Little Kids in the neighborhood playing on my basketball goal

I think it's a shame that the OP has to do anything. Parents should be responsible enough with their kids to tell them NOT to go just play basketball at anyone's house without being invited. The OP should not have to explain or defend his position and most of all not worry about future retaliation if he simply wants alone time on his own property.

 

Do you know the parents at all? Are they friends of yours?

I tend not to worry about this stuff. I find, for the most part, that people aren't going to sue you for things like this...even if they can. Certainly no guarantees of that...as there are never guarantees of how people will behave. But that's life.

 

I LOL'd.

 

Tell the parents that you are 99% rehabilitated now and that, although you occasionally still get urges, you almost never act on them.

Problem solved.

 

Go get registered as a sex offender and then pass out links to this website at night.

http://www.familywatchdog.us/

 

Wear this while hooping, problem solved...

 

wait.....you told the kids they can't play unless they ask you first -- so now they're asking you, and it's making you upset? Sounds like the kids are doing what you told them to do.

Don't sweat the liability stuff (you should have home insurance anyways), or go running to the parents unless you absolutely have to. If you put that goofy lock on the net you deserve to have your house egged.

Just talk to the kids. (see AB's advice). They listened the first time. Tell them it's really noisy when they play...suggest a time they can play -- if that's ok with you or ask them not to play there -- suggest a local playground? And you can always fix the net so it can't be lowered (or at least tell them that it's broken). So far, by dropping the net for them, and inviting them to call on you to play, it's not unreasonable for them to think you want to play.

 

Once or twice a week I get home from work and have kids in my front yard so I tell them to leave. If they don't disperse quickly enough (which is about 5 seconds) I tell them that I'll be outside in a moment to walk my dog and he will absolutely bite them. That scatters them for the day.

 

Just let them play. Get their fat arses out of their living room and away from the x-box.

 

Tell them that they can play, but only if their parents watch them.

Problem solved.

 

Not his problem.

 

I had bought a relatively expensive ($500) goal that was relatively tough (3-4 inch wide center beam, just well built). The kids started to play. I let them. No big deal. And then one day I came home and it was bent over. They had hung on it and tore it down. Plastic holding up the beam broke.

 

"And that's why you don't play basketball on the neighbor's goal."

 

Op, sounds like the goal is giving you more trouble then its worth. I would just take it down or gate off your driveway.

 

to all the internet lawyers, you can't establish liability. those kids are trespassing, and it is his private property. furthermore, by playing a physical sport, the risk of injury is a reasonable consequence. that's why public basketball courts still exist and haven't been sued off the face of the earth.

as for the kids, a talk with the parents would be a good idea. maybe they can all pool their money and buy a goal and lock it up in a public part of the neighborhood. or maybe write the HOA if there is one.

 

Don't be that guy.

 

It's bad enough that the NFL and NBA are about to do it...but your gonna lock out the children as well? Come on man, you guys need to sit down and have a well thought out negotiation.

 

Sorry, but a basketball goal could be considered an 'attractive nuisance'. For example, if the goal is unsteady for any reason and something happens where it falls on one of these kids, he could certainly be held liable regardless of whether or not they have permission to be there.

Where did you get your law degree?

 

He has given them permission, both implied and explicit to use his goal. Therefore, he absolutely could be liable if something were to happen, especially if they were unsupervised.

Best course of action IMO. If you just don't want them playing on your property, just be an adult and tell them and/or their parents.

If you are ok with them playing, but are concerned about liability, have each their parents sign a "hold harmless" agreement.

 

If you withhold the basketball hoop a constant stream of smashed eggs and TP'd trees await your humble abode for the next 10 years. The consequences will never be the same.