I recently bought a house in a cute neighborhood, and have a large property that stretches between 2 streets. We are near the high school and after moving in have noticed that the students use our property as a thoroughfare to get from one street to the other... They walk up our driveway, under our carport, and through our backyard, where they have created a path. There are about 25 kids who do this both at 7:30am and 3:30pm... I'm sick of it! They have woken up my 6 week old baby one too many times, not to mention the liabilities... End rant.
Anyway, I want to put up a no trespassing sign, but something that looks "pretty" that gets our message across nicely -- I hate the black and orange ones! Anyone have any ideas??
Re: Cute/thoughtful no trespassing sign?
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I'd put up sharp sticks and electric fencing. Damn kids.
Just a big "PRIVATE PROPERTY" sign should be good..you could paint it in pretty colors.
I bet they will still do it though. Either you need to hang your head out the window and yell "HEY! Get off my lawn/OUT OF MY YARD" to them, or call the school. I'd lean toward just yelling at them to be honest.
I agree. I've had kids cut through my front lawn on their walk home from school (though MUCH younger) and I have had to tell them not to walk in my grass. I'm not a HUGE meanie, but there's a big hole where the water access is and I don't want to be liable if one of them breaks an ankle tripping in it.
This also works for people letting their dogs use your yard as a toilet (as long as you catch them in the act) because they will not clean it up here. So gross, I have no dog for a reason.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
Siiigh... thanks for the suggestions. I guess there is no way around a big sign! Calling the school is a good idea, I think I may do that as well... but we definitely need the sign as this past weekend when it was beautiful an entire family (mom, dad, children, golden retriever) walked past my living room window down our driveway. I have a feeling lots of people outside of the high schoolers do it as a means to get through when the weather is nice.
I can understand high schoolers wanting to do it... but really? Walking your dog the length of someone's property as an adult?? I'd be embarassed for them if I wasn't so irritated!
A sign isn't going to do anything. Neither is calling the school. The school has no idea what kids walk past your house.
Personally, I'd put up a waist high picket fence that would be enough deterrent to have to walk around (tall enough they can't easily just step over) but is still attractive/decorative.
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Or you could put a few stakes in the ground on that area (like maybe up one side into an L-shape) and tie some plastic "string" on it. I'm so not using technical terms here.
I think I'd be more irritated by adults with a dog than kids who don't think twice about smashing someone's grass.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
A cutesy sign isn't going to work for a brat pack like that. I would lean out the window and yell "get off my d@mn lawn!" I also llike the electric fence idea. LOL.
Note: there are many reasons why DH and I don't have kids. This is one of them.
I have yelled this before lol. Although I think I said "hey, can you please not walk on my grass THANKS!!!!!" with a sneer on my face.
TTC Baby #2 - BFP on 12/14/11 @ 10DPO - CP confirmed 12/18/11
BFP #2 on 1/13/12
A sign isn't a bad idea, but honestly I'd go out & chat with them one morning. With that age, if you just scream out the window at them you could run the risk of retaliation/vandalism. I'd personally go out & nicely say "Hey guys- it looks like everybody's used this to cut through for a long time, but since we bought the house we don't want anyone doing it anymore because of the liability. We really appreciate you understanding." Then put up a Private Property sign after that. If you continue to have problems, I'd still go address it personally first, being more stern & then take further steps if they don't respect your request.
There's been times at the park where teens have showed up & started swearing & all it's taken from me is a little "Guys, there are little kids here, could you please tone down the language" and it solves the problem. They probably aren't doing this to be bad/rude, it's just what they've done for a long time & nobody's ever told them they can't.
Is a fence not an option? I am a big believer in them.
I think I would try to arrange it to spend a week heading them off at both ends of the path, and I would post signs. I would also mention it to the school, and they might be able to help you. They may be more sympathetic if you go to the school and talk to them in person.
If you want a non menacing no trespassing sign, you could always say something like 'We don't walk through your yard, please don't walk through ours. Thank you'
HA!
There was a guy on the corner across from my school that would get out his water hose and squirt the kids! Didn't work.
Signs won't work either. They'll laugh at them. They even cut through yards that had fences.
Catch the kids and just say, "Hey, walk around, please."
OR "I am so glad you are walking through here. Our python snake is loose and I am so crazy that he is in this yard or under the house. He probably got out because we hadn't fed him yet. Thanks for doing a daily walkthrough"
OR "we are having the yard treated tomorrow so if you walk through, the chemicals on your shoes will probably make you have to throw away your shoes."
I'm ROFL at the "call the school" suggestions. WTF is the school supposed to do? And what administrator would handle such a call? The school has no authority, or responsibility, in this. I can only imagine the facial expression of the person on the receiving end of that complaint, as she/he struggles to formulate a tactful response. Good lord.
You need a fence or some other physical barrier, not a "cute" or "thoughtful" no trespassing sign (not that there is such a thing). The fence can be as cute as you like.
I live right next to a school and my neighbor has had similar issues and the school actually sent someone out to "patrol" the area. They also had an issue with a student teasing their dog. Neighbor actually got an apology letter from the student. Some schools actually do listen to surrounding neighbors. Not everyone lives in a sh*tty school district.
I work in a school. They will do something. We get calls like that once in awhile as the school parking lot backs up to a street of houses and kids traipse the lawns once in awhile/hang out a little too long.
They make a general announcement and send the Safety Gaurds out to patrol the area for awhile.
Also where I live, if it's not one of those black and orange "regulation" signs it doesn't "count" so I'd look into that too.
But start by being polite and see what happens.
It sucks, but I don't really see why we're all jumping to building fences and the school won't do anything first anyways. Simple steps first people!
When I was in high school, there was a yard we all cut through to get to the school. It was going on long before I started high school, and continued long after. The owners knew it and were ok with it. If they were outside, they would just say hello. I've sometimes wondered what happened when they moved and someone else bought the property. Welcome to the neighborhood!
These kids don't necessarily know that the new owner doesn't have the same attitude. They may not even know that the property changed hands. Put up a pretty fence. Talk to the kids -- nicely.
A sign that says 'Active Land Mine Field' might work.
Aside from putting up a fence, calling the school is your best bet. Even if you put up thick shrubbery they may continue to walk through until it grows in...and ruin your landscaping in the process. If you have to talk to the kids repeatedly you risk them reporting YOU to the school for harassment (have seen this happen). Plus if there are a few bad apples in the bunch you don't want them defacing your property in retaliation. Not a given, but we've all been there - kids do stupid stuff.
Where we live, fences are pretty standard so not having one seems odd to me.
The schools here do respond to neighbor complaints, whether they back up to the school or are just on a popular route for students to walk home. They like to keep a good relationship with their community.