"Get off my lawn!" neighbor issues...

[unsinkable]

Maybe you remember my lying liar of a neighbor who lies...:D

 

He is absolutely obsessed about his lawn and screams at any kid who steps on it.

 

Well, he has a 3 car garage, a 5 car pad and a driveway the length of the property. (ETA: Basically, he turned 85% of his backyard into a parking lot & garage) But every time my kids try to play on the sidewalk or on our front lawn, he pulls out of his garage and parks at the edge of our lawn. That means, I have the kids either play in the street if there are no cars parked nearby or I have them stop playing. God forbid something hit his car...he'd sue me.

 

Now, my kids are old enough that their frisbee or ball rarely goes on his lawn. They play the "other way" to prevent it from happening.

 

Yesterday, my youngest DS has 2 friends over (this is a BIG DEAL to DS...but that is another post.) The boys are playing frisbee, partly in the street, partly on our lawn and the frisbee goes onto the bottom of neighbor's driveway...practically in the street. When DS went to grab it, neighbor's DD was pulling into the driveway so DS says sorry. She yelled at him that he better not go on her dad's lawn. She pulled up to the house then without getting out of her car, starts backing up, way too fast, IMO.

 

Meanwhile, 2 little girls WHO I DON"T EVEN KNOW are riding down the street and turn up neighbor's driveway where his daughter is backing out way too fast. The little girls, scared of getting hit, turn onto his lawn and ride across it...OMGosh, I think. All hell is going to break loose. So the daughter continues to back out and then proceeds to park in front of my house...even tho' there is no one in front of her dad's house. I'm sure she did this deliberately to ruin the boys' game.

 

Frisbee game over. Great.

 

Then neighbor's daughter slams her way out of her car, stomps across MY LAWN and stands on it and starts yelling at me about letting my daughters ride their bikes on her dad's lawn. Those weren't my daughters --- and besides, I have only one DD who is about 8 years older than those girls, plus my dd was at a GS sleepover.

 

 

So I looked at her and softly said, just above a whisper,

 

"Get off my lawn."

 

Her reply, "Don't you start your $h1t with me."

 

Me: "Get off my lawn."

 

She said a few more things about her dad's lawn and my daughters (who weren't my daughters) and I just kept softly saying/whispering, "Get off my lawn."

 

Wait 'til she finds out they weren't my dds.

 

This is just insane. She didn't even get the irony of her stomping across my lawn and standing on it to scream at me about no one going on her dad's lawn.

 

I am actually proud of myself that I didn't start yelling back at her. Just 4 simple words repeated over & over...

Edited June 27, 2010 by unsinkable

[usetoschool]

:grouphug: Sorry you are living next door to lunatics and they are controlling your life. I can feel my stomach churning just thinking about it. :grouphug:

 

 

We have had stupid neighbors. When she was yelling I would have turned my back and walked in the house and shut the door. If you haven't done anything wrong and they really are nutso the only thing to do is ignore, ignore, ignore. Smile, nod, walk away.

 

I would document, with witnesses, events like the pulling out too fast because her anger and self-righteousness is going to get someone hurt though. And make sure they know you will report her dangerous driving.

[unsinkable]

:grouphug: Sorry you are living next door to lunatics and they are controlling your life. I can feel my stomach churning just thinking about it. :grouphug:

 

 

We have had stupid neighbors. When she was yelling I would have turned my back and walked in the house and shut the door. If you haven't done anything wrong and they really are nutso the only thing to do is ignore, ignore, ignore. Smile, nod, walk away.

I would document, with witnesses, events like the pulling out too fast because her anger and self-righteousness is going to get someone hurt.

 

 

I like to think I would have but the boys were on the lawn. I didn't want her to yell at them any more.

 

Thanks for the hugs!

[fivetails]

I think you need to start having parties on your front lawn.

 

I'm thinking balloons, streamers, noisemakers, music, picnic tables with piles of pb&j sandwiches & giant pitchers of kool-aid, all set up alongside several slipNslides, a wading pool, a few lazy daisy sprinklers, and a sandbox.

 

Mr. Grumpypants sounds like one of those kid-haters. None of this can 'hurt' his lawn or vehicles, but it stands an excellent chance of driving. him. bonkers. ;)

[mcconnellboys]

Can you put up a fence? Sometimes, good fences make good neighbors......

