My neighbors are digging a pool!!

[MayMom]

And they are not planning on fencing it! This makes me so angry. We have a 6 year old and a 1 year old. They have a 3 year old and an 8 year old. Our older kids play together and both swim very well. But neither one of the "babies" can swim! There was just a death of a 15 month old in our neighboring town. Why would someone do something so dangerous to the safety of children? I plan on calling our commissioner and asking if there is a city ordinance, but I don't believe there is.... several people in our subdivision have unfenced pools. BUT - they aren't right next door!

The funny thing is - we dug a pool about 2 years ago and it was fenced IMMEDIATELY - I didn't sleep for 2 nights until it was completed. Anyway - my neighbors 3 year old snuck through the fence this year and the same neighbors were ticked off at us for not having the lock on the fence (my husband had just stopped mowing). Now these same people are digging a pool and making the choice NOT to fence it at all?????

I will just have to watch my DD like a hawk for the next 3 years.

Thanks for listening.......

 

[WDWorBUST]

The fence would probably cost them less than how much more they will pay in homeowners insurance for having an unfenced pool. In addition peace of mind. I can't imagine having an unfenced pool and ever sleeping again. I wake up at night worried that I didn't put the lock on our gate because of our dog. She was teased as a puppy when we only had a chain link fence by kids and is really too protective so we put up a privacy fence and lock the gates.

I understand how you feel. My parents live next door and have a fenced pool and my mom keeps my daughter. She is watched like a hawk - I mean even in our house (Yes...I'm an overprotective parent) and as much as we all love the pool it makes me a nervous wreck if I think about it too much.

Have you spoken to them about it. Maybe as a concern for all the children in your neighborhood including theirs?? We had a story on our local news this past summer about a new fencing product that is to go around just the pool and that they highly recommend using it in addition to a regular fence.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have no choice here--fenced, alarms on windows that make the pool accessible. We don't pass final inspection without it.

That is just AWFUL. That familiy can get sued for an attractice nuisance if something happened in their home at the pool.

 

[Nini]

I know that the state required both of my brothers to fence in their pools AND have alarms on the fence gate!!! You hear all the time about children falling in and drowning...even in the winter when a pool is covered, it is a danger for children.

Check with your local city hall...

 

[SamIAm21]

I would definitely call your village or townhall or whatever municipal offices you have and find out if there is a law on the books stating you must have a fenced in pool area. I can't imagine that they wouldn't. That seems like a pretty standard regulation in most places these day unless you live way out in the boondocks, but it sounds like your homes are close in a neighborhood subdivision.

You might be able to register a complaint and to keep the peace with your neighbors, you might even be able to do it anonymously. Surely you aren't the only parent in the neighborhood upset about this obvious neglect.

 

[dixipixi]

We must also have pools fenced here. If they are above ground, the ladder must be removed when the pool is not in use.

We just put in an order for a new pool and I wouldn't dream of just leaving it totally open and accessible. Even though none of our neighbors are close (and they all have their own pools), I still don't trust curious kids.

We live out in the country and have pretty strict rules concerning pools. I can't imagine not having similar rules in a neighborhood where the houses are much closer together.

We CANNOT get Homeowner's Insurance AT ALL with an unfenced pool in the backyard. We also have to have either an alarm or retractable cover.

I would definitely check with my local ordinances on this matter.

 

[cillakat]

i agree with everyone else. check local ordinances. i can't imagine that it's acceptable (uh...legal) for them to have an unfenced pool.

katherine in atl

 

[frayedend]

I just added a deck to my above ground here in MA. I had to change my railings to be 4 foot high, the balluster could not have more than 1 1/2 inches between them. The gate had to be self closing (spring hinge). All that and I had to move my grill away from the outside railing on the existing deck so kids could not climb on it and gain access to the pool. All of this can be frustrating, but needed to ensure safety. My neighbor put in an inground in August of 2004 and still hasn't finished his fence. It is quite irritating. He just added a temporary fence (that orange vinyl mesh) but it isn't sufficient. It seems like it will be 2 years before he finishes. We complained to the building inspector and it did no good since he was "under construction" and we ended up having our new neighbors hating us.

Perhaps someone should try to get a law passed, it makes no sense not to have one.

 

[HopperFan]

Even if it is not local law, continue up the ranks to county and state law. You never know what is on the books and not being enforced.

Around here there is a wide range of what is acceptable to the different entities. One subdivison even asked to be annexed into a town with tougher laws so they could have some laws to support them in some issues with a few of their homeowners.

In my very personal opinion, they don't sound very consistent in their commitment to the safety and well being of children. I could no longer allow my child to play with theirs unless under my supervision. If the neighbor asked why then I would say, "I'm so sorry, we don't allow our children to play at homes with pools that are not fenced, we are not comfortable with that".

 

[funcinderella]

Also, just because the kids are old enough to swim doesn't mean you should be relaxed about that either. I realize it does give a small measure of comfort, but they still shouldn't have access to the pool without adult supevision.

 

[lillygator]

in our county in Florida they do not require a fence. We are waiting for our pool to be dug and it will not be screened. We are planning on putting a concrete wall around our property after it is complete. The law here only states it needs to have a barrier of some sort and ours will be a netting across the top. We will get an alarm for oursleves as we have two little ones, I am concerned with their saftey more than anything else. Since our children live at home the fencing issue would not keep them out - we need to use other precautions for that.

As alarming as it is...some people don't want their pool fenced. I really don't want ours fenced either - only for privacy reasons. I mean, sure I don't want any neighbors coming in but as I said us having it fenced would do nothing for our children as they live in the home and if they can get through the doors they can get out to the pool area.
You are upset because you fear for your children correct?

