Gobsmacked by rude, presumptuous neighbor UPDATE - post 94!

[fan_of_small_world]

check with your Building Inspector and the fence co but you can put the nicer side of the fence facing YOU.

Not everywhere - where we used to live the "nice" side had to face out. Also, if there are horizontal support beams, if they are on the neighbor's side then his kids could easily use them to scale the fence. I believe that this is the same reason a lot of towns require the horizontal supports on the inside of pool fences - it helps prevent a kid from climbing over and getting into the pool.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Without going through all the posts and pages... we once lived in a house where the side of our backyard ran along a perpendicular street, so when the kids on that street played baseball, anything hit into our yard was a homerun. So, not only was it NOT a mistake, it was their GOAL to hit it in our yard...

One Saturday afternoon, after having retrieved no less than a dozen tennis balls for them, I finally took action. The next kid who cam to my door and asked for the ball was treated to a tennis ball that I dunked in warm water just before handing it to him. When he looked at me with that questioning gaze, I simply said, "Oh, sorry. The dog just peed on it."

The kid dropped the ball and ran. I never had to retrieve another ball again!

 

[DevilDuckie]

If I hear the "they are only kids" speech one more time in life I think I'm going to scream. I

Ooh, for me it's "it takes a village" because it is almost ALWAYS followed by some sort of statement about how we should put up with bratty and out of control children. This has become the rally cry for cruddy parents who want the rest of us to deal with the fallout when they don't want to teach their children manners or watch them. That is NOT what it was meant to imply.

The "village" is meant to lead by example and to create a positive environment where children can thrive when they are raised by their PARENTS. My job is not to cuss and flash my tatas. Their job is to watch their kids and teach them respect.

 

[momrek06]

Not everywhere - where we used to live the "nice" side had to face out. Also, if there are horizontal support beams, if they are on the neighbor's side then his kids could easily use them to scale the fence. I believe that this is the same reason a lot of towns require the horizontal supports on the inside of pool fences - it helps prevent a kid from climbing over and getting into the pool.

I did tell the OP to check with the Building Inspector as well as the fence company. We are seeing it more and more in our Cty. The OP did not mention a pool.

Oh the 8ft is awesome. We only have it on our back lot line as a major road abuts our property and we did not want to see it or hear it. Loving the 8ft. Also, I understand and check with your Building Inspector and the fence co but you can put the nicer side of the fence facing YOU. WE DID!

I simply said, "Oh, sorry. The dog just peed on it."

 

[mtblujeans]

I haven't read all the responses, but, you should probably prepare to A) hear a fight from your neighbors over the property line; and/or, B) listen to the sound of tennis balls being bounced off your wooden fence for hours on end.

Unfortunately, some people just don't have enough to do and need to get a life. But, until then, they will spend their time making your life a living hell.

 

[Disney Doll]

Bad neighbors can be so frustrating! We live in a great area and have great neighbors (mostly) but the ones right next door have two teens that live there and love to cause trouble.

Last fall they and a few friends were walking down the alley and I SAW them pick up a dead squirrel and throw it INTO my picket fenced yard where my 6 year old daughter was playing. I threw that door open so fast... called them on it and made them come get the squirrel. They were STUNNED and started stuttering... (wish I'd had a camera)

In the past 2 years they have ridden extremely loud motored bikes up and down the road till past midnight... set off fireworks for 6 straight weeks nearl 4th of July in a drought! Several rockets were found near and on our roof! They break onto the golf course behind the house and ride back there. They throw dead animals over that fence too. They shoot at animals with bb guns! They have destroyed a small bridge crossing a creek behind another neighbors house and turned it into a motorbike ramp. That neighbor who is in her late 70's went out to fix it and fell and broke her wrist in two spots and split her chin open 4 inches. They and their older sister drive 60 mph down the road (it's a 30 mph speed limit by the way! The whole neighborhood is praying they leave for college soon.

