My neighbor says he is going to sue us..UPDATE pg 8

[dismom9761]

My next door neighbor says that he is about to sue us.BECAUSE my children have been going into his yard when their ball rolls into it.He said alot more than that but what it comes to is that when he moved into the house a single man was living here with his children grown and gone(one is my SIL).We moved in last November and it has been one problem after the other.He wants us to pay his wife's Dr. bills because the noise that my children make in the yard make her too nervous to sleep and wants money to put up a privacy fence so that my disobedient children will not have balls rolling into his yard.
Just had to vent.Also let me add that he is in his 80s and that his house is about an acre from where the children are playing in my yard.He sits at his window watching them and is now taking pictures of them trespassing any time they cross the property line.It is hard because of the way our house is on the property and our driveway is only about a foot or two from the line.This is soo frustrating.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I feel for you. When I was growing up this is the kind of neighbor we had. My mother used to climb the picket fence at night to get our balls back. All you can do is try to keep your kids away from his yard. Don't worry about the noise if you are complying with any local noise ordinaces.

Good luck.

 

[mickeyboat]

That stinks! He was a kid and had kids once, too.

Maybe it's time for him to move into some sort of retirement community.

Denae

 

[bicker]

It sure is best to just keep you and yours away from folks like that, who (ahem) don't appreciate your company.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I'd keep your kids out of his yard...you never know what he'd do.
If their toys go into their yard, have them go to his front door, ring the bell, and ask him to retrieve them/ask for permission to get them back.

He sounds like a "set in his ways" old man. He can NOT sue you for "general kid noise". But he COULD get the kids (in some way) for trespassing.

So just cover your butt in that aspect...but otherwise go on with life.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't think he'd win a lawsuit to make *you* put up a fence.

IF the children are playing during daylight hours and not violating any noise ordinances...and they aren't playing in his yard--just removing what ends up there, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

If he is awake taking pictures--I don't see how they are interfering with his sleep.

Unless the children are causing actual damage to his property---he's got nothing on you.

Just have the children make a valiant effort to keep the ball out of his yard.

 

[BostonTigger]

I'm so sorry. He's just being a Mr. Scrooge.

 

[momof3disneyholics]

He has no grounds to sue you on! Unless there is some rule that your neighborhood is an adult only community, he is out of luck.
I would feel a little freaked out if he was taking pictures of my kids. Can he even legally do that?

 

[CathrynRose]

My next door neighbor says that he is about to sue us.

I'd encourage him to sue you - then you can countersue him for harrassment....taking pictures of kids - whom arent yours - is a little creepy now-a-days (well, in fact anydays!!) I'm sure the judge would love to hear that!

Sounds like your kids, are being just that - kids!


Until Mr Jerk moves into a Retirement Community, he should keep his trap shut. JMHO, of course....

 

[Lessa of Pern]

he's a cranky old man...and I feel for you.

technically your children are trespassing, so, as someone else said, have them ring his bell every time they need to go into his yard. he'll get tired of that soon enough.

but as for the rest of it...if he wants a fence, let him put one up. you're not obligated to do that.

he's threatened suit, but unless his lawyer is a relative, he's not going to get anyone to represent him in a suit against you.

just try to stay out of his way, be polite, and ignore him.

 

[CrazedDisFan]

I hereby nominate your neighbor for the 'Idiot of the Year' award.

I would take some cookies over and ask him what his expectations are for the children and a good neighborly relationship.

I am usually the 'tell him to kiss off' kind of person, but when dealing with the elderly sweetness usually pays off. if you already tried the sweet thing tell him to kiss off.

 

[nowellsl]

If it were me, I would put up my own fence - a BIG, UGLY fence!!!

 

[dismom9761]

I'd keep your kids out of his yard...you never know what he'd do.
If their toys go into their yard, have them go to his front door, ring the bell, and ask him to retrieve them/ask for permission to get them back.

He sounds like a "set in his ways" old man. He can NOT sue you for "general kid noise". But he COULD get the kids (in some way) for trespassing.

So just cover your butt in that aspect...but otherwise go on with life.

I told him that they would definitely do this in the future and he replied that I had better accompany them or he would not answer the door.He said that this might teach them something about authority.

 

[Gymbomom]

You know what I would file a police report saying you have felt uneasy about him, that he has been watching your children and taking pictures of them. You want it on file, just in case.

 

[dismom9761]

I don't think he'd win a lawsuit to make *you* put up a fence.

IF the children are playing during daylight hours and not violating any noise ordinances...and they aren't playing in his yard--just removing what ends up there, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

If he is awake taking pictures--I don't see how they are interfering with his sleep.

Unless the children are causing actual damage to his property---he's got nothing on you.

Just have the children make a valiant effort to keep the ball out of his yard.

They do not play outside after dark.The reason it is interrupting their sleep is because of the distress they cause during the day.There has been no damage done at all.The only time they have gone in his yard is for the ball or the baby running into it because she doesn't want in the carseat.

 

[stinkerbelle]

I told him that they would definitely do this in the future and he replied that I had better accompany them or he would not answer the door.He said that this might teach them something about authority.

have them show up with a copy of Grumpy Old Men!

 

[chrissyk]

You know what I would file a police report saying you have felt uneasy about him, that he has been watching your children and taking pictures of them. You want it on file, just in case.

Same here. He sounds creepy and like he has nothing better to do than to harrass you. A police report would go a long way towards making your case if he decided to harrass you via a CPS hotline or something of that nature. You can't be too careful with a neighbor like this. Once he figures out that no lawyer will take his "case," he may persue other avenues to harrass you and your family.

 

[dismom9761]

He has no grounds to sue you on! Unless there is some rule that your neighborhood is an adult only community, he is out of luck.
I would feel a little freaked out if he was taking pictures of my kids. Can he even legally do that?

We are looking into that.It makes me very uncomfortable.

 

[we3disneygo]

Maybe we could fix him up with my next door neighbor lady?????? she's quite the odd one too....we caught her dumping cat litter over the fence into our yard ?????and said it looked like bees made what ever was in our yard????? we just put up some privacy fence so she can't look in our kitchen window anymore and a rail fence in the back yard.!I didn't know I was that interesting good luck..........

 

[Marseeya]

He sounds like a real jerk.

BUT, and I really don't mean any offense by this, if you know that your kids are bothering him so much by going on his land and letting their balls go on his land, why aren't you stopping them??? Some people can be really territorial and you never know what they'll do. If those were my kids, they'd learn very quickly that there are consequences to crossing that line. There's really no reason for them to be on his property.