Neighbor trespassing my pool

Why? I know of two instances where basically the same happened, one was me, one my neighbor. We had kids that would drive down our roadss in 4WD vehicles and leave pasture gates open, letting horses and cows roam (Note, this was the Northeast, they are "cows", not "cattle"). The neighbor posted a sign that said tresspassers would be shot and buried. Sat in a deer stand next to a popular gate, kids came by, he fired two blasts from the 12 gauge and his gates stayed shut from then on.

In my case it was road hunters. They drive down the road, shooting at anything that moves, including cows, horses, dogs and children. After enough beer I guess a four-year-old looks like a six-point buck. I had a sign that said "Hunters, the other white meat" at the end of the drive. One day a hunter fired a shot from his car into the woods across the road, I fired the 12 gauge from the porch, he took off and the hunting activity died off for the season.

Note that where I live now this would be foolhardy, dangerous and illegal. But I'd be tempted to fire up the chainsaw if I had a tresspasser... :)

For the OP: Locks on the gate might go a long way toward stopping the practice and limiting liability.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Cochran
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Why don't you two kids duke it out on the playground. Pat

Reply to
Patscga

My neighbor has a bullet he dug out of his garage roof. Somehow, shooting into the air doesn't seem very safe. The bullets have to come down somewhere.

Bob

Reply to
Bob

Not really. Its a kid thing. They're just havin' fun.

Pretty much...but it depends on how the neighborhood is laid out, lighting, etc.

Sure...sometimes. But they don't hang these kids, ya know!...or even send them off to jail. They're just bein' kids!

Put a lock on your gate. And make up a sign that tells them you know they've been there...and that you've set up a computer camera to tape their escapades.

More than likely, they'll move on to another neighbor! :)

Have a nice week...

Trent

Dyslexics of the world ... UNTIE !

Reply to
Trent©

But what if one of the kids drowns? Who will be liable?

Reply to
user

Yes, in todays world, liability is a risk, especially if local laws require pool to be fenced and posted. But just for fun, I'd hide a video or web cam out there, and post the pictures to a web site, or mail to the parents.

aem sends....

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Reply to
ameijers

I think that all legal entities require that a pool be fenced. The OP's is, of course.

Now THAT is probably against the law...without a signed release form.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Dyslexics of the world ... UNTIE !

Reply to
Trent©

This is not universally true, the municipality that we formerly lived in, as well as most of the area around it did not require a pool to be fenced depending on the size of the property and the pool's location on the property! Most people who had pools and no small resident children DID NOT have them fenced!

Reply to
nospam

Good suggestions. But, even if it is 'just the local kids'. In this litigious world, now, would it be a good idea to put up a sign that says something along the lines of "No use of this pool area without permission and supervision of the owner. Not responsible for injury. ..... " etc.? If anything happened and a liability claim was then made against your homeowners policy you might be in a better position to say; "I warned them". Some amazing things happen in this crazy world; one hears the occasional story of the parents suing for injury (even death) when their youngster had no reason to be trespassing, especially at some odd hour of the AM! There was a case not long ago where a toddler wandered off, for short time, and was found floating in a local pool; a contributing cause was that a gate had been left open. It was not of the type that swings closed and latches automatically! A small dollar latch MIGHT have saved the youngster? The most amazing case, to me, was a lumber yard that had ongoing problems with trespassing youngsters jumping from one stack of lumber to another. Eventually one of them fell and was injured. This was despite the lumber yard locking gates, high fences and barbed wire accompanied by on site security. Ultimately it went to court and the lumber yard was held liable! Following this the yard closed down, permanently, putting a number of people out of work! Another case was where a teenager was in the habit of climbing a particular power pylon. Slipping, he grabbed a live conductor and suffered terrible burns. The boys parents demanded compensation from the power company (the child was about 15 or 16 btw). In that instance the power company was deemed to have followed every possible precaution including the placing of signs. Although not held liable the power utility did contribute towards the boys treatment at Shriners hospital. While still in hospital the boy managed to get his girl friend pregnant! Neither of his actions seemed very responsible to most onlookers! Fortunately there does seem to be a slight swing towards responsibility, recently. I've heard of two cases where the parents of several teenagers who caused 'deliberate' damage were held responsible and must pay the several thousands ($15,000 in one instance) of dollars that it cost to repair the damage. But these were cases of outright damage, not innocently intended trespass and leaving a gate dangerously? open. You don't want to wake up some morning and find a neighbours dog, or, God forbid, a person, dead in your pool? The recording of a barking dog played on your stereo etc. might help? Perhaps you could plug the stereo into one of those motion detector operated lights? Although that might not work or might cause some electrical noise on the audio? Have you got any ingenious and technically competent relatives, friends or young associates who might, for example, temporarily rig up an alarm bell/siren when the gate is opened or something? You can also get a light that you can plug in that will flash brightly, at random giving the impression that someone is taking a photograph! Those measures might discourage without too much cost? Not sure why 'outside' lights coming on due to nocturnal animals or trespassers would wake one up 'inside' the house. If such light wakes a person up draw the curtains and/or drape a heavy blanket inside over the bedroom window? Not much point having such lights as a deterrent if they don't work? Or you could make them less sensitive, maybe so that they only come on when a large body, such as a person, a moose or deer (depending where you live) etc. or perhaps a car comes into range on your property. Many of those lights are adjustable or perhaps the judicious use of some tape over the sensor windows will reduce their sensitivity to smaller creatures. Experiment a little! Good luck. Terry.

