Question: Do you mind neighbors kids playing in your yard unsupervised?

[SavannahDare]

I have become aware over the last couple of months how mean and vindictive 11 year old girls can be.

Generally all kids between the ages of 11-16 are foul human beings. Girls are horrible to each other. That old Elaine quote from Seinfeld about boys beating the crap out of each other and getting over it, but girls giving each other eating disorders is as true a thing ever uttered on TV.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

In one of those links it does allude to being held responsible for "should have done" and "should have known" type scenarios. With dealing with one's yard it gave an example of a "sink hole" that someone could step in. I don't know when something officially qualifies as a "sink hole" but there are spots in my yard that one could roll an ankle. It also talked about with equipment ensuring all screws, nails and the like are not exposed in such a way that someone could "get caught" on it. They have to be screwed all the way in or nailed all the way in. It sounds like there is a window there that someone could realistically get something out of your or your insurance for simply a nail having come an inch loose from a swing set.

If you are not being negligent, then I would not expect you to be liable for injuries that occur on your property. But there are a lot of people out there just looking for a reason to sue, and may invent some negligence, like you "should have done," or you "should have known" something.

Also, some features of back yards can be considered an "attractive nuisance"

KIDS ON OUR PLAYSET: I have a children’s playset that is very popular with the neighborhood kids in my back yard. They come over when we are not home . What is my responsibility if someone falls off the play set and hurts themselves?
Am I liable if a neighborhood child is injured when sledding in my backyard without my permission? Maryland Personal Injury
» Can I be held liable if neighborhood kids get hurt on my property?

Hopefully you also have liability insurance on your homeowner's policy.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Generally all kids between the ages of 11-16 are foul human beings. Girls are horrible to each other. That old Elaine quote from Seinfeld about boys beating the crap out of each other and getting over it, but girls giving each other eating disorders is as true a thing ever uttered on TV.

I couldn't agree with this more. I'll go a step further and say when it comes to dealing with conflict or "being wronged" women in general are brutal and at times down right vicious. I've watched some scenarios play out at work between two women or a man and a woman where the women just went "seek, kill, steal and destroy" mode on the person they were upset with. I's skeered of dem kinds. :biggrin2:

 

[ValuJet]

Generally all kids between the ages of 11-16 are foul human beings. Girls are horrible to each other. That old Elaine quote from Seinfeld about boys beating the crap out of each other and getting over it, but girls giving each other eating disorders is as true a thing ever uttered on TV.

There are three girls in our neighborhood who fit this description. They decided my daughter was not going to be in their "click." So much that the leader told my daughter she was not in her "click" so now she is the odd kid out - they won't even acknowledge her. Not only that, the click leader was in a carpool with us and one other family. We recently had to go the parent and have the click leader removed from the carpool - her behavior had gotten so bad toward my daughter.

Now, it's on between our families. These jabronies live right across the street and none of us are even acknowledging each other's existence. Mrs. VJ tried to get together with Click leader's mom and discuss the girl's differences and the Mom wanted nothing to do with it.

***!!??

At any rate, Click leader is now riding the school bus with the other hoodlums. I have never had this experience with a neighbor before.

 

[cbi1972]

Now, it's on between our families. These jabronies live right across the street and none of us are even acknowledging each other's existence. Mrs. VJ tried to get together with Click leader's mom and discuss the girl's differences and the Mom wanted nothing to do with it.

***!!??

Her home life probably isn't too great, either, living with a mother like that.

 

[Bodhisattva]

There are three girls in our neighborhood who fit this description. They decided my daughter was not going to be in their "click." So much that the leader told my daughter she was not in her "click" so now she is the odd kid out - they won't even acknowledge her. Not only that, the click leader was in a carpool with us and one other family. We recently had to go the parent and have the click leader removed from the carpool - her behavior had gotten so bad toward my daughter.

Now, it's on between our families. These jabronies live right across the street and none of us are even acknowledging each other's existence. Mrs. VJ tried to get together with Click leader's mom and discuss the girl's differences and the Mom wanted nothing to do with it.

***!!??

At any rate, Click leader is now riding the school bus with the other hoodlums. I have never had this experience with a neighbor before.