[Mynyel]

I woulda said..just as quietly...you are trespassing, please leave or I will call the police.

 

I would then keep a camera handy at the door in case she does it again (or the dad for that matter) and snap a picture if she steps on your property again and then charge with trespassing.

[Starr]

How about those horns they are using at the Open?

[Danestress]

What would happen if you periodically ran one of those sprinklers that rotates so that it sprayed about a foot into the street and therefore would get his car sprinkled? Maybe if you did that a couple of times a day even for ten minutes, it would discourage him from parking there. I know people are allowed to park in the street so you can't really forbid it, but you could make it less pleasant, and the water form a sprinkler would do no permanent harm but probably, if he's such a freak about the car, make him less inclined to park there.

[unsinkable]

I think you need to start having parties on your front lawn.

 

I'm thinking balloons, streamers, noisemakers, music, picnic tables with piles of pb&j sandwiches & giant pitchers of kool-aid, all set up alongside several slipNslides, a wading pool, a few lazy daisy sprinklers, and a sandbox.

 

Mr. Grumpypants sounds like one of those kid-haters. None of this can 'hurt' his lawn or vehicles, but it stands an excellent chance of driving. him. bonkers. ;)

 

Great idea...let me know if you'll ever be in town! :lol:

[unsinkable]

Can you put up a fence? Sometimes, good fences make good neighbors......

 

We actually had a hedge on our lawn that ran along his driveway and he asked us if we would take it down b/c he was worried about his wife scraping her car against it.

 

We did take it down...boy, do I regret that. He's gotten crazier since then.

[unsinkable]

I woulda said..just as quietly...you are trespassing, please leave or I will call the police.

 

I would then keep a camera handy at the door in case she does it again (or the dad for that matter) and snap a picture if she steps on your property again and then charge with trespassing.

 

You're right..that would have been better.

 

just not as funny! :lol:

[unsinkable]

How about those horns they are using at the Open?

 

vuvuzelas! :D

[unsinkable]

What would happen if you periodically ran one of those sprinklers that rotates so that it sprayed about a foot into the street and therefore would get his car sprinkled? Maybe if you did that a couple of times a day even for ten minutes, it would discourage him from parking there. I know people are allowed to park in the street so you can't really forbid it, but you could make it less pleasant, and the water form a sprinkler would do no permanent harm but probably, if he's such a freak about the car, make him less inclined to park there.

 

He keeps his car either in his garage or when the kids are on our lawn, in the driveway next to our lawn (where we used to have the hedge :tongue_smilie:).

 

He never parks in the street. His daughter did this time. She doesn't live here.

[unsinkable]

I think it's time to replant the hedge. Make it something tall and make sure it is totally on your side of the line. If he asks why, tell the truth. He acts in a rude and insensitive way toward children and you are doing what you can to protect yours from his aggression. Seriously, plant the hedge. Consider it a Frisbee catcher.

 

So funny!

 

That reminds me...a couple weeks ago, my 14 yo DS's lacrosse coach stopped by to work with DS. DS was throwing really weakly & hesitantly, to the point the coach was baffled and kept saying stuff like, "Come on! Put some muscle in it. Whip it back to me! What is WRONG with you tonight?!?!"

 

We finally realized that DS was afraid of the lacrosse ball going on the neighbor's lawn. We told the coach and the coach just laughed & laughed. The coach was afraid DS couldn't throw anymore!

[Remudamom]

Absolutely plant the hedge. With thorns. And tell him he's an a$$hole. I always think it's better to be truthful when someone asks.

[unsinkable]

Absolutely plant the hedge. With thorns. And tell him he's an a$$hole. I always think it's better to be truthful when someone asks.

 

What is the kind with the little redish leaves and thorn?

 

The hedge we took down was a boxwood, I think. It had dark green shiny leaves that looked like myrtle.

[Remudamom]

What is the kind with the little redish leaves and thorn?

 

The hedge we took down was a boxwood, I think. It had dark green shiny leaves that looked like myrtle.

 

Nope, that's a friendly hedge. You know, why mess around? Barbed wire.

