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How to deal with trespassing neighbors

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We have a townhouse attached with others and our lawn is attached to others lawns. The problem is that our neighbors are constantly coming into our back lawn and a lot of times right outside our window facing the lawn where our lounge is. This is a first time home for us so is this normal ? What should I tell the neighbor and how ? We don't feel a sense of privacy if the guy and his wife and kids are constantly in our area of the lawn all the time they are out at the back .
 

jesu

Member
This

gran_torino_clint_eastwood.jpg
 

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
Set up a sprinkler system that you can control from the inside.
 
So this is quite literally a "get off my lawn" thread.

This thread is going to be like watching a person in real-time become that angry old lady in my neighbourhood who used to stand outside in her robe while all of us kids played to make sure our ball didn't roll into her grass or that we didn't step one inch into her lot as we crossed through the neighbourhood to get to our friend's house with the pool. I always wondered how this metamorphosis happened.
 

entremet

Member
When I was a kid, we shared a back yard with our neighbors since we didn't have a demarcation such as a fence. It was pretty cool. We'd have dibs when they BBQed and played football with them.

I miss those neighbors.

Community is cool, OP.
 
When I was a kid, we shared a back yard with our neighbors since we didn't have a demarcation such as a fence. It was pretty cool. We'd have dibs when they BBQed and played football with them.

I miss those neighbors.

Community is cool, OP.

Not if your neighbor is right outside our window when we are sitting quietly inside together
 
Out of curiosity I googled "townhouse backyards." Yikes, those things are small. Most of the shots of them, whoever lives there made sure to mark off their area. The non-fenced in ones look more open I can see how people would wander into someone else's space.
 
This is how it is behind our place


Their boundary starts where their patio is on the left and ours is the grass on the right, they are usually always 6-20 feet from our window on our side when outside standing playing with kids but hardly ever on their own side
 
If I was a kid and had that huge field in my backyard I would use the whole thing too!

Is it really a problem? If they're getting too close to the windows then put up a small fence enclosing your piece of field in. I wouldn't complain unless they're doing it after dark / doing any damage.
 
Why are they on your lawn? The kids are playing?

If it was me, I wouldn't care unless they were leaving a mess or something. If they start looking into the windows though, that's another story.
 
This is how it is behind our place



Their boundary starts where their patio is on the left and ours is the grass on the right, they are usually always 6-20 feet from our window on our side when outside standing playing with kids but hardly ever on their own side


Its a town home, is that section of open land even "yours"?

They are playing with their kids. Get over it. Want more privacy? Buy a house.
 

StayDead

Member
Surely the simplest answer here is to put up a small fence? Doesn't even have to be a big one, but unless you go draw a line on the floor if they're playing with their kids they probably don't notice they've gone over your boundry as there isn't one (unless I'm blind).
 

Ikuu

Had his dog run over by Blizzard's CEO
Could always try talking to them, the answer to most problems that get posted on here.
 
I get the feeling you don't want to fence it in?

If I were you the next time they are outside I would walk out and say "can I help you with something?" Or "did you need something?" And sit out there. They should get the message. (I've done that before)

Edit: or I would share and ask them if I can use that grill whenever I want.
 
Its a town home, is that section of open land even "yours"?

They are playing with their kids. Get over it. Want more privacy? Buy a house.

Up to a certain point yes it is. People do have small fences up but that Seems a last resort , I just want to know if I should ask the neighbor not to get too close to our windows when he is out and about. The thing that irritates me is they never go on the other side it's ALWAYS my side which they end up at from start to finish, their side is where their lawn is and the other house opposite to me, I don't mind if the kid is playing but it's the father and mother which are always about it destroys any sense of privacy as we have a lot of guests over with a guy playing 5 feet off our main window
 
This is how it is behind our place



Their boundary starts where their patio is on the left and ours is the grass on the right, they are usually always 6-20 feet from our window on our side when outside standing playing with kids but hardly ever on their own side

If those structures are connected then that isn't a house, which means that lawn area isn't really yours.

If you want to get a bit passive aggressive, you could put lawn ornaments or a garden. Something to discourage running through.
 
If those structures are connected then that isn't a house, which means that lawn area isn't really yours.

If you want to get a bit passive aggressive, you could put lawn ornaments or a garden. Something to discourage running through.

As per townhome regulations it is up to 100 feet out to front and up to the edges of the townhome

There is a reason the patios don't cross the line

The shared begins after the 100 feet which is where anyone can go
 

nilbog21

Banned
Bro you live in a townhouse. He is probably 5 feet away from his house and you're telling him to get away from your house? I mean..
 

Godslay

Banned
Go outside and tell those goddamn brats to get off your lawn. Helps to have a cane to wave as well.

In all honesty though, if you don't want them over there you should put up a fence. Otherwise it's pretty much fair game in terms of playing over there. Otherwise they are going to play there and it's going to bother you. If that's not an option, and you can't live with them being over there, you are going to have to actually talk to your neighbors and tell them that you don't want their kids over there. You'll probably end up looking like an ass, but you'll have piece of mind I guess.

Unless they are tearing up your yard it's probably better to have a good relationship with your neighbor than to fuss over the line.
 

riotous

Banned
They probably have the "well you could run around in my lawn if you want!" attitude.. ignoring that.. you have expressed no desire to use their part of the lawn..

You are going to get the "NoFunAllowed" response a lot here, but they are being entitled jerks IMO. They simply shouldn't be doing that.. they shouldn't even ask if they can.. it's your property.
 
Go outside and tell those goddamn brats to get off your lawn. Helps to have a cane to wave as well.

In all honesty though, if you don't want them over there you should put up a fence. Otherwise it's pretty much fair game in terms of playing over there. Otherwise they are going to play there and it's going to bother you. If that's not an option, and you can't live with them being over there, you are going to have to actually talk to your neighbors and tell them that you don't want their kids over there. You'll probably end up looking like an ass, but you'll have piece of mind I guess.

Unless they are tearing up your yard it's probably better to have a good relationship with your neighbor than to fuss over the line.


This. Do you really want to be the guy who yells about children playing in what really looks like a common space back there.
 
Up to a certain point yes it is. People do have small fences up but that Seems a last resort , I just want to know if I should ask the neighbor not to get too close to our windows when he is out and about. The thing that irritates me is they never go on the other side it's ALWAYS my side which they end up at from start to finish, their side is where their lawn is and the other house opposite to me, I don't mind if the kid is playing but it's the father and mother which are always about it destroys any sense of privacy as we have a lot of guests over with a guy playing 5 feet off our main window

Talking to them seems like the way to go (and the least amount of work). I don't think you're being unreasonable for not wanting people playing right outside your window on your lawn, they can at least be mindful when they use it.
 

GulAtiCa

Member
This is how it is behind our place

Sorry, but that is a lot of room. They are just playing. I could understand if they are messing up your yard or standing literally 1 foot outside your house, but if they are not, you should really lit them be.

Honestly, this shouldn't be something that bothers you. Kids will be kids, they will be playing in the back yard at the edge. Complaining, if it is trivial, will just make you seem like a grinch.

If they get annoying, like leave stuff on your yard, tear it up, etc, then you can complain. If this really bothers you, put up a fence.
 

Nander

Member
Put a table and some chairs or something on your part of the lawn, to show that you don't want it to be a play area for their kids. Should do the trick, but isn't as passive aggressive as putting up a fence.
 
Claim your area OP. Whatever "yard" is yours, turn it into one big ass patio. Then line the patio with tall skinny potted plants. Can't do anything about the common area.
 
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