Posted on 05/18/2008 12:13:10 PM PDT by Krankor
I live in a big city on a nice street. My neighbors are very nice people. We don't socialize or anything, but we get along very well and I'll cut their front lawn in the summer and they'll shovel my snow in the winter. No formal agreement or anything, we just do it. They have two little boys and the dad will play catch with them out in front, oh, maybe once or twice a week. Dad will be in front of his house and the two boys in front of mine. Now, I don't really care about my lawn because there are just too many dogs and other kids on the block, but I do care about the bushes in front of my house (took 15 years to grow them). Also, I have a garden apartment that I rent out and my tenant has a very nice garden down there. Anyway, when the trio are playing catch, the ball often goes into the bushes, which means one or both of the kids run down the steps to the garden apt area and sometimes into my tenant's garden to retrieve it. My concern- they're eventually going to ruin my bushes and my tenant's garden. Do you think it's acceptable to go to my neighbor and simply ask him if he could be the one who plays in front of my house instead of the two boys? In other words, he's going to be a bit more careful getting any errant balls. I should mention two things. I have two mulberry trees in my yard which I trim every year, but a good number of berries (a couple hundred) fall into their yard and they've never complained. Also, the mother planted about two dozen tulips in front of her house so she probably doesn't want the boys playing in front of her house either. Advice please.
Maybe if you started out in a casual conversation asking the dad....”Do you think the boys tromping on those plants will hurt them over the years?” See how he responds??? Then, if they get tromped and hurt, you might come back and say....”I’m worried about my plants dying....” JMHO (I LOVE MY PLANTS, TOO!)
Try Dear Abby.
If they aren’t destroying the bushes, I would let it go.
I’d tell him it isn’t that you mind the ball going into your bushes, but you’re worried that the tenant may be upset by it. Hasten to add that your tenant has said anything yet, but nevertheless you feel responsible for his welfare. So, could he be the one who stands in your yard?
STAY OUT ‘DA BUSHES!! STAY OUT ‘DA BUSHES!! STAY OUT ‘DA BUSHES!!
Just what kind of “bushes” are they, by the way?
Do like the old man at the end of our street did when we wandered on his property. Git yourself a bb gun and fire away.
Wow tough to call, he may think he's throws are better thus letting less errant balls getting by.
My advice would be the four of you going to a nearby field and playing together, if you're not a ball player anyone can learn to play catch.
If nothing else hit the bat is a great game anyone can play, unversed you can probably find how to play on the net or if not Freepmail me. ;-D
Evergreens.
IMHO, this is just one of those things that happen when you have neighbors, no big whoop. I would just causally say something when it happens, like, please be careful when you go in there. Nothing to worry too much about.
Asking them to switch places is a very nice and reasonable response. Especially since, if they get hurt on your property, you might be liable. Add that when you put it to him, he might get it.
Wow!The “concerned about getting hurt” part, as Richard Dawson used to say, “Good answer”
Try educating the kids {in a nice way} about your bushes and the renters garden. Work it to their advantage to do so. It wouldn’t take much. For example hiring them to do a little bit of yard work even helping you maintain them. Most kids do things like that simply because no one told them not to do so. But this way the kids would learn several lessons, no one gets angry, and the kids learn something about maintaning plant life as well. BTW when I mow my parents yard I’m still CAREFULL around my moms flower garden LOL and I’ve been here half a century.
I like that too because it doesn’t sound like you’re “blaming” them for anything or criticizing. Some people get overly defensive if they think you are. I think this is a good way to approach the situation.
The FReeper's only complaint about his neighbor was the damn berries that kept falling into his yard from his nice neighbor's tree. The FReeper was wondering how he should go about confronting his neighbor about that issue.
I'll see if I can find the thread............
Bush’s fault of course.
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