Footballs again

Our DD had a friend to play and this was the only time a ball went over the fence. The neighbour eventually threw it back with several punctures like she had used a knife or scissors.

For 23 out of our 25 years this neighbour was a nightmare and she stopped speaking when our new cat went in her garden. I think she hit the cat because he never went in it again!

It was unbearable and the best day of our lives was when we moved.

People saying "oh its only once a day" etc are taking no heed of the fact that not everyone is mobile or able to bend to pick up a ball and throw it back. Nor do we all have domestic support/partners.

Nothing to do with balls but yesterday I had the utitity company doing work near my property and twice asking me to get up and flush the toilet so they could check the drains. After the second time I warned the young man "please do not knock here again. I have very poor mobility and will NOT be answering."

Later on a new neighbour rang the bell (despite one of those "no callers without appointment" notice. She said via the intercom that she wanted to ask me something. I just told her "I am a disabled person in bed resting and will not be getting up again today. Please go and ask someone else."

Today Ive disabled the bell so it doesnt ring and disturb me. I will reconnect it next time Im expecting a caller or delivery.

If I saw a house with a notice like that I would not be disturbing them unless it was a serious emergency, and would expect to get a chilly reception.

Some people are so bloody entitled.

StoneofDestiny

The parents are morons. This is unacceptable behaviour. Grown teenagers are big enough to go to the park and play football and the average garden is not a suitable space as clearly they can't confine it to their own boundaries.

Hear hear
That’s it in a nutshell ?

The parents are morons. This is unacceptable behaviour. Grown teenagers are big enough to go to the park and play football and the average garden is not a suitable space as clearly they can't confine it to their own boundaries.

I have mobility issues and bending makes me go dizzy. So if any balls come into my garden they stay there until my nephew makes his next visit which is usually once a week. He throws them over the front fence into the street where they are available for any child who wants them to take them. I dont answer the door to unsolicited visitors unless they are deivring a parcel (ring door bell).

Tolerance is occasionally needed, but sometimes there needs to be rule setting.

Right now I'm listening to goodness knows how many young lads having fun in my lodger’s room next door. The bass note of their music is very distracting, but it’s the first time that he’s played music that’s bothered me and I’m happy he feels comfortable enough to have his friends round. So I shall let it go on until I’m off to bed then tell him to call it a night!

And he’d better do as he’s told! ? ?

Where we lived before the two teenage lads next door would repeatedly kick the ball against and over the fence bang, bang, bang....ball over. Repeat this time after time, day after day. Plants broken, our dog occasionally hit with the ball, muddy ball against our windows and washing. Day in. Day out. It drove us mad. I feel very sorry for the OP.

We threw the balls back and bit our tongue telling ourselves live and let live but fuming really. Eventually the fence fell down. My husband went around and said he would replace the fence himself and buy all the panels and posts, but if one more ball hit it he would give their landlord the bill.

No more balls.

They were total arses in so many ways though. We were glad to leave.

...three fully grown teenagers start football and within minutes there are four balls in my garden.

I don't think people are quite getting this.

It's not the 'odd football' that lands in your garden 2 or 3 times a week which few people would mind.

Teenage boys' brains are not wired to self-regulate. Their bodies are almost mature but their brains are not. They probably have no care or concept that their kickabout is causing problems for others. I doubt they are even playing football, they're just kicking it as hard as they can for the hell of it.

It's up to the adults to moderate their behaviour - but as the father joins in, I doubt there's much 'maturity' there either.

People are allowed to enjoy their gardens, we know that, but there's a point at which one person's enjoyment becomes a bloody nuisance. Kicking balls with such force that they continually land in someone else's garden, playing very loud music with windows wide open, individuals 'partying' in their gardens, shouting and screaming until the small hours is not people enjoying themselves, it's plain anti-social behaviour. The family sound like they are self indulgent, ignorant and obnoxious neighbours... they probably think it's a good laugh.

The OP has posted before about this - her neighbours appear indifferent. They simply don't give a damn.

When I did my first weeding and pruning round of the borders in my back garden one year I found twelve footballs! No idea whose they were, no-one had ever asked for any back.

My sons and their friend used to play football in our garden, but once they got big enough to kick the ball over the neighbour's fence I sent them off to the school field to play.

What I didn't like was children playing football in the road.
We're the last house at the top of a cul-de-sac so they all used to gravitate towards our drive, with their jumpers on the pavement as the goal. The goalie was never very good!
Seeing footballs bouncing off my car's wing mirrors did annoy me I'm afraid.
If I was quick enough I'd nip out and confiscate the ball. When they asked for it back I'd say I'll give it to a responsible adult.
One dad was a taxi driver and he agreed with me he wouldn't have been happy if his car got damaged.

I think making the effort to know your neighbours and engage with them makes all the difference when it comes to (the odd) football being kicked over the fence, an occasional party etc.

People who ignore their neighbours and then expect them to put up with loud music, renovation works and so on are plain rude.

BlueBelle I was lucky to have a similar old lady as my neighbour; she was 90 and she'd never had children. When mine were young I worried that she might not like their noise - when I had a word with her about them, she just said that she loved to hear them playing as she was alone and it made her feel safe to hear that there was someone in next door. Our boys loved her and chatted to her often, it was a very sad day when through ill-health she had to go in a home.