[melissel]

I think it's time to replant the hedge. Make it something tall, fast growing and make sure it is totally on your side of the line. If he asks why, tell the truth. He acts in a rude and insensitive way toward children and you are doing what you can to protect yours from his aggression. Seriously, plant the hedge. Consider it a Frisbee catcher.

 

Golly, I agree. I think I'd even spend the money on a landscaper to come and a plant a fully grown hedge line to get this guy out of your face even faster. Though I agree with Remudamom--I wouldn't call it a Frisbee catcher, I'd call it the "a$$hole border."

 

My stomach is churning on your behalf too. I'm sorry you have to live next to them :( :grouphug:

[Ohdanigirl]

How about those horns they are using at the Open?

 

They sell them here in Mexico. I would be more than happy to sned them fre of charge, but they may drive you crazy as well.:D

 

Danielle

[Ellie]

I think you need to start having parties on your front lawn.

 

I'm thinking balloons, streamers, noisemakers, music, picnic tables with piles of pb&j sandwiches & giant pitchers of kool-aid, all set up alongside several slipNslides, a wading pool, a few lazy daisy sprinklers, and a sandbox. ;)

Yes, and all of us should come and bring all our dc and our pets. And some random people we collect along the way.:lol:

[Jan in SC]

You should have turned the hose on her. "Oops!, I was watering the lawn right there!!!"

[Denisemomof4]

Do you live on the other side of Mariann's neighbors? ;)

 

They seriously sounds like they need to get a life.

[duckens]

Here's another vote for planting the hedge, but wrap your young bushes in wire as they grow. You'll see below. We are in the process of growing a line of old-fashioned lilacs between our crazy neighbors and us. They complain to the managers about legal things we do. (We live in a trailer park).

 

Things they complain about:

 

1) Putting out corn for the squirrels. (We were trying to keep the squirrels out of the birdfeeder). So we stopped.

 

2) Building a garage. They complained loud enough and long enough to the managers that we were building incorrectly and breaking park rules. Finally our general contractor had to go knock on their door and tell them that no building or park rules were being broken. How did he know? Because he is also the park manager.

 

3) Putting in a lilac hedge. We asked each manager repeatedly before we dug holes if a lilac hedge was acceptable. We truly just wanted to block out the busy street (on the other side of their house) and provide a natural barrier for the toddlers in our yard. They complained about the bushes loudly and longly.

 

Then our newly planted lilacs (of just a stalk or two for each "bush") kept getting cut off. We wondered if the adult daughter was accidentally or "accidentally" hitting them with the weedwhacker when caring for their lawn.

 

This kept happening, so I walked over carrying several cut pieces to confront her/ask her to be more careful. Gee, how dare I confront her. She's the best neighbor ever and never gets into the business of others! She could care less about our lilacs!!! How dare I accuse her of harming our lilacs! Yeah, there's no reason to suspect or accuse them.:rolleyes:

 

We finally put wire around the lilacs. If she tampers with them again, it will look really bad and intentional. Oh, and now she's too scared of me to mow their lawn. They hire it done now.

[FaithManor]

I must be in a wicked mood (bad headache all through church and I had a huge amount of piano work so maybe that's it) because my mind is going to weird places.

 

Lots of strategically placed dog doo placed just where he parks and walks!

 

Calling the police and reporting her for reckless driving.

 

Playing Vivaldi's Four seasons at top volume using Bose Speakers pointed at his house.

 

No Trespassing signs "Violators will be prosecuted" every 12 inches along the sidewalk/lawn and facing his house.

 

Security camera prominently displayed pointing in his direction.

 

Personal favorite, but only because I really need a nap, crabgrass seed sprinkled on his lawn in the middle of the night! Yeah, I know....not nice. Faithy needs to drink a cup of coffee and sleep.

 

Faith

[Jean in Newcastle]

Put up a fence or a hedge. Get your property surveyed first so that there is no doubt that it is on your property.

 

Keep records as someone else said. Using a vehicle to intimidate is very wrong and very scary. I would report that on the police non-emergency line.

