Do I have to give balls back?

faerie~spangles

Oh and legal or not I would be sticking a darning or leather working needle into the balls. If as you say they are leather footballs then I would expect the parents to get fed up replacing them.[/QUOTE]

that would be criminal damage with intent.

sorry but its true. if anyone poked a knife needle or anything else as to cause the ball damage is a criminal offence you do not own that property, why stoop so low? it can be an annoyance not desputing that.

on putting the ball in public area. please bare in mind if the child says to daddy my ball went over next doors, the last time i had it, and they ask for it back and you say its in the public lane, and it gets pinched, they would be legally entitled to ask you to pay for the balls cost because the ball is effectivly in your care, just like a bike if you borrowed the bike and left it outside a shop without chaining it up and it got pinched you be responsable for the cost of replacing it.[/QUOTE]

Unless the child is tall enough to see where the balls landed who can prove that it didn't land in the bridle path / public space and was damaged when landing there?

annie123

I'd smile sweetly and tell the neighbour that when his son has grown out of kicking footballs at fences and learned to respect other peoples property then you'll replace the fence as you don't want a new one damaged, and until then you'll put chicken wire up to keep the dog out. A new fence but not the type he wanted.

mazza111

MrsE wrote: »

To replace 8 panels will cost me nearly £400. Shouldn't they just stop damaging it????? :-(

Most definitely, chicken wire is an option too, something the little oink can't kick. Are all the posts needing replaced too? I ask because each 6ft plank was just over £1 from our local timber place and it's more sturdy than panels. I feel for you really, once or twice it happening is understandable, but it happening constantly is a PITA! It is more expensive doing it the slat and rail way, but some of the fence panels can be rather flimsy and don't stand up to football abuse the same.

~Chameleon~

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Your neighbour has right on his side on this occasion.

He can trim your bush but the trimmings are legally yours, so he should give them back to you. Of course, you could return the favour and trim his bush too...;)

Whilst it's true that he has to offer the clippings back to the owner, he has no right just to throw them back over into the garden. If the owner refuses to accept them he has to dispose of them himself.

~Chameleon~

MrsE wrote: »

So do I legally have to throw the ball back or can I throw it over into the public area for it to be retrieved?
The public area is a bridal path & it's at the bottom of my garden.

You don't "legally" have to throw them back at all. I have a similar neighbour and they are told it's 3 strikes and out. So for the first three times the ball comes over I'll throw it back but after that I keep it and give it to my grandson. Funny how balls rarely come over now

Mojisola

There's absolutely no need to replace the fence with expensive fencing which will only get damaged again.

This sounds just the occasion for a collection of pallets wired to the posts you already have. As mentioned before, tell your neighbour that you won't be able to put up a proper fence until his son stops kicking his footballs against it.

It would be worth getting some recordings of the two of them in case they start escalating things.

MrsE_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Whilst it's true that he has to offer the clippings back to the owner, he has no right just to throw them back over into the garden. If the owner refuses to accept them he has to dispose of them himself.

Really?Do you know where I can find proof of this?I find it so rude that he does this. As I've said, I cope with nearly 150 ft of hedge on the other side (& I don't like it or gardening, but I do it to be neighbourly).

MrsE_2

Mojisola wrote: »

There's absolutely no need to replace the fence with expensive fencing which will only get damaged again.

This sounds just the occasion for a collection of pallets wired to the posts you already have. As mentioned before, tell your neighbour that you won't be able to put up a proper fence until his son stops kicking his footballs against it.

It would be worth getting some recordings of the two of them in case they start escalating things.

I need to keep the dogs out for my grandson & TBH it will be nice to reduce the balls & stop other kids coming & going as they please.

MrsE_2

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

You don't "legally" have to throw them back at all. I have a similar neighbour and they are told it's 3 strikes and out. So for the first three times the ball comes over I'll throw it back but after that I keep it and give it to my grandson. Funny how balls rarely come over now

Really? I thought you did. I have no wish to keep them though & am happy to toss them into a public area for them to collect. What about the other poster who said I was liable if anything happened to them?

mrcow

annie123 wrote: »

I'd smile sweetly and tell the neighbour that when his son has grown out of kicking footballs at fences and learned to respect other peoples property then you'll replace the fence as you don't want a new one damaged, and until then you'll put chicken wire up to keep the dog out. A new fence but not the type he wanted.

Me too.

There is no way I'd put a shiny new fence up just so someone's kid could kick it. I'd stick a naff wire one up to stop people coming through and leave it at that until the kicking had stopped for at least 3 months.