I'd be calling the police if I witnessed anyone doing things like this.

 

[Disney Doll]

Oh the 8ft is awesome. We only have it on our back lot line as a major road abuts our property and we did not want to see it or hear it. Loving the 8ft. Also, I understand and check with your Building Inspector and the fence co but you can put the nicer side of the fence facing YOU. WE DID!

I disagree with putting the nicer side facing you.

A stockade fence has horizontal cross boards, usually 3 rows of them, to which the vertical pickets are nailed. These are ideal for climbing. I know...I grew up with a 6 foot tall stockade fence around my yard and climbed those horizontal pieces many a time, to take a "quick" way over the fence.

If the "bad" side of the fence faces your neighbors, they will be using the horizontal boards as a ladder. Give them the "good" side and save yourself some aggravation.

 

[Disney Doll]

Ooh, for me it's "it takes a village" because it is almost ALWAYS followed by some sort of statement about how we should put up with bratty and out of control children. This has become the rally cry for cruddy parents who want the rest of us to deal with the fallout when they don't want to teach their children manners or watch them. That is NOT what it was meant to imply.

The "village" is meant to lead by example and to create a positive environment where children can thrive when they are raised by their PARENTS. My job is not to cuss and flash my tatas. Their job is to watch their kids and teach them respect.

Plus, I don't want to raise someone else's children. You had them you raise them.

 

[beckanoah]

I'd be calling the police if I witnessed anyone doing things like this.

I know some neighbors have. Unfortunately, we're right out of city limits, and the fireworks rules don't APPLY out here so we were out of luck there. They couldn't "prove" it was them with the motorbike ramp as there were no witnesses, and with the squirrel I scared them enough at the moment, that I didn't think to call the cops!



Oh yeah, their cousin stole a golfcart from the other golf course and parked it over the other side of the subdivision out here... The cops were called for that one for sure, and he got in big trouble for that! They also like to jump off their roof for fun!

They have settled down some the past couple months since the old lady got hurt (not sure why they've settled down though)...

 

[GraysMom]

I really don't think a tennis ball will cause damage to a house or garage no matter how hard you hit it.

I do agree the rudeness was uncalled for but I still don't see it as a big deal to have a ball hit in the yard. It takes a Village and I would gladly embrace all the balls of my neighbor's kids...lol.

What if she's outside walking or sitting with her newborn and a 14yo boy whacks the tennis ball (off a metal bat I'm assuming) into the baby's face? Or into the baby's chest?

 

[aprilgail2]

I disagree with putting the nicer side facing you.

A stockade fence has horizontal cross boards, usually 3 rows of them, to which the vertical pickets are nailed. These are ideal for climbing. I know...I grew up with a 6 foot tall stockade fence around my yard and climbed those horizontal pieces many a time, to take a "quick" way over the fence.

If the "bad" side of the fence faces your neighbors, they will be using the horizontal boards as a ladder. Give them the "good" side and save yourself some aggravation.

In our area the person putting up the fence gets the nicer side. No way am I spending thousands of dollars and getting the crappy side of the fence! Most don't have that bar on them anymore anyway, they make them differently.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

I don't think the why, what they are doing, and they are only kids, etc debate doesn't even matter. The only thing that matters is that it's the OP's property and she doesn't want them there. Period.

I agree with the fence idea. You'll probably want to keep your small child away from the neighbors and their ballgames anyway.

I moved from AZ and CA where everybody had fences to NC and a neighborhood where there were few. DH wanted this house and I told him he had to put up a tall fence because DS was 1 1/2 then and there was an in ground pool next door. Funny, everyone liked our fence and several neighbors put similar ones up. I think they just weren't used to it. It wasn't to keep others out but to keep my kids safe and our dogs in, and I like the privacy too.

Good luck OP You might see a lot of neighbors following your lead and putting up fences.

