Neighbour Coming over to Your Lawn to Remove Grass without Permission?

Kidaway on 21/01/2024 - 05:24
Last edited 21/01/2024 - 05:30

What would you do if your not-so-close/friendly neighbour is aware that you’re on vacation but decided to pop over almost EVERYDAY to your front garden to remove your some of your overgrown grass without informing you? He is NOT doing this to maintain your garden but to feed his rabbit.

I guess this is getting a little out of hand and rude..

Would a simple text message saying that as a courtesy to let us know in advance if he wishes to pop over else his action has been triggering our alarm and is both disturbing and distressing to us?

EDIT: funny that I was worried about thieves before my vacay but it’s the neighbour that’s “stealing” my grass lol

Home & Garden

Comments

  • holdenmg on 21/01/2024 - 05:42
    +47

    How much Rabbit are you entitled to?

    • SoapyWooder on 22/01/2024 - 20:45
      +1

      I wish I have the neighbour

    • brandt on 24/01/2024 - 09:43

      If its just a handful once or twice a week - just the foot for good luck. If you're feeding the damned thing, you can start looking up recipes for jugged hare

  • AustriaBargain on 21/01/2024 - 05:49
    +47

    Hop over his fence and steal some of his rabbit.

    • payless69 on 23/01/2024 - 11:11

      Invite him for some rabbit stew!

  • barge-in hunter on 21/01/2024 - 07:20
    +89

    I’m interested to understand why it’s bothering you.

    I mean sure, probably should have asked, but it’s ultimately reducing the amount of mowing you need to do?

      • MessyG on 21/01/2024 - 12:54
        +62

        How does this harm you exactly?

        • ram4ram on 22/01/2024 - 18:27
          +6

          Probably related to his privacy or some shit. I kinda get it - it's the principle. People should not just come into your 'territory' / lawn without permission.

          @Kidaway if it's bothering you, just sspeak to your neighbour. They're probably thinking they're doing you a favour.

          • Flying Ace on 23/01/2024 - 20:30

            @ram4ram: I get it too - I wouldn't mind at all, but a courtesy text or note would be appreciated.

      • tooblue on 21/01/2024 - 14:51
        +10

        a tiny tiny bit of it

      • Jono05 on 21/01/2024 - 22:22
        +16

        First world problems…omg

        • Drakesy on 22/01/2024 - 15:04
          +1

          I mean i guess we are in the first world.
          So that would make it a problem.

      • DoctorCalculon on 21/01/2024 - 23:03
        +1

        he is just plucking grass off from a tiny tiny bit of it tho

        I am curious does your neighbour not have a lawn of their own?

        • Chandler on 23/01/2024 - 11:31

          Issue is probably the type of "grass" the neighbor is helping themselves to, and which probably isn't for a rabbit…

      • shreav on 22/01/2024 - 06:45
        +39

        Your problem isn't your neighbour.

    • DoctorCalculon on 21/01/2024 - 23:02
      +1

      but it’s ultimately reducing the amount of mowing you need to do?

      I guess OP's OCD might be kicking in since the lawn isn't being mowed uniformly. ;-)

    • kaleidoscope on 22/01/2024 - 00:37
      +1

      it’s ultimately reducing the amount of mowing you need to do?

      How would you feel if when you are away, neighbour breaks into your home and gives it a clean?

      • BartholemewH on 22/01/2024 - 18:15
        +1

        Depends. Are they cleaning a tiny tiny bit of the house or all of it?

        • kaleidoscope on 22/01/2024 - 19:04

          depends on what’s in your fridge

  • DrainTheSwamp on 21/01/2024 - 07:38
    +89

    So he is assisting in making it look like someone is at your house and thereby possibly deterring thieves?

    Pick your battles. But this is a dumb one.

    • kaleidoscope on 22/01/2024 - 11:01

      The problem is what if when mowing the lawn without consent he unintentionally damages something, such as some flower beds or drip line, sprinkler etc… Who would be responsible for replacing those.

      • eciuj on 22/01/2024 - 12:12
        +5

        But he's not mowing the lawn or damaging anything. What he's doing is harmless. He's not even picking flowers, just lawn that would be mowed anyway.

  • cashless on 21/01/2024 - 07:42
    +35

    Send him a bottle of wine at Christmas saying “thanks for maintaining my lawn”

  • onetwothreefour on 21/01/2024 - 07:49
    +26

    you’re on vacation

    You gone to America?

  • Tee Rex Arms on 21/01/2024 - 08:13
    +47

    FFS talk about a non event

  • star-ggg on 21/01/2024 - 08:17
    +1

    How much do you hate the rabbits?

