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.😂

this. you could put up any of the suggested solutions alongside your section of the fence but unless your neighbour did the same thing presumably they would just carry on stepping over anywhere between the middle part/neighbour's part instead. So at least they wouldn't be able to step over directly onto your doorstep, but they'd still be walking on the 'shared' private land.

That would annoy me, the whole point of living at the end of a cul-de-sac is that you have no through traffic and your kids etc can just dump their bikes outside your house. The way the developers have designed it makes it feel like everyone is tramping through your driveway (which I guess they are) that's annoying too, I often leave my car unlocked on my drive or dump stuff next to the car if I'm packing for day trips or holidays etc do I would want that to feel private.

Either a gap needs to be cut through or installing robust plants along 'your' bit; will need to be something fairly substantial otherwise people will just trample your plants.
Shame the developers won't take ownership of the issue, was a stupid idea to have a low fence next to a footpath because of the security risk, most footpaths going past houses have 6ft fences where I live.

There are too many comments, and I can’t respond to all of them at once. However, I’ve noticed that some people hold views opposite to mine. From my perspective, a fence means you’re not supposed to cross it and should use another exit. But it turns out some people believe that crossing the fence is acceptable.

This has made me realize that some people genuinely think this way. So, the only solution for me is to place obstacles, as explaining it to them won’t help since our logic is fundamentally different.
🤔

You think the same way as I do. I bought a cul-de-sac because I didn’t want strangers or too much traffic. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have bought it.

But I’ve seen comments saying it’s their right to cross a fence to someone else’s cul-de-sac. Now I’m starting to doubt myself too 😂.

The developer only put up a waist-high fence as the boundary for the cul-de-sac, thinking it would indicate no access. But clearly, people don’t see it that way.

Before you plant anything, check your deeds. Some new estates limit what you can plant. Also buy bigger established plants or they will just get trampled on.

Nice drawing 👍🏻
Maybe I didn’t make myself clear—those low fences mark the end of the cul-de-sac. My house is located at the end, which is why the fences are right next to my property, directly in front of my door. When people jump over those fences, it means they’re trespassing onto my property.

Seriously
A fence is a barrier
If people were allowed to walk that way there would not be a barrier blocking access.
They are taking a short cut because no one’s stopped them yet and they are lazy.

OP and her neighbour opposite own the area between their parked cars and have shared access
It’s their private land

I think I get it.

You're at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Your cul-de-sac meets, but is blocked from, another thoroughfare (not sure if its a road with a pavement or just a footpath) at a right angle, and is fenced off from that thoroughfare.

People wanting to access your road will hop the fence and then walk up the road a bit, rather than walk all the way round and in from the actual entrance to your road.

The issue here is caused by lazy developers/planners - people will follow 'paths of desire', usually the shortest possible route from A to B.

Planners are meant to understand these and keep them in mind to prevent exactly this sort of issue, but in between the 'drawing up plans' stage and the 'making contractors actually build it' stage... shit gets tossed aside and forgotten, if it was ever there in the first place.

Look at your deeds, get your neighbour to do same.

See if you can increase fence height (probably not), or plant something your side of the fence that means hopping it is not pleasant. This is more likely as typically developments only want to manage planting/landscaping for a short time. Usually the time it takes for the development to be finished and all sold off.

Plant something that grows pretty dense and spikey, you may well need a temporary fence as it grows and you may need to shell out on well established mature plants or small ones will get trampled by the trespassers.

You probably can't use anti-vandal paint on the existing fence, however you may be able to use it on your own inner fence, should you put one up, HOWEVER... you will need to ensure it is marked down its length at regular intervals, as being treated with anti-vandal paint, or you may be liable for damage to peoples clothing/property!

It would have been better for them to put a gap in the fence right in the middle of where the two parking areas join, and create a right of way there, so pedestrians would then take that path, rather than jump a fence further up/down, however that then means selling properties that have a ROW across them which puts off buyers...

Ok so there's a low fence on the edge of yours and your neighbours property. In between your houses is your access to the road. People are viewing this as a public right of way.

Yes this would annoy me and I'm not sure plants would work as they could climb over further down. Have you spoke to neighbours about it?

I'd ask the developers to put up a higher fence or speak to neighbours about a gate if possible?

OP does own the area they are jumping into. That would annoy the hell out of me too. I m obviously made of sterner stuff though because everyone who did this would get short shrift from me.

OP, on the picture where you added red, can you explain what the gap is between the two black areas that you also drew?

Assuming you added the black lines to indicate your and your neighbour's boundaries, why is there a little gap between them?

I know you said the red area is co-owned, but I'm curious about why there would be a little gap marked out between, what I assume are, privately-owned areas.

The simplest solution would be some signs on the low fence "Private property - Do not cross this fence".

Then if those don't work, I'd go tall, trellisy and spiky.

I was going to say this. A nice holly hedge. Or Berberis,

Lots of signs saying private property no trespassing. Sign on fence saying this is a fence please do not climb.

Couks you use anti climb paint for the fence? Or vegwrable oil which dries leaving a sticky residue?

Sorry, should be look like this one.

This is hilarious—just spoke with the developer, and it turns out that the low fence is actually mine, while the one on my neighbor’s side belongs to them.
So basically, the developer used our fences as the boundary for the cul-de-sac! 😂

Spiked at the top of the fence and a warning sign.

The trouble with signs is they often get vandalised, removed or just outright ignored (what sign , I didn't see a sign etc) so physical barriers are the best way to go really

That’s normal.
Everyone fence is a boundary to something, road, path, someone else’s garden.
They gave you ownership so you have to maintain it.
Now you can both put up huge sign saying
no trespassing over this fence, private property.

That's great OP. You and your neighbour could agree on a joint fence that covers both your properties.
If not, make yours higher.

As many previous posters have stated just grow a spiky hedge along your fence. Very unpleasant to over.

Natural deterrents are completely legal and while you may need go keep the height and width down they can be legally taller than fencing.

That’s excellent news that the fence and boundary is yours, so you have control over it, so OP what do you plan to do?