Do I have to give balls back?

frugalelly

My neighbours were exactly the same. We've lived here for almost a year and have had 3 fences in that time. The boy literally rode his bike through the fence because he didn't like it. He stole our garden tools about 2 months ago but he told his parents he bought them so theres no way of getting them back. He's damaged our shed by throwing stones at it. He's broken 2 windows (and we had the same 2 replaced when we moved in because they were cracked). We have footballs thrown at us every time we go in the garden as well. He also seems to think it's okay to pour waste into our garden on our vegetable patch. He's always in our garden (as are his sisters, actually) and they have a habit of breaking our stuff.

It seems to have stopped now though because every time they do anything, we go and see the parents. He's had his phone, laptop and football boots taken away as punishment and he has to get a job to cover the cost of all the damage.

I think the worst bit is that the parents say they didn't even know it was happening At least it seems to be sorted out now though, I guess.

The kids on the other side are great though. They always come round and ask politely if they can get their ball if it happens to come over, or they will just ask nicely when we're in the garden.

paulabarnard

always give the ball back!

MrsE_2

mrcow wrote: »

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.

It will cost me money in labour to get a chicken wire one installed. I'm going to have to fork out whichever way I go with this.But thats why I was going to visit the parents & inform them that any kicking of the new fence & I would go straight to the police. Or maybe I should write that & send it as a letter. After all, they've already sent me a letter about the state of the fence, saying as it was battered it now had exposed nails in the posts & their children might get injured.

MrsE_2

Mojisola wrote: »

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.

Thats why I didn't do anything about the fence in the first place, I have so much shrubbery in front of it that much of it is screened - they don't have shrubbery along theirs & didn't like looking at an old fence.The shrubbery goes right down in winter though, so I need something year round.I don't really want more hedging/shrubbery - I have 150 foot that belongs to my nice neighbour to contend with, I don't need anymore!!!!!!!!!

MrsE_2

mrbrightside842 wrote: »

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

No, its mine.I hate the hedge the other (nice) neighbours have on their side - but I'm stuck with it, but its a lot of work for me. IF I was to plant a hedge like that, it would take a long time to get to 6 foot, could they insist I trim their side?

MrsE_2

Del_Astra wrote: »

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.

To be fair, its not their dogs, its their other neighbours. He's kicked holes in their fence too & now their dogs escape into theirs & mine.I was gobsmacked when they had the cheek to complain about damage to balls from plants in my garden!!!!!! But thats the type they are...........He is prob about 10/11 & a football fanatic. He does go out playing too, but spends a lot of time in the garden kicking back & forth against the fence.He started that after repeated requests from the neighbour/dad as to when we (I was with my husband then, he left 18 months ago) were going to replace the fence. The dad wanted to make sure I changed it, this was last summer.

MrsE_2

wellused wrote: »

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.

I don't always/usually throw it back, he comes to the door & asks me to get it. I make him get it. He's not happy if it lands in the nettles at the bottom of the garden - he's actually asked me to get it for him then.But I don't want him coming around having to go through my house back & forth to the garden OR I have to open up the side gate & let him in, - two padlocks to be undo & relocked to get the balls.At the moment they help themselves, before they kicked the fence down it was pretty annoying.

MrsE_2

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

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

We trimmed back the rough nettle area last weekend & there was at least 6 balls in their alone & those are only the ones he won't retrieve himself (because of the nettles). I threw them over to the bridal path.After all - how was I to know which direction they had come from...........

gildius

Absolutely, it's not up to you to keep tabs on which balls are theirs!

Del_Astra

MrsE wrote: »

To be fair, its not their dogs, its their other neighbours. He's kicked holes in their fence too & now their dogs escape into theirs & mine.I was gobsmacked when they had the cheek to complain about damage to balls from plants in my garden!!!!!! But thats the type they are...........He is prob about 10/11 & a football fanatic. He does go out playing too, but spends a lot of time in the garden kicking back & forth against the fence.He started that after repeated requests from the neighbour/dad as to when we (I was with my husband then, he left 18 months ago) were going to replace the fence. The dad wanted to make sure I changed it, this was last summer.

I see, have you mentioned this to other neighbour? They might not be aware it is causing you concern and if they were I suspect would put it right, as most dog owners would now. They are responsible for keeping the dog under control, it shouldn't be allowed to wander across gardens / flower beds, although obviously the fence that previously stopped this is no more.

You do know you don't have to put a fence up. I would put some garden canes in and some cheap plastic fencing if a boundery was required. Sure it would look terrible but you don't have to do anything. If they want a nice new fence they can pay for one, its simple and I bet the football would soon stop.

If I were in your situation I wouldn't be doing much to put up a fence, I would not be spending money for someone to kick a ball against it.