WWYD - Neighbor's Kids

RottenFlower

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#41
Honestly, how much more in depth do I need to get talking? We have talked to the kids and the grandparents three times and have explained our reasons for the kids not to jump the fence (namely that it isn't there to support the weight of a child and also my dogs). The kids have been asked to just come to the door and let us retrieve their balls and if we aren't home to wait for us to get back or leave a note at the door.

I'm all for being neighborly but I also expect my wishes regarding my property to be respected. The fence is there primarily to keep my dogs in, but it should serve as a deterrent for other creatures coming in as well.) I don't allow my dogs to be disrespectful by running all over the place or barking while they're outside. Why can the kids act that way? My parents taught me early on to respect people and their things. I never would have dreamed of hopping my neighbor's fences, and I grew up in a very tight knit community.

We live in an extremely litigious society, and I have two rotties, a chow and an older fence. I'm not about to get sued because the grandparents don't have control over the disrespectful kids. KWIM?

I sent my insurance agent an email to get her thoughts
 
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#42
Could you have the fencing done just along their side for now? Or I think you can get those vinyl "fence" panels that are about that height relatively inexpensively. At least it would add some height so their balls might not come over and/or they couldn't climb it?
 

RottenFlower

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#43
Could you have the fencing done just along their side for now? Or I think you can get those vinyl "fence" panels that are about that height relatively inexpensively. At least it would add some height so their balls might not come over and/or they couldn't climb it?
We talked about that last night. It's an option that's on the table.

I'm really not the old curmudgeon I come across as, I swear. I just... I don't know. I don't have kids and the thought of any hypothetical children of mine trespassing, especially where there are unfamiliar dogs and even more especially after they'd been explicitly asked not to do so, is appalling to me.

I've considered letting the kids over to play/make friends with the dogs, but there again, I think I am inviting trouble based on their history. :(
 
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Dogdragoness

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#44
.....Maybe I'm just a tad harsh, but a bit of hottape run along the top wouldn't maim them for life. And bonus points for keeping out critters or anything else that would climb over your fence.

Just let the grandparents know that you are doing it so there's due warning.

Otherwise, if there's ever a time you're outside and a ball comes over, just throw it back or ask them to come around to the door and you'll meet them there. Give them a glass of lemonade or something and ask them to take it easy in the heat.
I was about to say the same thing ... Except I wouldn't tell anyone, if any questions were roused I would say it was for the dogs ;)
 
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#46
We talked about that last night. It's an option that's on the table.

I'm really not the old curmudgeon I come across as, I swear. I just... I don't know. I don't have kids and the thought of any hypothetical children of mine trespassing, especially where there are unfamiliar dogs and even more especially after they'd been explicitly asked not to do so, is appalling to me.

I've considered letting the kids over to play/make friends with the dogs, but there again, I think I am inviting trouble based on their history. :(
I think I just didn't dig how much you had already talked to them. And I agree that inviting them over to play with the dogs might make them feel like they were welcome to come over whenever they liked.
 

Dogdragoness

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#47
At least you have police where you are, out where our ranch is there is nothing but county cops & they cold take up to 2 hrs to get to your house ... If they can even find it :(
 
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#48
I want to be clear....OP I think you have every right to be upset that they are not respecting your requests to not enter your yard.

I was (and am) upset by the idea that its ok to just put barbed wire or hot fence up to deal with it or the idea that its some horrible thing to accidentally hit a ball into a yard or to hop a fence to retrieve it. In all the neighborhoods I have lived, the default assumption (barring dogs) would be no big deal to quickly hop a fence to retrieve a ball, toy, etc as long as it was not a regular constant occurence or that proper respect (not stomping through a garden etc) was given.
 

RottenFlower

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#49
Saw this meme on facebook. Couldn't help but think it was fitting.



I guess I'm just stuck on the fact that we have had to talk to them more than once. Call me crazy, but it's just common decency to respect other people's wishes, especially when they are very much so within the realm of reasonable.
 

sparks19

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#50
Saw this meme on facebook. Couldn't help but think it was fitting.



I guess I'm just stuck on the fact that we have had to talk to them more than once. Call me crazy, but it's just common decency to respect other people's wishes, especially when they are very much so within the realm of reasonable.
The next time you are out dealing with this and the grandparents I would just say "listen, I have asked numerous times to please not allow them to hop the fence. Unfortunately, at this point I have no choice but to report it as trespassing if you continue to allow them into my yard"

And then if it still continues... Call the police and report it.

I am also appalled that peoples immediate reaction is "put something on the fence to harm them"

I also have had issues with kids jumping my fence and the idea of hurting them for it is no where on my radar. :(
 

Fran101

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#53
I'm not even gonna lie, barbed wire & electric fencing were discussed. We pretty much immediately nixed electric wire as I don't want my dogs to accidentally get zapped, but barbed wire across the top, however...
Am I the only one that had no idea we had a little gangster smiley?!

:red_bandana:
my life is complete
 

sparks19

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#54
Eh, I grew up in the country and in the horse fence we had both barbed wire and hot wire. I came into contact with both plenty of times and somehow survived....
Yeah we also grew up with minimal car seat/seatbelt use and no helmets while riding bikes and lead paint... Meh

Barbed wired and hot wire is one thing on it's own... Putting it up specifically yo hurt someone? Hmmmm. Might not be life altering or scarring but really? Why not just start shooting a bee bee gun at them... Won't kill them right? They'll survive.
 

