I need ideas to keep vehicles off my lawn

[TC]

I am amazed at the lack of respect of other people's property!!

Ok, now that that's off my chest, here's the problem. I have a strip of lawn between the sidewalk and the street. I have a nice lush St. Augustine lawn (about the only one on the street). My neighbor has mostly dirt and weeds. When someone comes to visit them, they drive through and park on my strip of lawn. Last year they nearly destroyed half of that area. Talking to them does not work - "It's grass, so what?" - is what I get.

I would like to put something in that strip that deters people from parking on it, while at the same time does not impede lawn maint. too much. I've seen rocks placed there but that adds a good bit of trimmer time.

Any ideas?

[Steve Barker]

16d nails and a 2x4. Bury it nail points up with the nails exposed about 1/2". done.

[Nexus7]

If they're driving through, rocks along one side should be enough to stop them without requiring you to trim along the other three sides.

[Steve Barker]

OH, another option is a very big boulder on the edge of the property line.

[frank.logullo]

I put up a few reflectors. They're on about 20 inch fiberglass sticks. Saved me this winter from snowplow skimming part of my lawn. During summer it keeps people away. They only cost ~$2 each.

Frank

[Doug Miller]

So plant flowers there. Every spring, you can get flowers at K-Mart for cheap. That at least will remove the "it's only grass, so what?" rationale. And they look nice, too.

A row of bricks, set into the ground diagonally so as to leave a sawtooth edge clearly visible above ground, like this /\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\, should be a good deterrent to driving there, and looks reasonably decorative as well.

If that doesn't help, you have to play hardball.

If there's a car parked on your property without your permission, first ask the owner to move it (if you can find him). Next, ask the police to have it towed.

After a couple of times of visitor's cars being towed away from your grass, your neighbor is going to start telling his buddies "Don't park in front of the house next door, because the guy who lives there is a real jerk."

You won't have people parking there any more. But you also won't have a friendly relationship with your neighbor any more, either. And if you don't anyway, this will make it worse. Your call.

Or you could try a sign that says something like NO PARKING WARNING! CONCEALED TIRE SPIKES

Just the sign. No spikes. But if you saw a sign like that, would you take the chance?

[Norminn]

It is against city code to park on landscaped areas where I live - mebbe the local cops would do a favor and write a ticket. It is probably city easement.

[Norminn]

clipped

Get a building permit first :o)

[RicodJour]

It's unlikely that you own that strip of land. The municipality, specifically the road or highway department, owns it. You only own up to the house side of the sidewalk. That's the usual state of affairs.

These things can easily deteriorate into neighbor warfare. Since they're not playing nice and respecting your wishes, the temptation is to "fix" it. If you put stones or anything else that might damage a vehicle on land you don't own - even though it is right in front of your house - you could be held liable.

I'd start with the reflector idea backed up with putting a lawn sprinkler on when someone leaves a car in front of your house. It would be a shame if someone left their car window open while parked in front of your house. Or you could use one of these:

R

[mm]

Keep a log of every license plate and when it parks there, and every time you talk to someone and everything you say to him, and everything he says back to you.

Especially like if you tell him the consequences, like it's going to be towed (check with the police first to make sure you can get this done. you don't want to be paper tiger) And especially if he says he will move it, and doesn't or only does when he leaves.

Make the log at the time, although maybe out of sight of the people driving the cars.

No, not me.

[Joseph Meehan]

I like the reflector idea, but how about a sign "Parking on grass $15.00" ? Also how about a small tree?

[cavedweller]

You own the property between the sidewalk and the street?

[Phisherman]

Large rocks work great. If you don't want to trim around them use an irregular shape of mulch or ground cover with edging. Or, perhaps a simple sign "Please keep off the grass" may work.

[Oren]

The fix would have been to nip this in the bud and not let it go on so long.

Maybe a more persuasive and frank discussion with some eye contact. Not a walk-by "don't park there". Invite the guy over for a beverage. Once he is in your space he may open to your reasoning. Maybe not, though.

-- Oren

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Thomas A. Edison

[Kurt Ullman]

My (rather tenuous) understanding is that I own the property but the city has an easement so I can't do anything for real in there. The township assessor agreed with that when asked about whether I was paying property taxes. I have a big lot on a corner so the difference might have been interesting.

[mm]

That's a good idea. For 20 dollars or so you can buy a battery powered timer that will turn the water on automatically. That doesn't mean you can't just turn it on manually, but don't let them see you do that part.

[Jeff Wisnia]

Ah feel your pain, but...

If I were faced with your problem I'd consider giving up on being able to admire unblemished grass there and changing it over to crushed rock or something similar which can be driven and parked on without much disturbance or damage.

Sometimes you just have to give in and "Not expect anything from a pig but a grunt."

Anything you deliberately put there which might be considered a "man trap" could get you into more grief than the problem's worth.

Just my .02,

Jeff

[Zephyr]

DAMNIT PEOPLE, This is the US freakin A. Get yourselfs a damn SHOT GUN and no-une will be parking on your geraass!

hehe sorry, Just kidding there,

I'd go for the snowplow reflector stakes,

Dave

[Norminn]

That would be asking for a lot more trouble, especially if it is legal to park there.

[Steve B]

What I would do is put boulders. Not too big, not too small. Too big, and people can trip and fall, and they are very expensive to buy and have placed. Too small,and people just drive over them anyway. The right size causes damage to the bottom of cars that ignore them or don't see them. Medium size boulders (large rocks, actually) should not be expensive or hard to find. Probably something you could do yourself.

Other than that, pour some concrete and insert some steel pipe and fill with concrete. Overfill the concrete so there's a round top of concrete past the upper lip of the pipe so water doesn't stand there and rust the pipe. More work, more money, hard to take out, hard to repair.

I'd do large rocks, and measure several cars to see how much clearance is needed. Then add just an inch or two.

That way, too, you are merely doing something decorative, and can claim there was no "intent" to harm anyone's vehicle if some bonehead DOES drive across them.

Steve