Neighbours kid trespassing

Shanvp · 17-04-2020 3:42pm #1

Hi guys,

We have just moved into a new house with new neighbours who have 4 kids, they very much keep to themselves. One of the kids is about 6 years old and keeps cutting through our driveway , I have asked him politely to walk around but he keeps doing it, it's really starting to grate on me. Am I being petty and unreasonable?

Samuel T. Cogley · 17-04-2020 4:55pm

No you're not being unreasonable, but good luck in getting any joy in regards the parents, worth asking them but don't hold your breath.

Bullocks · 17-04-2020 4:56pm

Bear trap!

Samuel T. Cogley · 17-04-2020 4:59pm

Bullocks wrote: »

Bear trap!

LOL was thinking the exact same thing!

jam_mac_jam · 17-04-2020 4:59pm

I think you are being unreasonable. What's the problem? They are wearing out the driveway

Ohio9 · 17-04-2020 5:08pm

Call the gards

happyoutscan · 17-04-2020 5:14pm

If you're only new in the house, is it worth possibly falling out with your neighbours over this?

Give it some time, smile and say hello and then you can work it into a simple conversation when you know them better.

Do not fall out over it, you will end up regretting it.

Rockbeast2 · 17-04-2020 5:18pm

6 years old? That wouldn't bother me at all. Not unless he's pulling up flower beds!

12/13 years old is a different story.

Leave him away. You'll only fall out with the neighbours and/or always be that nasty neighbour to the kid growing up.

2Mad2BeMad · 17-04-2020 5:19pm

It depends OP,
are you and your neighbors have like connected driveway or is there no wall dividing ?

If there is no wall dividing well then Yes, you are being petty and unreasonable. As a 6 year old child won't comprehend the fact that he has to walk around the invisible boundary when it would be faster for him/her to cut accross it.

If there is a wall dividing well then its a 6 year old child.
But I wouldn't go making a hugh deal about it with his parents, last thing you want is a feud with the neighbours after only moving in.

Personally if it was me, either way, I wouldn't give a ****e, at the end of the day it is only a child out playing.

handlemaster · 17-04-2020 5:29pm

As above . What's the drive way lay out

Luimneach2018 · 17-04-2020 5:30pm

You're talking about a 6 year old here. Unless they're causing damage I'd just leave them off.

You're not an authority figure to the child so if problems do arise then its the parents you need to raise this with, he'll be more likely to listen to his parents if they instruct him to stop.

I'll absolutely take your word that you politely asked the kid but be very careful when talking to other peoples children, the parents mightn't appreciate that regardless of whether you're right or wrong, and when they start badmouthing you they won't say you politely asked, suddenly you'll be the crank who started effing and blinding at their precious little Johnny who accidentally stepped onto your driveway.

On the flip side, they could well back you up and tell the kid to stop, but as they say; pick your battles. I'd let this go if I were you.

SEPT 23 1989 · 17-04-2020 5:33pm

A few simple warning signs that he can read should do the trick

chicken foot · 17-04-2020 5:34pm

You need to figure out "why" its grating on you. Not knowing the layout of your house and gardens, going on just what you said, then yes, I think youre being dramatic. He is 6, he is literally only focused on getting into his own house with the least amount of effort. He's also going to be like that for another year or two before he develops a bit of "cop on".

Unless you have a very valid reason for him not to be doing it then id say just let it pass. Definitely not a reason to rock the boat in my view.

Weffer · 17-04-2020 5:35pm

No, my father always had a problem with things like this, as he says, if that kid gets injured on your property - you're liable. If he falls and hurts himself on your property, you would be to blame, try and nip this in the bud as diplomatically as possible.

Luimneach2018 · 17-04-2020 5:36pm

Weffer wrote: »

No, my father always had a problem with things like this, as he says, if that kid gets injured on your property - you're liable. If he falls and hurts himself on your property, you would be to blame, try and nip this in the bud as diplomatically as possible.

Good point, I didn't think of that at all.

Smashmouth · 17-04-2020 5:37pm

It's not worth falling out with your neighbours over a 6 year old walking on your driveway. I'm going to assume he's climbing a fence to enter your drive, if it's all open and you're complaining about him walking across then you're really going overboard. He'll grow out of it, especially as he gets used to regularly seeing you watering the plants etc. That house has probably been empty since he has been able to walk. Don't land yourself with bad blood with your nearest neighbours for the rest of your life.

kippy · 17-04-2020 5:59pm

Weffer wrote: »

No, my father always had a problem with things like this, as he says, if that kid gets injured on your property - you're liable. If he falls and hurts himself on your property, you would be to blame, try and nip this in the bud as diplomatically as possible.

