A woman has admitted she is being ‘driven insane’ every evening after getting home from her ‘highly stressful’ job owing to the behaviour of her neighbour’s son
A woman who is desperate to deter her neighbour’s child’s annoying habit has admitted that doing so poses one problem preventing her from taking action. Taking to Reddit to talk about her neighbour issue, she detailed an issue that is her driving her “insane” after a basketball hoop was installed on the border that divides their two properties.
“I moved into this house about three years ago and everything was fine until my neighbour decided his teenage son needed to become the next NBA star,” the woman elaborated in the Neighbours From Hell community. “About two weeks ago he installed one of those heavy duty portable basketball hoops but instead of putting it near his garage or in the middle of his driveway he tucked it right against the edge of my property.”
The woman went on to reveal that the hoops’ backboard is just inches from her own exterior wall, where her master bedroom is located.
“Every single time that kid misses a shot the ball slams into the side of my house with a massive thud that shakes the pictures on my walls,” she slammed. It starts at around 4pm when he gets home from school and goes on until 9pm or even later some nights.”
Owing to her “highly stressful” job, the woman said she longs to be able relax when she gets home from work, rather than being subjected to the “rhythmic thumping sound” every five seconds throughout the evening.
“I tried talking to the dad nicely and asked if they could move it just 10 feet to the left so it wasn’t leaning against my house,” she continued. “But he just shrugged and told me that his driveway is levelled better on that side and that it’s a free country.”
The “worst part” of the situation, however, is the fact the ball keeps landing in the woman’s flowerbeds, meanwhile. “I spent a lot of money and time on my landscaping this spring and now half of my hydrangeas are snapped because the kid just tramples through them to get his ball back,” she said.
The woman added that she had even caught the youngster on her Ring doorbell trampling on the flowers without a care in the world and after heading outside to confront him, she was met with a “blank stare” and a lack of understanding as to why she was so upset.
“I feel like a prisoner in my own home,” she confessed. “I cant even have the windows open because the shouting and the constant metallic clanging of the rim is so loud. I checked the local ordinances but apparently as long as they aren’t playing past 10pm there isn’t much the city can do about noise.”
The irate woman closed by advising that she was considering erecting a high fence, but this would set her back “thousands” for the privilege. “It’s not even about the kid playing sports it is the fact that they chose the one spot that impacts me the most,” she said.
Writing in response, one Reddit user joked: “I think you need to install a motion-activated sprinkler for those poor hydrangeas. Every time that kid misses a shot, he gets soaked.”
To which the woman conceded: “Part of me loves this idea way more than I should. Realistically I’d probably end up starting a whole new war, but the image of him getting blasted while trampling my flowers is very satisfying.”
Whilst a second person declared: “He can’t be damaging your house and property like that. There are rules about things like that out there. Ask them to move it and to stop hitting your house. They should be some kind of city code about this in your area. Also contact the cops and ask them to come trespass the kid for coming it your property and destroying your flower and siding.”
The woman replied: “You’re probably right. I kept second guessing myself because I didn’t want to be the uptight neighbour, but once it’s hitting my siding and they’re walking through my flower beds, it’s clearly past being a minor annoyance.”
According to the government, you can ask your local council for help if the neighbour dispute involves an activity that is damaging to health or a nuisance. This is known as a ‘statutory nuisance’.
This could include:
- noise (including loud music and barking dogs)
- artificial light (except street lamps)
- dust, steam, smell or insects from business premises
- smoke, fumes or gases
- a build-up of rubbish that could harm health
Your council has a duty to investigate any statutory nuisance.
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