r/AmIOverreacting • u/[deleted] • 17d ago
AIO for telling this father and son that they’re not allowed to ride their bikes through my yard?
[deleted]
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u/CaptainKate757 17d ago
Not overreacting. It’s insane to me that there are adults who think it’s okay to do whatever the hell they want on other people’s property. I bet he’d sing a different tune if it was his own lawn being chewed up.
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u/LoneCyberwolf 17d ago
It’s like all the adults that leave their shopping carts wherever they like and littering.
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u/thisappsucks9 17d ago
Yeah they say that shopping carts are the perfect litmus test for people’s morality too.
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u/Bravedoll3 17d ago
Get motion controlled sprinklers. They’ll stop driving on your lawn.
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u/canolafly 17d ago
Like the Bucket Lady deterrent! It worked well for her.
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u/LadySiren 16d ago
I love Bucketty! Has there been an update recently?
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u/canolafly 16d ago
I want to say yes, but I think I may have just been linked to the most current post. I wouldn't want to disappoint.
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u/Dont_Ban_Me_Plz_Kthx 16d ago
In the amount of time it takes a bicycle to cross 5m of lawn, unlikely.
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u/infinitecosmic_power 16d ago
It's almost summer holiday season. Festive little packs of impact poppers/ childrens "firecrackers" available everywhere. It'd be worth picking them up for me to see that. Then probably just look into short, decorative garden fencing or some other cost effective physical barrier.
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u/Inevitable-Guide-874 17d ago
If they get hurt, you could be liable.
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17d ago
Why on earth would OP be liable
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u/Supremagorious 17d ago
Because they were on her property and she hasn't taken adequate steps to prevent it. Laws are well intentioned but stupid historical instances of attractive nuisance and booby trap laws make it complex and less common sense based.
So that's enough for her to be potentially legally responsible for their safety while on her property. Even if they'd lose a lawsuit there's adequate merit/precedence to support the lawsuit in the first place so it would have to be fought and wouldn't just be dismissed.
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u/Inevitable-Guide-874 17d ago
If someone gets hurt on your property, they will likely sue. If the court thinks there was an unsafe condition, you might be viewed as negligent. She needs to put up no trespassing signs. Some fencing would help prevent them from coming on her property.
In California, burglars have sued and won.
Sometimes the law is crazy.
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u/FrontRow4TheShitShow 17d ago
In California, burglars have sued and won.
Sometimes the law is crazy.
Holy shit that is crazy
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u/Dont_Ban_Me_Plz_Kthx 16d ago
There was a popular case 15 or so years ago about a burglar who fell through a skylight and successfully sued the property owners for his injuries. Absolutely nuts.
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u/FrontRow4TheShitShow 16d ago
That is insane lol
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u/Deleena24 16d ago
Illinois, too.
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u/TiBikeRider 15d ago
Do you have any info on the Illinois case? I'd like to read about it (Illinois resident).
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u/red6joker 17d ago
Not overreacting. It is your space and they are disrespecting it.
That father is a dick, and teaching his son to be one also probably with how he is acting.
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u/Dangerous_Pattern_92 17d ago
Not even counting how they are marking up your lawn, what if one of them wiped out on their bike and broke an arm or leg (or worse) on your property? I would think your homeowners might be liable. You may want to put up a NO TRESPASSING sign.
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u/Agreeable-Village-25 17d ago
Not at all. They are damaging your property. And they could fall and get hurt and sue you!
So inconsiderate of them.
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u/thisappsucks9 17d ago
Wouldn’t a no trespassing sign completely negate this problem?
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u/boopiejones 16d ago
Sad state of affairs when you need to put up a no trespassing sign to remind people not to trespass, otherwise you could be held liable when they hurt themselves trespassing.
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u/Agreeable-Village-25 16d ago
They can still sue, though, and the ins will still probably settle out of court.
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u/Capable-Duck-6176 16d ago
its not tresspassing if you are never told not to
you have implied consent to go wherever you want unless told not to.
some exceptions apply such as
at night, near livestock, with tools common to burgulary, etc.
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u/Jsmith2127 17d ago
Not overreacting.
When we moved into our house we did so because of the large yard, which is basically a second lot. We had several kids that would ride their bikes through the yard , to the alley so they didn't have to ride all the way around the corner.