[Lara in Colo]

I would grow "something" between the yards that grows fast and put a wire fence in the middle of the "something" (so a ball can't get through)

I would also make sure that the something is harmful to car paint. For instance, there are some trees that "pee" onto things under it and that "pee" will eat a car finish or be real hard to come off. I'm pretty sure aspen trees are like this. Russian olive trees will make a nice hedge quickly and have THORNS.

 

Lara

[mcconnellboys]

Okay, then I would go to him and inform him that if he does not become more reasonable about my children playing on MY property, then I am going to put up another, fast growing hedge to replace the last one. I'd explain that I simply cannot tolerate my children not being able to play outside, as children should, simply because he decides to pull his car out and park it on the property line every single time they are attempting to play in their own yard. OR, I am going to put up a LARGE fence.

 

Alternately, he may make me a good offer on my property and purchase it if he needs that much extra space. Otherwise, MY space is MY space to use. I should not constantly feel constrained from using MY space because of his actions.

 

That's what I'd do, anyway...... It seems that he's not happy with what you've already given him in the way of taking down the hedge. He now wants more. He wants no one out in your yard at any time. Because he's hyper that his yard might somehow be impacted by the activity in your yard. He's either got to hit reset, or you've got to have another barrier so that you can use your yard. It is YOUR yard. YOU paid for it.

 

If he wants to live out in the country with no one bordering his yard, he needs to make the move and buy a larger piece of property. Or he needs to buy your property.

[LibraryLover]

Yes! Do it!! :lol: That would be great. And when the beachballs roll on his grass, the daddies can line up and tell him to chill and to pick on someone his own size.

 

I think you need to start having parties on your front lawn.

 

I'm thinking balloons, streamers, noisemakers, music, picnic tables with piles of pb&j sandwiches & giant pitchers of kool-aid, all set up alongside several slipNslides, a wading pool, a few lazy daisy sprinklers, and a sandbox.

 

Mr. Grumpypants sounds like one of those kid-haters. None of this can 'hurt' his lawn or vehicles, but it stands an excellent chance of driving. him. bonkers. ;)

[kitten18]

Personal favorite, but only because I really need a nap, crabgrass seed sprinkled on his lawn in the middle of the night! Yeah, I know....not nice. Faithy needs to drink a cup of coffee and sleep.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[mcconnellboys]

I'd plant barberry about two feet inside your line (to give it a chance to grow - he will probably hack any portion of it that he feels grows onto his lawn. And then I'd plant a row of five foot arbor vitae inside that to give me an immediate screen. The barberry is to make him think twice about bothering your arbor vitae......

[Hunter's Moon]

We actually had a hedge on our lawn that ran along his driveway and he asked us if we would take it down b/c he was worried about his wife scraping her car against it.

 

We did take it down...boy, do I regret that. He's gotten crazier since then.

I think you should put up the hedge again. I don't know how big your lawn is, but maybe move it back a little bit more. If it is not on HIS property, he shouldn't worry about it. He does because he has no life, but that is his problem. Also, HIS wife hitting YOUR hedge isn't your problem, but his.

 

ETA: Also reading someone else's post, you should report him whether it be to a neighborhood watch or just the non-emergency police line. He is using his car to threaten and scare away your children from playing outside on YOUR property. Maybe they have gotten other complaints about him and the more people who report, the more likely they are to look into it. They can't legally do anything about it, but he is being enough of a nuisance for a little visit from them. Maybe get friends and family to complain as well. I'm sure they care for your children's lives as much as you so they wouldn't mind doing it.

Edited June 27, 2010 by BeatleMania

[jenL]

I think it's time to replant the hedge. Make it something tall, fast growing and make sure it is totally on your side of the line. If he asks why, tell the truth. He acts in a rude and insensitive way toward children and you are doing what you can to protect yours from his aggression. Seriously, plant the hedge. Consider it a Frisbee catcher.

 

:iagree:100%! If he questions it, say, "We know you are particular about your lawn, and this will insure that my children or their toys don't accidentally land on it." :D

 

After reading through all the posts, I second the barberry and arbor vitae suggestion! Fabulous idea!!!

[KnitWit]

Wow! I am so glad we live in the country when I read these threads! I am *amazed* that neighbors feel so entitled to things on other people's property. I think the guy should be paying your property tax since he seems to think he has so much *say* over what goes on at your place!