This is nuts and an awful thing to have to think about.
Your home insurance has you well covered for this anyway in the extremely unlikely event that:
A. It happens.
B. The parent tries to claim.

OP I know the kind of setup you may have with a relatively open driveway. Either you say it to the parents in a nice way or you put up a small divider between the properties. Doesn't have to be anything major.
Personally it wouldn't bother me. It will change over time.

Mac_Lad71 · 17-04-2020 6:37pm

Had the same the same problem with open plan garden and driveway.
Local kids running wild with no supervision.
Was annoying me so put up a fence and planted a hedge.
Problem sorted and best money i ever spent.

colm_mcm · 17-04-2020 6:40pm

Thorny bush.

17-04-2020 6:42pm

Thats not ok in this day and age unfortunately. If he trips and injures himself the parents will have no qualms about putting in a claim.

hurikane · 17-04-2020 6:45pm

I think we are reaching peak cabin fever with 6 year olds trespassing

TaurenDruid · 17-04-2020 6:45pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Thats not ok in this day and age unfortunately. If he trips and injures himself the parents will have no qualms about putting in a claim.

Which won't get anywhere unless the owner is liable. The owner is only liable if there's some sort of defect with the property, like a raised paving slab or trip hazard. If the kid just falls - tough, accidents happen.

JustAThought · 17-04-2020 6:45pm

I had the same problem with a piece of land I used have - zero respect from others including the local alcoholic drink driving ex gaurd on the corner and the usual brigade of ‘its only kids trampling your stuff’ disinterested ‘parents’. I reluctantly put up a chickenwire fence after several years and much politeness, damaged plants and frustration having repeatedly politely asked. This solved the problem apart from the prick of an alcoholic retired ex gaurd who drink drives who used climb over it routinely to demonstrate that he is and always will be a self entitled scumbag prick.

It starts with this and then as the kids get older you have toys in your garden, kids climbing into your back garden, kids putting their bikes up onto the paintwork of your car, kids sitting on the bonnet of your car etc etc - end it now and put up a chickenwire fence - the iid should get the message. If you need to add a gate. If the kids trips they will say you knew there was a hazzard and the kid routinely used your driveway - tens of thousands have been awarded for less. Apart from the fact it shows a total lack of respect from both parents and child. Nicely assert your boundaries - chicken wire and a few stakes is the least visually intrusive way to do it and you can train plants and thorny bushes up alongside it. Saves on the bamboos and staking.

lawred2 · 17-04-2020 6:48pm

Is this child the youngest of the four? And the other three don't do this?

If so, I'd leave well alone as obviously they are likely not bad kids. It's just a six year old who doesn't quite see the world in terms of adult boundary lines.. in a couple of years he'll be like the rest of his siblings and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Cause an issue now and your might end up with a longer term issue with the neighbors.

What harm is he doing?

GreeBo · 17-04-2020 6:49pm

Bullocks wrote: »

Bear trap!

Then he will have a kid and a bear in the driveway.
What he needs is a kid trap, and put it outside the driveway! :cool:

GreeBo · 17-04-2020 6:53pm

To those who say "what harm?"
Come back to us when your car develops mysterious scratches that you cant explain.

A 6 year old who cant stay in his own driveway also probably wont be arsed about not hitting off cars.

I had a similar issue and as above, put a hedge in.
The kids then started walking through the hedge so I put a wire fence in while the hedge grew.

17-04-2020 6:56pm

TaurenDruid wrote: »

Which won't get anywhere unless the owner is liable. The owner is only liable if there's some sort of defect with the property, like a raised paving slab or trip hazard. If the kid just falls - tough, accidents happen.

Yeah like I said if he trips. Good enough reason to have words and ask them to stop. Lie or exaggerate, tell them you've had it happen before.

I've had it happen with an adult "friend". He'd had a few jars and I was still liable. I wanted to fight it but my insurance company paid out.

If the neighbours want to fall out over it that's on them. Besides all that it's just plain rude to allow your children to use someone's garden as a short cut.

NSAman · 17-04-2020 6:56pm

Build THAT WALL!!...

