Please help me not ::poof::

[edavis]

Poof for privacy.

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions!

[gummybear]

I'm going to need a sketch of this configuration.
But no, do not let it go. Video tape her if necessary.
Can you put a gate of some sort up so the concrete paths are blocked off in the back?

[Deleted]

I would record her doing it and email her the recording with nothing else said. I can't stand people that lie like this - don't think I'm so stupid that I don't know that you're lying.

[Crystal]

Please help me not kill my neighbor (long)

[Violet]

wtf. This sounds weird. Do you have a camera on your front yard? This is probably not appropriate advice because I'm a bitch, but I'd threaten her for trespassing and say you have it on camera. Using your front yard isn't right.

[Crystal]

Just kidding. But yeah, I'd be pissed and wouldn't let it go. I don't go in my neighbors' yards and I expect them to return the courtesy. My neighbor does let his dog out without a leash and it shits in my yard. Not the dog's fault, but the neighbor gets it returned to his yard when I'm cutting grass.

[mala]

At this point she's trespassing. Put up a security camera, email her again telling her shes not allowed on your land under any circumstances, then go to the police (go down to the station, don't call 911, obvs) and file a trespassing report with dates and timestamps and see if they'll go talk to her. If she gets hurt on your property or damages something, you want to be able to prove that she wasn't allowed there and that she knew it.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't let it go either. That's pretty ridiculous.

[goldengirlz]

If you saw her doing this, why didn’t you go out then and confront her? Just nip it in the bud.

[namasteak]

I would call her out when I see her doing it.

[isabel]

I’d step outside and confront her the next time you see her do it. And if she’s nasty about it, I’d threaten to call the police on her for trespassing on your property. But I kind of hate people, so there’s that.

Our old neighbor let their dog poop in our yard all the time. Every week, I would go knock on their door and tell them to come pick up their dog’s shit. And if they missed some, I would go back again. The disrespect is outrageous and I refuse to let stuff like that go.

[dochas]

This is crazy. She clearly thinks she can do whatever she pleases on your lawn and property. I love the idea of recording her and sending it, but I think I would instead just walk out and stand in her way and say "What are you doing?" I would not worry in the least about her feelings or keeping the peace because she is obviously never going to be a good neighbor. We have similar space between us and the house next door. Thank God there is a fence as well as bushes between us. The last people that lived next door to us would only park their car in front of our house. They had a driveway big enough for 3 cars and room on the street to park another three at the curb. Our driveway is on the side of our house on another street so if we parked in front we had to park it on the street. They would then park their car close enough to ours for the bumper to be touching, as if we had stolen their spot or something. In conclusion, people are jerks, crazy, or crazy jerks and I'm through with making life easy for them or trying not to set them off.

[kadams767]

I would not let it go, but I agree with others that you should confront her during the act. Particularly since she previously tried to claim someone else was doing it (um, sidenote, but WTF? Someone else is taking out her trash? That makes no sense.). Why can't she wheel the garbage can down her own driveway?

[madringal]

I agree with the others, if I saw her doing it I'd walk out and be like, "Hey, I know we asked last year but just a reminder to stop bringing your trash can through our yard."

[mcmel]

I’d walk out and confront her and tell her she’s not allowed on my property any longer.

This would absolutely infuriate me.

[BaliHai]

Absolutely if she did it again I'd go out there, even if I had to yell "HEY!" to catch her while she was trying to scurry away. I cannot stand people who refuse to stop being disrespectful because they feel like it inconveniences them.

[liverandonions]

DO not let this go. Fuck that. She needs to figure out how to get her garbage cans out through her own yard.

[cabbagecabbage]

I’d grab my phone and take a picture and then nicely ask her to stop and whip out phone ready if/when she denies. Then I’d be overly nice and say “Oh, I’m sure you didn’t realize but, see, it actually is dragging through our yard. Please don’t do it anymore. Thanks.” Then Id probably politely be an ice queen from here on out.

[ECB]

Even if you can't install a gate, is there something you can put in the way? A chair, a big rock... something?

[gummybear]

Oct 26, 2018 11:13:31 GMT -5 ECB said:

Even if you can't install a gate, is there something you can put in the way? A chair, a big rock... something?

You could block the path with one of those day glo yellow children and put this sign on it

[icedcoffee]

Just out of curiosity, is there another way for her to get to her backyard from the front at all?

I'm having trouble picturing it.

[wildrice]

I wouldn't go to all the trouble of buying and installing a pricey camera just for this. Can you whip out your phone and video her through a window the next time you see it? That might be just as effective.

I think you could also email her again and say "I saw you do this today, so I know it was you. Don't do it again".

