Neighbour climbs over the fence next to my house to get home.

[AveryC]

Hi everyone,
I just moved in to a new development, everything is good except for one thing.
My house is located at the end of a cul-de-sac. The front door faces a path for we walk to our driveway and a low fence, which marks the boundary at the end of or property. Outside the low fence have a a lawn and have a narrow walkway.
The walkway can get to to places like the supermarket and school.
However, during school dismissal, people often cut across the grass and climb over the fence, stepping into our property on their way home and some neighbors often walk through my property and climb over the fence near my house to access the footpath.

In doing so, they end up stepping on parts of my property, including areas just outside my parking space or some child jump into my front door area.

I feel incredibly annoyed and uncomfortable about their behavior. If they get too close to my house, I usually warn them. But there are times when they do this on the outskirts of my property, which makes it harder for me to say anything.l, but it supposed to be a close.

It’s only winter now; I can’t imagine what it will be like in the summer.
What should I do? And AIBU?

Thank you for reading my thoughts.
Here is my primary school-level drawing for your reference.😂

If the situation is exactly as set out in this drawing i.e. there is a very small public right of way between yours and your neighbours' private roads (the gap between the two black areas you've drawn here) then it's trickier. Because you can't fully block off access / complain about people crossing in that spot. You would need to build higher fences / barriers around the areas you legally own and leave a right of way

@AveryC why dont you shade in all the private land so it is clear, put directions of school and supermarket too cos i cannot work out where they are coming from if you are at the bottom of the cul de sac. all the cul de sacs i know are impassable at the bottom. what height is the fence in situ? so in the new pic is the red shaded area also private??

The fence hoppers ARE impinging on OP's property though.

They are hopping over and crossing OP's front garden/parking spaces diagonally to get on the road between OP and opposite neighbour.

From what has been said I'm not envisioning a front garden, but rather a paved expanse that connects the houses. The complaint isn't that people are landing on the rosebed and trampling her lawn, but that that jumping a small fence placed by the developer lacks propriety. She thinks its unseemly to disobey the rules of street furniture like that.

Well I could be wrong, but my interpretation is this...

OP's front door faces the low fence. There is a "garden" or strip of her own private land in front of said front door.

To the side on the left of her front door (as you look at most recent drawing) are the two private parking spots. Then there is the road between her and opposite neighbour.

So the fence hoppers jump over near Op's front door and cross her land diagonally and across the parking spots to get on to the road.

OP might confirm.

We had a similar problem as our front gardens were open plan when we moved in,we're at the end of the row on the corner,so they would cut across the garden to get to the car park and garages round the back. Sometimes they would stand and gossip on our lawn in front of our living room window and if it was raining, inside our front porch ! Plus a couple of neighbourhood drunks would walk up the side of our house on their way home from the weekend pub crawl and have a pee and or vomit, so nice of them! We had put a fence round and some plants and keep the side gate locked and that was problem solved,
If I were you,I'd find out if I could have a higher fence or I would buy & fill several long trellis planters and put them along your fence line so they can't do climb over, expensive but worth it in the long run for peace of mind and privacy..

Poor woman - how horrible for her. Hope though you're not suggesting it's a rightful comeuppance...

Put glass or nails at the top of your fence

Like this OP?

Dark Green arrow is the way neighbour should be walking out the estate and down the footpath (by the grass verge) to school/shops.

Red arrow is the way people are jumping the fence and walking past OP house (in blue).

Id be frustrated, one of the reasons we brought a house in a no through road is peace and quiet with people who do shifts and trying to sleep in the day.

Don’t do that. You could hurt someone or wildlife and end up in trouble

hi, I feel your pain OP. I'm in a corner house and people cut across the front garden all the time, or let their dogs use it... gross. I planted holly plants and some other things to make the edge clearer (I wondered if some folk thought it was communal or something), and if I see kids walking on it, I go out and tell them not to go across our lawn. As the plants get bigger, they won't be able to cut across. Putting the plants in has really improved things. Good luck!

Could you and the neighbour put a fence and gate over the driveway?

Are the builders still on site?

It's not karma @BettyBardMacDonald

The old lady didn't want random people on her property. I can imagine that would make her feel anxious and unsafe. There is nothing wrong with that.

As for her falling and lying unnoticed for days. Your response was heartless given the circumstances.

@MyOtherCarIsAPorsche

All of our gardens are one big grass patch. No fences to show where they end and the neighbours begins.

Suppose that's what happens if you buy off plan but I can understand your daughters annoyance.

Read it then? I mean you need to look at what it says before we can give you suggestions surely?

What does your neighbour with the shared land think about it? It must affect them too.

Prickly plants do make a difference, but remember to put up a temporary barrier to give them a chance to grow.

we had a similar issues, as I side on to a walking path and people/fishermen would try and jump the fence. This fence with the additional section has stoped it completely

Don't see it as an issue, it's actually an opportunity. These people are saving 3 minutes per journey, and time is money.

What you need to do is get together with the neighbour and buy a turnstile, as well as one of those contactless payment things.
Then each time some one wants to cut through your land they pay 50p toll.
Job done!

On the second diagram, are the parts you shaded black roads (that a car can drive on), or a footpath to your house? Does this area belong to you in your deeds? If so, could you put up a garden gate at your boundary to block the way?

The fence is way too low.

You have to put a sign up warning people when using anti-vandal paint

Right? So put a sign up.

Is it even the OP’s fence?