flibberdijibbit
New member
What is the name of your state? Illinois
I have 2 boys ages 14 and 10. As boys do, they play basketball in our front driveway. Occasionally they miss (NBA Superstars they are not), and the ball rolls or bounces across the property line towards our neighbors home. We both have 1/4 acre side by side suburban houses, and our homes are about 10-15' feet apart. We have been asked for money to replace the window well covers that they may have broken (the boys don't remember doing this 3 times, as the neighbor states). Over the past month we have
1. moved the hoop to the opposite side of the driveway (which we have since moved back because we almost hit it with our cars daily and quite frankly, it is our property and the ball rebounds towards their house more often in that position)
2. we've been sitting outside with them while they play to ensure nothing gets broken, which it has not.
3. We have purchased a 10x20' net to place behind the basketball hoop (yet to be installed).
Last night we had family over and moved the net to the end of the driveway, backing up to the street, so no rebounds or missed shots would roll towards their house. The boys were playing outside and the ball rolled maybe 5' into their front unfenced yard, nowhere near their house, so the neighbor came out SCREAMING at my children, their cousin, and friend. My husband and our neighbor were in the front yard in heated discussion no less than 40 minutes. She was threatening to call the police (which I would almost prefer, to have a level-headed person placed between myself, my husband, and her), but I'm not sure what charges she would file. We have since paid for the window wells to consider that matter finished, but NO OTHER DAMAGES have been done, NO HARM has become of any rolling or hit balls. She was afraid her dogs would escape ("you could have killed our dogs", she said to my son) because of an open gate 2 months ago but we were told prior to that to not worry about it and retrieve any balls from the fenced back yard because her dogs had a fenced in area where they go. I don't think there is any further conversation I could have with our neighbor, we've already had maybe 3-4 conversations about it, and we assumed problem solved. Obviously she has been stewing this over in her house for months, and reached her boiling point. Am I missing something? Is a rolling ball (not bouncing high, not flying 40 mph) 3'? 5'? 8'? over her property line really that upsetting to people? Or should I just let her become that neighbor that all kids fear, and all adults avoid?
I have 2 boys ages 14 and 10. As boys do, they play basketball in our front driveway. Occasionally they miss (NBA Superstars they are not), and the ball rolls or bounces across the property line towards our neighbors home. We both have 1/4 acre side by side suburban houses, and our homes are about 10-15' feet apart. We have been asked for money to replace the window well covers that they may have broken (the boys don't remember doing this 3 times, as the neighbor states). Over the past month we have
1. moved the hoop to the opposite side of the driveway (which we have since moved back because we almost hit it with our cars daily and quite frankly, it is our property and the ball rebounds towards their house more often in that position)
2. we've been sitting outside with them while they play to ensure nothing gets broken, which it has not.
3. We have purchased a 10x20' net to place behind the basketball hoop (yet to be installed).
Last night we had family over and moved the net to the end of the driveway, backing up to the street, so no rebounds or missed shots would roll towards their house. The boys were playing outside and the ball rolled maybe 5' into their front unfenced yard, nowhere near their house, so the neighbor came out SCREAMING at my children, their cousin, and friend. My husband and our neighbor were in the front yard in heated discussion no less than 40 minutes. She was threatening to call the police (which I would almost prefer, to have a level-headed person placed between myself, my husband, and her), but I'm not sure what charges she would file. We have since paid for the window wells to consider that matter finished, but NO OTHER DAMAGES have been done, NO HARM has become of any rolling or hit balls. She was afraid her dogs would escape ("you could have killed our dogs", she said to my son) because of an open gate 2 months ago but we were told prior to that to not worry about it and retrieve any balls from the fenced back yard because her dogs had a fenced in area where they go. I don't think there is any further conversation I could have with our neighbor, we've already had maybe 3-4 conversations about it, and we assumed problem solved. Obviously she has been stewing this over in her house for months, and reached her boiling point. Am I missing something? Is a rolling ball (not bouncing high, not flying 40 mph) 3'? 5'? 8'? over her property line really that upsetting to people? Or should I just let her become that neighbor that all kids fear, and all adults avoid?