Uggh, unnecessary stress is such a waste of time. But, I'm sure your daughter will be better off in the long run being excluded from the activities of these miscreants.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

There are three girls in our neighborhood who fit this description. They decided my daughter was not going to be in their "click." So much that the leader told my daughter she was not in her "click" so now she is the odd kid out - they won't even acknowledge her. Not only that, the click leader was in a carpool with us and one other family. We recently had to go the parent and have the click leader removed from the carpool - her behavior had gotten so bad toward my daughter.

Now, it's on between our families. These jabronies live right across the street and none of us are even acknowledging each other's existence. Mrs. VJ tried to get together with Click leader's mom and discuss the girl's differences and the Mom wanted nothing to do with it.

***!!??

At any rate, Click leader is now riding the school bus with the other hoodlums. I have never had this experience with a neighbor before.

Oh man, I don't envy you. :redface: Feuding neighbors is not very pleasant. Hopefully after some time has passed y'all adults can come together and move past it. Because having unresolved conflict with people that live next to you causes stress. Good luck VJ. I really do hope peace can eventually be made.

 

[ValuJet]

Oh man, I don't envy you. :redface: Feuding neighbors is not very pleasant. Hopefully after some time has passed y'all adults can come together and move past it. Because having unresolved conflict with people that live next to you causes stress. Good luck VJ. I really do hope peace can eventually be made.

Thanks. It doesn't bother me as much as Mrs. VJ - but I do not like the fact we're not even talking to our neighbors. It is uncomfortable, but in time it won't bother me at all. The kid is a brat and it's all condoned by the parent. Screw 'em. I keep telling my daughter that time will take care of this, but she doesn't understand. I've tried telling her that she's going to have bullies even when she is an adult. It's silly that the kid problems spill over to the adults. We made the effort to resolve it; that's all we can do.

 

[BamaInMo1]

I have a PLUP on my policy so I know I'm covered. That having been said, I don't guess (so far) I've had a problem with kids playing in my yard while I'm not home. I have a privacy fence that I keep locked. If you have a fenced in yard ( be it a privacy fence or chain link ) my suggestion is to lock it because then the child has to make a concerted effort to tresspass and in that case (depending on state laws) may provide protection from law suits or being hit with higher dmg awards.

 

[SavannahDare]

Thanks. It doesn't bother me as much as Mrs. VJ - but I do not like the fact we're not even talking to our neighbors. It is uncomfortable, but in time it won't bother me at all. The kid is a brat and it's all condoned by the parent. Screw 'em. I keep telling my daughter that time will take care of this, but she doesn't understand. I've tried telling her that she's going to have bullies even when she is an adult. It's silly that the kid problems spill over to the adults. We made the effort to resolve it; that's all we can do.

Yeah, it's hard for an eleven year old girl to grasp that things will change over time and that she needs to focus on herself rather than on what others around her may say they think of her.

My 11 year old will be going into 6th grade next year and I'm already worried for her because she's very quiet and reserved. She has a couple of friends she enjoys spending time with, but she hasn't gotten to that point yet where she's all socially networked. She's not even interested yet. I was the same way at her age and middle school was a merciless experience for me. I was an easy mark because I'd never "learned" how to be mean, vindictive, or catty. Those types of girls walked all over me.

Luckily for me, I had friends in my neighborhood that I hung out with and that was my safe zone. It sucks that this girl lives right across the street from y'all and that the parents aren't supportive. Of course, the apple never falls far from the tree. We already see it here in our small town, especially with our girls being active in sports. It's the same families season after season and as the girls approach adolescence we're really seeing the mothers living vicariously through their daughters' activities.

So, y'all are having to deal not only with little girl issues, but also mama issues...and neither is enjoyable.

 

[rizolltizide]

There are three girls in our neighborhood who fit this description. They decided my daughter was not going to be in their "click." So much that the leader told my daughter she was not in her "click" so now she is the odd kid out - they won't even acknowledge her. Not only that, the click leader was in a carpool with us and one other family. We recently had to go the parent and have the click leader removed from the carpool - her behavior had gotten so bad toward my daughter.

Now, it's on between our families. These jabronies live right across the street and none of us are even acknowledging each other's existence. Mrs. VJ tried to get together with Click leader's mom and discuss the girl's differences and the Mom wanted nothing to do with it.

