Next Door Plat Football In Garden Ball Came Over Fence And Hit Me. What Can I Do

[Robby56]

Kids and adults playing ball comes over regularly however, we normally throw it back. Now adults kicking so hard it is damaging plants and has hit me while eating outside. No reason apology ever given

[fiction-factory]

Keep the ball and tell them what happened when they come and ask for it.
If it contiues then maybe it will land in a very thorny rose bush next time

[Berniecuddles2]

If you know the kids are in their garden playing football don't sit out and eat there. can't stop them playing in their own garden I'm sure they don't kick the ball over on purpose.

[Islay]

That's very sad that you are even considering taking action on kids playing in their garden.

[fiction-factory]

It seems it's adults as well though, Berniecuddles. But I agree it's best not to get in a confrontation at this stage- although i think they should be made aware that they need to be more careful

[Sqad]

They are not JUST playing football in their garden, there is an unacceptable extension of the game into Robby's garden, causing damage.
This is annoying and cannot be tolerated......have a word with the parents in the first instance.

[B00]

Agree with Sqad (yes, im shocked too!)

Kids kicking the ball over is tolerable, just about, but adults doing and not even apologising is just downright rude!

As sqad said, try to have a polite word with the adults, tell a white lie by saying the ball hitting you bruised you, hopefully they'll be reasonable back and try to keep the ball within their property.

If that fails, staple the kids to their garden wall by their jumpers.

[New Judge]

Robby is as entitled to enjoy his garden as are his neighbours. The problem is Robby's way of enjoying himself does not cause his neighbours any distress whereas his neighbours' way of enjoying themselves most certainly causes robby some grief.

[-Talbot-]

Ask if you can join in, then everyone is happy.

[MickeyMcfinnegan]

Stop being an ol stick in ta mud misery guts an join in but failing that allow others to have some fun, was only an accident.

//If it contiues then maybe it will land in a very thorny rose bush next time//

Criminal damage is illegal so it is.

//tell a white lie by saying the ball hitting you bruised you//

Why would you tell anyone to lie to another human to scare them? If you were the neighbor or the neighbors were family or friends would your advice be the same? Of course not girl, let's remain adult, truthful and moral bound we should

[fiction-factory]

>Criminal damage is illegal so it is.

That's a good point, so it is. Maybe Robby can remind the neighbours of this point next time they damage any plants.

These things need to be discussed before any confrontations, I agree. But if the neighbours become unreasonable then a different approach may be needed.

[MickeyMcfinnegan]

//That's a good point, so it is. Maybe Robby can remind the neighbours of this point next time they damage any plants.//

No you're wrong there moi friend.

Accidental damage vs willful intent to damage are 2 different ball games as it were it is.

[New Judge]

“Accidental damage vs willful intent to damage are 2 different ball games as it were it is.”

It ain’t quite that straightforward (so it ain’t). Criminal Damage does not require intent. It can be committed “recklessly”. "Recklessness" for the purposes of the Criminal Damage Act is defined as follows:

"A person acts recklessly within the meaning of section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 with respect to:

1. A circumstance when he is aware of a risk that it exists or will exist;

2. A result when he/she is aware of a risk that it will occur; and

3. It is, in the circumstances known to him, unreasonable to take the risk."

So, if the said neighbours had been told of damage committed by their actions but they continued with them (with the accompanying likelihood that similar damage might follow) then it could be argued that they had acted recklessly. They were aware of the risk but, in their view, considered the risk a reasonable one to take. Of course it would be for a court to decide if their decision that the risk was reasonable was the correct one.

[Robby56]

Thank you new judge

really useful info hope we never get to this stage but you never can tell

[Baldric]

\\\That's very sad that you are even considering taking action on kids playing in their garden\\\

OP says

//Now adults kicking so hard it is damaging plants and has hit me//

[albaqwerty]

once had a snitty neighbour who complained when my then 3 year old kicked a small football over the hedge.
Complete accident.

Not that it matters Robby, as has been said, the enjoyment of your garden is being hampered.
Hope it gets peacefully resolved.

[MallyJ]

Surely parks and commons are for football games or is it simply that parents can't be bothered to take/send their children to play in a suitable space? I am constantly startled by the attitudes of parents who inflict their children (the badly behaved ones) on the wider community ... the children being spoken of here are learning from their parents that they do not have to consider the effects, on other people, of their behaviour because their parents don't.......oh dear.

[ummmm]

Unbelievable...

Parents pick houses suitable for their growing family and that usually includes a garden for the children to play in.

Parents can't be expected to go to a park everyday which might be miles away!

[Baldric]

ummmm, from the OP


OP says

//Now adults kicking so hard it is damaging plants and has hit me//

[albaqwerty]

a different snitty neighbour, when the boys were playing kick-about in OUR front garden asked me to tell them to stop it cos the angle of the chair she sat at put her off watching her tv.
However, it was ok for her g/sons to have a kick-about in her front garden.

dear lawd, and what about the parks covered with broken glass and other things?

Parents can't win, either our weans are kept in and don't get any exercise, or when they go out to play it causes chaos for the neighbours who were never children themselves.

[ummmm]

I read it the first time and then again the two times you chose to repeat it!!