WWYD - Neighbor's Fence/Kids in our Yard (super irritated)

[mom2rtk]

You know what they say...fences make good neighbors. The only solution to this is to build a fence and pay for it yourself. As to why the parents next door are not around much, they could both just be working a ton of hours or something. And maybe the auntie next door watching the kids is older and just doesn't have the energy to make sure the kids aren't getting into too much mischief.

If you really don't want the neighbor kids playing in your yard regardless of the condition of the gate, then you need to tell them and their parents that.

In the meantime, until you get a fence installed, one method you could try would be to install one of those automatic motion-activated sprinklers that they show sometimes on the "My Cat From Hell" show on Animal Planet. Works on roaming cats? It'll work on roaming children, too.

Until they come back with swim suits and towels?

 

[Wishing on a star]

Loved your examples, queen!!!
People like that are way more common than some realize!!!

I don't 'ask' for somebody to recognize and respect our personal boundaries.
I would do what I needed to do to protect my personal boundaries.
That is my responsibility, and I totally 'own' that.

These 'communal' and 'entitled' people just don't have any understanding.
I had once said that many people fall into two categories.
Those that respect ownership and boundaries.
And those that have a very communal and entitled viewpoint.

There have been many, many, many, threads here on the DIS that would illustrate that.
Issues with property and fences...
People taking other's food stored in company lunch/break areas.
How about the good ole granny who took her grandson's TV!!!!
Ohhhh, and I am remembering on poster who's BIL thought that their house should be his house, and wanted to move in 'temporarily' with his girlfriend, while the OP and her family were away.
Or, here is an old one... the McDonald's thread where somebody thought it was okay for her pre-schooler to pick up and play with, go thru, an older woman's purse.... who happened to be sitting adjacent to them.... Complained about the old witch who wasn't just so happy about it.
These stories really take the cake!!!!!

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I agree entitled, haven't got a clue and free-range parents are everywhere and in every neighbourhood. I have this family on my street with 2 kids around 6 and 3 years old. The parents and grandfather have somehow assumed that everybody's front yard is a makeshift park for their kids although we have 2 large parks literally 3 minutes away walking distance. In the summer they allow the kids to soak themselves on any lawn that has a sprinkler on and play with any kind of yard ornament they find. Many times I look out the window to see the grandfather sitting on someone's porch stairs while the kids play on said porch stairs' lawn. During Halloween and Christmas everybody's decorations are fair game. Last Christmas I heard noise on my porch, opened the door and there was the little girl trying to pull off the red ribbon on one of my smaller trees with grandfather laughing because I guess he found it "so cute". Needless to say I told them to leave only for them to come back a couple of weeks later and so on.....

 

[Maxpowers]

The only way you're going to get piece of mind is a new fence. Stinks that it's on you and you'll have to pay for it. But otherwise, you'll spend a lot of your time worrying/yelling/asking politely for the kids/parents to respect your property (which I cannot see happening if it hasn't so far).

 

[Allison]

I am dying to know how you have a gate without a fence already in place. OP-Please let us know.

 

[RangerPooh]

Earlier this summer at a neighborhood bbq we learned that the family living in the house before us caused our back fence neighbor to increase the height of his 6' fence. Apparently they got the kids a trampoline and the kids/adults would watch the neighbors swim and make comments about the company they had over. So they added lattice work to their deck near the fence in an attempt to block their view, thereby increasing the fence height another 3 feet.

 

[Maxpowers]

I am dying to know how you have a gate without a fence already in place. OP-Please let us know.

I'm guessing they have a portion of it already fenced in...probably up to where their neighbors fence used to be. And thus a gate.

 

[aprilgail]

Earlier this summer at a neighborhood bbq we learned that the family living in the house before us caused our back fence neighbor to increase the height of his 6' fence. Apparently they got the kids a trampoline and the kids/adults would watch the neighbors swim and make comments about the company they had over. So they added lattice work to their deck near the fence in an attempt to block their view, thereby increasing the fence height another 3 feet.

The house behind me put a trampoline up in the back right by the fence- I have shrubs all along the fence so I just let them grow and grow and they block the view now.

 

[Wishing on a star]

We haven't needed a fence, here....
But, I have had a problem that a fence would not solve.
Several of our past and current neighbors just LOVE to burn.... I swear, it has been like a favorite daily past-time for them.
Here I am, with a dog and a kid who is on Xyzal, shots, etc... and there were times where we couldn't even to outside or open the doors.
There were days that we just up and got in the car and left.....
I finally said something to one neighbor, and that helped....
A couple of these neighbors have gotten older and moved off.
But, the one lady next door takes the cake. We were having a roof put on our house. She sets up her burning just feet/yards away... right on the property line... finding anything she can, even 'green' debris, to burn. I think she had to put kerosene or something on it to light it and get it to burn.
Billowing clouds of toxic, nasty, black smoke going right over our roof.
I had my son say something to her... that helped, momentarily.
Next morning, the roofers showed up to finish the job... She starts the fire AGAIN.....
I didn't say a word. Just turned on the garden hose on that side of our house, pulled it over that way, and spayed away putting the fire out.
Then walked off.

