When neighbors don't respect boundaries (cost, build, siding, iron)
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We recently moved into a new house (been there two months). On one side are three boys, elementary school age. We haven't yet met those neighbors--they never bothered to come by to say hello.
Anyhow, the boys play baseball in their yard, and their ball often hits our house with a thud. Also, when they play, two of them are in our backyard, using our yard as their outfield or whatever. There is no fence.
We were never asked our permission for them to play right in our backyard. Clearly their parents have no sense of boundaries--i.e. I am very irritated that neither the boys nor the parents asked our permission for the boys to play in our yard. Also, the boys themselves seem to have no sense of boundaries as their ball has hit our house several times. I am worried they're going to break a window. The parents are on their deck watching the boys play, so they are aware of the situation. If the boys oriented their game so they were hitting the ball into their own backyard, instead of hitting directly into our yard, this would not be a problem.
Finally (recently) after the ball hit my house particularly hard, with a very loud thud, and I watched this happen, I went over and asked the boys to be careful and let them know I watched the ball hit my house. The parents weren't around.
They apologized, but I feel like this will keep happening, as this has been happening every night since we moved in. It irritates me that the parents have no respect for our property boundaries by letting the boys a) play their game well into our yard and b) they see the boys hitting the ball towards our house and watch them run into the yard/next to the house to retrieve it. If neighborly relations are soured by my telling the boys to be careful, it's the parents' fault for being so rude as to presume it was okay with us to let their kids use our lawn as their baseball diamond, when they had never even met us.
Any thoughts? Did I do the right thing by telling them to be careful and that I saw them hit the house? I was conflicted about telling them because I don't want to strain neighborly relations (we haven't even met them yet). But I'm really, really annoyed by this. I'd like to tell the parents that this is private property, and how would they like it if my husband and I played badminton in their backyard every night? We're strongly thinking about putting up a fence or planting trees to eliminate this problem.
I had the same problem and put up a fence. It was the best money I've ever spent. Some people just have no respect for the property of others and need boundaries. Save yourself years of aggravation and put up a fence. There's a reason for the saying, "Good fences make good neighbors."
Yep - some parents are so clueless, and if they are clueless now as small boys, it is only going to get worse in teen years. GET A FENCE, preferably a tall privacy fence. Just be prepared to be throwing the ball back into their yard a lot.
You could calmly and reasonably try and confront the parents about the hitting the house with the ball thing, don't they know siding dents? If they are true NFH (neighborsfromhell) they will get all defensive and pissed off and try and "get back at you" for daring to say something about their precious children....
OR if they are just inconsiderate, they may actually try and get the boys to play somewhere else for a while, but it may be something where you have to continually "remind" them .. it is going to be a spin the roulette wheel.
OR just get the fence put up, problem solved.
A fence sounds like a good idea. We have a large yard, so not sure we'll have the money for a fence right away.
I've been trying to find some temporary fence material I can put up in the meantime to make it clear to these kids where the property line is. Can anyone point me towards some temporary fencing that could accomplish this purpose?
Plant some cactus or rose bushes so that the boys have to climb through the thorns to retrieve their ball. Doubles as a good deterent against break-ins too.
Vote number 2 for the fence. And let the pretty side face your house.
I would guess the parents are not so much clueless as they simply do not care. I really think some people are well aware of boundaries but like to overstep them as either a sign of power or for the joy of puching others' buttons (which is also a power move.)
It reminds me of a friend I used to have who would bring his dog to social gatherings. Basically it put him in the spotlight as everyone else adjusted to this dog being somewhere it didn't belong. The recent irony is that two of our newer childless friends now do the exact same thing and the renters accross the street send their daughter over day and night to play with his kids as free babysitting. Watching him grow annoyed is pretty humorous since it is basically behavior he has displayed to others.
Fence it, nice and high. We've electrified ours. Well, that's to stop cows but it might deter nosey neighbors too. I sympathize with the OP, there is a huge lack of respect for private property generally and I'm all for doing whatever it takes to remind people where the boundaries are.
Can you borrow someones' Rottwelier/German Shepherd/Doberman? Just a thought.
How about you go out and umpire the pick up game? Or coach 1st base? Work on re-orienting the field when they're hitting well. Fences cost money. Interaction with neighborhood kids is cheap...and you might make some new friends. If they blow you off, then build a fence. My neighbor's dog used to bark incessantly. I loaned him a copy of James Lamb Free's book on retriever training, we worked together for a couple days, and the problem was solved - and now we hunt together.
Every house I've seen in California has a fence, I can't imagine not having a fence seperating my yard and theirs. I like to be as easy going as possible, but I would go crazy if a baseball kept hitting my house.
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