Nuisance neighbours...is this woman right to keep kids footballs?

Lots of people who look after their property are troubled by neighbours kids who have no respect for anything it seems.
Is there anything more annoying than other peoples kids or pets damaging your garden when you have spent time and money making it look nice?
No doubt some will say she is a miserable old bugger....I say good for her, and if the mother of the boys cant control them and teach them some manners, the woman should ring the police and accuse her of failing to stop her brats doing criminal damage.


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/gran-given-police-warning-keeping-10224009

"A gran says she was visited by police after keeping footballs kicked into her garden by her neighbour's kids.
Penny Freeman, who spent thousands of pounds on her garden, was stunned when cops arrived at her Bridlington home.
The 73-year-old says two officers warned her she could be accused of theft if she failed to return the balls from next door.
However, she claims the children hadn't come over to ask for their balls back, nor had they apologised, the Hull Daily Mail reports.
“It seems you don't need to ask for your balls back, you just call the police," she said. "Everyone I have told this to says, 'you are kidding'."

Well, it is theft. People should be counselled to obey the law and not make up rules of their own.

Suppose you found a diamond wedding ring on the street as you were exiting your car? You might be surprised to learn it's not your to keep. You have to make an effort to find the owner.

If you want to kick a ball around, go to the park. Most gardens aren't big enough for that kind of thing, and it makes a racket as well.

If your ball goes over the neighbour's fence, go round and ask for it back - politely - and apologise.

Original Quill wrote:Well, it is theft.  People should be counselled to obey the law and not make up rules of their own.

Suppose you found a diamond wedding ring on the street as you were exiting your car?  You might be surprised to learn it's not your to keep.  You have to make an effort to find the owner.

In a situation like this I would suggest the one who is more than likely breaking the law is the useless parent bringing up disruptive ill mannered brats.

The ring scenario is completely different...the owner of the ring has not caused nuisance and damage to your property.
Of course effort should be made to find the owner.

Raggamuffin wrote:If you want to kick a ball around, go to the park. Most gardens aren't big enough for that kind of thing, and it makes a racket as well.

If your ball goes over the neighbour's fence, go round and ask for it back - politely - and apologise.

The mother has said she is afraid of the old lady and wont go and ask for the balls back.
There was a pic of her garden and the childrens goal post was directly in front of the wall of her neighbours garden, no wonder the balls keeps going over.

The simple solution would be to turn the bloody goal post round, so SHE gets the wayward balls hurtling towards her own house not the poor womans next door.

Or...like you suggest, she could get off her arse and take the kids to the park.

If someone kicks a ball over the fence, it's not theft if the person the other side just leaves it there. They didn't go round and take the ball and put it in their own garden. That's just stupid.

The pensioner got so sick of the balls landing in her garden breaking her plants and causing damage she put the balls in her shed and was going to return them after a week.
She has said even when she did previously throw the balls over the wall the kids just threw them back again. The children never go round to apologise and ask for the balls back, and neither does their mother...they just call the police and accuse the old lady of theft... they sound like neighbours from hell.

Sounds like both sides should make a greater effort.

Original Quill wrote:Sounds like both sides should make a greater effort.

Most neighbour disputes are caused because at least one of the them is unreasonable....in this case I think the older lady has been very reasonable, but patience runs out when you are dealing with ignorant unhelpful people.

Kids play.... parents should ensure they are not spoiling other peoples lives when they are doing it.

I don't see where the lady has been unreasonable. If they keep on and on kicking or chucking balls over the fence, they need to stop doing that.

Syl wrote:Most neighbour disputes are caused because at least one of the them is unreasonable...

That's exactly the way I feel about Republicans. People keep saying the two sides should try to cooperate, but with Republicans they just view conciliation as a weakness. Look at how they treated Obama when he tried to work with them.

Give em an inch, and they take a mile. You don't cooperate with people like that.

That old lady has got some balls.

eddie wrote:That old lady has got some balls.

Too many of them apparently.

Raggamuffin wrote:If someone kicks a ball over the fence, it's not theft if the person the other side just leaves it there. They didn't go round and take the ball and put it in their own garden. That's just stupid.