  • Some Human on 21/01/2024 - 08:28
    +9

    He is doing you a favour. Accept the generosity.

      • RSmith on 21/01/2024 - 15:51
        +10

        It’s simply intrusive.. entering your front yard, picking grass and leaving straight off

        What else is he supposed to do after picking grass?

        • Ten on 21/01/2024 - 15:57
          +4

          I remember someone telling me "grass then beer and you're in the clear"… So drink a beer I guess?

      • SimAus007 on 22/01/2024 - 11:05
        +1

        What do you want him to do after picking the grass instead of leaving immediately, sit on your porch and have a glass of chardonnay to admire his wonderful work?

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 21/01/2024 - 08:52
    +5

    Get rid of the grass and put down concrete.

    • Mechz on 21/01/2024 - 15:21
      +12

      You never go full Greek.

      • Muzeeb on 21/01/2024 - 15:39
        +10

        Just plant a lemon tree in the middle of the concrete and you're all good.

  • Jugganautx on 21/01/2024 - 08:55
    +3

    Technically if the grass in front of your water meter In your front yard it's actually the councils land.

    • Kidaway on 21/01/2024 - 09:00

      Nah it’s the internal part of my yard - not the one from the kerb

  • elgrande on 21/01/2024 - 08:56
    +2

    Is he pulling it at the root, or breaking it off?

    How do you know its for his rabbit? He could be planting it?

    • Kidaway on 21/01/2024 - 09:01
      -4

      Breaking it off for sure

  • try2bhelpful on 21/01/2024 - 09:06
    +24

    This has all the hallmarks of a troll post but let’s play along.

    How do you know he is feeding the grass to his rabbit unless he told you. Or do you have cameras that can see into his yard?

    Yes he probably should’ve asked your permission but he really isn’t doing any harm. If a burglar drives past he would assume the neighbour is the owner or a neighbour taking an interest in the welfare of the property.

    Stop getting triggered by the small stuff. The alarm going off would be annoying but hardly disturbing and distressing. My suggestion is have a chat with the neighbour when you get back and explain about the alarm. That you aren’t fussed about the grass but it triggers an alarm. If you are generous you could even angle the alarm system to allow him an area, away from the house, he can get grass from.

    Having a neighbour that you are on friendly terms with is a Godsend. Reach out and start the process.

  • ihfree on 21/01/2024 - 09:11
    +13

    I'd suggest getting a rabbit to guard your lawn

  • Sye on 21/01/2024 - 09:17
    +3

    Bikies , boiling water or 2 stroke chainsaw fumes

    • pegaxs on 21/01/2024 - 09:59
      +2

      Holy angry neighbour Batman… How did I miss that chainsaw thread while it was active?

      • banana365 on 23/01/2024 - 12:28

        Ah, but it's a valid concern. Just look at how many arborists drop dead every day when they accidentally hold their chainsaw upwind of them!

    • RSmith on 22/01/2024 - 12:24
      +1

      Bikes can boil the water themselves. After all they are grown men.

  • follow on 21/01/2024 - 09:21
    +1

    I'm on your side OP
    Two way audio? I'd tell him to stay out.

    • afoveht on 21/01/2024 - 11:52
      +2

      Reminds me when I was a kid we'd put a walkie talkie in a bush or hedge near the footpath and then from a hiding spot tell passersby various childish things - lots of fun. They'd sometimes look into the bush but never found the source. Do it OP.

      • follow on 21/01/2024 - 12:35
        +2

        Reminds me of this video from Mark Rober on YouTube:
        https://youtu.be/Zb01RStdzEs?t=6m36s

        • afoveht on 21/01/2024 - 13:04
          +1

          Hilarious man.

          So much more sophistication available today - would be great fun to be a kid now if we grownups didn't develop such a complex and actually let them out as much as we were let out.

      • try2bhelpful on 21/01/2024 - 16:23

        Just not in America where they are likely to shoot first and claim they were standing their ground. Then they would sue your family for emotional distress.

  • GordonD on 21/01/2024 - 09:29
    +11

    My dog the OP must have a really great life that something as trivial as a neighbor picking some of the overgrown grass on his lawn to feed his rabbit is such a big drama in his life that has to post it here and pester us with it. Gees. Get a life, OP.

    • KovinKing on 21/01/2024 - 09:37
      +4

      Sounds like a job for Reddit… somewhere on that site will be someone who cares… just find the right sub…

      • pegaxs on 21/01/2024 - 10:03
        +1

        If using reddit, no doubt there will be a subreddit for just this exact thing, but better still, there will 100% be an equal and opposite community.

