Do I have to give balls back?

Mojisola

MrsE wrote: »

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.

Pallets make a very sturdy fence. If they're not tall enough, you could double stack them or put in bamboo poles with netting to catch the balls.

You know that any new fencing is going to be damaged by the neighbour's child. Either spend the money and accept the new fence is likely to be damaged (because it will be almost impossible to stop him) or put up something that won't matter. It won't look as good but you could plant some screening or climbing plants in front of it.

mrbrightside842

Why's it your fence to pay for? Isn't it a shared fence to go halves on?

mazza111

Actually think pallet fencing would be more sturdy than those panels. If it's the ones I'm thinking about, also a good idea for bamboo or netting above. I would also tend to speak to the neighbour, and tell him you will put a decent fence up once the child has learned to respect it.

ian103

i'd go with chicken wire netting as its cheap and not pretty (or freecycle panels reinforced with netting), i'd also plant a hedge my side so its was ok for me. They wouldn't be getting a new fence off me. The other option is some second hand heras panels like you see round building sites, green debris netting your side and bingo secure fence, looks rubbish their side but is safe, your side looks fine as the netting would give a green appearance

Del_Astra

Can you get evidence of the dogs in your garden, and I don't mean the deposits. I love dogs, but really can't stand poor owners, if you know who's dogs are doing it you can then address this with the owners who should be picking it up. If not report them, dog owners are mostly responisble these days but it only takes a minority to spoil it.

Reading this thread I was thinking large prickly hedge.... then you said they had complained about your Hawthorn.... I hope you kept a straight face. I would be pointing out the damage caused by the son to your property. Everytime a ball is kicked against a fence it will weaken the posts, these will eventually come down, most probably in high winds and you will have to replace.

What age is the son that is kicking the ball? It sounds to me he would benefit from making friends and getting out from the garden and playing with other kids, if he is old enough and if he can kick a proper leather ball then he probably is old enough to be out playing. I think you need to speak to the neighbour. I would also speak to community officer, they will offer advice on how to proceed without confrontation.

wellused

You don't have to throw the ball back just tell them to come round to your front door if they want it back, after a few times they will get fed up with the walk especially if you go to the door and say that you are too busy at the moment to retrieve the ball and that they should come back later.

Leif

Oh, and make sure the ball happens to roll in excrement. Then place in a plastic bag (bin liner is best as big), and when they come to the door, hand it back, apologising for the mess, but it rolled through dog muck, from the dogs that got into the garden due to the damaged fence.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

keeping the balls is theft, no matter how you want to adress them with a strike system. ive gone through this before when i was young. there is a park here where i live and theres a house that backs onto the small basket ball area (council didnt think to errect a high fence at the rear of that house) he was a nightmare he would wait in his garden for them to come over tell you its min now im fed up with ball coming in here and give them to his kids and grandkids, police called after he pinched a mates new ball he admitted to keeping all that came over, ball returned, a warning issue and he didnt keep one after that.

Del_Astra

Leif wrote: »

Oh, and make sure the ball happens to roll in excrement. Then place in a plastic bag (bin liner is best as big), and when they come to the door, hand it back, apologising for the mess, but it rolled through dog muck, from the dogs that got into the garden due to the damaged fence.

I think I understand where you are coming from, but I don't think this is going to help in the long run. From what the OP has stated they appear to have been very reasonable thus far, and I'd suggest handing a child a ball in that state isn't a very clever thing for an adult to do.

OP - I have found that by asking the child to get an adult to come and ask for the ball back helps. If I'm going to be disturbed then the parent is too. Politely ask the adult that to tell their kid to stop damaging your property. If mum or dad are put out everytime the ball comes into your garden they are more likely to address the kids behaviour IMO.

cyclonebri1

I haven't read all this but so apologies if I repeat.

Just a few comments on what I have read;

If a neighbour kicked 6 balls a day over my fence, I dam well wouldn't be happy for him to come and get them. He would only kick it over once unless he had 6 balls, ooooh matron

Common courtesy dictates he waits until he sees you, or knocks on the door and asks for the ball back.

I think you you can retain the balls indefinitely, but you cannot destroy them as that becomes a criminal offence on your part.

It is the dog owners responsibility to keep the dog in not yours to keep it out.




I would say I go out of my way to get on with my neighbours as poor relations can make life hell. We have a couple of neighbours to the rear with young'uns. Me and my next door neighbour get all sorts of balls toys etc thrown over, I simply put them in my compost frame, and eventually he will ask for them back when he sees me. Last time I had a collection of 8 or more balls, I'd stop buying them, but that's his problem.

I agree, you sound to decent about all this, but a word in the council dog catchers ear wouldn't go amiss and the smallest hint that you thing his visits are related to your own young family should get the message over.
The rest I won't comment on as I wouldn't be as accomodating as you, :T:T