 

I'd put up a board fence. I'd have my property surveyed, find out if I need a permit and slap that baby up. Most cities have a limit as to how close to the sidewalk you can run a fence, so I'd plant a thick, thorny hedge from the end of the fence to as close as I could get to the sidewalk.

 

I *would* call the non-emergency police line and tell what you witnessed with the dd backing up her car quickly knowing those other two girls were there. I'd ALSO try to find out where those girls lived and warn their parents about those people. At least, there will be a file opened if something escalates.

 

I'm so sorry. Some people just *hate* kids.

[Sumiller]

I'd put up a board fence. I'd have my property surveyed, find out if I need a permit and slap that baby up. Most cities have a limit as to how close to the sidewalk you can run a fence, so I'd plant a thick, thorny hedge from the end of the fence to as close as I could get to the sidewalk.

 

Oh, and you could paint *his* side of the fence a nice bright pink with purple polka dots! :D

[Laurie4b]

I think you need to start having parties on your front lawn.

 

I'm thinking balloons, streamers, noisemakers, music, picnic tables with piles of pb&j sandwiches & giant pitchers of kool-aid, all set up alongside several slipNslides, a wading pool, a few lazy daisy sprinklers, and a sandbox.

 

Mr. Grumpypants sounds like one of those kid-haters. None of this can 'hurt' his lawn or vehicles, but it stands an excellent chance of driving. him. bonkers. ;)

 

Very wicked! :tongue_smilie:

[Laurie4b]

We actually had a hedge on our lawn that ran along his driveway and he asked us if we would take it down b/c he was worried about his wife scraping her car against it.

 

We did take it down...boy, do I regret that. He's gotten crazier since then.

 

I think I would plant it again mighty fast--or the fence is a good idea if you can afford it.

[Laurie4b]

What is the kind with the little redish leaves and thorn?

 

The hedge we took down was a boxwood, I think. It had dark green shiny leaves that looked like myrtle.

 

pyrocantha?

[mommaduck]

Oh, and you could paint *his* side of the fence a nice bright pink with purple polka dots! :D

 

 

Love it! With a motto or something that says, "Kids Live Here, Kids Play Here, Our Home is Blessed" or something like that (naw, I probably wouldn't, but it's fun thinking about it)

[Laurie4b]

 

I *would* call the non-emergency police line and tell what you witnessed with the dd backing up her car quickly knowing those other two girls were there. I'd ALSO try to find out where those girls lived and warn their parents about those people. At least, there will be a file opened if something escalates.

 

I'm so sorry. Some people just *hate* kids.

 

:iagree: There could have been a tragedy.

[AuntieM]

Wow, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Is this a teen/young adult daughter, or an adult? She really didn't have to pick up her dads battle.

 

And I like the Midnight Crabgrass Company idea.

[unsinkable]

Nope, that's a friendly hedge. You know, why mess around? Barbed wire.

ouchie!

 

Golly, I agree. I think I'd even spend the money on a landscaper to come and a plant a fully grown hedge line to get this guy out of your face even faster. Though I agree with Remudamom--I wouldn't call it a Frisbee catcher, I'd call it the "a$$hole border."

 

My stomach is churning on your behalf too. I'm sorry you have to live next to them :( :grouphug:

love the a$$h0le border!

 

They sell them here in Mexico. I would be more than happy to sned them fre of charge, but they may drive you crazy as well.:D

 

Danielle

thanks, I think!

 

I hope this works! I am trying to multiquote for the first time.

[unsinkable]

Yes, and all of us should come and bring all our dc and our pets. And some random people we collect along the way.:lol:

 

Everyone on the WTM board is formally invited!!!

 

You should have turned the hose on her. "Oops!, I was watering the lawn right there!!!"

 

:lol:

 

Do you live on the other side of Mariann's neighbors? ;)

 

They seriously sounds like they need to get a life.

 

That is the saddest part. The guy's life is his lawn and driveway (he vacuums the driveway constantly with a gas-powered lawn vacuum.)

[unsinkable]

Here's another vote for planting the hedge, but wrap your young bushes in wire as they grow. You'll see below. We are in the process of growing a line of old-fashioned lilacs between our crazy neighbors and us. They complain to the managers about legal things we do. (We live in a trailer park).