***!!??

At any rate, Click leader is now riding the school bus with the other hoodlums. I have never had this experience with a neighbor before.

Just went through a six month "strain" with my next door neighbor after he massacred some of my landscaping when we were on vacation last summer while hew was "watching over" the place for us while we were gone. Had nothing to do with kids, but that kind of situation sucks, regardless. We went from being really good friends to not acknowleding existence to working on it. But I haven't forgotten...

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Just went through a six month "strain" with my next door neighbor after he massacred some of my landscaping when we were on vacation last summer while hew was "watching over" the place for us while we were gone. Had nothing to do with kids, but that kind of situation sucks, regardless. We went from being really good friends to not acknowleding existence to working on it. But I haven't forgotten...

How did he do that? Was there a wild animal loose in your flower bed and he was trying to kill it?

 

[rizolltizide]

How did he do that? Was there a wild animal loose in your flower bed and he was trying to kill it?

How? With a chain saw and a set of loppers. Cut a huge limb/trunk off one of my scheffleras and damn near destroyed two of my white birds of paradise because the foliage was over "his" side of the fence.

Let me give ya a little background. My yard looks nice. I'm incredibly anal (hear that Charmin?) about it keeping it that way and I probably spend way too much time and effort on it as it is, but I digress. His house is two story and is set back a little further than my one story house. I'm just a poor white boy. So, if it were not for these plants and the heights they grow to, he could stand on his back porch and have free sight to my pool. What happens in my pool, stays in my pool. Know what I mean? It's a pure privacy issue. I trim them, and I'm very systematic about how I trim them. Now his yard looks like feces. He has resodded twice in the 10 years that we have lived there. It still looks like feces. To him, the reason it looks like feces is because of my oak trees and these scheffleras and birds. He can't get it through his thick skull that we have no problems with grass growing under the oaks in our yard, but he does in his. He can't get it through his thick skull that his two story home is blocking the sun in that part of his yard and not my scheffleras and birds. He can't get it through his thick skull that watering your lawn twice a day instead of two-three times a week will kill the hell out of your grass and do nothing but foster the environment for weeds. So, when we were gone on vacation, he took it into his own hands. Jackazz. So when we got back, I immediately noticed it and stormed over to ask him if he had seen anybody in my back yard destroying my plants while we were gone and that led to a rather unpleasant conversation in which I ended it by telling him to go fornicate himself. All he had to do was apologize, I gave him plenty of opportunities and he refused. It sucked, man. I didn't enjoy it, the whole neighborhood didn't enjoy it, and when my wife happened upon his wife by chance at the doctor's office and she broke down crying saying she missed us, blah, blah, blah, I decided I would be the bigger man and, own my terms, reconcile. So we went over one night when they had people over and after he apologized I shook his hand and we've been working on it.

What a wonderful fairy tale. Sorry for the threadjack.

 

[ValuJet]

How? With a chain saw and a set of loppers. Cut a huge limb/trunk off one of my scheffleras and damn near destroyed two of my white birds of paradise because the foliage was over "his" side of the fence.

Let me give ya a little background. My yard looks nice. I'm incredibly anal (hear that Charmin?) about it keeping it that way and I probably spend way too much time and effort on it as it is, but I digress. His house is two story and is set back a little further than my one story house. I'm just a poor white boy. So, if it were not for these plants and the heights they grow to, he could stand on his back porch and have free sight to my pool. What happens in my pool, stays in my pool. Know what I mean? It's a pure privacy issue. I trim them, and I'm very systematic about how I trim them. Now his yard looks like feces. He has resodded twice in the 10 years that we have lived there. It still looks like feces. To him, the reason it looks like feces is because of my oak trees and these scheffleras and birds. He can't get it through his thick skull that we have no problems with grass growing under the oaks in our yard, but he does in his. He can't get it through his thick skull that his two story home is blocking the sun in that part of his yard and not my scheffleras and birds. He can't get it through his thick skull that watering your lawn twice a day instead of two-three times a week will kill the hell out of your grass and do nothing but foster the environment for weeds. So, when we were gone on vacation, he took it into his own hands. Jackazz. So when we got back, I immediately noticed it and stormed over to ask him if he had seen anybody in my back yard destroying my plants while we were gone and that led to a rather unpleasant conversation in which I ended it by telling him to go fornicate himself. All he had to do was apologize, I gave him plenty of opportunities and he refused. It sucked, man. I didn't enjoy it, the whole neighborhood didn't enjoy it, and when my wife happened upon his wife by chance at the doctor's office and she broke down crying saying she missed us, blah, blah, blah, I decided I would be the bigger man and, own my terms, reconcile. So we went over one night when they had people over and after he apologized I shook his hand and we've been working on it.