Romy

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#55
Eh, I grew up in the country and in the horse fence we had both barbed wire and hot wire. I came into contact with both plenty of times and somehow survived....
Yeah, I don't see hot wire as harmful. Barbed wire isn't appropriate. If you don't know it's there and take care to avoid it, it can really maim skin and ruin clothes. If you do know it's there, it's easy to avoid and not much of a deterrent. Plus it rusts, and that becomes a health hazard if it punctures skin.

But hot wire? I know TONS of people who use it on urban fences because their dogs climb fences, or cats come in the yard and either make messes or put themselves at risk of being killed by prey driven dogs, or to protect their urban hens from being killed by marauding raccoons. And yes, even to deter fence hopping neighbors. I don't see it as cruel to put one up, especially if kids get a heads up that it's there. If the kids decide to hop the fence anyway, well, they were warned.

I used to climb cattle fences all the time as a kid. They were combo barbed wire and hot wire. Barbed wire is totally easy to avoid. Hot wire nails you sometimes. It's annoying and stings, but doesn't even leave a welt. That's even if you do something stupid and land in the watering trough with your wet head touching the wire. :eek:

I would not approach them with ANY concern about the kids/dogs causing injury to each other. That's practically admitting that your dog has the potential to hurt a child. If something horrible DID happen, that can totally be used against you in court.

Personally I'd stick with things along the lines of, "The fence is old and not made to be climbed on. I'm afraid you kids might fall, or break a board and the dogs would get loose and run over by a car," etc.
 

xpaeanx

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#56
I'll be interested in how the insurance agent advises you to handle it. Please share when they get back to you.

I think the point of the hot/barbed wire is not to hurt them but to give them a reason other than "we're not supposed to" to not jump the fence. That's why you would inform them that it's there. If the kids can see the barbed wire they prob wouldn't want to jump over the fence and would then walk around to ask for the ball like they're supposed to. I def didn't see the first few suggestions as malicious intent. It would be bad if you didn't inform them it was being put up.

Can you put a rope net up a few feet above your fence just on their side to keep the balls in? This is a hard situation. I wouldn't want to call the cops on the neighbors as that only ever increases tension, but at the same time you have very valid concerns and if they even hurt themselves on anything even just your fence they could cause you a ton of headache in a suit.

I'm sorry you're in this situation. :(
 

Xandra

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#57
Yeah we also grew up with minimal car seat/seatbelt use and no helmets while riding bikes and lead paint... Meh

Barbed wired and hot wire is one thing on it's own... Putting it up specifically yo hurt someone? Hmmmm. Might not be life altering or scarring but really? Why not just start shooting a bee bee gun at them... Won't kill them right? They'll survive.
A BB and hot tape aren't really comparable.

Hot tape is momentary discomfort. Like, jump, wring your hand for a few seconds, many people laugh bit. You can get them with lower amperage than an electric fly swatter. It's really not a big deal.

BBs have the potential to cause quite a bit more damage. Plus, you have to actually see the kid to shoot him... much less malicious to say "HEY IM LEAVING THIS ELECTRIC TAPE ALONG MY SIDE OF THE FENCE, IF YOU HOP IT YOU'LL GET SHOCKED" than "Hey, I see you there so I'm going to shoot you." I mean, I'm sure if anyone SEES them crossing they can just holler. It's the fence-hopping when no one is watching that's the bigger problem.
 

sillysally

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#58
Yeah we also grew up with minimal car seat/seatbelt use and no helmets while riding bikes and lead paint... Meh

Barbed wired and hot wire is one thing on it's own... Putting it up specifically yo hurt someone? Hmmmm. Might not be life altering or scarring but really? Why not just start shooting a bee bee gun at them... Won't kill them right? They'll survive.
Actually I had a carseat, always wore my seat belt, and our house had no lead paint. I even wore a helmet when I rode my bike.

However, even my safety conscious mother was not concerned about the barbed and hot wire. It was pretty much-"if you touch it, it'll hurt" kind of deal. Since dogs are involved I should mention that I've been biten by a dog (after walking past a "BEWARE OF DOG" sign into the fenced yard-I was 7) and it was exponentially more painful and has left permanent scars. No such things happened from my fence incidents.

I don't see it a specifically to hurt someone, it's specifically to keep people from trespassing. It is not at all uncommon when you get out of town in this area to see barbed wire fences up with the intent of keeping people off the property. Barbed wire is a visible deterrent-shooting someone with a BB gun is a very different thing, IMHO.
 
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#59
I guess I'm just stuck on the fact that we have had to talk to them more than once. Call me crazy, but it's just common decency to respect other people's wishes, especially when they are very much so within the realm of reasonable.
They're kids though. once should be enough, but it never is.
 

Southpaw

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#60
I want to be clear....OP I think you have every right to be upset that they are not respecting your requests to not enter your yard.

I was (and am) upset by the idea that its ok to just put barbed wire or hot fence up to deal with it or the idea that its some horrible thing to accidentally hit a ball into a yard or to hop a fence to retrieve it. In all the neighborhoods I have lived, the default assumption (barring dogs) would be no big deal to quickly hop a fence to retrieve a ball, toy, etc as long as it was not a regular constant occurence or that proper respect (not stomping through a garden etc) was given.
Yeah that. I never hopped fences because well, I'm just not that agile :p but as kids me and my friends were always cutting through neighbor's yards or going through gates real quick to grab something or just as a shortcut. We respected the property. No one ever complained about us. It's just.... what the kids around here did.

I suppose people can do what they want as far as what they put on their fence, it just seems a little extreme to me, but I wouldn't really have an issue if kids were retrieving their balls from my yard. If they're 8-13 years old IMO they're young enough to be kind of dumb about things still. They're probably just thinking it's much easier/quicker/less bothersome for them to just jump the fence and grab their ball. Probably not meaning any harm by it.
 

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