Hellobee Boards

my in-laws were on the other end of this problem; their kids were constantly kicking their soccer balls into the neighbors yard--constantly. their mom tried everything to get them to respect the boundary, but they were excited kids in the middle of a game and they just could not keep it under control. i would imagine a dog is even harder to corral. the only thing that worked is when the neighbors put up a fence, honestly.

i've never dealt with this since every place i've ever lived has a fence, but i would just talk to your neighbors directly to let them know. i guess i would also figure it's just part of the not having fences thing?

@Ms. RV: If you can’t do a fence and the problem is bothering you on a daily basis, I think you have to have a very clear in person conversation with the neighbors about staying off of your property. They have no right to be there but since they obviously aren’t concerned so far you will have to be very firm in exercising your right to keep them off. It will be awkward and they will probably be touchy but they need you to tell them eith no uncertainty that they aren’t welcome in your yard.

When I read this I immediately thought fence! But just read your response re: having a fence. So you could either talk to them very seriously or could you perhaps put up a little decorative fence basically? You know those little wire ones that are 1 foot tall (maybe sometimes 2 feet tall) and people put them around their plants to keep rabbits out? That way the dog would have to hop it (and probably could), but the neighbour’s kid would no longer be able to drive his toy car there or just mosey intro your yard as easily. I would assume there would be no rules about having one of those.

I would be so cranky about that situation, particularly the dog poop.

Who cares about some tire marks? Honestly- go redirect that energy toward something more productive than being mad at a neighbor whose toddler leaves tire marks on your grass. Now the poop, I can see how that is frustrating. Just have a regular old conversation with your neighboring humans and explain your issue with the poop in your yard. That is reasonable.

Could you plant a row of shrubs? Joke option: moat!

@Ms. RV: that’s a good way to approach it. And perfect that their dog is little. They’re nice too because they’re not permanent.

I'd be so excited if we had little kids living next door. Our neighbors do have 8(!) kids but the youngest is 10 (and our oldest is 4). The previous owners of our house had kids similar in age to some of the kids next door and apparently they'd all just barge into each other's houses and steal snacks. As for now, my kids are welcome to romp around the neighbor's yard (and across their yard into the others too), and the teens next door come over sometimes to swing on the rope swing in our yard. It's super common around here and part of the reason I love our town so much. In terms of the pool, the rules depend on the state and town--several of our neighbors have pools and the pool needs to be fenced in, not the whole yard. Our front yard is an unfortunately common poop spot (it's just where we are on the road) but everyone cleans up. My kids get to see the dogs (and meet a lot of them), and we don't have to deal with poo.

My first thought was decorative fence or a row of shrubs.

@Meowkers: The suburb I grew up in, nobody had fences; the area I live in now, every yard is fenced! I *think* it's because the are I grew up in, land is big & hilly but here, lots are much smaller and more uniform and close to each other.

@Meowkers: our HOA doesn't allow fences (except invisible fences for dogs). It's annoying!

Could you plant a row of ornamental shrubs or other plants? Ideally something that wouldn't require a lot of upkeep on your end or would that be akin to a fence and require approval?

I would be totally frustrated too if I were you.

The free range dog would bother me more than the tire marks. Mostly because I would be livid if I (or my kids) stepped in dog poop in my yard when I don't have a dog. Plus I don't think its reasonable to allow dogs to roam neighborhoods freely, for their safety.

For me I would think long and hard about if I really wanted to have the conversation - if the pros (no dog poop, safety of child) outweigh the cons (maybe souring the relationship). I'm not sure.

@Ms. RV: I think it’s your yard and your right to not have people in it. If I saw the kid I would say, please stay on your lawn. If that didn’t work I would do the decorative fence or shrubs. I don’t think that’s passive aggressive, I think that’s life. Fences make great neighbors. Since a true fence isn’t an option I think some of these other alternatives are great ideas. We planted privacy trees for no reason other the we like privacy when were out back. We don’t hate our neighbors so I think that’s a totally valid solution

@kiddosc: you would be amazed at the level of care you owe a stranger on your property. This for certain could become a lawsuit. Not everyone sues, but the liability portion of your homeowner's policy would come into play here.

As far as suing goes....

I stepped on a piece of glass at my moms house and had to have surgery to get it out - it was over 20K.

My insurance company wanted to sue my mom - I was mortified!!! I submitted the paperwork they requested but they ended up just paying it

I work in insurance & yes... you and your insurance company can be sued if something were to happen. A health insurance company can subrogate back to your homeowner's policy for damages.

If shrubs or a fence isn't an option, I would have a frank conversation with the neighbor and document it... time, place, what was discussed, etc. If that falls flat get them to sign a waiver of subrogation

@Mrs. Goose: I like the idea of a garden fence! I was going to suggest lining things up against the property line like potted plants, chairs, and gardens to at least curb the driving through your yard.
My husband's cousin deals with crap like this!
As for the dog, speak to them about the issue and liabilities. Then when you see the dog in your yard, put him on a leash and walk him back. If they still do nothing about it, suggest you will call animal control the next time their dog is in your yard. Be tough if you have to! If you don't complain, a lot of people just assume it's ok!