Neighbour nightmare

thescouselander

My view, with the dog, you should tell the neighbour you're going to assume the dog is hostile and if it enters the garden you'll put a garden fork through its neck. You'll then have to carry out the threat but they'll think you're such a nutter that they'll keep a low profile.

While you're at it you should probably put your garden fork through their balls too - I bet they'll stop coming over then.

Norman_Castle

We put up with it for 2 years but then my wife had enough and told their mum about them coming in our garden, who to be fair has told them off about it and I don't think they have done it since.

Try talking to the parents and explain every issue with the children and that you would like it to stop permanently. It sounds like these bored children are messing you about for fun. If it continues consider cctv and contacting the council for help.

Fill the hole in the fence every time it appears.

brightontraveller

Or count your blessings its not a crack/meth / smack house garden, street full of needles prostitutes at least there kicking a ball about and not someone’s head

Larger families often make more noise its how they get heard ditto, boys millions of people drop litter there not exclusive??? [FONT=&quot]buy a bang of balls so they don’t need to go through every day, in a small area put up a net to stop ball coming over through them back once a week, [/FONT]

You can fight/ stress scream at them on a daily basis but as they live there your most likely need a compromise or move… I’d teach them to be good neighbors
First part respect your property… shouting at them don’t work then use your noggin ask them if they want to earn some pocket money get them digging cleaning up the litter, planting things in your garden most kids a fascinated watching things grow think of the cress seeds on loo roll tomatoes etc and they like having money… knock on effect in there home there knackered after digging planting weeding there parents aren’t so stressed because its quieter… They may even get the bug and want to do it in there own garden so less ball kicking etc

sleepless120

thanks for the replies. Unfortunately a fence/wall isn't an option as it's just way too expensive and they'd just smash it down anyway. Or find another way to get in. The mum is now ranting that "at least her kids are outside" which has upset the wife because next door are the reason our kid can't go outside!

The wife has tried talking to her but she's adamant I'm at fault for shouting at the kid to kick the ball the other way. So looks like there'll be aggro regardless.

Also - they're not the type of kids to be paid to mow lawns etc, they're not pleasant at all. And it's only them who drop litter -we've seen them many times.

I might add we do have all round cctv and the mum knows this (which is why the kids now knock for the ball mostly) but isn;t too bothered.

moneyistooshorttomention

Looks like its back to looking out for nearby sloe bushes and chopping lengths of it to plug the fence hole then to try and deal with at least one problem. A standard pair of garden secateurs cut through sloe "branches" no problem - as I know from my footpath maintenance whilst on walks round here.

DRP

Think of it from their point of view:
Neighbour shouts at us, argues with mum and dad, watches us on cctv, doesn't return our ball, and doesn't allow us to nip over and retrieve it ourselves...

I don't think escalation will help matters. I would try and take a chill pill, and think hard about what you wish to achieve.

Southend1

You could put a gate in the hedgerow so the boys can fetch their ball back without bothering you?

pickledonionspaceraider

Throwing stones at your five year old? That part bothered me the most. These neighbours of yours are little animals and you won't be able to reason with them nor their mother by the sounds of it

Even with a 50 foot high fence made of barbed wire, I would refuse point blank to live next door to these peasants and would have likely painted the road with the mother by now. There is no way in HELL I would let my own five year old be afraid to go into our garden

Way I see it is you have two options-

Option 1- spend out money on a fence and keep them and their dog out. But what is this going to solve, they are still going to be there screaming half the night and a fence will not stop them throwing stones over (and as you say they may break it anyway). This could lead to many more months or years of stress as you try and put up with it but you could end up moving on to option 2 anyway after huge strain on you and your wife, and years of your children not even having their own back garden to play in or friends to visit / normal childhood...

OR

Option 2 - Put your house on the market. This isn't an ''ideal world'' situation. ''Why should I move, I have done nothing wrong?'' - you shouldn't have to- but it is certainly the less stress option. Less stress for you, less stress for your family as a whole, and the likelihood is, you are going to end up moving anyway.

Even if this family of scrotes move out, there is no guarantee you are going to get decent neighbours

I would look to move asap if it were me, as the way I see it, you are in a no win situation at the minute

pickledonionspaceraider

Southend1 wrote: »

You could put a gate in the hedgerow so the boys can fetch their ball back without bothering you?

Terrible idea, make them feel welcome

These arent just innocent boys wanting to retrieve their ball, these are little animals that are terrorising the OPs children by throwing stones at them

missindecisive

It won't be too long before these boys get to the age where the garden won't be of interest to them, they'll be off to the local shops/community centre/park to make their mischief there.
Could you get some railings attached to your garden wall then they can't sit on it? You sound like you have become victims in your own home, maybe a quiet word with your community bobby and get him to explain they are being a nuisance?