In a post on Reddit, IrnBruDependant (OP), had issues with a neighbor. As the saying goes, good fences make good neighbors, but that doesn't work if the neighbors ignore your fence, and come in and use your yard without permission. Here's the story...
I (29F) don't have any kids, but have my younger sister (16) living with me for around 10 years, and we have a trampoline still in our back garden from when she was younger.
Neighbour to the left of me, has 4 kids, and moved in a year ago. Two weeks ago, we started getting really good weather, so the kids have been out playing constantly, not an issue. They asked if I could let the kids use the trampoline one day, so I was like sure but only for a bit because I have friends coming over for some drinks.
7pm comes, I ask them to go home because my 5 friends have shown up, and we're going to be drinking. Cue the crying, they leave the garden upset but hey, that's not my issue, they've been on it for 3 hours at this point. Their mum pops her head out her bedroom window and asks if they can stay in the garden longer. Um, no? I'm not your babysitter. She's annoyed but drops it.
Last week, I come home from some shopping, and to my surprise, find all four of the kids in the garden, plus their younger cousin. Ask them to leave, tell them they can't just come into my garden without me there and they didn't even ask.
They refuse to leave, so I shout up at their mum and tell her to get them out the garden. She says 'let them play for a bit, you don't even use it'. Okay but still, not your garden? Eventually we get into an argument, and they leave, she's pissed off and shouting saying I'm being a 'Karen' and I should let them in.
I tell her not to ask again because they answer will be no. This happened again the day after, all 4 kids plus their cousin, waiting till I move the car from the drive and heading straight into the garden.
So I wake up this morning. I've since put a lock on the trampoline, just a small one on the mesh safety enclosure to stop them opening it up (cos I'm petty AF). Plus it's Saturday, I'm not working today, my day off and I want a long lie.
But no, neighbour decides that at 9am this morning, her kids are being fired straight out that house with breakfast bars and a bottle of water, and they head straight into the garden. So I can hear them from my window, I look out and tell them to leave.
By the time I get downstairs, mum has descended from her house, and is trying to climb the fence between our gardens, shouting about how I used to let them use it and she's going to call the police for hitting her kids. Um, great, you do that.
I'll be sure to show them the ring camera footage, which coincidentally also has footage of your husband picking the lock open so your brats can use the trampoline.
So long story short, entitled mother send her kids into my garden repeatedly even after being told not to. Calls police on me for harassment and hitting her kids and ends up getting her own husband arrested for theft and housebreaking, and criminal damage. Suck it, b*tch.
Edit: Some people have if I could sell neighbour the trampoline. She has a V shaped garden and the smallest one on the street, the trampoline is 12ft and wouldn't fit. Also gave her a bunch of my sisters old stuff when she first moved in, but have barely interacted with her since this.
Edit 2: Decided that it's not worth the hassle, ten minutes ago (9:50pm here in the UK), I took a knife and slashed the part you jump on. Brother is coming on Tuesday to help me dismantle it, and we will take it to the local recycle centre.
From the comments:
Crazy entitled b*tch. Great ending to the story. But you're not petty at all! Your house, your garden and trampoline. I think I would have either taken the trampoline away or spread something really nasty all over it.
I honestly was doubting posting this because I don't want people thinking I hate kids and I'm just being a b*tch, but it's the audacity of sending them in without even asking! Don't think they'll be back but the next time I see them I'll definitely spray something...
My parents took our trampoline down as soon as we stopped using it, because neighbor kids wanted to use it. Problem is, if they got injured on it, insurance would find us liable. You definitely did the smart thing here
This one is coming down next week, asking my brother to come over for some help! Don't want to have another issue like this so the sooner the better :)
It’s a funny feeling when a Karen calls someone else a Karen isn’t it.
Absolutely! I wasn't sure about posting because people might think I'm just being miserable, but it's peak Karen behaviour!
How are the trespassing laws in your area? Sounds like neighbors trying to have a break from the children they chose to bring into the world without caring about other people’s property. Maybe they should buy their own playthings? Sorry this happened, makes one reluctant to do anything nice to avoid risk that it be taken advantage of later.
Unfortunately it's a case of me having a bigger garden, or I probably would have sent it over there because it's just sitting there. When they first moved in, I even gave them my sister old bike for their youngest girl, and a swing set that was in the shed, so it could be a case of 'it's only
she won't mind'. Not sure about trespassing but will look into it!
How high is the fence around you’re garden? If it’s low enough for the Karen to climb it maybe if you’re lucky you’re landlord will agree to get a higher one.
It's actually a decent height, probably 4ft high. I think they have a box on the other side to help them climb over, because they had to leave the garden through the drive when I asked them to leave. Hopefully I don't need to go that far though and that's the end of it.