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

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

Comments

          • @MrFrugalSpend: Additionally, you'll be able to see if anyone sneaks in and trims your lawn

            • @SlickMick: presuming they trim your lawn at home…..

              …wait, what he says? how can your lawn be anywhere but at home?

              …..

          • -2

            @MrFrugalSpend: Weird, I have no issue, my boat sits in my driveway as well. I don't have any cameras. You may want to move out of Inala.

            If it's a camera alarming, then op can see that no one is breaking in , and it's not exactly "disturbing and distressing".

            • @brendanm: unfortunately the residents of Inala have learned they can steal a car and drive within a significant radius within a night and steal more cars and other possessions….I find it bizzare this seems to be news to you, it used to be quite rare but now a major part of what my colleagues talk about on Mondays is who got robbed on the weekend and show footage from their cameras of crims in their yard - from a workplace of about 130 people, its usually someone we know each week (usually a few stories adding in their close friends, relatives, and neighbours).

              "The Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed close to 200,000 residents in the Sunshine State had been a victim to crime in 2022, which is a 15 per cent increase on the previous year."
              "…the overall number of victims of crime saw Queensland fare significantly worse than any other jurisdiction in the country."

              https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/crime/abs-reveals-…

              The misleading part about the stats is they are recording the 1 unique victim that reported it, not those who reported multiple offenses plus the actual number impacted is much larger because if a household of 4 people is robbed, that only counts as 1. So in reality, each robbery probably directly effects on average at least 2+ people plus concerns their close family, neighbours etc on top of that.

              As mentioned, the neighbour is "disturbing" by definition of the word (but not distressing no), because basically everyone I know now is on edge checking their phone each time an alarm push notification goes off. The bad part of that is with a string of false alarms because you get complacent, ignore or silence it etc. What the neighbour is doing would be kind of like the modern equivalent of your neighbour's kids prank ringing your doorbell and running away, or prank calling you all the time etc.

              • +1

                @MrFrugalSpend:

                What the neighbour is doing would be kind of like the modern equivalent of your neighbour's kids prank ringing your doorbell and running away, or prank calling you all the time etc.

                The proves @brendanm's point - your neighbour's kids prank ringing your doorbell and running away could be described as annoying, but certainly not as "disturbing" or "distressing".

                Similarly, the neighbour coming over to take some of OP's grass could be described as "annoying", but "disturbing" or "distressing" is over-the-top.

                • @p1 ama: My comments are aimed at the fact brendanm seems to be unaware of how many of us now have smart motion detection alarmed cameras around our house, and as someone who lives in an area where the neighbour's front door was kicked in whilst they were home screaming and cowering for cover at midnight, as a large group entered with balaclavas and hunting knives and machetes and helped themselves and emptied out drawers and took car keys, then fled over my fence through my yard and took off in two stolen cars followed by the police dog squad etc coming through beside my bedroom in pursuit… and that was one of many in the area including my relatives and friends who had similar encounters in the night, I can tell you that it is disturbing when the alarm goes off because someone has unannounced entered our property, we relive the fear as many of us are living on edge. You don't know what OP has experienced that led to the alarmed CCTV install, so if OP says it disturbs them, then why debate at length whether they should merely be annoyed?

                  I didn't sleep properly for more than a month, I'm not sure if my neighbours that experienced the cowering beside the bed whilst the gang of armed theives rummaged through their house will ever sleep properly again. So if the OP wants some overstepping neighbour to stay the f..k out of his property, because the alarm is literally triggered, followed by the person triggered, he should be entitled to that. Besides, depending on the time zone of where OP is when this goes off, it could as I stated by definition be 'disturbing' like disturbed sleep (that's what I think of when the alarm goes off), and yes it is also annoying… However no amount of arguing over the semantics of whether it is a degree of annoying or disturbing matters one iota as to my point which was primarily about the existence of alarms which are there to tell you when people are there who should not be.

                  OP should just tell him please don't come over unannounced as it is setting off the alarm, and be neighbourly and hand them some grass for the rabbit when doing so to try make it less awkward.

                  • +1

                    @MrFrugalSpend: I won't comment on your own personal experiences, except to say that they are completely irrelevant to what OP's post is about. OP's neighbour is clearly not breaking and entering OP's house and ransacking his drawers.

