Use of privately owned empty lot as dog toilet

[BarbO]

Me and my next door neighbor maintain an empty 50 foot lot between our homes to keep the neighborhood looking nice. The lot is privately owned and the owner lives in Florida last I heard. My neighbor and I each mow half the property. I have owned this house for 23 years with no problems. Then my neighbor across the street started playing catch with his dog, throwing a ball into the yard next to me. Then came the neighborhood kids. They play catch and things like that, but then they started playing football and are now using my yard as a playground. I asked the kids why they're playing in my yard and they replied that there are 2 trees in their yard.

Then one day a couple of months ago I noticed a couple walking their dog. I don't know these people, so I thought it odd that they were walking all over the empty lot next to us, and I'm not talking about just walking along the curb. I let it go for the most part until one day I looked outside my 2nd floor window, and this man was standing about 30 feet into the property, scratching his crotch, waiting for his dog to toilet. He would clean up and walk away. This happened frequently. On the 23rd of December I saw these people again and went outside and confronted them. Turns out they live 4 houses down and their kids play with the kids next door, so they think this makes it okay to let their dog toilet there every day. They used the yard as a toilet again today.

I think it's rude. Until I confronted them I never would have known that they live down the street because they never introduced themselves. I don't see them using anyone else's yard as their personal dog park/kid park. I spent 23 years keeping the area clean and I'm afraid that this is a slippery slope. Are the kids going to hang out there and drink and throw parties when they're older?


Do I have any recourse here? Our town has a dog park. I don't want to have to build a fence, and I think these neighbors have no respect for boundaries especially as they pertain to this property. Do you have any advice to get them to move on to somewhere else?

 

[Zigner]

Me and my next door neighbor maintain an empty 50 foot lot between our homes to keep the neighborhood looking nice. The lot is privately owned and the owner lives in Florida last I heard. My neighbor and I each mow half the property. I have owned this house for 23 years with no problems. Then my neighbor across the street started playing catch with his dog, throwing a ball into the yard next to me. Then came the neighborhood kids. They play catch and things like that, but then they started playing football and are now using my yard as a playground. I asked the kids why they're playing in my yard and they replied that there are 2 trees in their yard.

Then one day a couple of months ago I noticed a couple walking their dog. I don't know these people, so I thought it odd that they were walking all over the empty lot next to us, and I'm not talking about just walking along the curb. I let it go for the most part until one day I looked outside my 2nd floor window, and this man was standing about 30 feet into the property, scratching his crotch, waiting for his dog to toilet. He would clean up and walk away. This happened frequently. On the 23rd of December I saw these people again and went outside and confronted them. Turns out they live 4 houses down and their kids play with the kids next door, so they think this makes it okay to let their dog toilet there every day. They used the yard as a toilet again today.

I think it's rude. Until I confronted them I never would have known that they live down the street because they never introduced themselves. I don't see them using anyone else's yard as their personal dog park/kid park. I spent 23 years keeping the area clean and I'm afraid that this is a slippery slope. Are the kids going to hang out there and drink and throw parties when they're older?


Do I have any recourse here? I don't want to have to build a fence, and I think these neighbors have no respect for boundaries especially as they pertain to this property. Do you have any advice to get them to move on to somewhere else?

It's not your property.

 

[quincy]

... The lot is privately owned and the owner lives in Florida last I heard ...

... Do I have any recourse here? Our town has a dog park. I don't want to have to build a fence, and I think these neighbors have no respect for boundaries especially as they pertain to this property. Do you have any advice to get them to move on to somewhere else?

Have you thought of contacting the owner in Florida and offering to buy the property?

If you purchase the empty lot, THEN you can build a fence, post No Trespassing signs, and/or tell people to go elsewhere. Right now, you not only have no right to tell people to move on, you really have no right to trespass on the property to mow the lawn or otherwise maintain it.

 

[quincy]

Here is your original thread, BarbO.

Any additional questions you have, or any comments you have, can be added here. Duplicate threads are not necessary and will only be reported and deleted.

Thanks.

 

[quincy]

Here is your thread, BarbO! You seem to keep losing it.

This is the thread you should use if you wish to ask additional questions or add comments. You do not have to continue to make identical threads. Your other two threads have already been reported.