Reply to
Terry

I think I just found the answer to your problem. I was at Radio Shack yesterday. They have a personal alarm/protection device. It looks like a little blue football, but a little flattened. There is a pin in one end with a key ring on it. When you pull the pin, there is a very loud alarm sound. It would be simple to rig up a couple on gates or attatch a thread to the pull ring. When it goes off, it will really make a racket.

$9.95 each. Go look at them.

Steve

Reply to
Desert Traveler

Stocking the pool with a few Piranhas has yet to be mentioned - that would be as good and as worthwhile as any of the other suggestions that have been made so far!

Reply to
bloodthirst

In my state, its against the law to stock a pool with attorneys. lol

Have a nice week...

Trent

Follow Joan Rivers' example --- get pre-embalmed!

Reply to
Trent©

someone

someone

Not a lawyer, look up "attractive nuisance" for your state and follow the legal procedures to protect yourself.

Les Ungerleider

Reply to
LesU

Better yet, a few Baby Ruth bars! ( a la Caddyshack) ;-)

Reply to
The guy in the Helga hat

Q: How come sharks don't bite lawyers? A: "Professional courtesy"

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Reply to
Doug Miller

It really isn't the same as in the case of a burglar injuring himself after breaking in. Most jurisdictions recognize the concept of "attractive nuisance", for example an unfenced (or otherwise inadequately protected) swmming pool. In general, a homeowner is not liable if a burglar hurts himself, but may well be liable if a child drowns in a swimming pool that the owner has not taken reasonable steps to keep children out of.

In fact, a lock may be *required* by law in his area. AFAIK, most if not all jurisdictions require that swimming pools be protected by at a minimum a fence too tall for small children to climb, *and* a self-closing gate with a latch that is out of the reach of small children.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Reply to
Doug Miller

"ameijers" wrote in news:56A_a.99740$ snipped-for-privacy@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

For that to work,you would need adequate lighting for the cameras,which would probably scare off most skinnydippers anyways,unless you use IR-only lighting.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Trespassing is not typically trespassing unless you post signs in according to local law. Putting up a fence might help you legally as long as the gate is locked and not just latched. Otherwise you might be accused of having an "attractive nuisance". If a lawyer can prove that you knew people were sneaking into your pool and did not take reasonable steps to stop it, you might be found liable on that basis.

Trespassing laws vary by state and don't always follow the rules of common sense.

Bob

Reply to
'nuther Bob

Do you have signs on your front and back door...that no strangers are allowed to enter without permission when yer not home?

Do you have signs on your fence...that no one is allowed on the other side of the fence after 1a.m. and before 5 a.m. without permission?

There are situations where, indeed, trespassing is trespassing.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Dyslexics of the world ... UNTIE !

Reply to
Trent©

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