MHAB
@shawcable.net
| People Walking On Lawn
Hi Guys,
Looking for some advice here.
I just bought a house about a month ago and finally have had a few days off. My lot is a corner lot with a sidewalk down the front and lawn down the side but no side walk down the side, grass and then curb.
My office window is right at the front of the house and monitor is very close to the window.
While on the PC today two people instead of walking along the side walk cut across my lawn with in 5-8 feet of the window as a "shortcut". I am trying very hard to get a nice yard and really do not like people using this "shortcut".
With out doing something drastic what would be a good deterrent to stop this behaviour. I don't want to build a fence around the whole yard but do not want to have people walking through my yard.
What can one realistically (legally, lol) do to stop this?
Sorry if this is in the wrong forum, not sure where this fit. |
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mattmag
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-04-09
NW Illinois
clubs: |
Plant shrubs along the side yard at the curb. |
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CtrlAltDel
WORSE. THAN. CARTER.
Arbitrary Text
join:2001-12-30
Backyard
 ·1and1
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Comcast
| reply to MHAB
A nicely written "Please Keep Off The Grass" sign may work.
Or one of these:
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nunya
SEE ROCK CITY 475 MILES
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
clubs:
 ·AT&T CallVantage
| reply to MHAB
Re: People Walking On Lawn
You could spray them with a hose (They even have motion detector sprinklers for "deer").
Also, put on a stained "wife beater" shirt. Set up a lawn chair and drink heavily. Smoke a few pack of cigs while you're out there too. Then, when people walk by shake your fist at them and call them "whipper-snappers".
That oughtta do it.
Seriously though, I'd start with a "No Trespassing" or "Keep Off Lawn" sign. The deer sprinkler would be *extremely* entertaining - you must admit.
--
Looks like Reverend Wright got his wish - God Damn America. |
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dandelion
Premium,MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN
clubs:
·Comcast
2 edits | reply to MHAB
Sounds like a good opportunity to meet the neighbors and once they realize someone now lives there (if they care), it is possible they will quit using the shortcut. For kids, it might be good to simply ask where they live and let them know you are working on getting the lawn nice etc.
Worse comes to worse, I like the sprinkler idea 
(addendum: I am not sure a "no trespass" sign would work very well however the "watch for rattlers" would be intersting also!)
I have a sign at my fence with a picture of a pit bull on it "can you make it to the gate in 3.5 seconds? I can".  |
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Parneli
join:2004-12-28
Naperville, IL
| reply to mattmag
said by mattmag  :Plant shrubs along the side yard at the curb. Even without a sidewalk, I wonder if it's not a city easement- and therefore city property- just like the space from sidewalk to street would be if there was one.
Doesn't the city property typically extend 8-10 feet from curb? |
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builderbob
@cox.net
| reply to MHAB
Right of Way
does your property have a public right of way? many localities have such a corridor that starts at the curb and comes into your property. space is typically reserved for utilities and sidewalks. without knowing your location I would check with your local zoning office to see if there is a ROW and it's depth. even though you are responsible for this space, trying to correct shortcutters may be a problem. |
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r81984
Fair and Balanced
Premium
join:2001-11-14
St John'S, NL
·magicjack.com
·Cox HSI
·Insight Communicat..
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to MHAB
Re: People Walking On Lawn
You do not need to put up a big fence.
You can use small posts with a plastic chain through them.
You can line the side without a sidewalk with bushes which will stop people from cutting through.
You can line the yard with big rocks.
You can put up a sign.
I really like the motion sensor sprinkler idea.
--
For those of you playing a drinking game.... MY FRIENDS! |
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ProtusMose
Say hi to your mother for me.
Premium
join:2001-10-03
Bellevue, NE | reply to MHAB
If you do the sprinklers please tape it and upload. |
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Thespis
I'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.
Premium
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX
| reply to Parneli
said by Parneli :said by mattmag :Plant shrubs along the side yard at the curb. Even without a sidewalk, I wonder if it's not a city easement- and therefore city property- just like the space from sidewalk to street would be if there was one. Doesn't the city property typically extend 8-10 feet from curb? An easement is not public or city property. The easement belongs to the homeowner and he is responsible for its maintainence. The easement is simply the government's reserved right to run utilities in that space. He can plant whatever he wants, but if the city needs to dig it up they can. |
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THE Fatman
@rogers.com | reply to MHAB
Try running a fence or hedge from the corner of your house out to the corner of the property across the 'pathway' that would be the shortcut.
OR:
Visit your local army surplus store and purchase a few surplus land mines. |
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Packeteers
Premium
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
4 edits | reply to MHAB
if you can't wait for shrubs,
and hate doing fences, you
should try knee high fencing.