                    You don't know what OP has experienced that led to the alarmed CCTV install, so if OP says it disturbs them, then why debate at length whether they should merely be annoyed?

                    Because being "disturbed" or "distressed" at everything leads us to make irrational decisions.

                    OP should just tell him please don't come over unannounced as it is setting off the alarm, and be neighbourly and hand them some grass for the rabbit when doing so to try make it less awkward.

                    I agree, however, in order to have a conversation with his neighbour, OP needs to first, not be "distressed" so that he can have a civil and mature conversation.

                    • @p1 ama: They are 100% relevant. Read it again:

                      OP says:

                      "his action has been triggering our alarm and is both disturbing and distressing to us"

                      What the OP has said is the action is triggering the alarm immediately before saying it is disturbing and distressing to him. Perhaps it was a mere over exaggeration, but if not, my point is fully relevant is I can relate to being disturbed because shortly after this crime spree near us I was freaked out by anything as stated:

                      .. I can tell you that it is disturbing when the alarm goes off because someone has unannounced entered our property, we relive the fear as many of us are living on edge. You don't know what OP has experienced that led to the alarmed CCTV install, so if OP says it disturbs them, then why debate…"

                      So particularly for that first month, I would jump up at the sound of any bump in the night, I was triggered by any motion detected alarm even if it was a parcel delivery etc, and I would have if a neighbour entered my property unannounced. The point is we don't know why the OP finds the presence of someone uninvited on his property triggering the alarm as disturbing. Perhaps you've never had bad experience that triggers a mild PTSD - good for you, be grateful for that. You have no reference point whereby it makes sense to you that someone would be upset about tresspass. That's great. I hope it stays that way for you.

                      However, a third party has no place telling OP what they must not find it disturbing or distressing to them. He is perfectly entitled to ask the neighbour to not enter his property, regardless. Even if he wants to be irrationally freaked out about it due to conjuring up bad personal experiences, and if he expresses that to the neighbour it may come across as a bit of an overreaction, so sure I agree it would be better to be calm and level headed for neighbourly relations. But the great thing about our property laws is it's OP's legal right to refuse entry rationally or otherwise, so he doesn't have to be no longer distressed, it would just be better received for neighbourly relations - as per my suggestion above:

                      "OP should just tell him please don't come over unannounced as it is setting off the alarm, and be neighbourly and hand them some grass for the rabbit when doing so to try make it less awkward."

                      It would actually be more understandable if he said an honest truth such as "please don't come over unannounced as it is setting off the alarm which makes me relive when I was robbed - I hope you understand it is nothing personal".

                      • +1

                        @MrFrugalSpend: We're going around in circles.

                        However, I think what we both agree on is that OP should just go talk to his neighbour and ask him to stop coming over (or something to that effect), which is also what I've said from the start.

  • +1

    Purchase a square bale of quality hay from pet stock and give it to your neighbour. That should last thumper at least 6 months and keep your neighbour out of your hair.

    • I think he is complaining about his front lawn, not his toupée.

  • +4

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

    Please report the theft to the police and let us know of the outcome.

    • Police wouldn't even take a report. Nor investigate

  • +4

    This seems like a troll post. On the off chance it's not - get some help (of the mental health professional kind).

  • My former elderly neighbour on the left sometimes used my green bin without asking when I was away. I didn't have a problem with it.

    Just like I didn't have a problem with him mowing my council strip when I was away.

    But then again, I get along with all of my neighbours, including the elderly one at the back who once told me off and offered to lend me his mower (he probably doesn't have one because he hires someone to mow it) because I'd left my grass growing to knee height. The next day I mowed it.

  • +1

    Had a good laugh at most of the comments here.

    Your neighbour is trespassing. If he asked your permission to do it, fair enough but why should you have to put up with someone coming onto your property everyday when they don’t have your permission.

  • Oh dear. Are you going to cut that grass eventually anyway? Is it really triggering your alarm? Seriously, find some real problems to solve.

    If it’s really triggering your alarm, fix it so that it works properly and doesn’t trigger every Time something enters the yard.

    DO NOT attempt to solve this via note/text message. That’ll just makes things worse. Talk to him.

  • To be fair - he has probably been cutting your grass for ages, just now he has started to use a lawnmower….

  • why doesn't your neg have grass?

  • Just tell him to mow the nature strip. You will do everhthing else and can dump some clippings on his nature strip after you mow the lawn.

