Creepy Neighbors Driving on My Lawn - What Would You Do?
 

I own the house pictured to the left and have lived there for several years with my family.

The garage/driveway and house on the right is rental property. Shortly before Christmas, new tenants from way out of state showed up. They are very strange. There is one woman who thinks she answers to no one (in short a B$%^h, 2 or 3 different men, and 3 or 4 children of various ages. Other vehicles from different states periodically appear do shuttle the children or someone else.

One of the guys just stands/sits and stares at me or my family from outside the house, inside his pickup, or from their house. It freaks me out.

As far as I understand, the property line is parallel with the left edge of their garage. During the winter I noticed that they were driving on the strip of grass that is still on their rented property which annoyed me but they rent the dirt...

But yesterday I noticed they have thrown all care out the window and are driving about feet into my lawn.

I added red lines to show where I think the property line is.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...e79f769eb3.jpg


What would you do?

I know talking to them would be a good idea, but they legitimately freak me out...

I know different states are different, but usually building codes prevent building a structure right up to the lot line. I'd be surprised if your red line is the actual property line. Find where the lot line is, and build a fence where allowed?

Another thing to keep in mind is the principle of "adverse possession", if they continue to use your property in that way it effectively becomes theirs legally, given enough time.

Sounds like some fine upstanding members of the community ya got there. I can practically guarantee them driving on your lawn is the least of your worries going forward.

Good fences make good neighbors.

There is a fence separating property directly behind the garage that you can't see in the picture. These houses were built around the same time and my garage is built on the lot line at the alley. They are grandfathered.

Another reason I believe the property line to be as marked is because the sidewalk condition changes at the seam that aligns with the garage wall.

I should call the city and find out if they can tell me where the line is.

My coworkers think I should plunk some "decorative" rocks down. That may be a good option since my dad has plenty of big rocks in his pasture.
I think tonight I may put out some fence posts and caution tape.

I need to get a surveyor out here. The deed says I own half of 2 lots. If you wack what I see on Gmaps in half, I have already lost property to their driveway and garage.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...95229161ae.jpg

Be careful, those garbage bags in the garage could be filled with other neighbor body parts.:-roll

Do you have a copy of the survey from when you bought the house? Was there even a survey done?

Perhaps your city / town office has a copy of your plat that will tell the story. At any rate, IMHO, once you've established where your property is, I'd build a fence, add rocks, fast growing ferns or some other barrier to protect your investment.

Seriously. I wonder if the creepiest one is on a sex offender list somewhere. The woman is listed as the only renter.

I'd call the people that own the house 1st. If only one person is listed as living there, perhaps the owner might evict them.

If that doesn't work, go get some railroad ties, and ask your neighbor to help you set them. Drill some holes in them and drive some rebar in them into the ground so they stay put.

Yes, get the survey done so that you can have proof when the police are called. Build a strong rock wall that their cars wont knock down.

Tank traps, concertina wire.

i once had a dipstick renter for a neighbor that constantly parked in front of my driveway blocking it. he lived 3 houses away, and had room to park 3 cars off road and 3 more in front of his house.
but always parked in front of my driveway to piss me off.
talking to him did no good.
called the police half dozen times, and every time his excuse was i was only there for a second.

after about three weeks of this, he did it again, and cops came again. i told him if he ever did it again i was going to move the car myself.

two days later i came home at 2 am after plowing for 36 hours to find his car blocking my driveway.
i put the plow to his back bumper, pushed the car out in the middle of the street in front of his house, backed into the driveway, and went to bed.
he called the cops on me the next morning when he found his car missing and was told it was towed out of the middle of the street where it was abandoned.
i played stupid and the cop that showed up told him he was warned to not park in front of my house again.
he did to me and a bunch of other neighbors a few more times, and i moved it a few more times before he finally moved.

And the moral of that story my friends is never piss off a neighbor that has a snow plow!

Exactly, don't mess with the snow plow man.

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I'd find out exactly where the property line was first and if in deed they are driving on your property then approach them nicely, maybe with a hidden recorder in your shirt pocket and tell them your concerns. You will find out immediately what type of people you are dealing with. Could be they are ignorant to the fact they are on your property and will repair the damage . By just going and placing rocks there may just cause bigger problems down the road.