I was just thinking that. It would technically be trespass to go into the garden uninvited to retrieve the ball so unless the kids ask for it.... I'd just pop them and give them back with a moue of sympathy at how easily cheap balls get damaged when kicked about.

HoratioTarr wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:If someone kicks a ball over the fence, it's not theft if the person the other side just leaves it there. They didn't go round and take the ball and put it in their own garden. That's just stupid.

I was just thinking that.   It would technically be trespass to go into the garden uninvited to retrieve the ball so unless the kids ask for it....  I'd just pop them and give them back with a moue of sympathy at how easily cheap balls get damaged when kicked about.

"You bustin' my balls?"

eddie wrote:That old lady has got some balls.

Not now, she gave them back.

Syl wrote:

eddie wrote:That old lady has got some balls.

Not now, she gave them back.

Grumpy. My joke was well funny.

hope they poor round up on the miserable bugger's garden

She's old enough she should be in a home anyway
We got too many old buggers breaking the law and ruining society for everyone with their selfishness and greed.

Veya, miserable bugger you are, one day you'll be old, think on it !

Young people don't seem to appreciate how tired and fearful the elderly can be, and that chasing around after kids' toys like this is not something they might be physically or emotionally up to over and over again.     I wouldn't want my elderly parent having to deal with this all day, it's not fair.    There's no respect being shown here, as it's not an isolated incident but something that's ongoing with no regard to the lady's time or property.

veya_victaous wrote:hope they poor round up on the miserable bugger's garden

She's old enough she should be in a home anyway
We got too many old buggers breaking the law and ruining society for everyone with their selfishness and greed.

She's only 73. You'll be complaining if someone kicks a ball over your fence and smashes up your prize marrow.

Raggamuffin wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:hope they poor round up on the miserable bugger's garden

She's old enough she should be in a home anyway
We got too many old buggers breaking the law and ruining society for everyone with their selfishness and greed.

She's only 73. You'll be complaining if someone kicks a ball over your fence and smashes up your prize marrow.

He has a prize marrow?

HoratioTarr wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

She's only 73. You'll be complaining if someone kicks a ball over your fence and smashes up your prize marrow.

He has a prize marrow?  

Maybe it's a courgette.

veya_victaous wrote:hope they poor round up on the miserable bugger's garden

She's old enough she should be in a home anyway
We got too many old buggers breaking the law and ruining society for everyone with their selfishness and greed.

Does your mother read this forum? or your nana??

I hope so.

HoratioTarr wrote:Young people don't seem to appreciate how tired and fearful the elderly can be, and that chasing around after kids' toys like this is not something they might be physically or emotionally up to over and over again.     I wouldn't want my elderly parent having to deal with this all day, it's not fair.    There's no respect being shown here, as it's not an isolated incident but something that's ongoing with no regard to the lady's time or property.

Exactly, its all about respect.
The woman next door, when interviewed about her brats behaviour, said she was afraid of the old lady, what a load of bollox.
If she was scared of her she would make sure the kids footballs didn't repeatedly go into her garden, and if they did she would go with the boys to apologise like decent people should.

I think anyone who brands this old lady miserable and grumpy should live next door to people who don't control their kids, animals or husbands....all three can be a bloody menace.

Recently we supported a lady in similar circumstances, kids kept kicking the ball into her garden. She has cerebral palsy and couldn't bend to pick them up. She is too scared to answer her door so when they got nothing banging on the door they started banging on the Windows and looking through the windows tormenting her. She was so scared she called the police and police (well plastic police) went to speak to the family, while he was there the man was still threatening to go and sort out the old woman.
Was he arrested? Was he shit. Now she is too scared to be down stairs in her own house, too scared to have the lights or the tele on.
That lady has lived in that house for over 50 years. She shouldn't be in a home only an ignorant boy with no life skills or experience would suggest it.
If I could I would have made that man eat those footballs.