      • markathome on 21/01/2024 - 21:09

        OP should start with r/getoffmylawn and move
        forward from there.

  • pjetson on 21/01/2024 - 09:37
    +1

    The OP says that the neighbour is triggering their alarm, which "alarms" them while they are away on holidays.

    Perhaps the OP could suggest a better (ie not covered by the alarm sensor) place in their yard that the neighbour could "steal" the grass from?

  • pegaxs on 21/01/2024 - 10:00

    when you get home, mow your yard, put all the clippings into a massive garbage bad and drop it at their door and a note saying "Here you go, just to save you coming onto my property, here is a good 6 to 12 months worth of grass for your rabbit…"

  • c64 on 21/01/2024 - 10:20
    +6

    sounds like your yard is a good source of overgrown grass. i wonder what the solution might be …

    • try2bhelpful on 21/01/2024 - 10:46

      Sounds like the neighbour should buy a sheep. I don’t think the rabbit will be keeping the grass down enough.

      However, putting the rabbit on a lead and popping it over the fence might avoid triggering the alarm and provide a source of nutrient for the lawn.

  • Baysew on 21/01/2024 - 10:46
    +3

    Would a simple text message saying that as a courtesy to let us know in advance if he wishes to pop over else his action has been triggering our alarm and is both disturbing and distressing to us?

    Why don't you text your neighbour and let them know their action has been triggering your alarm?

    • mapax on 21/01/2024 - 12:01
      +7

      and let them know their action has been triggering your alarm

      Fixed…

  • wizzy on 21/01/2024 - 11:11
    +9

    Neighbours can be weird. We used to have a neighbour that got angry at us because there were gaps under the fence dividing our properties. It was a colorbond fence that stepped down a slope, so there were small gaps between the bottom of the fence and the ground on some of the panels where the ground sloped. Similar to this: https://www.perthtradecentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/…

    Anyway, he blamed us for these gaps. It was very weird because obviously the gaps were just there because of the way the fence had been installed, and we didn't install the fence. His family (and presumably one of the previous owners of our house) installed the fence years before we owned our house. He said that because he had never noticed the gaps before that we must have made them. In reality, he had cut down bushes on his side that had lined the fence and probably obscured the gaps.

    When I told him that the gaps didn't bother me but he was free to fill them up if he wanted, he went along the fence and put bricks in all the spaces. He didn't want the bricks on his side of the fence, so he pushed them under the fence so that they were on our side. We played a game of pushing the bricks back and forth under the fence for several months before he gave up and kept them on his side. This was about 10 years ago and the bricks are still there. The whole thing was weird and petty.

    I don't think that a rabbit eating your long grass is worth getting upset about. You could ask your neighbour to take the grass from the edge instead of the middle so that they don't need to walk into your yard, but beyond that I don't think that the issue is big enough to be worth an argument. You may need to work with your neighbour in the future to solve a bigger issue, so keeping the relationship as pleasant as possible is in your best interests.

    • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 22/01/2024 - 00:15
      +2

      We played a game of pushing the bricks back and forth under the fence for several months before he gave up and kept them on his side

      This is hilarious, well done

  • mapax on 21/01/2024 - 12:08
    +3

    Plot twist - The neighbour is actually a thief and the grass is just a ruse to see if the cameras are being monitored and testing police response time…

    • djones145 on 21/01/2024 - 12:16

      plot twist. its not the lawn grass that is getting trimmed. o.O

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 21/01/2024 - 12:36
    +3

    @Kidaway -> Karenaway more likely.

  • CodeXD on 21/01/2024 - 12:37
    +5

    Pick your battles. There are a lot worse your neighbours could be.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 21/01/2024 - 20:31
      +2

      Correct, they could be putting bags of rubbish in OP's wheelie bin after it's been emptied.

      • try2bhelpful on 21/01/2024 - 21:02
        +2

        Don’t get me started. Some numpty kept putting their dog poo bags in our bin before we could bring it in. Just disgusting.

        • DashCam AKA Rolts on 21/01/2024 - 21:19
          +2

          Had that happen recently. It stuck to the bottom of the bin and stayed there after the next emptying. There was a council street bin about 50m away; lazy cactus spines.

          • try2bhelpful on 22/01/2024 - 01:48
            +1

            @DashCam AKA Rolts: Yup, we had sticking too. Same issue with council bin as well; right at the end of our street. Had to check you weren’t in Melbourne. Goes to show there are twats everywhere.

  • p1 ama on 21/01/2024 - 12:37
    +1

    Would a simple text message saying that as a courtesy to let us know in advance if he wishes to pop over else his action has been triggering our alarm and is both disturbing and distressing to us?