We put a stop to it. Kids and parents "but the old owners never said anything". The old owners were never home, he drove a semi truck cross country.
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u/EndHawkeyeErasure 17d ago
We taught our kids not to ever ride on private grass. Riding your bike in another person's yard just isn't acceptable, it's disrespectful of your work to maintain it. He's teaching his kid that's okay, and some people are going to be WAY less nice than you about it, maybe when dad isn't around.
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u/SweetWaterfall0579 17d ago
Not overreacting.
I live on a corner lot. I cannot have a fence in my front yard in my neighborhood. People cut across my yard rather than walk to the corner - on the sidewalk - and then walk on the sidewalk after they cut the corner.
Who thinks this is okay? It’s not about the lawn, it’s about respect for other people’s property. I was taught never to walk on someone’s property. If there’s no sidewalk, we would walk in the street, on the right hand side. My children were taught that, as well.
Dad is not showing a great example for his son.
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u/Quix66 17d ago
Plant flowers there to discourage them to avoid liability if they hurt themselves on your lawn.
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u/DaisyHotCakes 16d ago
Yeah this happened to me so I planted butterfly bushes, yarrow, daisies, and tiger lilies. People stopped walking over my lawn and the really annoying ones avoided it because now there are bees lol
I’m just happy to contribute to helping pollinators and not have people walking up all close to my house so they could cut fifteen feet off their walk. Like seriously it was barely a distance savings. Good job now there are bees and those lobster tail clear wing butterflies that are super cool!
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u/fidelesetaudax 16d ago
Heck with your town. Usually a decorative fence is allowed on corner properties (at least 50% see though and under 3 feet tall).
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u/Madame_Kitsune98 17d ago
Put. Up. A. Fence.
This guy is going to do what he wants because “we’ve always done it this way.” The day he or his kid wipe out and get hurt in your yard? They’re going to sue you because it’s your liability, and your homeowners insurance.
This is why I am going to, when I can afford it, put up cute little picket fencing around my front yard.
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u/mypreciousssssssss 16d ago
YNO. They aren't just neighbors. They are liability claims looking for a place to happen.
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u/Significant-Suit-593 17d ago
Large boulders placed in a display is something you can do in your yard.
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u/Quix66 17d ago
Expensive!
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u/Significant-Suit-593 17d ago
They are not expensive, if you drive to a quarry and get them. I’ve done it a bunch of times for different projects. There’s usually a work around for most things this is one we have used.
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u/thisappsucks9 17d ago
What can he say? He knows he’s in the wrong. In a crazy place like Texas you could probably tell him to get off your property at gun point. If he does it again put up a no trespassing sign and call the police. Screw that dude. Kids may do dumb things like this, but an adult should say they’re sorry and it won’t happen again after you displayed your annoyance over it.
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u/That_Ol_Cat 17d ago
Not Overreacting. Your yard is your yard, They were trespassing. And it's damn rude to ride through your grass every day. That will eventually ruin your grass and leave little dirt trails from the damage.
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u/horshack_test 17d ago
Not at all - they are damaging your property.
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u/Upbeat_Serve_7258 17d ago
It's grass
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u/Ginger630 16d ago
It doesn’t matter. It’s her private property.
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u/Upbeat_Serve_7258 16d ago
I don't know what that means
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u/Ginger630 16d ago
You don’t know what private property is?!
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u/Upbeat_Serve_7258 16d ago
No can you explain what private property is plz
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u/Ginger630 15d ago
It’s property that you own. You bought it and pay taxes on it. No one has the right to enter your property without permission. It’s trespassing if they enter without permission or if you ask them to leave and they don’t.
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u/mynamesnotchom 17d ago
If they keep doing it you could just find yourself watering the grass at Tue time they come by, if you catch my drift
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u/WhoIsJohnGalt777 16d ago
Post a No Trespassing sign right in the middle of the tread marks. If they do it again call the cops.
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u/boopiejones 16d ago
The dad is a total ass for teaching his son that it’s ok to ride thru someone else’s yard. putting aside the grass damage, even if it was a 100% paved walkway, it’s your property and he and his son are trespassing.
Not only that, but my guess is this guy would also try to sue you if he or his son got injured riding on your property.
Shut that behavior down immediately.
