Football 'trespass' clarification

aileth

Hi all,

Having issues with neighbour's footballs constantly coming into our garden again and them ignoring our pleas not to kick it at our house.

Law seems a bit grey, but it seems I have no obligation to return the footballs unless requested. They are straight around hammering the bell until we answer. I'm getting really fed up of having to give the footballs back only for them to kick it at the house.

Am I within my rights to withhold the balls for, say, 24 hours to try and dissuade them from kicking it at my house? Even if they come around and request return immediately? Some websites say that's theft.

pmlindyloo

aileth wrote: »

Hi all,

Having issues with neighbour's footballs constantly coming into our garden again and them ignoring our pleas not to kick it at our house.

Law seems a bit grey, but it seems I have no obligation to return the footballs unless requested. They are straight around hammering the bell until we answer. I'm getting really fed up of having to give the footballs back only for them to kick it at the house.

Am I within my rights to withhold the balls for, say, 24 hours to try and dissuade them from kicking it at my house? Even if they come around and request return immediately? Some websites say that's theft.

I agree that this can be very tiresome.

From what I have read you have to give the ball back.

A couple of suggestions (obviously you would have to let them know). Agree to give it back at the end of the day when it is convenient to you or (and this is my favourite) agree to give it back to the parent (after all you don't know whose ball it is . Apparently the parent soon gets fed up with coming round and sorts out their children to play football somewhere else.

This means you will give the ball back so no theft.

aileth

It's the parent who normally comes around. She has no issue with hammering our doorbell. Once she came around five times in an hour. She loves confrontation, and if you say anything that she doesn't like she goes full on verbal abuse.

davidmcn

Whatever the solution, I don't think the law is particularly relevant, unless it's an unusually valuable ball, or your local cops are so bored that they'd attend a report of football theft (though they'd be more interested in a breach of the peace, of course).

Nobbie1967

I think 'theft' is the intention to permanently deprive, so holding the ball for a period is not against the law. Maybe just say that you'll return it when you walk down the garden later, maybe 30 mins or an hour. Holding it for 24 hours seems a bit more unreasonable, but probably doesn't achieve much more in terms of making them think before kicking the ball at your house.

nidO

"Oh, bummer, your ball hit the pointy end of the secateurs i'd left in the garden when I was out weeding a little while ago" *hand back deflated, ruined, stabbed-with-sharp-thing ball*

aileth

Nobbie1967 wrote: »

I think 'theft' is the intention to permanently deprive, so holding the ball for a period is not against the law. Maybe just say that you'll return it when you walk down the garden later, maybe 30 mins or an hour. Holding it for 24 hours seems a bit more unreasonable, but probably doesn't achieve much more in terms of making them think before kicking the ball at your house.

That is a very good point. I think an hour does make more sense, I could be in the middle of a very important TV program :cool:

Unitoons

What are they really going to do if you kept it? Even if they called the police you could just say the football belonged to you - or hide it and say "what football?" - I doubt the CSI team will arrive on your doorstep, search your house or dust for prints!

Alias_Omega

How old are the children, and how is it coming over?

We let our children play in the garden, as its unsafe to play on the roads or the local park without supervision. Unfortunately a football is kicked, and sometimes it goes stray.

Eventually the children will get older, and playing football in the garden will pass and it will be skateboards, bikes and "girls".

Whilst the children may leave, my neighbours may be here for the next 10, 20 or even 30 years.

I would maybe allow the children access through a side gate to obtain the ball back, and if you speak to them...you may change from the "nagging person next door"...

aileth

Alias_Omega wrote: »

How old are the children, and how is it coming over?

We let our children play in the garden, as its unsafe to play on the roads or the local park without supervision. Unfortunately a football is kicked, and sometimes it goes stray.

Eventually the children will get older, and playing football in the garden will pass and it will be skateboards, bikes and "girls".

Whilst the children may leave, my neighbours may be here for the next 10, 20 or even 30 years.

I would maybe allow the children access through a side gate to obtain the ball back, and if you speak to them...you may change from the "nagging person next door"...

Child is about 10 and the football comes over because he is kicking it at our house constantly and it sometimes errantly flies in the back garden. Mother knows it annoys us and instructs him to do so.

I don't want to allow them any access as to me that is effectively saying it is okay for them to keep kicking it against our house, which we have asked them not to do enumerate times because the constant thud thud thud and the loud bangs as it almost hits a window drive you absolutely nuts, plus it sets the dog off barking.

Pandilex

"What ball?"