I’ve told this tale before but it’s worth telling again
My next door neighbour when my three children were young teens was a 90 year old lady on her own as they hit mid plus teens they wanted a house party and we agreed to go out for the night
I went to the old lady next door and told her my teens were having a party and gave her my phone number and said if there’s too much noise don’t hesitate to ring me I m only up the road
Her answer which I ve never forgotten
“My dear I love to hear their noise it tells me I m still alive”

Oh it wouldn't bother me in the least, I'd just throw the balls back when I saw them on my lawn (no making them wait until Monday). I also don't object to people mowing the grass or jet washing or strimming, all things that have to be done. Live and let live, life's too short to get het up about such trivialities.

"The OP is stressed and her peace of mind is more important than any football."

The other family could say that their teenagers burning their energy is worth their peace of mind.

Haven’t they got a local park where they could go and smash the football around to their heart’s content without upsetting the neighbours? The back garden is ok for little kids but not fully grown teenagers. The power with which they kick the ball will damage fences and plants, not to mention if op gets hit.

I didn't say I agree with what my dad did it was mean. He didn't tolerate footballs especially in his veg garden.
The OP is stressed and her peace of mind is more important than any football.

About Easter sunday, not everybody celebrates the same religious holidays.

I've been in my present home for 6 years...probably had ball kicked over about 3 or 4 times ( got an 11 and 9 year old one side uf us) ...it would piss me off if it happened every day...and if it damaged any of my plants I would be really pissed....I spend a lot of time and money on my garden

Breaking the ball on purpose is just plain mean, totally mean

And if you weren’t allowed to play ball in the garden that’s harsh and controlling behaviour, gardens are for kids to play in if you have kids and people to tend or sit in if it’s adults only To only give balls back on Mondays is pretty mean too

And original poster didn’t say anything about balls banging on the fence just about them coming over the fence redhead
Live and let live we share the world with kids and with lawn mower owners

I'm sorry it is annoying for you and as you have made it clear that you don't like balls coming into your garden they should do their best to avoid it.
Stick to your Monday rule as it has been agreed between you.

I used to take a photo of any damage to a plant caused by a ball coming into the garden so neighbours could see what happened. (Whole row of sunflower seedlings taken out in one bounce once).

Casdon

It wouldn’t bother me to be honest, I like to hear people having a good time. They won’t be doing it for many more years anyway if they are teenagers, so it’s best to just put up with it, it’s not like they are doing it deliberately to annoy you.

I’d be more annoyed to hear somebody cutting their grass on Easter Sunday, so maybe leave that until tomorrow?

We've had neighbours regularly drinking with friends to the wee small hours, obviously get more pickled and louder, sometimes from mid-afternoon. Not sure my generosity of spirit lasted long then.
Intrusive noise is intrusive. And as a teacher, I know teenagers have to be taught to have consideration for other people. My neighbours' parents must have missed that memo.

I do sympathise with you there’s nothing worse than the constant sound of a football against a fence. My dad wouldn’t allow a football kicked outside our house. My brothers could not play in our garden with a ball. If the neighbours boys ball came into the garden. My dad would put something sharp through it then send it back.

Balls don't really bother me. I don't get them often and usually just give them back over the fence when I'm in the garden. As another poster said, the teens will grow up and move on eventually, it won't be forever. I live in a place where it is family homes, so I try to make allowances. I'd rather the neighbours were having fun than fighting.

BlueBelle

I ve got a house of eight kids one side with a lot of footballs coming over, as they grew up and peace finally reigned a family of two boys moved in the other side
I don’t mind getting their balls for them my own kids were young once I told them from the start I wouldn’t get any balls after 7.30 pm and they don’t knock and ask just wait for the next day
It doesn’t bother me too much to be honest If it happened too many times in one day I d say don’t come round any more today and they wouldn’t and as for people strimming or mowing the lawn it’s life you can’t expect people to live in silence when the suns out that’s unreasonable expectations

I agree with you, a few footballs over the fence and the sound of lawnmowers is part of living in a built up area. Children are allowed to play in their own gardens and people can cut their lawns when it suits them, it’s usually only for a short period of time, not hours at a time. If I wanted silence outside, I’d go and live in the country, but then I’d hear tractors and agricultural noise!

Eventually the boys playing in the garden will run out of balls to kick over! Once a lawn is cut, the lawn mower will stop. Other noises will still be there, traffic, planes, children playing, people having bbqs, dogs barking, music through open windows or police sirens.

Robin49

Casdon

It wouldn’t bother me to be honest, I like to hear people having a good time. They won’t be doing it for many more years anyway if they are teenagers, so it’s best to just put up with it, it’s not like they are doing it deliberately to annoy you.

I’d be more annoyed to hear somebody cutting their grass on Easter Sunday, so maybe leave that until tomorrow?

Why should she leave the grass until tomorrow. She’s quite entitled to cut her own grass when she wants. Where as her rude next door neighbours are not entitled to constantly kick balls over into her garden with no thought for her it anyone else.

The noise of people cutting their grass on Easter Sunday is intrusive, nobody wants to listen to machinery today, it’s just bad manners when so many people are outside enjoying the sun.
The noise of children and teenagers playing in their own gardens is a sign that they are together and having a good time, which I like to hear, particularly after two years when they couldn’t meet. Ball go over fences when people play football in the garden, but I think that’s a very minor inconvenience, not a big deal - I’m sure most people just throw them back.
Everybody is different, and has a different tolerance level, clearly.