board with moving the trampoline away from the boundary and we plan to do this. However, the neighbour also decided to write a letter, and the letter is so far off of the tone she was giving out in person. She asks in the letter that we move the trampoline a considerable distance from the boundary, or get it removed completely as she doesn't want to be able to see the trampoline or my daughter on it at all. Our garden is set higher than theirs, so even though we have a six foot fence, it is not six foot on our side iyswim probably more like 5ft - I don't think moving it up by the 8-10 metres I have available in the kids area will meet her requirements. She specifically states that as we have a large garden we have the space to move it - while technically this is true, I don't want to move the trampoline in front of the trellis as that was the point of putting the split there, I want to view my pretty garden and the kids have their own space. Yes I do have a large garden, but I paid a premium for it so I could use it how suited me, not so my neighbours can tell me how to use it.

The meet in person had me sympathising completely, but the letter and how it is worded has really got my back up. It has given me a deadline to move said trampoline (I would have moved it tomorrow following our talk) and the entire thing comes across as really confrontational and threatening. I could understand if she had spoken to me about it before, but I've literally never met her. In the face to face meeting she also briefly mentioned our ping pong table and fire pit (fire pit has been lit twice in a year, once to BBQ).

My plan is to move the trampoline as far up the kids area as possible but say that's as far as it will go even if she can still see the trampoline or the top of my child's head. It will mean re-working the space though so the ping pong table will need to be much nearer the boundary fence so the noise of that will be worse. I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be good enough for the neighbour. AIBU to tell her tough if she comes knocking again? While I'm absolutely looking to compromise by moving things around in the kids area, am I being a complete cow for saying I want to keep my pretty area of garden trampoline free?

My parents' neighbours have a trampoline backing onto my parents fence. It's a nightmare - the kids are constantly jumping up and down, shouting over the fence at my mum and dad in their house / garden "hello old people" and throwing things into the garden. When my dad knocked on the door to ask the neighbour to ask his kids to stop throwing things in the garden his response was "f* off and if you knock again I'll get a restraining order against you"! My parents won't use their garden now, or have their patio doors open in the summer.

I'm sure your children aren't doing anything like this but this experience has made me feel much more negatively about trampolines and I would not want to buy a house with neighbours who have one.

I have some sympathy with your neighbour based on this experience but I think it seems like a reasonable compromise to try and move the trampoline as far away as you can from their garden in your kids' area in this first instance. As long as your children aren't causing a nuisance in the way I described above I can't see any harm in them jumping up and down on it.

My garden is much bigger than yours and we have the trampoline near the house so I can see when someone injures themselves. I would just move the trampoline.

Your neighbour is being quite intolerant. Weird that the letter didn't match the face to face- is it possible that another annoyed neighbour has written the letter, or is it definitely the same person? It is a matter of being considerate to others whilst still allowing DD to get exercise and practise her hobby/ sport. You sound more considerate than most, in that you are willing to move it, but what a shame the letter was so rude and bossy.
Hope it works out.

You could always replace the trampoline with a hot tub 🤣🤣🤣

hold on a min, the daughter is 12 years old, and will be at school all day, it's not like she's on it every hour of the day every day!
op i would move it up but still keep it in the kids area, tell them you will not be listening to any restrictions or time restraints or other demands they are making. i get that it's down at their end so move it up as a compromise but that's it. end of day if they want complete peace and quiet don't live in a street with other houses. and not ur problem if they have a small garden, if u start letting them boss u about now it will be the ping pong table next, then the hot tub, then the halloween decorations. had they been more decent in their letter then if maybe have more sympathy, sorry

This.

Exactly this.

And this

This

I do think there is some irony in you wanting a pretty area of garden trampoline free, but not understanding why your neighbour doesn’t want to be looking at your child on your trampoline.

I do agree with this

However I think the letter would have annoyed me so much, I would have moved back to not wanting to do anything.
She came round, and asked you, and you agreed to have a think and had got to the point of moving things, and then she has completely ruined her case by being rude and demanding, instead of asking if you would consider it.
The idea of giving you dates you need to do it by would tip it for me, to not doing anything. I may be childish, but it makes a HUGE difference to me, how someone asks for something.

A very long post about a big, expensive garden and various pieces of equipment! You did sound a bit like you're superior but I might be wrong!

Get one of those trampolines that are in the ground. I'm