At 6 he is too young, he will grow it of it. I understand the insurance issue too.. what about putting some potted trees as a barrier???

NSAman · 17-04-2020 6:58pm

GreeBo wrote: »

What he needs is a kid trap, and put it outside the driveway! :cool:

WHO ARE YOU? Jimmy Saville?

ebbsy · 17-04-2020 6:58pm

I have a tree in the garden and 3 or 4 young kids come to play underneath it every now and again.

I just let them be. One day they will be grown up and gone.

alias no.9 · 17-04-2020 7:10pm

lawred2 wrote: »

Is this child the youngest of the four? And the other three don't do this?

If so, I'd leave well alone as obviously they are likely not bad kids. It's just a six year old who doesn't quite see the world in terms of adult boundary lines.. in a couple of years he'll be like the rest of his siblings and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Cause an issue now and your might end up with a longer term issue with the neighbors.

What harm is he doing?

Probably the best advice on the thread.

mdebets · 17-04-2020 7:23pm

Gert one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premium%C2%AE-Sprinkler-Detection-Irrigation-Activation/dp/B00Y1DZWYQ/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?dchild=1&keywords=motion+controlled+lawn+sprinkler&qid=1587147726&sr=8-2-fkmr0

17-04-2020 8:15pm

Is this thread a wind up, or just Covid 19 related silliness?

A 6 yr old child takes a shortcut. Jesus wept.

Urethral Buttercup · 18-04-2020 1:56am

Cover the whole house and garden in a chickenwire dome OP.

mariaalice · 18-04-2020 1:44pm

Is the child climbing over a diving wall or hedge or fence or is the front of open plan?.

Maybe its the stress of COVID 19 but it's a very minor thing to get upset about also how many times a day are they doing it? are you constantly in your front room watching to catch it happening?

18-04-2020 1:55pm

happyoutscan wrote: »

If you're only new in the house, is it worth possibly falling out with your neighbours over this?

Give it some time, smile and say hello and then you can work it into a simple conversation when you know them better.

Do not fall out over it, you will end up regretting it.

There’s no point in submitting to them from day one.

Like has been said, in this country they’ll surely claim and surely win.

Claw Hammer · 18-04-2020 5:19pm

Shanvp wrote: »

Hi guys,

We have just moved into a new house with new neighbours who have 4 kids, they very much keep to themselves. One of the kids is about 6 years old and keeps cutting through our driveway , I have asked him politely to walk around but he keeps doing it, it's really starting to grate on me. Am I being petty and unreasonable?

Get a dirty mackintosh and walk up and down the street past his house a few times, looking furtive while you are doing it. It will soon stop.

sunnysoutheast · 18-04-2020 10:32pm

Having been in a similar situation in our new house many years ago - I assume it's a shared driveway/front garden - I would suggest putting up a trellis framework a couple of inches inside the boundary and planting loads of fast-growing shrubs, clematis etc. And big pot plants by the house if that's paving slabs or similar.

Wouldn't make a big deal of it, if it crops up then tell the neighbour you've planted there so can the kids keep off it.

John_Rambo · 18-04-2020 11:16pm

The kids has an excuse for acting childishly.

You don't.

Grow up, move on.

StoptheClocks · 19-04-2020 11:09am

I had a similar problem with 3 boys living next door. They were football mad. Used to come home to four balls in my back garden everyday. They broke the fence multiple times, my car was never clean of ball prints. My front window was the same. It bothered me. It actually bothered their parents even more. It didn't matter how many times they were told, they were going to play football, they weren't intensionally doing it. I didn't want to tell them to go play around the corner because they could have been hit my a car. Safer were their parents could see them.

I used to have the craic with them. When I saw the prints on the car I used to tell them they're the worst footballers on the street. I didn't throw the balls back until I had them all too.

Cutting throw my drive way when there is no car there wouldn't bother me. But doing it when I'm reversing out would.

Maybe tell the parents you nearly hit him because he ran across when you reversed out will get them to drill it into him not to do it.

SNNUS · 19-04-2020 11:49am

I had the same issue but worse the parents were trapsing across my little garden for a short cut and also kids on pogo sticks who would lose balance and fall onto my car. I nipped it in the bud early enough by planting nice shrubs to the front and side and also some large potted plants too. It trained them to stick to their own patch.

lawred2 · 19-04-2020 12:03pm

StoptheClocks wrote: »

I had a similar problem with 3 boys living next door. They were football mad. Used to come home to four balls in my back garden everyday. They broke the fence multiple times, my car was never clean of ball prints. My front window was the same. It bothered me. It actually bothered their parents even more. It didn't matter how many times they were told, they were going to play football, they weren't intensionally doing it. I didn't want to tell them to go play around the corner because they could have been hit my a car. Safer were their parents could see them.

