kids jumping the fence all the time into my yard (HOA, houses)

[bpn312cleo]

When I moved into the NW Suburb neighborhood the neighbors were not so friendly because I am a single person not a family moving into the neigborhood. I have fence which I am thankful for because the kids in the backyard between a couple houses run back and forth and they seen to have no boundaries. Last year my fence was broke and I just fixed it without saying anything, I always see bikes set up against it and balls being hit againt it. The parents are outside but they don't care when these things are hitting the fence. This summer the new thing is the kids are climbing the fence for their balls, What can I do to make this stop? The parents don't seem to care and when they are approached they just say this is a kids neighborhood I have to deal with it? They can fall and my fence can break! Well this is my property. I am a reasonable person, love kids and I will give their ball back if they ask - just don't climb my fence, stay off my property and I don't want anybody getting hurt. This could be a nice neighborhood if everyonce treats everyone nicely and no disrepecting. Any help or suggestions would help. Maybe it won't help since they don't care anyway.

[cubssoxfan]

Try talking to the parents again. Are you part of a neighborhood association? If yes, go to head of the association and see if there are rules to be enforced. If not, call the non-emergency number for your Police department and speak with them. If all else fails, get a dog with a nasty bark, but nice disposition or put some decorative spikes on top of your fence or maybe some "Roost no More"- sticky, yucky stuff to keep birds off fence. It might keep kids off fence.

[cohdane]

Adding to the passive methods of keeping kids out:

Borrow a friend's dog for a while (while they're on vacation, for instance) and let the kids wonder if it's yours and whether it will be in the yard.

Take a sudden interest in gardening and lay manure near the "hop off" point. I once told the kids in my neighborhood that I didn't mind them in my yard, except some of the plants were poisonous and would give them a reaction like poison ivy if they accidentally brushed against them (this was true, I just didn't tell them which plants). It kept them to "designated" areas and out of the flower beds.

A nighttime application of Vaseline to the area kids use to climb will have them wondering what gross thing happened to your fence without everyone knowing you're the saboteur.

[NYrules]

Get an electric fence. They'll learn.

[sunsprit]

It sounds like you've moved into a neighborhood where the prevailing "culture" is at odds with your rights and expectations.

Given the less-than cooperative (and respectful) reaction you've gotten from the parents/neighbors you've already talked with, it's going to be a situation of escalating problems for you. Kids have a way of "getting even" if you're an obstacle to what they consider to be normal behavior. I'd expect that their parents don't see what all the fuss is about, and neither will their children.

So, you can take a hard line about your fence and property and rights and risks, but it's more likely that you'll do nothing more than stir up a lot of problems for yourself. Getting the law involved will not accomplish your desired quiet enjoyment of your property, either.

Sorry to be so adverse to your situation, but it's unlikely that the use of your fence and yard started yesterday with your purchase of the property. It's probably been used that way by the neighborhood for a long time, and it's customary.

Unless you can find a friendly, non-confrontational way to get the kid's activities directed to another location, you're stuck with this ... unless you move.

Don't even think about viscious dogs or electric fences or poisonous plants ... all put you at risk of an incident where you'll be looking at a suit against your "premeditated" assault or injury upon one of the kids, and the object of their vandalism or other annoyances.

[Anthera]

Motion detector sprinkler.

[ihynes]

We have neighbor kids that play softball all summer, too, and they will come into our back yard for their balls but leave the gate open! So our dog runs away! And then we pay the pound to pick him up! I started putting a bike lock on the gate and I throw the balls back into their yard when I see them.

[kmwheel]

We had very small yards in my old neighborhood and there was one kid who would always climb our fence to retrieve his ball. I spotted him one time and came out and explained to him that he was welcome to come around to the unlocked gate to retrieve his ball (we didn't have dogs or anything). A few days later, they are playing again and the ball goes over my fence. Who do I see climbing over but his dear ol' dad!! I always tried to be respectful of neighbors but that really cheesed me off. They did break our fence! We had to realign the posts and add more concrete to them. Fortunately, they moved away.

Sadly, your HOA probably won't let you put up the 6 ft. tall blockade style with razor wire on top.

[Flatlander]

At our old house we had a tall wooden fence that was impossible to climb. Then we padlocked the gates so kids could not retrieve balls. We also did this for their safety as we've always had big dogs...still do.

I say, get a different style of fence or a big dog...or find a way to be amused and entertained by the kids rather than bothered.

[Irishtom29]

You really think people shouldn't lean bikes against your fence or let balls hit it?!? Are you serious?

Maybe you ought to tear the fence down and just let the kids play across your yard. If the kids can get two or three yards strung together they can have great football games.