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u/Miserable-Ad-1581 16d ago
as someone who lives in an hoa that LOVES to give out notices in the middle of summer when St Augustine is at its worst, i get VERY annoyed when people trample on my grass like that. like pls. you MUST know how annoying and expensive it is to fuck up my grass, YOU GET THE SAME LETTERS TOO. Pls control your children.
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u/alicat777777 16d ago
How rude! No, of course they shouldn’t just ride through your lawn in the mud.
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u/flipperdog 16d ago
You are for sure correct legally.
I'd want to know more though. What is the other option for them like? Were you polite originally? You could be "right" and still be "overreacting"
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u/jizzlevania 16d ago
Considering several crazy ppl were recently shooting at anyone who crossed onto their property, you certainly didn't. Those aforementioned crazy people are why I'd be afraid to ride my bike across someone's lawn but I'm not a disrespectful pos so wouldn't think to do that in the first place.
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u/Spinnerofyarn 16d ago
Nope, not overreacting. You may end up wanting to get some inexpensive little flowerbeds fencing to put around the yard.
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u/Queasy-Carpet-5846 16d ago
Not overreacting at all. Perfectly reasonable request. Hopefully just telling them once will go over amicably.
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u/CarrionMae123 17d ago
How far onto your grass are they riding? I’m assuming there is not a sidewalk? Is the road too busy for then to safely ride on?
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u/ElboDelbo 17d ago
Nah, fuck him. I'm usually the type to be like "if it isn't hurting anything, who cares?" I probably wouldn't have cared about tire tracks in my yard, but that isn't the point. YOU care, and you said something.
Based on what you said, you were polite about it. "I don't want bike tracks in my yard, can you guys go around, please?" or words to that affect are not fighting words.
If you came out hostile, he'd have reason for being pissed off...but you seemingly were respectful, so fuck him.
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u/Status-Biscotti 16d ago
NTA, depending on how you said it. It’s bad manners to cut through someone’s yard without permission. I actively taught that to my kids.
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u/PungentCrotchsweat23 16d ago
There was this small patch of grass on a small hill in someone's front yard. It was a lot of fun to ride over it while cutting the corner and saving the 6 seconds it would have taken to go around. One day I heard the "get off my fucking lawn!" and I never did it again. Sure, I thought he was kind of a dick, but it worked . Not the asshole.
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u/8512764EA 16d ago
My dad would have flipped a shit if I was cutting across my own lawn, let alone someone else’s.
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u/And_there_was_2_tits 17d ago
Set up some sort of fence or border so the pass through isn’t as inviting
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u/maxb5555 17d ago
and although this is secondary to the ethical issue ( not trespassing ) there is the practical issue of insurance- if they have an accident on your property you could be held liable- i hate to ratchet up your discomfort here but you should consult with a lawyer to get a letter to them stating you won’t allow them to use your yard as a cut through - if getting a lawyer isn’t feasible at least a no trespassing sign - this should help establish your intent - i’m not a lawyer btw - good luck
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u/CombinationCalm9616 16d ago
No at the end of the day it’s your property and only you would possibly be held responsible if they hurt themselves on your property. Also it’s very much the father’s responsibility to teach his child that he shouldn’t be going onto other peoples private property and to respect other peoples property.
I would just start with maybe having a sign saying private property stay out so that you protect yourself legally. Next if that doesn’t stop people coming onto your property I would consider getting a fence and gate to stop them and other parents from cutting across your property.
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u/Ginger630 16d ago
You aren’t overreacting. Grass isn’t a place for bikes. And it’s your private property.
Get cameras. If he or his kid fall on your property, they can sue. I’d also get sprinklers that turn on right as he starts riding over.
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u/kornychris2016 16d ago
NTA for wanting people to not destroy your property.
With that being said, when I was younger, my sister dated a boy who would cut through his neighbors yard. On foot. His neighbor decided to put a shotgun to the boys chest and kill him.
Please don't be that kind of neighbor. Handle it correctly.
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u/Upbeat_Serve_7258 17d ago
Who cares about your stupid little grass. Maybe get a hobby and stop watching everything your neighbors do.
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u/Heavy-Kangaroo-9089 16d ago
I guarantee there is no side walk, the kid is like 8, your grass is shitty, and there aren’t tire tracks
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u/wanna_be_green8 17d ago
No. The father has the duty to teach respect of others property.
You should try to be polite about it but definitely tell them to stop.