I used to have the craic with them. When I saw the prints on the car I used to tell them they're the worst footballers on the street. I didn't throw the balls back until I had them all too.

Cutting throw my drive way when there is no car there wouldn't bother me. But doing it when I'm reversing out would.

Maybe tell the parents you nearly hit him because he ran across when you reversed out will get them to drill it into him not to do it.

But that's not remotely a 'similar' problem

StoptheClocks · 19-04-2020 12:19pm

lawred2 wrote: »

But that's not remotely a 'similar' problem

Neighbours kids, annoying me, coming into my front garden. This went on for 5 years so two of the kids would have been six. I would say that's similar?

lawred2 · 19-04-2020 12:35pm

StoptheClocks wrote: »

Neighbours kids, annoying me, coming into my front garden. This went on for 5 years so two of the kids would have been six. I would say that's similar?

The OP said the kid takes a shortcut through his drive. Nothing about footballs or cars.

So no, it doesn't sound similar.

For the record, we lived the football pitch next door life for a while. Would come home to sometimes upwards of 10 different balls in our back garden. I'd swear the parents just kept buying more to keep the supply of balls going so as to keep the kids out the back. Great day when they told us they were putting the house on the market.

So I know what you're talking about.

Saw none of that in the OP though.

19-04-2020 1:07pm

lawred2 wrote: »

The OP said the kid takes a shortcut through his drive. Nothing about footballs or cars.

So no, it doesn't sound similar.

For the record, we lived the football pitch next door life for a while. Would come home to sometimes upwards of 10 different balls in our back garden. I'd swear the parents just kept buying more to keep the supply of balls going so as to keep the kids out the back. Great day when they told us they were putting the house on the market.

So I know what you're talking about.

Saw none of that in the OP though.

Little scrotes trespassing where they shouldn’t and of a similar age. It’s very similar regardless of whether they have a ball or not.

pablo128 · 19-04-2020 1:11pm

Just get into the habit of cutting through the neighbours garden. Every time you get an opportunity, like several times a day. If it's good for the goose ......

19-04-2020 3:11pm

pablo128 wrote: »

Just get into the habit of cutting through the neighbours garden. Every time you get an opportunity, like several times a day. If it's good for the goose ......

.........It’s good for the child. Grown ups usually don’t try and mimic the behaviour of 6 year olds to get back at them.

jam_mac_jam · 19-04-2020 3:35pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Little scrotes trespassing where they shouldn’t and of a similar age. It’s very similar regardless of whether they have a ball or not.

Little scrotes? It's a six year old walking in a garden ffs.

StoptheClocks · 19-04-2020 3:37pm

lawred2 wrote: »

The OP said the kid takes a shortcut through his drive. Nothing about footballs or cars.

So no, it doesn't sound similar.

For the record, we lived the football pitch next door life for a while. Would come home to sometimes upwards of 10 different balls in our back garden. I'd swear the parents just kept buying more to keep the supply of balls going so as to keep the kids out the back. Great day when they told us they were putting the house on the market.

So I know what you're talking about.

Saw none of that in the OP though.

The OP can decide for their self. They asked for advice and I can relate to it. It's similar to me. So I'm going to leave it there if that ok.

Thanks for the comment. I'll bare it in mind in future.

Caranica · 19-04-2020 3:43pm

OP I'm intrigued at your thread title. Yes the child being on your property is technically trespass but it seems a very combative way to look at the issue.

As others have pointed out, removing the access is the simplest way to deal with things.

zerosugarbuzz · 19-04-2020 3:45pm

Shanvp wrote: »

Hi guys,

We have just moved into a new house with new neighbours who have 4 kids, they very much keep to themselves. One of the kids is about 6 years old and keeps cutting through our driveway , I have asked him politely to walk around but he keeps doing it, it's really starting to grate on me. Am I being petty and unreasonable?

I think you are going to have many many problems in your new house unless you learn to lighten up. I can see that this can be annoying, it might annoy me too but you need to have some perspective on this. If this is the biggest problem you have in your new neighborhood you are very lucky indeed.

Neighbours kid trespassing

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