 

[Kimberly]

My parents have motion sensing lights in the pool area, and have had them for awhile. Along with the lights in the pool area, the lights in the living room that looks out into the pool area lights up as well, which tends to scare away any "pool hoppers".

One suggestion of mine is to surround your pool fence on the outside of it with thick and very bristly hedges, and only have one entrance and exit. The hedges will prevent someone from just going over the fence, and rarely will someone walk by your backdoor to go into the pool.

 

[JerJan]

All I can say is for those who choose not to fence in their pools....PRAY that no child wanders onto your property and falls in your pool and becomes disabled or dies! You better have some great insurance and the ability to live with yourself over something so trivial as a fence!

 

[u2bapeacock]

And they are not planning on fencing it! This makes me so angry. We have a 6 year old and a 1 year old. They have a 3 year old and an 8 year old. Our older kids play together and both swim very well. But neither one of the "babies" can swim! There was just a death of a 15 month old in our neighboring town. Why would someone do something so dangerous to the safety of children? I plan on calling our commissioner and asking if there is a city ordinance, but I don't believe there is.... several people in our subdivision have unfenced pools. BUT - they aren't right next door!

The funny thing is - we dug a pool about 2 years ago and it was fenced IMMEDIATELY - I didn't sleep for 2 nights until it was completed. Anyway - my neighbors 3 year old snuck through the fence this year and the same neighbors were ticked off at us for not having the lock on the fence (my husband had just stopped mowing). Now these same people are digging a pool and making the choice NOT to fence it at all?????

I will just have to watch my DD like a hawk for the next 3 years.

Thanks for listening.......

I am from canada and if you do not have a fence around your pool here you can not use it or you will be fined a huge amount. and their are people from the city we live in who do come around and inspect the pool and the fence. Here the fence has to be a certain height and it can't be any type of fence. It is a law here even if it is one of those pools that you can get from wal mart or where ever those have to have a fence as well I am very surprised that the USA does not have as strong a policy on fencing around pools cosidering how many children drown in pools each year

 

[rt2dz]

While having a fenced pool is not required here, I can not imagine NOT having a fenced pool. We havea 6 ft. privacy fence around our entire backyard (as does 90% of everyone else) and then another 4 ft, locked fence around a pool and a pool alarm. It's about safety. If I were you, I'd just buy them a pool gift--an alarm for their pool.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

As alarming as it is...some people don't want their pool fenced. I really don't want ours fenced either - only for privacy reasons. I mean, sure I don't want any neighbors coming in but as I said us having it fenced would do nothing for our children as they live in the home and if they can get through the doors they can get out to the pool area.
You are upset because you fear for your children correct?

How old are your kids. They'd have to be pretty old (like 8 or 9 and up) to get through a baby barrier fence. Those fences are removable and then you have no more fence.

This is what we have.

 

[3DisneyKids]

Another vote for checking the laws. Here in Maine you must have a fence around your pool...period. Don't give up on this one...

 

[MayMom]

in our county in Florida they do not require a fence. We are waiting for our pool to be dug and it will not be screened. We are planning on putting a concrete wall around our property after it is complete. The law here only states it needs to have a barrier of some sort and ours will be a netting across the top. We will get an alarm for oursleves as we have two little ones, I am concerned with their saftey more than anything else. Since our children live at home the fencing issue would not keep them out - we need to use other precautions for that.

As alarming as it is...some people don't want their pool fenced. I really don't want ours fenced either - only for privacy reasons. I mean, sure I don't want any neighbors coming in but as I said us having it fenced would do nothing for our children as they live in the home and if they can get through the doors they can get out to the pool area.
You are upset because you fear for your children correct?

I'm sorry that you don't WANT your pool fenced, but fencing a pool should not have anything to do with the "look" that you "want" for your home. Fencing a pool should be mandatory to protect small children from drowning. Yes - I do fear for my children. How could you sleep at night knowing that a child would be unprotected in your backyard? Last spring during a rummage sale my 5 year old opened the gate (took off the lock which we didn't know he could do) to let a 3 year old "see" the pool. The mother and I were talking when I noticed they were not with us - I ran back to the pool and the 3 year old was WALKING on the pool liner. He would have died if it had been one month later when the pool was opened. His mother and I both could not believe how FAST it all happened... we were talking about 1-2 minutes.

 

[tlbwriter]

All I can say is for those who choose not to fence in their pools....PRAY that no child wanders onto your property and falls in your pool and becomes disabled or dies! You better have some great insurance and the ability to live with yourself over something so trivial as a fence!

I'm surprised that people aren't more concerned about this. Whether or not the law requires you to put up a fence, you certainly need to do it for liability purposes. A pool is legally considered an "attractive nuisance," which means that you can't just put up a sign that says "Keep Out." You have to physically make an effort keep people out of your pool, or else you are very likely to be found liable for their injuries. In addition to living with the horror of knowing a child died in your pool, financial disaster is a real threat.

 

[steery1]

in our county in Florida they do not require a fence. We are waiting for our pool to be dug and it will not be screened. We are planning on putting a concrete wall around our property after it is complete. The law here only states it needs to have a barrier of some sort and ours will be a netting across the top. We will get an alarm for oursleves as we have two little ones, I am concerned with their saftey more than anything else. Since our children live at home the fencing issue would not keep them out - we need to use other precautions for that.

As alarming as it is...some people don't want their pool fenced. I really don't want ours fenced either - only for privacy reasons. I mean, sure I don't want any neighbors coming in but as I said us having it fenced would do nothing for our children as they live in the home and if they can get through the doors they can get out to the pool area.
You are upset because you fear for your children correct?

Wise up!