 

Things they complain about:

 

1) Putting out corn for the squirrels. (We were trying to keep the squirrels out of the birdfeeder). So we stopped.

 

2) Building a garage. They complained loud enough and long enough to the managers that we were building incorrectly and breaking park rules. Finally our general contractor had to go knock on their door and tell them that no building or park rules were being broken. How did he know? Because he is also the park manager.

 

3) Putting in a lilac hedge. We asked each manager repeatedly before we dug holes if a lilac hedge was acceptable. We truly just wanted to block out the busy street (on the other side of their house) and provide a natural barrier for the toddlers in our yard. They complained about the bushes loudly and longly.

 

Then our newly planted lilacs (of just a stalk or two for each "bush") kept getting cut off. We wondered if the adult daughter was accidentally or "accidentally" hitting them with the weedwhacker when caring for their lawn.

 

This kept happening, so I walked over carrying several cut pieces to confront her/ask her to be more careful. Gee, how dare I confront her. She's the best neighbor ever and never gets into the business of others! She could care less about our lilacs!!! How dare I accuse her of harming our lilacs! Yeah, there's no reason to suspect or accuse them.:rolleyes:

 

We finally put wire around the lilacs. If she tampers with them again, it will look really bad and intentional. Oh, and now she's too scared of me to mow their lawn. They hire it done now.

 

You have my sympathy! Lilacs must make a beautiful hedge!

 

I must be in a wicked mood (bad headache all through church and I had a huge amount of piano work so maybe that's it) because my mind is going to weird places.

 

Lots of strategically placed dog doo placed just where he parks and walks!

 

Calling the police and reporting her for reckless driving.

 

Playing Vivaldi's Four seasons at top volume using Bose Speakers pointed at his house.

 

No Trespassing signs "Violators will be prosecuted" every 12 inches along the sidewalk/lawn and facing his house.

 

Security camera prominently displayed pointing in his direction.

 

Personal favorite, but only because I really need a nap, crabgrass seed sprinkled on his lawn in the middle of the night! Yeah, I know....not nice. Faithy needs to drink a cup of coffee and sleep.

 

Faith

 

I hope your head is feeling better! Pain takes us in bad places sometimes. :grouphug:

 

Put up a fence or a hedge. Get your property surveyed first so that there is no doubt that it is on your property.

 

Keep records as someone else said. Using a vehicle to intimidate is very wrong and very scary. I would report that on the police non-emergency line.

 

You are right about the survey. If we started doing something over there he'd be on us like a bum on a bologna sandwich...

[unsinkable]

I would grow "something" between the yards that grows fast and put a wire fence in the middle of the "something" (so a ball can't get through)

I would also make sure that the something is harmful to car paint. For instance, there are some trees that "pee" onto things under it and that "pee" will eat a car finish or be real hard to come off. I'm pretty sure aspen trees are like this. Russian olive trees will make a nice hedge quickly and have THORNS.

 

Lara

 

The thing is, I just want him to leave us alone. I think it is pathetic how much he thinks of his driveway and lawn.

 

Okay, then I would go to him and inform him that if he does not become more reasonable about my children playing on MY property, then I am going to put up another, fast growing hedge to replace the last one. I'd explain that I simply cannot tolerate my children not being able to play outside, as children should, simply because he decides to pull his car out and park it on the property line every single time they are attempting to play in their own yard. OR, I am going to put up a LARGE fence.

 

Alternately, he may make me a good offer on my property and purchase it if he needs that much extra space. Otherwise, MY space is MY space to use. I should not constantly feel constrained from using MY space because of his actions.

 

That's what I'd do, anyway...... It seems that he's not happy with what you've already given him in the way of taking down the hedge. He now wants more. He wants no one out in your yard at any time. Because he's hyper that his yard might somehow be impacted by the activity in your yard. He's either got to hit reset, or you've got to have another barrier so that you can use your yard. It is YOUR yard. YOU paid for it.

If he wants to live out in the country with no one bordering his yard, he needs to make the move and buy a larger piece of property. Or he needs to buy your property.

 

You hit the nail on the head. He wants no one on our lawn b/c it might impact his lawn. It's insane...