    I never understand these sorts of questions on public forums.

    I mean, have you actually tried the common sense solution of just talking to your neighbour? The idea that this is somehow "disturbing and distressing" concerns me - we all have behaviours that others may find annoying which we're more than happy to accommodate if told.

    Something like a "hey man, I noticed you getting some grass for your rabbit from [x] location on my lawn, I'm trying to get it to grow more evenly, but the council nature strip is fair to though!"

    • Baghern on 21/01/2024 - 13:10

      Its called trespassing

      If you got an alarm on your phone when you're away from home, tell me you wouldnt freak out

      • p1 ama on 21/01/2024 - 18:19
        +1

        If you got an alarm on your phone when you're away from home, tell me you wouldnt freak out

        Not really - delivery guy dropping off a parcel, someone walking their dog past my front yard, kid to retrieve a soccer ball after kicking it into my front yard - all notifications that I've gotten in the past few days.

        Like obviously OP has a right to tell his neighbour to stop trespassing, but saying this is "disturbing and distressing" is just exaggerating it beyond what the actual situation is.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 22/01/2024 - 00:16

        Not trespassing unless OP talks to their neighbour

  • Xetrok on 21/01/2024 - 12:43

    Build a fence and stop sooking

    • markathome on 21/01/2024 - 16:11
      +8

      Build a fence and stop sooking

      Build a wall and make him pay for it.

      It's 2024 man.

      • try2bhelpful on 21/01/2024 - 16:21

        And if part of the wall falls on their side they probably won’t let you retrieve it either.

  • Baghern on 21/01/2024 - 13:09
    +3

    Not sure why everyone is against op

    Its intrusive/trespassing

    Any sort of behaviour that hasnt been asked of the Op, is an entitlement behaviour that will eventually extend to other areas

    My concern is how much grass is he taking, he just tipping off the top, or taking roots and all. It may sound benign, but this could be damaging is lawn

    If its a little, doesnt the neighbour have enough grass of their own? Haven't they made the effort to grow their own lawn?

    Its weird concerning behaviour

    • tooblue on 21/01/2024 - 15:13

      O\P's own words: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/14868381/redir

      … he is just plucking grass off from a tiny tiny bit of it tho :/

    • pufffdragon on 22/01/2024 - 19:42
      +4

      Its weird concerning behaviour

      I'm sure 99% of the people in this thread disagree with you. Sounds like you and the OP should hang out sometime.

  • bobbified on 21/01/2024 - 14:32
    +1

    Do a deal and tell him that he can keep the grass clippings if he mows your whole lawn.

  • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 15:29
    +6

    both disturbing and distressing to us

    Someone taking your admittedly overgrown lawn in your front yard is disturbing and distressing?

    How do these sorts of people get through their day.

    • Baghern on 21/01/2024 - 17:33

      Maybe op is overly focused on talking about the grass

      I'd be freaked out that my alarm has gone off when Im on holidays

      • brendanm on 21/01/2024 - 19:09

        You have an alarm on your front lawn?

        • Baghern on 21/01/2024 - 22:46

          his action has been triggering our alarm

        • MrFrugalSpend on 23/01/2024 - 23:33

          Hi brendanm, perhaps you have been living under a rock but yes, most people need to have this nowadays - smart detection on cameras.
          What part of the country are you living in where you haven't had to deal with the epidemic of youth crime that resulted in the fastest largest take up of CCTV ever??!!
          I see your location says Qld, like me, so if there is a place immune from it in this "<18 = consequences-free" state I'd love to hear it?

          I installed mine the week after my neighbour's front door was kicked in in a home invasion… most people I know have now done so, even my more elderly parents/in-laws after incidents, so someone setting it off would bother me as you have to check when the app notifies you. (The more you ignore false alarms the more likely you will miss a real one - that happened to a guy I know who was slow to check / had been getting a few false ones and someone robbed his backyard shed despite the alarm going off they got away before he checked - so best to configure to minimise non-concerning alarms).

          Many people have them set up to ring an internal alarm as well, some optionally lights and announcements via the camera to alert the offender also.
          I watched my mate speak to some bloke lingering at his front porch via the camera at his house the other day "Oi mate, can I help you?" - his excuse was he was at the wrong house, a contractor coming to do work or deliver something… so he claimed, but he left, so it works.

          Another colleague had his one alert him at 5am around new year, two blokes standing at his car in the driveway wearing balaclavas and holding knives looking through the window…. good to know I'd say. He got up and his dog did too and started barking so they knew they'd been had and moved on to the next victim. It's just par of the course lately.

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