What a wonderful fairy tale. Sorry for the threadjack.

I don't think you are a poor white boy. Sounds like you live in the high dollar district, all this talk about two story houses, oak trees and beautiful hedge rows, flowering shrubs, swimming pools, gardeners, topiary trees, etc.

Riz' backyard:

 

[MegaVars]

Just went through a six month "strain" with my next door neighbor after he massacred some of my landscaping when we were on vacation last summer while hew was "watching over" the place for us while we were gone. Had nothing to do with kids, but that kind of situation sucks, regardless. We went from being really good friends to not acknowleding existence to working on it. But I haven't forgotten...

So he took your rainbow flag down, huh? :biggrin2:

 

[Bamabuzzard]

It sucked, man. I didn't enjoy it, the whole neighborhood didn't enjoy it, and when my wife happened upon his wife by chance at the doctor's office and she broke down crying saying she missed us, blah, blah, blah, I decided I would be the bigger man and, own my terms, reconcile. So we went over one night when they had people over and after he apologized I shook his hand and we've been working on it.

What a wonderful fairy tale. Sorry for the threadjack.

WOW!!! Talk about an ordeal!! Well, at least y'all reconciled on some level.

 

[rizolltizide]

I don't think you are a poor white boy. Sounds like you live in the high dollar district, all this talk about two story houses, oak trees and beautiful hedge rows, flowering shrubs, swimming pools, gardeners, topiary trees, etc.

Riz' backyard:

I TOLD YOU TO STAY OUT OF MY YARD!!!!!!!!!

So he took your rainbow flag down, huh? :biggrin2:

Heh. Bastage. True story...The house next to the rainbow house finally sold. A couple of gay guys bought it. These guys are at least friendly.

WOW!!! Talk about an ordeal!! Well, at least y'all reconciled on some level.

Time heals most wounds. And an apology where appropriate.

 

[bamanut_aj]

How? With a chain saw and a set of loppers. Cut a huge limb/trunk off one of my scheffleras and damn near destroyed two of my white birds of paradise because the foliage was over "his" side of the fence.

Let me give ya a little background. My yard looks nice. I'm incredibly anal (hear that Charmin?) about it keeping it that way and I probably spend way too much time and effort on it as it is, but I digress. His house is two story and is set back a little further than my one story house. I'm just a poor white boy. So, if it were not for these plants and the heights they grow to, he could stand on his back porch and have free sight to my pool. What happens in my pool, stays in my pool. Know what I mean? It's a pure privacy issue. I trim them, and I'm very systematic about how I trim them. Now his yard looks like feces. He has resodded twice in the 10 years that we have lived there. It still looks like feces. To him, the reason it looks like feces is because of my oak trees and these scheffleras and birds. He can't get it through his thick skull that we have no problems with grass growing under the oaks in our yard, but he does in his. He can't get it through his thick skull that his two story home is blocking the sun in that part of his yard and not my scheffleras and birds. He can't get it through his thick skull that watering your lawn twice a day instead of two-three times a week will kill the hell out of your grass and do nothing but foster the environment for weeds. So, when we were gone on vacation, he took it into his own hands. Jackazz. So when we got back, I immediately noticed it and stormed over to ask him if he had seen anybody in my back yard destroying my plants while we were gone and that led to a rather unpleasant conversation in which I ended it by telling him to go fornicate himself. All he had to do was apologize, I gave him plenty of opportunities and he refused. It sucked, man. I didn't enjoy it, the whole neighborhood didn't enjoy it, and when my wife happened upon his wife by chance at the doctor's office and she broke down crying saying she missed us, blah, blah, blah, I decided I would be the bigger man and, own my terms, reconcile. So we went over one night when they had people over and after he apologized I shook his hand and we've been working on it.

What a wonderful fairy tale. Sorry for the threadjack.

you should have cut off one his legs with a chainsaw and called it even.