Thank you.

 

[LdiJ]

Me and my next door neighbor maintain an empty 50 foot lot between our homes to keep the neighborhood looking nice. The lot is privately owned and the owner lives in Florida last I heard. My neighbor and I each mow half the property. I have owned this house for 23 years with no problems. Then my neighbor across the street started playing catch with his dog, throwing a ball into the yard next to me. Then came the neighborhood kids. They play catch and things like that, but then they started playing football and are now using my yard as a playground. I asked the kids why they're playing in my yard and they replied that there are 2 trees in their yard.

Then one day a couple of months ago I noticed a couple walking their dog. I don't know these people, so I thought it odd that they were walking all over the empty lot next to us, and I'm not talking about just walking along the curb. I let it go for the most part until one day I looked outside my 2nd floor window, and this man was standing about 30 feet into the property, scratching his crotch, waiting for his dog to toilet. He would clean up and walk away. This happened frequently. On the 23rd of December I saw these people again and went outside and confronted them. Turns out they live 4 houses down and their kids play with the kids next door, so they think this makes it okay to let their dog toilet there every day. They used the yard as a toilet again today.

I think it's rude. Until I confronted them I never would have known that they live down the street because they never introduced themselves. I don't see them using anyone else's yard as their personal dog park/kid park. I spent 23 years keeping the area clean and I'm afraid that this is a slippery slope. Are the kids going to hang out there and drink and throw parties when they're older?


Do I have any recourse here? Our town has a dog park. I don't want to have to build a fence, and I think these neighbors have no respect for boundaries especially as they pertain to this property. Do you have any advice to get them to move on to somewhere else?

If he is cleaning up after his dog, I do not see what the problem is?

 

[BarbO]

Have you thought of contacting the owner in Florida and offering to buy the property?

If you purchase the empty lot, THEN you can build a fence, post No Trespassing signs, and/or tell people to go elsewhere. Right now, you not only have no right to tell people to move on, you really have no right to trespass on the property to mow the lawn or otherwise maintain it.

When we first moved here in 1993 our neighbor asked if we wanted to split the cost to buy the property from the owner but we didn't have the money. We agreed to split the mowing to keep it from looking like an eyesore. So I guess the first thing to do is stop mowing. And I can extend my fence on my property line in the spring. Thanks for your reply.

And apologies, I don't know why my post keeps multiplying.

 

[BarbO]

It's not your property.

It's not anyone's property, but they're using it as a play area and dog dump. I don't use it, just keep half the lot mowed. But that will stop this spring.

 

[BarbO]

If he is cleaning up after his dog, I do not see what the problem is?

Problem is that the neighbor doesn't curb the dog, he walks around the whole lot, peering into people's yards, etc. As far as I know this is the only place on the street he takes the dog.

 

[Silverplum]

Problem is that the neighbor doesn't curb the dog, he walks around the whole lot, peering into people's yards, etc. As far as I know this is the only place on the street he takes the dog.

You can build a fence.

This is not a legal issue.

 

[justalayman]

It's not anyone's property, but they're using it as a play area and dog dump. I don't use it, just keep half the lot mowed. But that will stop this spring.

Yes, it is somebody's property but it's not yours so you don't get to say who uses the lot for what. You have no more right to enter into the lot than anybody else.

 

[BarbO]

Can someone explain to me how I'm trespassing by mowing the lawn, but the neighborhood kids and dogs crapping up the lot are not. Just trying to wrap my head around that. And thanks to everyone who answered, I appreciate the comments and advice. Sorry about the repeat posts.

 

[Zigner]

Can someone explain to me how I'm trespassing by mowing the lawn, but the neighborhood kids and dogs crapping up the lot are not. Just trying to wrap my head around that. And thanks to everyone who answered, I appreciate the comments and advice. Sorry about the repeat posts.

Nobody is saying they're not trespassing. What we are saying is that they are not trespassing against you.

 

[Zigner]

It's not anyone's property ...

Sure it is...remember?

The lot is privately owned and the owner lives in Florida last I heard.

 

[BarbO]

Nobody is saying they're not trespassing. What we are saying is that they are not trespassing against you.

Okay, that makes sense. I appreciate your help. Thank you.