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Woman, 89, who kept boy's football, sues parents
TownHall ^ | Jan 1 2009 | staff reporter

Posted on 01/01/2009 2:02:45 PM PST by Daffynition

An 89-year-old Cincinnati-area woman arrested for confiscating the neighbor kid's football is now suing the boy's parents. Edna Jester filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court claiming she has suffered emotional distress because footballs and other playthings belonging to her next-door neighbors keep landing in her yard.

In October, Jester refused to return a football, was taken to the Blue Ash police station and charged with petty theft. The prosecutor later dropped the case.

The lawsuit against parents Paul and Kelly Tanis seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Kelly Tanis calls the suit "very silly" but says she and her husband also worry because they have five children and can't afford a lawyer.


TOPICS: Outdoors; Society
KEYWORDS: barneyfife; gort
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To: Daffynition

No different than the dumbass judge who sued the dry cleaner because his pants came back late.


21 posted on 01/01/2009 2:25:55 PM PST by Carley
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To: PistolPaknMama
The Grumpess probably told them to stay out of her yard, so if a football flies over there, they can't retrieve it.

Your choice of words displays your bias towards this story.

Apparently you understand from the above it's HER (the 89 year old woman's) yard, so what part of "teach your kids to keep themselves and their things out of it" don't you understand?

Didn't your parents raise you to respect other people's property? (that includes their yard.)

22 posted on 01/01/2009 2:27:55 PM PST by usconservative (My Plan For Government Reform: Hangings on Thursday, Trials on Friday.)
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To: usconservative

If this happens again call social service. You have kids on your property that do not belong to you and no parent around to claim them....

If one of those kids was hurt while playing on your property I am certain the womb donor would have sued you.


23 posted on 01/01/2009 2:27:56 PM PST by Kimmers
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To: dinoparty
This old hag sounds like a waste of carbon.

And *you* sound like an angry liberal with no respect for property rights.

24 posted on 01/01/2009 2:29:53 PM PST by ladyjane
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To: Daffynition

So the lady is filing a civil lawsuit but she’s committing a crime. All they need to do is press charges. And countersue...


25 posted on 01/01/2009 2:30:25 PM PST by Kevmo ( It's all over for this Country as a Constitutional Republic. ~Leo Donofrio, 12/14/08)
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To: Kimmers
If one of those kids was hurt while playing on your property I am certain the womb donor would have sued you.

Of that I have no doubt. Since that incident, they've steered well clear of my property, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, they've moved onto harassing another neighbor who I know and get along with. They play football in her yard, trample her flowers and call her a "bitch" whenever she asks them nicely to stop playing in her yard. The mother comes out and joins in the obscenity laden tirades too.

Fine example of a mother. I can't wait for these kids to either grow up and move out, or find their way to jail. Either way, I don't think I care. I used to think all kids were good, it was the parents that were bad, but these kids have demonstrated that they come from bad seed.

26 posted on 01/01/2009 2:31:20 PM PST by usconservative (My Plan For Government Reform: Hangings on Thursday, Trials on Friday.)
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To: PistolPaknMama
"The old lady just sounds like a meanie who is just old enough to forget what children are like, and I usually side with the old folks"

They called the cops on her and had her arrested. I'm thinking thats as good an excuse to get mean as any.
27 posted on 01/01/2009 2:32:12 PM PST by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
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Comment #28 Removed by Moderator

To: Tijeras_Slim

And when my son’s football landed in the neighbor’s yard, he went to knock on the door and asked politely if he might go into the back yard and get it back. She turned him down. Footballs are not cheap, and he is a sweet, hardworking young man who was trying very hard to improve himself. This does not do much for neighborly relations. I am going to have to go have a talk with Mrs. B**** myself. She should consider herself fortunate that I’m a lovely neighbor.


29 posted on 01/01/2009 2:40:22 PM PST by ottbmare
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To: dinoparty

You think it’s okay to have an 89 year old woman arrested on a false petty theft charge over a toy? How much did it cost her to go through a humiliating arrest?

That being said, both neighbors should’ve come up with a better solution than involving police and courts.


30 posted on 01/01/2009 2:43:07 PM PST by skr (May God confound the enemy)
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To: usconservative
Apparently you understand from the above it's HER (the 89 year old woman's) yard, so what part of "teach your kids to keep themselves and their things out of it" don't you understand? Didn't your parents raise you to respect other people's property? (that includes their yard.)

Fortunately I grew up on a whole lot of acreage where my neighbors were family. If you're talking about an itty bitty surburban yard where a child might kick a football that might land on the property of a really grumpy old lady, that's another thing.

I said in another post that there's obviously some history between these neighbors that's not apparent from the article. Could be these folks had hell-kids that taunted the old lady, but just from what is posted in the article, it sounds like kids playing and some old lady in a bad mood.

Not saying its so. If these kids messed with this lady I'd drive up there and beat them myself. I came to my conclusions from the limited info in the article, just as you arrived at your bias towards this story.

And yes, my parents certainly raised me to respect other people's property -- which would naturally include their yard. But then I didn't grow up with gripey mean elders either. Usually they set the example.

31 posted on 01/01/2009 2:44:30 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Al-Queda can recruit on college campuses but the US military can't! --FReeper airborne)
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To: ottbmare

That stinks. Polite kids should be encouraged.


32 posted on 01/01/2009 2:44:44 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: Daffynition

It’s probably a much deeper seated issue... the biddy is still ticked Knute Rockne never called her after that one night stand in Kokomo.


33 posted on 01/01/2009 2:46:14 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: dinoparty

Why. the kids should keep their stuff out of her yard.


34 posted on 01/01/2009 2:49:01 PM PST by svcw (Great selection of gift baskets: http://baskettastic.com/)
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To: usconservative

The Little Ole’ Lady from Blue Ash, Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny, GO! Teach those parents a lesson or two in old fashioned child rearing in a new fashioned way (lawsuit).


35 posted on 01/01/2009 2:49:54 PM PST by CARTOUCHE (two roads diverged and I chose the one less travelled by)
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To: Tijeras_Slim
I think you are correct. There's always "the other" side to the story....


36 posted on 01/01/2009 2:50:57 PM PST by Daffynition ("Beauty is in the sty of the beholder." ~ Joe 6-pack)
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To: Popman
What is that: the finder / keeper statue ?

So if you accidentally drive your car into my yard when you get a flat tire and leave it there to go get help. I get to keep it? Cool

There's a difference between accidents and parents who let their kids do whatever they want, whenever they want, who don't recognize that their rights end at my property line. I don't "have" to return anything, but do it out of neighborly civility and grace, (an idea apparently lost on overbearing types such as the Tanis'), not from fear of some scumbag Gort or lawyer. 

The cop who hauled the woman in needs to be fired.

37 posted on 01/01/2009 2:51:49 PM PST by JoJo Gunn
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To: skr
When she could have just handed the football back to them. How much would that cost?
38 posted on 01/01/2009 2:52:07 PM PST by PistolPaknMama (Al-Queda can recruit on college campuses but the US military can't! --FReeper airborne)
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To: Daffynition

Several times a month the boy next door will ring the doorbell asking to get his ball that went over the fence. It doesn’t bother me at all. I’m not a Mr. Wilson. That said, the momma brought this upon herself by calling the cops on the old lady.


39 posted on 01/01/2009 2:53:24 PM PST by CindyDawg (I)
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To: Daffynition

Morons of a feather, flock together. They deserve each other.


40 posted on 01/01/2009 2:55:41 PM PST by papasmurf (Impeach the illegal bastard!)
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