 

[Amlee]

My house set empty for 2 years before I bought it. The local kids used the porches and the shed as a play area. So I had to stand my ground from day one. The parents didn't seem to mind that I did so.

But I never could figure out why the kids who had a great fenced in back yard, that is HUGE would play in the small front yard.

They would angle themselves to hit their ball into my house or car. One good bang was all it took for me to go out there. The boys would move to the back, but only after being told too.

One evening I spotted the younger of the two walking around my house with a shovel. I made him go home. The next morning around 6am I get up like normal and get in my car to go to work. I put the car in reverse and hear this crunching noise and then grinding. WTH!?

I get out look under my car, and said shovel is under my car, with the handle jammed into my motor. I can't reach it to pull it out. I yell CORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I walk across their yard and beat on their door. The older brother answers the door. I tell him I need Cory out here NOW! The mom comes to the door and I explain what has happened. It's now her turn to yell CORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So me, mom, cory, and big brother all go out to my car. The big brother crawls under the car and pulls the shovel out of the motor. The mom tells me to take it to a mechanic to have it looked at. Luckly nothing was wrong, and Cory never was allowed to use a shovel again.



The lady on the other side of me was a busy body, that couldn't mind her own business. She has sinced moved off, but she wasn't as bad as I thought since the new people moved in.

A fence can't stopped the loud music, fighting and the cussing. I have called the law to them a few times. I don't mind loud music, but if I can hear it over my tv and feel the viberation, then it's too loud.

I do mind the screaming and cussing toward a 3 year old. Several times, I have heard them screaming and cussing at this little girl. It's so sad to hear her parents screaming at her to get the **** out of the house. I'm talking blood curling screaming, that I can hear over my TV. Then the little girl coming up next to the fence sobbing. I called the police on that day. I will do so again, in a heart beat.

 

[janey99]

Hi all -

I thought I'd drag this thread back from the grave to give a little update -

The fence guys are outside as I write. It took us a few weeks to organize a survey, a staking, a permit and then line up the fence contractor. Thanks to his and his son's loud mouth, our neighbor will now be looking at an ugly stockade fence from his deck for as long as he lives there! Even funnier, his piece of property is weirdly shaped and not half as big as it looks without a fence bisecting it - it will now be the smallest and ugliest in the neighborhood. Oh well, too bad, so sad!

After the famous "immature" confrontation, there were many backyard discussions between him and the neighbor who is behind both of us, especially after the hot pink surveyor's stakes went in on the property corners. I'm not sure how he spun the story to make himself look like the injured confused3 . Additionally, he called the town on us to try to report an "illegal workshop" (our detached garage). Imagine the town inspector's surprise when he came and found cars parked in the garage, just like you'd expect. When you have a family where the DH is a landscape architect and the DW (me) is a lawyer, you can be assured that all land-use issues will be properly addressed. I guess the next time that boy cries wolf, no one will be listening!

Finally, our son arrived on the following Wednesday, five days overdue but one day before my scheduled induction. I was in barely painful labor from Wednesday morning to about 230pm. DH and I arrived at the hospital at 330pm after picking DS9 up from school, and the little one made his appearance at 520pm. WHEW!

Hope everyone is having a good summer!

Thanks for all the support back then!

Jane

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x140/janey99/DSC_0017.jpg

 

[Kathi OD]

Glad it all got straightened out. Your neighbor sure is ballsy and dumb.

Congrats on the new addition!

 

[kimmikayb]

Take pictures and post!

 

[KAMLEM]

Take pictures and post!

Baby pictures, of course, not the fence! Although it may be interesting to see the fence, too!

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I am so glad about your baby, I was going to suggest an electric fence, hee,hee like one we have for the horses!

 

[LaraK]

I wanna see the fence...and the neighbor's yard.

Congrats on the new addition...both new additions.

 

[janey99]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

I did post a link to a baby pick below my name - is it not showing up?

I will try to post some fence pics over the weekend.

Jane