Yes! Do it!! :lol: That would be great. And when the beachballs roll on his grass, the daddies can line up and tell him to chill and to pick on someone his own size.

 

But that is the thing...he is a coward. He only says stuff to the kids. He didn't even come out of the house when the lacrosse coach was here.

[unsinkable]

:lol::lol::lol:

 

It is funny but I could never do it. Plus, he has a chemical company come and spray so they'd kill the crabgrass anyway.

 

I'd plant barberry about two feet inside your line (to give it a chance to grow - he will probably hack any portion of it that he feels grows onto his lawn. And then I'd plant a row of five foot arbor vitae inside that to give me an immediate screen. The barberry is to make him think twice about bothering your arbor vitae......

 

I think a fence and the arbor vitae would be pretty!

 

I think you should put up the hedge again. I don't know how big your lawn is, but maybe move it back a little bit more. If it is not on HIS property, he shouldn't worry about it. He does because he has no life, but that is his problem. Also, HIS wife hitting YOUR hedge isn't your problem, but his.ETA: Also reading someone else's post, you should report him whether it be to a neighborhood watch or just the non-emergency police line. He is using his car to threaten and scare away your children from playing outside on YOUR property. Maybe they have gotten other complaints about him and the more people who report, the more likely they are to look into it. They can't legally do anything about it, but he is being enough of a nuisance for a little visit from them. Maybe get friends and family to complain as well. I'm sure they care for your children's lives as much as you so they wouldn't mind doing it.

 

No kidding! It's a straight shot up the driveway!

[FaithManor]

Okay, how about this? Getting about a dozen plastic flamingos, a "Rooster" weather vane, and orange Home Depot buckets filled with carefully planted "weeds" to place along the property line and then have the kids make "garland" out of tin cans and baler twine to string between the flamingoes? Consider it a temporary fence until the hedge grows in!

 

I just do not understand why we can't legally lock up the freaks and keep them safely away from decent society.

 

Faith

[unsinkable]

:iagree:100%! If he questions it, say, "We know you are particular about your lawn, and this will insure that my children or their toys don't accidentally land on it." :D

 

After reading through all the posts, I second the barberry and arbor vitae suggestion! Fabulous idea!!!

 

I like the abor vitae with a fence idea...gonna share with DH...

 

Wow! I am so glad we live in the country when I read these threads! I am *amazed* that neighbors feel so entitled to things on other people's property. I think the guy should be paying your property tax since he seems to think he has so much *say* over what goes on at your place!

 

I'd put up a board fence. I'd have my property surveyed, find out if I need a permit and slap that baby up. Most cities have a limit as to how close to the sidewalk you can run a fence, so I'd plant a thick, thorny hedge from the end of the fence to as close as I could get to the sidewalk.

 

I *would* call the non-emergency police line and tell what you witnessed with the dd backing up her car quickly knowing those other two girls were there. I'd ALSO try to find out where those girls lived and warn their parents about those people. At least, there will be a file opened if something escalates.

 

I'm so sorry. Some people just *hate* kids.

 

They must forget they were kids and they had kids and their grandkids are kids.

 

 

 

Oh, and you could paint *his* side of the fence a nice bright pink with purple polka dots! :D

 

:lol:

[unsinkable]

I think I would plant it again mighty fast--or the fence is a good idea if you can afford it.

 

pyrocantha?

 

Aren't those the ones with the wicked sharp leaves?

 

Love it! With a motto or something that says, "Kids Live Here, Kids Play Here, Our Home is Blessed" or something like that (naw, I probably wouldn't, but it's fun thinking about it)

 

Probably better than "LIAR!!!"

[lionfamily1999]

Ya know, if you park in the street and your car gets hit, I believe it's "no fault." Check your local laws, but what a shame if she ends up with a dent.

[unsinkable]

:iagree: There could have been a tragedy.

 

She cared more about the fact that the bike-riding girls rode on her dad's lawn than she did about the idea that she was backing into them. In her eyes, they probably deserved to get hit for riding on her dad's driveway.

 

Wow, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Is this a teen/young adult daughter, or an adult? She really didn't have to pick up her dads battle.

 

And I like the Midnight Crabgrass Company idea.

 

She's an adult who doesn't live there.