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.😂

Brilliant!

Huge high fence then 😍

Get the developer's word in writing. Before you add a trellis or replace the fence etc. You'd never know who will come back at ya.

Looks like a poor design. Developer should have made it so people could take the sidewalk to their own homes.

Win! That means you can attach trellis etc to it and make it much harder to jump over.

Mahonia is spiked.

@AveryC so the people are jumping the fence instead of coming through the middle? Contact the developer and tell them people are using your garden as a short cut and ask what they can do about it. It may not be clear they are entering private property and yes, they are out of order using your path/garden as a short cut.

Is it your fence they are climbing on/over?

Buy one foot high trellis and attach it to the low fence. If the fence really is waist high how on earth are they climbing over it?! I think a three foot fence with an extra foot of trellis should be enough height to prevent all but the most enthusiastic from trying to climb over it. As it's yours, you could also train something to grow through the trellis.

How are they climbing over it.. um, even as a 5ft 3 hefty slovenly teenager I could hop a three or four foot fence, I regularly would flip over gates too, fold over the top, grip the gravel board or hand against the fence, flip legs over, stand up.

Less 'gravity challenged' folks could just put a hand on top of the fence and hop over.

Anyway, as its yours, check if there is a restriction on the height, there probably is... if not, happy days, replace with a 6ft fence. If there is, make it up to that height with trellis (probably 4ft) and then plant spiky shit along it.

Higher fence or add trellis, plant bushes, have water sprinklers on, signs to say danger landmines, anything which can stop it really. Your property, make it work for you. x

I believe I’ll look for some thorny plants as a barrier in the short term. I’m still deciding whether to put up signs, as some people might be even more tempted to climb over if they see them.

Once the neighbor across the street moves in, I’ll discuss with them about replacing the fence with a taller one, as our fences are connected.

Yes, I’ve already complained to the developer about this.

The fence in front of our house is very low, only waist-high, so even kids can climb over it 🤷🏻‍♀️. I’m considering raising it!

Yes🥹

If you're in wigan you can borrow my rottweiler. She's a massive softie but very shouty 🤣

Sorry but you dislike them for traipsing across and trespassing on your property without any regard for your privacy at all so why are you bothered about them disliking you?! 🙄This behaviour should be challenged ASAP as the longer it goes on the harder it will be to stop...You have 2 choices, act purposefully and as if you have validation, which you DO, and let them know this in no uncertain terms or they will just shrug their shoulders and carry on, or give up and seeth quietly ad infinitum!!! 😱

Pyracantha is very spiky, evergreen has white flowers and red berries, grows pretty fast too.

Doubt potted plants will make a difference. I'd definitly plant a spiky hedge. Most builders say no yo fencing but can be silent on hedging. I'd look into that personally and save up and buy some large established ones.

This would annoy me too. For an instant solution I would purchase and plant some five foot grown leylandi trees which you can keep trimmed but would provide a reafy jade barrier for you . Good luck.

Fence off your own property or put bushes/plants on your boundary to stop them cutting across your property on the diagonal. But I don't think you can stop them hopping over the fence into the road between the parking area.

OP and her neighbour own the parking area including the land between, it’s private property. The same as someone walking through your garden to take a short cut

I’d cover it in anti vandal paint.
or a highly trellis with flowering climbers

Spikey plants, pyrocanthus, Berberis, odd climbing rose (a nice small rambler maybe - or if the fence is long Google Kiftsgate, known to be when you have problem neighbour’s or making a statement - also smells divine and grows like a banshee).

it is a bit off, I guess people have done it so long they have become desensitised to it.

I would be really annoyed about this too. I moved into my house just under two years ago and installed a security system, including a camera which covers my front steps and part of my front and side garden. I discovered that small children were coming into my garden through a gap in my side hedge and were running through my side garden and past my window, to exit next to my front steps. Better still, it showed that their mothers were encouraging them, by standing at the gap near my steps and waiting for them. I have screenshots from the video recordings.

I filled in the gaps in the hedge with similar plants but also added pyracantha, supported with bamboo canes. Anyone trying to get through would get prickled and possibly get splinters from the bamboo! It stopped the problem straight away and now it has grown it would be impossible to get through without injury. I'm shocked at the previous behaviour but didn't have to confront neighbours as I dealt with it quickly by planting things.

It is definitely a good idea and is a quick solution. Alternatively hawthorn or quickthorn will do the job.