Miffs2 wrote:Recently we supported a lady in similar circumstances, kids kept kicking the ball into her garden. She has cerebral palsy and couldn't bend to pick them up. She is too scared to answer her door so when they got nothing banging on the door they started banging on the Windows and looking through the windows tormenting her. She was so scared she called the police and police (well plastic police) went to speak to the family, while he was there the man was still threatening to go and sort out the old woman.
Was he arrested? Was he shit. Now she is too scared to be down stairs in her own house, too scared to have the lights or the tele on.
That lady has lived in that house for over 50 years. She shouldn't be in a home only an ignorant boy with no life skills or experience would suggest it.
If I could I would have made that man eat those footballs.

The police, housing authorities and local communities should do more to protect old people.
People who cant control their kids should be prosecuted, not spoken to in a gentle manner by useless community police.

A few years ago we had trouble with kids rampaging round the small estate where my mum lived. It was an estate specially designed for pensioners, lads had no business being there at night time.
The police were useless....the kids took to climbing on the roofs and jumping from one house to the next, (they were bungalows) terrifying my mum and her neighbours, who were all in their 80's.
In the end we formed our own group and policed the area ourselves. My OH caught a kid jumping from one roof to the next, collared him and rang the police, who came out, took the lad (who was crying his eyes out) home and 'spoke to' his parents.
They stopped, I think it was more to do with my OH than the police though.

When my grandkids are here, many times balls end up in gardens. They return them, no problem.

I have done the same to them many times too.

Syl wrote:

Miffs2 wrote:Recently we supported a lady in similar circumstances, kids kept kicking the ball into her garden. She has cerebral palsy and couldn't bend to pick them up. She is too scared to answer her door so when they got nothing banging on the door they started banging on the Windows and looking through the windows tormenting her. She was so scared she called the police and police (well plastic police) went to speak to the family, while he was there the man was still threatening to go and sort out the old woman.
Was he arrested? Was he shit. Now she is too scared to be down stairs in her own house, too scared to have the lights or the tele on.
That lady has lived in that house for over 50 years. She shouldn't be in a home only an ignorant boy with no life skills or experience would suggest it.
If I could I would have made that man eat those footballs.

The police, housing authorities and local communities should do more to protect old people.
People who cant control their kids should be prosecuted, not spoken to in a gentle manner by useless community police.

A few years ago we had trouble with kids rampaging round the small estate where my mum lived. It was an estate specially designed for pensioners, lads had no business being there at night time.
The police were useless....the kids took to climbing on the roofs and jumping from one house to the next, (they were bungalows) terrifying my mum and her neighbours, who were all in their 80's.
In the end we formed our own group and policed the area ourselves. My OH caught a kid jumping from one roof to the next, collared him and rang the police, who came out, took the lad (who was crying his eyes out) home and 'spoke to' his parents.
They stopped, I think it was more to do with my OH than the police though.

I think you are right. And, now we have policing by appointment and very strict criteria before the police will attend. I think more and more areas will hire private forecast or patrol themselves.

magica wrote:When my grandkids are here, many times balls end up in gardens. They return them, no problem.

I have done the same to them many times too.

The point this lady has made is that the footballs keep smashing her plants and causing damage in the garden she has spent a lot of money on.
She has thrown the balls back many times, but being a human being, and an elderly one at that, she has rightly gotten sick of it happening, especially as the kids and their ignorant mother have never even acknowledged or apologised for their nuisance behaviour.

Syl wrote:

magica wrote:When my grandkids are here, many times balls end up in gardens. They return them, no problem.

I have done the same to them many times too.

The point this lady has made is that the footballs keep smashing her plants and causing damage in the garden she has spent a lot of money on.
She has thrown the balls back many times, but being a human being, and an elderly one at that, she has rightly gotten sick of it happening, especially as the kids and their ignorant mother have never even acknowledged or apologised for their nuisance behaviour.

It's hard because balls do fly over fences, no matter how many times kids are told to keep balls low.

Sadly breaking her plants then it must be a heavy football then, which are a pain. That isn't fair.

Ours are small soft balls or tennis balls, not footballs.

magica wrote:

Syl wrote:

The point this lady has made is that the footballs keep smashing her plants and causing damage in the garden she has spent a lot of money on.
She has thrown the balls back many times, but being a human being, and an elderly one at that, she has rightly gotten sick of it happening, especially as the kids and their ignorant mother have never even acknowledged or apologised for their nuisance behaviour.