    Then he can have all your rubbish and he won't miss out on getting rabbit food.

  • +3

    I can see why you and the neighbour don't get along.

  • +1

    MS paint diagram pls?

  • +6

    Sensor activated sprinklers are your solution here.
    If he complains, just play dumb.

    But in all honesty, I think you’re overreacting a bit.

  • I wont have an issue with this and will thank the neighbour

  • +1

    Its abit weird that he cant use/create a patch of his own but just ask him to use scissors to cut grass if he is pulling up the roots. Then he knows you know hes doing it, and if he creates patches you can escalate as you see fit

  • Certainly is a weird case OP… I'd personally be concerned as well, despite having less of grass to shave when I'm back. What I'd do is have a chat to him when you're back that you appreciate him doing that, but please drop you a message and inform before hand the next time he does it.

  • +4

    pop over almost EVERYDAY to your front garden to remove your some of your overgrown grass

    Have your overgrown grass mowed then? so there isn't really anything for your neighbour to take.

    If you're on vacation, pay a friend, member of the family or hire a lawn mowing person to do it for you. Problem solved.

  • +2

    I bet he is just cutting from council land and OP doesnt realise its not his property

  • I do think the neighbour should at least have considered a friendly ask - not because the act really seriously needs permission, but because it doesn't hurt to be neighbourly - but given your response to this I can't possibly imagine why he wouldn't want to to have a friendly chat to you.

  • I've heard grass is a gateway

    Stamp on this behaviour now while its manageable or it will snowball into something far worse.

    • I've heard grass is a gateway

      It's not that kind of "Grass" dude.

      • Oh so this whole thing is about a couple of slithers of kikuyu?

        Ps username checks out

  • +3

    Think you owe your neighbour a bottle of bubbly for attending to your lawn.

  • Bikie Foxes will help you remove the dastardly wabbits

  • I would be thankful that he is doing it.
    Good god, what has happened to people getting triggered so easily?

  • Check your title as he may have a profit a prendre and if not, but this absolutely ludicrous behaviour continues he might establish one, or already have one at equity.

    In the case the neighbour has such rights, perhaps granted to him by a previous title holder, there is nothing you can do and you are at the mercy of this terrible neighbour for the rest of your occupancy.

    Fr though you sound like the harder person to live next to. If you don't want the grass, be happy it's going to good use.

  • +1

    Neighbor took grass is greener on the other side to a whole new level.

  • You should mow his lawn in retaliation.

    (as a thank you)

  • +11

    Have you tried not being a whiny little bitch?

  • +1

    Hey Op probably you should draw MS paint diagram of your front yard(also include your house, council land and so on) to explain to us where your neighbour is remove grass without your permission. Haha!

  • Jesus the OP needs to take a long hard look at themselves and wake up to the fact this is completely meaningless to complain about and stop being a moron in life, of all the things to complain about in the world this isn't one of them.

  • +4

    Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold…

    …then theres OP

  • +1

    MS Paint Diagram so we can all see where the nasty grass stealing neighbour touched your lawn.

  • OP, I guess you must live on the other side of the hill.

  • Less grass for you to mow when you get back. Thank your neighbour, OP!

  • If you don't like it mow your grass more often? But I'm fairly confident this is a troll post. I hope.

  • Throw palm fronds over his fence to assert dominance. Maintain eye contact.

  • -3

    Sorry to hear the story, I had a neighbour doing something similar and what a relief she’d moved away. It’s really creepy. I’ve become increasingly aware of why there are such things as a rich and poor neighbourhood. Would really work hard to move into a more affluent one myself. The solution to this kind of problems is to get neighbours who are better educated, which usually means higher income. And avoid retired neighbours at all costs if you are working full time.

    • +4

      Goodness, there's an awful lot of assumptions built into that response.

      The OP may be living in Rose Bay, next door to a rocket surgeon.

      And why are you sorry?

      • -2

        These were built on experiences, not assumptions.

        Exhibit 1: I used to live in city apartments, neighbours were pretty much nonexistent as everyone was working and understand the utility provided by the body corporate. Now I have mostly retired neighbours who voted against yearly hard rubbish collections because it costs money. As a result, the b/c has been issuing warnings left and right to residents who fill up the bins. And to go a step further, some owners suggested banning residents from being able to communicate with the body corporate as they charge per hour to answer queries.