Or you could go outside while she's doing it. If she's too quick, knock on her door and say "I just saw you do it". If she denies it, just tell her she can't lie to your face because you saw it. I don't think you'd actually smack her, right? So it's ok if you lose your temper and yell at her if she's lying to your face! (I don't recommend physical violence so if you literally think you can't control yourself don't do this!).

[vanillacourage]

I would not go to the expense/hassle of getting a video camera for something relatively non-destructive that happens once a month. I would knock on her door and say you noticed some damage to your yard so you reviewed your security tapes (she doesn’t need to know you don’t have a camera) and saw her take the can through the yard, and you’re again asking her to stop. She’ll probably stop if she thinks you have a camera. 

[imojoebunny]

I have had really shitty neighbors who did much worse stuff, so I would let it go, as far as, talking to the neighbor again.

I would do a gate with a pad lock, unless it is clearly against code. We did that at our last house, and the house before for neighbor reasons both times.

BTW... You can get a wooden gate at Lowes/HD for >$40 and have a handyman install it for ~$150, if you can't do it.

[cmeon]

www.wyzecam.com/

These little cams (we have pans) are awesome.

Regardless of whether you choose to get a camera, I would definitely let her know that "OMG, it happened again- someone that looks- well, exactly like YOU (how weird!)- rolled their fucking garbage can across our lawn- so now we have cameras. As soon as I get video of this, I'll post it to our neighborhood watch page and we'll identify the perp!"

[imojoebunny]

Oct 26, 2018 11:47:26 GMT -5 edavis said:

Oct 26, 2018 11:40:10 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

I have had really shitty neighbors who did much worse stuff, so I would let it go, as far as, talking to the neighbor again.

I would do a gate with a pad lock, unless it is clearly against code. We did that at our last house, and the house before for neighbor reasons both times.

BTW... You can get a wooden gate at Lowes/HD for >$40 and have a handyman install it for ~$150, if you can't do it.

Is a gate really that cheap?? That might be a good option. The fence guy I called said it would be $500, which is ridiculous.

That is probably their job minimum, not the real cost.  I had a nice, custom double gate made for my porch steps that are 7 feet wide.   It was under $300, installed by a handyman.  Something more simple or using stock gates from lowes/HD could likely be installed by a handyman in under 3 hours.  Cheaper than therapy for anger management, for sure.  

[mrs.jacinthe]

JMO - I'd document, in writing, with something like "Hi, [dumbass neighbor]. As stated in our email dated XX last year, we do not wish you to drag your trash bin across our yard or driveway in order to access your backyard. At that time, you denied that it was you. However, since that time, we have seen you doing this activity again at least XX times, with the most recent being this morning at XXam. Again at this time, I am requesting that you not enter our property in any way from this point forward. Your failure to comply will subsequently be considered trespassing and will result in police involvement and possible charges filed. Sincerely, [yourselves]"

Then I'd go buy a camera or two (including maybe a ring security light) and put them up prominently. I feel like documenting in writing and then in video protects you from any future liability if she tries to claim injury or anything ...

[ECB]

Oct 26, 2018 11:56:45 GMT -5 edavis said:

Oct 26, 2018 11:13:31 GMT -5 ECB said:

Even if you can't install a gate, is there something you can put in the way? A chair, a big rock... something?

I was thinking this too but not sure where I would get something that she couldn’t just sneakily move to the side to get past. I searched online for heavy planters but the ones I found weighed 1200 pounds...prob overkill. 😄

As she's trying to be sneaky and fast, though - I feel like ANYTHING you put there that makes her stop, move it, go past, then stop and put it back will be a deterrent.  She KNOWS you all dont' want her doing this.   The longer and more of a PITA it is for her to do, it might just be enough.  

Even an outdoor patio chair may be enough!  

[pumpkin]

Um, yeah, no!
This is trespassing and you've already asked her to stop. I think some of the other responses have great wording for communicating with her. I would send her another email or certified letter so you can show evidence she received it, put up a no trespassing sign, take pics/videos, and then report her. I'd be worried about potential liability in the winter and would be super annoyed with her at this point.

[kadams767]

I am way too cheap to shell out money for things I don't even want like a camera or a gate just because my neighbor is an ass. But I am petty AF and I might be inclined to start wheeling my own garbage cans over her lawn and see how she feels about that. I'd also let her know that while I've had no probably sharing our concrete paths over the years, since she cannot seem to stop using it to access my front lawn, we will be installing a gate and she will no longer have access to the path or my driveway. I suspect the possibility of you gating off her access will be enough for her to stop.