It's hard because balls do fly over fences, no matter how many times kids are told to keep balls low.

Sadly breaking her plants then it must be a heavy football then, which are a pain. That isn't fair.

Ours are small soft balls or tennis balls, not footballs.

In the photo it looked like a heavy leather type football Mags, and one photo in the paper showed the goalpost in the kids garden backed on to the old ladies garden fence, so naturally if the kids kick the ball too high it will land in the next door garden.

One simple solution would be to move the goalposts round.

veya_victaous wrote:hope they poor round up on the miserable bugger's garden

She's old enough she should be in a home anyway
We got too many old buggers breaking the law and ruining society for everyone with their selfishness and greed.

I can't help but find that more than a little bit amusing.

Syl wrote:

magica wrote:

It's hard because balls do fly over fences, no matter how many times kids are told to keep balls low.

Sadly breaking her plants then it must be a heavy football then, which are a pain. That isn't fair.

Ours are small soft balls or tennis balls, not footballs.

In the photo it looked like a heavy leather type football Mags, and one photo in the paper showed the goalpost in the kids garden backed on to the old ladies garden fence, so naturally if the kids kick the ball too high it will land in the next door garden.

One simple solution would be to move the goalposts round.

Yes and also they would be hitting the fence too. I can see how annoying it is for the old lady.

My grandson kicks a ball, very light, in the garden. We take him to the park with his proper football where he can have a kick about there. Goal posts provided too. Hurting no one.

Theft...!?

1) If it's in her garden then it is hers... !?

2) if it's not hers, but was put there by someone else (without her knowledge), then it is not theft...!

3) The constant bombardment of projectiles into her garden/property and subsequent damage caused would be reason for bringing criminal charges under section 5 public order act whereby words or behaviour caused harassment/alarm/distress... and also for criminal damage and/or littering/fly tipping...!

4) it is not the job of neighbours to act as 'ball boys'... it is their right to be left alone and free to relax in the comfort of their own home/garden etc without interference... and it is the job of parents to keep their kids in line and stop them pissing off their neighbours and taking them up the park if they want to kick a ball about etc... or they are 'disturbing the peace'...!

5) Would be interesting to see how the football kid/parent was able to prove that woman actually had THEIR ball... without Incriminating themselves in any of the above...

Tommy Monk wrote:
Theft...!?

1) If it's in her garden then it is hers... !?

2) if it's not hers, but was put there by someone (else without her knowledge), then it is not theft...!

3) The constant bombardment of projectiles into her garden/property and subsequent damage caused would be reason for bringing criminal charges under section 5 public order act whereby words or behaviour caused harassment/alarm/distress... and also for criminal damage and/or littering/fly tipping...!

4) it is not the job of neighbours to act as 'ball boys'... it is their right to be left alone and free to relax in the comfort of their own home/garden etc without interference... and it is the job of parents to keep their kids in line and stop them pissing off their neighbours and taking them up the park if they want to kick a ball about etc... or they are 'disturbing the peace'...!

5) Would be interesting to see how the football kid/parent was able to prove that woman actually had THEIR ball... without Incriminating themselves in any of the above...

Well said Tommy, pity you are not her next door neighbour.

I'd pity her if Tommy was her neighbour!
There are only so many times you can hear someone shout "Waffle!" at their computers, through the wall.

Syl wrote:

Tommy Monk wrote:
Theft...!?

1) If it's in her garden then it is hers... !?

2) if it's not hers, but was put there by someone (else without her knowledge), then it is not theft...!

3) The constant bombardment of projectiles into her garden/property and subsequent damage caused would be reason for bringing criminal charges under section 5 public order act whereby words or behaviour caused harassment/alarm/distress... and also for criminal damage and/or littering/fly tipping...!

4) it is not the job of neighbours to act as 'ball boys'... it is their right to be left alone and free to relax in the comfort of their own home/garden etc without interference... and it is the job of parents to keep their kids in line and stop them pissing off their neighbours and taking them up the park if they want to kick a ball about etc... or they are 'disturbing the peace'...!

5) Would be interesting to see how the football kid/parent was able to prove that woman actually had THEIR ball... without Incriminating themselves in any of the above...