 

[NFLDERS]

You know what they say...fences make good neighbors. The only solution to this is to build a fence and pay for it yourself. As to why the parents next door are not around much, they could both just be working a ton of hours or something. And maybe the auntie next door watching the kids is older and just doesn't have the energy to make sure the kids aren't getting into too much mischief.

If you really don't want the neighbor kids playing in your yard regardless of the condition of the gate, then you need to tell them and their parents that.

In the meantime, until you get a fence installed, one method you could try would be to install one of those automatic motion-activated sprinklers that they show sometimes on the "My Cat From Hell" show on Animal Planet. Works on roaming cats? It'll work on roaming children, too.

OR, backfire! I've never known a kid that doesn't enjoy a sprinkler!!

 

[NFLDERS]

We haven't needed a fence, here....
But, I have had a problem that a fence would not solve.
Several of our past and current neighbors just LOVE to burn.... I swear, it has been like a favorite daily past-time for them.
Here I am, with a dog and a kid who is on Xyzal, shots, etc... and there were times where we couldn't even to outside or open the doors.
There were days that we just up and got in the car and left.....
I finally said something to one neighbor, and that helped....
A couple of these neighbors have gotten older and moved off.
But, the one lady next door takes the cake. We were having a roof put on our house. She sets up her burning just feet/yards away... right on the property line... finding anything she can, even 'green' debris, to burn. I think she had to put kerosene or something on it to light it and get it to burn.
Billowing clouds of toxic, nasty, black smoke going right over our roof.
I had my son say something to her... that helped, momentarily.
Next morning, the roofers showed up to finish the job... She starts the fire AGAIN.....
I didn't say a word. Just turned on the garden hose on that side of our house, pulled it over that way, and spayed away putting the fire out.
Then walked off.

I know a pp with a motion sensor sprinkler!

 

[NFLDERS]

Until they come back with swim suits and towels?

AND, a few water toys that they'll leave behind!

 

[VandVsmama]

AND, a few water toys that they'll leave behind!

LOL! Totally. Next thing you know, they'll be asking for free Otter pops and lemonade from the OP.

 

[okeydokey]

Loved your examples, queen!!!
People like that are way more common than some realize!!!



There have been many, many, many, threads here on the DIS that would illustrate that.
Issues with property and fences...
People taking other's food stored in company lunch/break areas.
How about the good ole granny who took her grandson's TV!!!!
Ohhhh, and I am remembering on poster who's BIL thought that their house should be his house, and wanted to move in 'temporarily' with his girlfriend, while the OP and her family were away.
Or, here is an old one... the McDonald's thread where somebody thought it was okay for her pre-schooler to pick up and play with, go thru, an older woman's purse.... who happened to be sitting adjacent to them.... Complained about the old witch who wasn't just so happy about it.
These stories really take the cake!!!!!

Oh my gosh, I remember ALL of these. Craaaaazy stories.

 

[bdcp]

I do not get the mentality that everyone's yard is open to everyone. As I used to tell my boys, we don't pay their mortgage, so you do not go into their yard unless you are invited. If someone wants to contribute to my mortgage, then you are welcome to use my yard too lol. We currently have a corner lot and people treat it like common space. I love the parents who get offended if you say anything at all to their special little snowflakes. They let their kids roam everywhere, do what they want, in anyone's yard, but don't dare ask them to not do something unsafe and you'll get chewed out. One neighbor chewed out DH because he dared asked her son to move down near here where she was talking to a neighbor while he was edging and mowing along the sidewalk. She went off on how it was a public space. Seriously? Okay, you mow it then.

 

[MrsDuck]

I am dying to know how you have a gate without a fence already in place. OP-Please let us know.

OP here!

There is a yard gate between all HOUSES in our neighborhood. They sit further up on the property and are viewable from the street. The FENCE ran between our back yards dividing the property lines. So, the fence fell last October during Hurricane Matthew and the neighbors never replaced it. Our gate which was still up until the children ripped it down was standing in it's original place until last week. The kids are running from their yard into mine and up our side yard to open the gate between our houses that sits on my property.

Thanks all for the help! We are calling a fencing company Monday to replace gate assuming they aren't swamped with hurricane repairs. Then, we will see what happens with backyard. Hubby and I both agree that a fence will go up when our son arrives in 2 months if this continues to be a problem.