»www.mortgageporter.com/reporting···ence.jpg
»www.firstrunfriends.org/photos/treepit.jpg
they are meant for deterring shortcuts and pet droppings
while keeping the view intact. install them a foot or two
behind your property line. look around your neighborhood
for examples of this kind of fencing, and it's proper placement.
you can get anything from cheap wood & wire
to expensive metal decorative grate work.
you can also use them temporarily, or in concert
with any shrubbery you plant, while it matures.
I don't agree that signs or verbally asking people
to avoid stepping on your lawn is at all effective.
you have to install something to remind/deter them. |
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Pacrat
Old and Cranky
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-10
Cortland, OH
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to MHAB
I'd start by asking folks to stop using your lawn as a thoroughfare. Some folks are just ignorant of the impact of constant traffic across a lawn. Failing that, a small, decorative border, be it a chain, picket-type fence, or plantings to clearly indicate the limit of the lawn.
Kids are almost always going to push that limit, though. Adults should be more co-operative, given the information that you're not very pleased with their path of travel. The lack of a sidewalk does not necessarily give anyone the right to tread across your lawn. Some folks just don't think, and need to be politely reminded that their behavior is unacceptable. I further suggest that you avoid antagonizing anyone. You may win the battle and lose the war.
A prime example of that is something that happened a few years ago at the local high school football field. Some kids... weekend warriors, thought they had the right to use the football field as their own personal playground. They were not so politely informed that their presence constituted trespass and were instructed to leave by the local authorities after they ignored school officials' demand that they depart. A few weeks later, a few rather vivid obscenities magically appeared across the middle of the field. It seems they used a drop spreader to fertilize their composition into the field. I thought it was a pretty creative way to "get even'" without actually damaging the area. Consequently, it took fertilizing the rest of the field and many weeks before all remnants of their message disappeared.
So... I'd start by politely getting your message across... and proceed from there. It may be all it takes.
--
I was born at night... but not last night! |
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MHAB
@shawcable.net
| reply to MHAB
Thanks for the replys.
I have met the neighbors and they are nice people it seems like it is more younger people and I have no clue where they live. There is a school right across the street (kinder garden - 4th grade) and a large park on the other side of that which I think is drawing the traffic.
My property line is not right at the curb but we are expected to take of it and as such previous owners installed sprinklers etc. I wouldn't have a problem if they just walked on the grass along the curb but to cut across like they are is laziness on their part IMO.
I am definitely going to look into some of these suggestions.
I really do not want to build a fence in this area as it would really mess up the underground sprinkler spray. How ever maybe a few pegs and low construction strings like I am planning the fence may deter them...
Here is a very rough drawing of my yard.
 |
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diskdocx
join:2005-09-26
Burlington, ON
·Cogeco Cable
| reply to MHAB
It's grass.
At the end of the day, it may well not be worth the fight.
I suspect that the meter reader, letter carrier, paper delivery all walk door to door over your grass.
Grass is hardy, and unless it's a very high volume path, you won't likely get significant damage from someone walking on it - you walk on it to cut it right?
The above suggestions, while valid, are probably not neighbourly.
You can be right, but you can also have a miserable SOB who decides to make your life miserable cause he got sprinkled.
As for planting beds , you'll probably find people walking through them - far more annoying than walking on your grass.
Don't put up wiring or anything which could trip someone in the dark - you could actually be sued, depending upon your local bylaws.
As a homeowner for many years, sometimes it's better to pick your battles. |
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jmorlan
Hmm... That's funny.
Premium
join:2001-02-05
Pacifica, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to MHAB
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Lurch77
Stop looking at me.
Premium
join:2001-11-22
+44.88-87.89
1 edit | reply to MHAB
Blue shows where we are talking about. |  | |
From experience, I can tell you that nothing but a physical barrier like this will stop people from cutting the corner.
--
Selfish, adj. Devoid of consideration for the selfishness of others. |
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Packeteers
Premium
join:2005-06-18
Forest Hills, NY
4 edits | reply to MHAB
MHAB - I would definitely install knee high fencing which won't interfere with your sprinklers.
but another idea is to install outdoor spotlighting with carefully calibrated motion sensors along the two corner sides of your house. the idea being the lights go on (even during the day) to remind people that they are walking too close to your house. it's subtle, but may help with adults and less obnoxious children who may simply forget to extend to you the common courtesy of staying off your property, and giving you privacy and security by your window. obviously, the light should shine and detector should work - well within your property - not near the public sidewalk or curb.
there are also motion detecting sprinkler heads, but even I would
admit that's too radical a solution to deter corner foot traffic.
kids would most likely just break it, and it's useless in the winter;
»www.biconet.com/critter/sprinkler.html
note: machine gun toting granny is optional; may require daily sponge baths. |
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