Well said Tommy, pity you are not her next door neighbour.

Well, tommy...it's not theft by virtue of the ball entering her yard, but by virtue of her withholding it.

nicko wrote:Veya, miserable bugger you are, one day you'll be old,    think on it !

With the world being left to us by the current old buggers probably not
I will probably need to be processed into soylent greens to allow the next generations even the slightest chance of Survival.

Since we cant even begin fixing the world until the voting block that is the baby boomers are gone. We will be lucky if the world is still able to support vegetation by then thanks to conservative voters (statically more likely to be old selfish buggers)

I always think "Respect is Earned" and the current old farts have not done that. they have Spent more, burnt more resources, done more damage to the environment, than their parents and their children.

Tommy Monk wrote:Theft...!?

1) If it's in her garden then it is hers... !?

2) if it's not hers, but was put there by someone else (without her knowledge), then it is not theft...!

3) The constant bombardment of projectiles into her garden/property and subsequent damage caused would be reason for bringing criminal charges under section 5 public order act whereby words or behaviour caused harassment/alarm/distress... and also for criminal damage and/or littering/fly tipping...!

4) it is not the job of neighbours to act as 'ball boys'... it is their right to be left alone and free to relax in the comfort of their own home/garden etc without interference... and it is the job of parents to keep their kids in line and stop them pissing off their neighbours and taking them up the park if they want to kick a ball about etc... or they are 'disturbing the peace'...!

5) Would be interesting to see how the football kid/parent was able to prove that woman actually had THEIR ball... without Incriminating themselves in any of the above...

Proves my point
Old bugger thinks Children should be treated like adults and have no right to play like he would have done when a child, Basically he is done with childhoods so no one else deserves a childhood!!!

And the old bugger probably whines about kids spending all their time inside too

no wonder the current oldies DESERVE no respect.

She should complain to the council about the nuisance caused by her neighbours. She has the right to enjoy her own garden without being harassed by balls.

Veya, do you have any Parents, or were you just hatched?

How do you treat your Parents now, have you just stuck 'em in a home and forgot about them?

Or did they treat you badly? No love shown to you when young by the sound of it !

What a hateful young man you are !!

veya_victaous wrote:

nicko wrote:Veya, miserable bugger you are, one day you'll be old,    think on it !

With the world being left to us by the current old buggers probably not
I will probably need to be processed into soylent greens to allow the next generations even the slightest chance of Survival.

Since we cant even begin fixing the world until the voting block that is the baby boomers are gone. We will be lucky if the world is still able to support vegetation by then thanks to conservative voters (statically more likely to be old selfish buggers)

I always think "Respect is Earned" and the current old farts have not done that. they have Spent more, burnt more resources, done more damage to the environment, than their parents and their children.

The lady isn't a baby boomer.

eddie wrote:I'd pity her if Tommy was her neighbour!
There are only so many times you can hear someone shout "Waffle!" at their computers, through the wall.

I would be more worried for her if Veya was her neighbour to be frank.

I think its pretty clear that some posters would make good neighbours..
and some would not...

And it is about respect as mentioned, I always think if you start off respecting someone in most cases they return that.....if they don't, rather than making their lives a misery just keep out of their way.

Miffs2 wrote:

eddie wrote:I'd pity her if Tommy was her neighbour!
There are only so many times you can hear someone shout "Waffle!" at their computers, through the wall.

I would be more worried for her if Veya was her neighbour to be frank.

Yeah that's true. He'd probably put her down like an old dog.

eddie wrote:

Miffs2 wrote:

I would be more worried for her if Veya was her neighbour to be frank.

Yeah that's true. He'd probably put her down like an old dog.

Everybody gets old eventually. People seem to forget that.

Funny thing is that I am only 10 years older than veya...

Tommy Monk wrote:Funny thing is that I am only 10 years older than veya...

Yes, but sooo many miles in that short, ten years. Take a look...

Tommy Monk wrote:Funny thing is that I am only 10 years older than veya...

Its odd how peoples age is construed differently on forums.
Some people who are older have an open attitude so appear younger....and some younger posters post like old farts......aint people funny?
Of course anyone can be any age they choose to be on forums, and its quite hard to guess sometimes.