What the heck?

Dawn

Dawn

seriously?
Moderator
O.G.
Sep 2, 2006
26,237
1,372
#1
We are having a deck built and the concrete was poured today. There are still two big holes in our backyard. I don't know if the kids wanted to check them out or if they were trying to annoy our neighbor's dogs (they are usually poking sticks through the fence at the dogs).

My laptop faces away from our back door (sliding glass door to our back yard). Our dogs started FREAKING out and ran to the door. I looked back just in time to see the neighbor's LITTLE kids high tailing it out of our yard and up the little hill to their house (we live in a town house community).


My concern is that these kids are going to play in the holes in our backyard. We are also having a fence built after the deck so there is no way to keep them out right now. Are we liable if they get hurt?

I yelled out the door "Guys, STAY OUT OF OUR YARD!". it is not the first time i've had to yell at them. other incidents include them poking the neighbor's dogs and riding their bikes down the hill into our back yard.

These kids can't be older than 5!
 
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#2
Where are their parents???? And who will be the first to yell at you, if the little darlings hurt themselves? I hope you can get that fence up pronto. We have a fenced back yard not just to keep our dog in, but to keep other nuisances OUT!
 
#4
Ugh, do we share neighbors? Our house is set back from the road but the houses on each side are up close to the road, so our lawn is in between their two houses. You would think they owned our big front yard, the way their kids are always in it. Our landlord has asked them repeatedly to keep the kids off of it, but they just don't care. I've spoken to the kids before, too. The parents even let them ride bikes through our grass (even when it's wet!). I've seen evidence of them using their sleds on our porch in the winter when we weren't home. They leave toys in our driveway, etc etc etc.

Some parents just have no regard for what their kids do. It's their job to give their kids limits and teach them to respect other people. It's too bad that so many don't!
 
#5
You definitely need to talk to the parents about the kids.... and maybe in the meantime, can you put something over the holes so they don't try to fall in or something?? I hope nothing bad happens!!
 
#6
In the meantime, if you have some big pieces of plywood, put that over the holes and put big rocks or cement blocks or even go to the neighbor's yard and see if they have anything heavy you could borrow, and put those on top of the plywood so that the kids will not be able to move them and jump into the holes, which of course they will do, especially if they have mud in them and their mother has just dressed them in clean clothes, because that is their job.
 
#7
ShimmaPuff said:
In the meantime, if you have some big pieces of plywood, put that over the holes and put big rocks or cement blocks or even go to the neighbor's yard and see if they have anything heavy you could borrow, and put those on top of the plywood so that the kids will not be able to move them and jump into the holes, which of course they will do, especially if they have mud in them and their mother has just dressed them in clean clothes, because that is their job.
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lol!!!
Thanks everyone - I will stop by Lowes tonight and get some plywood cut to put over the holes (great idea!!!).

boxermom - i agree...i definitely don't want the kiddos to get hurt, but i also don't want the parents to blame ME for it.

wordbox - i can't believe those kids use your yard and porch and driveway like that! that's just crazy. i would not be able to deal with that!!!

thanks again!:heart:
 
#8
Yes, you are liable if they get hurt on your property. I would make it clear to the parents that you do not want those children playing on your lawn or in those holes without your permission. I'm thinking that they're deep holes and dangerous for those kids...
 
#10
Sternchen said:
Yes, you are liable if they get hurt on your property. I would make it clear to the parents that you do not want those children playing on your lawn or in those holes without your permission. I'm thinking that they're deep holes and dangerous for those kids...
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they are not deep enough for someone to get stuck or fall to their death or break anything. and they are wide enough that there is no missing them (so no twisted ankle from stepping in one on accident). but i absolutely do not want them to play in our yard and definitely do not want them to get hurt in any way. it just drives me nuts that OTHER PEOPLE are responsible for someone else's kids.
 
#12
OMG, why do their parents let them wander off like that?! I hate it when parents don't discipline their children and let them do whatever the heck they want. I think you should definitely discuss this with them ASAP since unfortunately, anything that would happen to them in your property would unfortunately, be your responsibility...:wtf:
 
#13
thanks xi_captain. i actually just e-mailed our builder to see if he had any plywood to put over the holes and asked if he could cover them today. hopefully he does and can (he lives like 2 miles from us) but if not, i will do it right after work.
 
#14
If something happened to them, then yes, you would be liable and could be sued. I'm surprised the builder left them uncovered!!! It should be his responsibility, not yours, to cover them. I would definitely talk to the parents too!
 
#15
twiggers said:
If something happened to them, then yes, you would be liable and could be sued. I'm surprised the builder left them uncovered!!! It should be his responsibility, not yours, to cover them. I would definitely talk to the parents too!
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thanks twiggers!
i hope i hear back from him soon - i'll let you know what he says.
 
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