Neighbors new fence has a gate to my yard

[Anonymous]

Guess you have to put up a single panel of fence right in front of the gate so it cannot open into your yard.

[Anonymous]

I would plant a thorny bush right in front of the gate. Put that plastic orange plant cloth around the bush until it gets big enough.

If you want to be passive aggressive you could put up a single fence panel on your property so that his gate opens to a wall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Build your own fence next to it without a gate. I would not allow people to walk through my yard as a shortcut.

The weird thing is I see other people using my yard on occasion but have never once seen this particular neighbor cutting through so I'm really confused why. Maybe they view it as some sort of service to the neighborhood or something and didn't think to ask me?

You need to google "easement."

You need to google easement. Neighbors cutting through a yard as a shortcut won't create an easement (and don't come talking nonsense about adverse possession, either). Of course, OP is well within her rights to stop it.

[Anonymous]

OP, just talk to them. Ask if it's okay for you to put a lock on the gate "since you were thinking of putting up a fence to keep people from cutting through your yard". If they ask why, say it's for liability reasons. Go from there.

[Anonymous]

The only way that makes sense is if you have same-age kids who may play together one day.

[Anonymous]

I think for safety you would want to be able to exit your yard front or back. I'm not sure I've ever seen a fenced yard that only had a front gate. Then again, it sounds like you awkwardly abut neighbors on all sides with no alley or common space?

Anyway, just because there is a gate, doesn't mean they will use it. But it is there if needed.

[Anonymous]

We had a neighbor that did this a number of years ago. Two sisters had moved in across the street from us and behind us and decided that it was so perfect because they could just pop over to each other's houses all the time by walking up our driveway and through the middle of our back yard. The first time they did it, I was too confused to speak. I'd never met them and they walked right past me unloading groceries from my car. They were walking their dog and chatting away within 5 feet of me and never acknowledged my existence.

We were saved the trouble of figuring out what to do about it because they also tried walking through my next door neighbor's yard and he was having none of it. He went all grumpy old man on them, explained a few basics of property law, and that there is no "path" (they asked) through the yards. We didn't see them in our yard again. The sisters have both moved away but the gate is still there. No one uses it.

[Anonymous]

Indeed this is strange. We built a fence and split the cost with the neighbors on both sides. Of course, we discussed the logistics, cost, contractors beforehand. Strange they wouldn't have done the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Put a lock on your side

This or a fence around that fence to block people. Our neighbors want to do that. I said no. They regularly come on our property and the point of a fence would be to keep them out.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:while I understand you don't want to create a tense situation, I do think you need to say something and document this. If you don't say a word it creates an opportunity to claim some sort of easement down the road.

I'm guessing you DON'T have a fence around your yard. Fences make for good neighbors. At the very least install a high wooden divider

Document your disagreement with this plan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a neighbor that did this a number of years ago. Two sisters had moved in across the street from us and behind us and decided that it was so perfect because they could just pop over to each other's houses all the time by walking up our driveway and through the middle of our back yard. The first time they did it, I was too confused to speak. I'd never met them and they walked right past me unloading groceries from my car. They were walking their dog and chatting away within 5 feet of me and never acknowledged my existence.

We were saved the trouble of figuring out what to do about it because they also tried walking through my next door neighbor's yard and he was having none of it. He went all grumpy old man on them, explained a few basics of property law, and that there is no "path" (they asked) through the yards. We didn't see them in our yard again. The sisters have both moved away but the gate is still there. No one uses it.

I thought the guy I had come through my driveway was the only one clueless enough to do this! It was around the holidays and I think he thought there was still a cut through from over a decade ago. He stopped and told me what he was doing, I told him there was a fence, and he kept walking! I was trying to get my toddler in the car and felt vulnerable so I just got out of there, saw him coming up the driveway behind us. The gall!

[Anonymous]

Plant some rose bushes in front of the gate. Like right against it and close to one another.

[Anonymous]

OP,

cCn you return and explain the logistics. Where are people coming from, going to (e.g., local school, the playground, a bus stop), that they cut through your and your neighbor's yards. I cannot I picture the set up. Are you next door neighbors and their next door neighbors also part of this? Or do they have fenced in yards?

[Anonymous]

If it's at a cut through path, perhaps the left the gate so that YOU could use it as a cut through, so that they don't seem passive aggressive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Build your own fence next to it without a gate. I would not allow people to walk through my yard as a shortcut.

If trespass is allowed for a long time, then sometimes one can lose to what is called an "Adverse Easement".

I would put up my own fence - without any gates.