Was I in the wrong to confiscate neighbours football?

[Witsendball]

Our current house is at the end of a new build estate where there is a green space by the side of us.

Over recent weeks, secondary age kids have been playing football outside and kicking the ball repeatedly against our wall.

I’ve asked politely that they stop using the wall, and each time they stop for a bit then it starts again.

I finally had enough yesterday and took the ball off them, and said I’d return it if one of their parents knocked on our door so I could have a chat with them about their little darlings’ behaviour.

No one has been round as of yet.

Before anyone asks why we moved there, it’s a rental and we’ll be moving on soon hopefully.

I get why you have done it, my son is basketball mad! The thud, thud, thud, drives me bonkers - He goes to the park!

I wouldn't ring the police if someone didn't give DS his ball back that went over a wall, I'd apologise and tell him to get to a park!

I would come around if DS told me you took it from him, however depend on how you removed it from his possession - picked it up from the floor, wrestled it from him, took it from his hands, tripped him up for it, - would depend on my level of politeness when we met - He'd still get told to go to the park regardless

Not all kids have a park to go to though. Green spaces are few and far between. Children have a right to play and socialise. Yes that can be very annoying, but itin this case it doesn't sound malicious therefore there's not alot the OP can do. Turning it into a battle is not a good idea for anyone.

You’ve stolen their ball not great adult work

Rent a house next to a green, then complain about kids playing...yes YABU. FFS, move on and grow up you miserable beggar.

I would have done the same thing OP. In fact I have confiscated many balls from kids who were repeatedly kicking their their balls over my fence. One day one came over and smashed my greenhouse glass. Kids had previously been in warned multiple times. From that day onwards any balls that came over were mine. They were told they could have them back when they paid for the greenhouse they broke. Strangely enough after they stopped getting the balls back they were suddenly able to control where they kicked the ball and no more balls came into my garden despite still playing in the field behind most days

You’ve stolen their ball

No she hasn't.

sosorryimnotsorry, then you were in the wrong. The damage to your greenhouse should have been paid for by the perpetrator. But (tempting though it was) you should not have committed multiple thefts in retaliation. 😂 Out of interest, why did you buy a house backing onto a playing field?

Idiot.

And here we find the tone of people who come onto a parenting forum who clearly have no respect or empathy for children, or the parents who quite rightly stand up for them.

Don't blame you

The grandkids next door learned that if they kicked the ball over my fence I would not answer the door. When I did happen to go into the garden next the ball got thrown into the street and was therefore up for grabs by any kids in the area. When they had lost a few balls it stopped happening.

I hope for your sake you never need your neighbours help one day! 🙄

If your neighbor is spraying your walls with his power washer, your analogy might make sense.

Is he keeping his activity to his own property? If so, then even though the noise annoys you, he's done nothing wrong. But if he continues to spray your house after being told repeatedly not to, he's behaving like these children and deserves to have his power washer confiscated until someone responsible accompanies him to apologize for his behaviour and retrieve it.

If you teach them not to kick it against people's walls, you won't have a problem.

You did the right thing, the ONLY thing IMO that you could do. A parent can nip over and they can give instruction to their children to behave themselves as currently they are not.
id be mortified and get my own children to apologise profusely

I’d be absolutely fuming at my kid for repeatedly booting a ball against someone’s house despite being asked not to by the person in the house!
Annoying and bad mannered.

Feel sorry for the kids tbh.

Is there a "no ball games" sign?
Is there a park close by?

You don't know if the parent they are supposed to ask must not be bothered with trivia like balls because they work nights or have cancer or are tending a disabled sibling, or is going to beat the shit out of the kid in this situation, or the kid worries the parent is going to come and threaten you. Or if they even have parents and aren't in a streasful foster situation or whatever.

I have met so many kids in tough situations that I tend to see it as the norm these days. Go softly.

Perfect response. Well done.

Absolutely fine to do that if they're kicking it against your wall/fence. I say that as mum of 3 footballing kids who played football out a lot. KIcking against someone's wall or fence is an absolute no and I'd have banned mine playing if they couldn't show that basic respect.

This sort of attitude explains why there are so many inconsiderate kids these days.

Would love to see kids playing with a ball. Most in my area walk round with necks bent over a phone.

YABU

I love football, I play football as do all my kids. I would do the same. Its one thing to kick a ball about. Its another to use someone's house to kick against.
Ds 1 and dd do it daily to my house and it can last up to a hour of repeated thuds. A thud at least every 10 second. Its really annoying, but they are my children and I let them.
I don't believe anyone would be happy with this from other people's kids.

Perhaps stealing is too strong, however she still took something that didn’t belong to her.