        Exhibit 2: the b/c can’t find an insurance company who would underwrite this place. Reason being insurance frauds. Quite a few owners sent the previous insurance companies flood claims, they were paid out but the insurance company found out after the fact.

        And there are many more stories than I care to share. The lesson is, if I’m the only one who goes wtf, it means it’s not the right neighbourhood for me. Can be heaven for someone else though.

        I’m sorry that Op has to go through the experience. If it’s as trivial and nonstarter as some of those people make it out to be, they wouldn’t have posted here. You can’t quantify a reaction by looking at it from the outside, not know the full internal workings of the person in the story. So really, why aren’t you sorry about it?

        • I tend not to sympathise or empathise with random people on internet forums, particularly when their story has a whiff of fantasy about it.

          • @jackspratt: The payoff of a troll post on an anonymous bargain forum is not that high. Trolling is a cry for help too. Walk away or help, but if you decide to troll back, you are 100% playing the game you detested at first place, while the probability of the op being a troll remains to be less than 100%.

    • +2

      Neighbour takes overgrown grass from yard = must be poor and uneducated?

      • Your words not mine. I was simply suggesting one of the possible ways to avoid this kind of problem. Interesting that you don’t find the action offensive but choose to be offended by your own assumptions, then proceed to project them onto me. Take all the offence you want, the pleasure is all mine.

    • +2

      What’s wrong with retired neighbours?

      I would assume they looked after their lawns and such?

      • Not really. I thought retired people are nice and kind before this. They complain all the time because there’s not much else going on. The owners corp gets 3k+ emails a month on complaints. It is a reflection of whatever the owner corp is doing wrong, true, but how much can the 3k be discounted by that factor? I’d expect at least an order of magnitude fewer.

        On the other hand, I’ve spoken to a lot of retired people who were from say Brighton, VIC because I like to trade on fb market. They tend to give completely different vibes.

        People are ultimately different, retired or not. Neighbours are a bet, place yours on statistically favourable positions.

  • Is this overgrown section of grass on the naturestrip, or actually on your property?

    • On property.

  • What would Ja Rule do at a time like this?

    Can someone please get Ja on the line!

  • Not sure why the OP is getting attacked so much, IMO people shouldn't touch other people's stuff without permission.

    It doesn't matter if it's their car, their mail or the grass from their front yard; unless we want society to get worse people should ask each other first instead of just doing whatever they feel like doing.

    Speaks loads about where we're heading collectively if people don't have an issue with what the OP's neighbour is doing.

    • +2

      I think a lot of us feel it is best to pick your battle grounds. Otherwise you spend all day yelling at everyone. In the scheme of things someone taking grass for their rabbit is fairly benign. The alarm going off would be annoying but it shouldn’t be disturbing and distressing. This whole issue could be resolved with a quiet word to the neighbour and, frankly, we aren’t sure why the OP felt he needed to post up here?

      The best way to deal with issues is the de-escalate. All we are suggesting is the OP deal with this rationally and calmly and, perhaps, find a way that is mutually beneficial to both parties.

      Yes, the neighbour should’ve asked but apart from triggering an alarm what is the long term harm they are causing?

      Case in point. We got annoyed with our neighbours renovations because their builder did a few things that were inconsiderate. However, once we sat down with her to discuss it she got a couple of things changed and said she would handle any issue that arose. I realised she was showing a damn sight more maturity than I was and dialled back my own reaction. Her renovations are long completed and now we get on really well; apart from anything else, this has helped with discussing our own renovations.

      • I see where you're coming from but I don't think I can agree with you. I don't think the crux of the matter is that it's basically a non-issue or that it's just a small bit of grass (it is just some grass at the end of the day, sure), it's the fact that the neighbour is being inconsiderate in the first place.

        In this case the neighbour only had to ask first, and if people think it's ok they didn't ask (because after all it's just a bit of grass) then IMO that's basically the same thing as approving people to be inconsiderate towards others.

        I see your point about your neighbour but it was the builder being inconsiderate, so it's not really your neighbour herself that was inconsiderate was it? Not sure what the builder did but if it was for example making a lot of noise, leaving rubbish on the footpath etc. then your neighbour wouldn't have been in control of that unless she asked them to be considerate of others before they started the renovations.

        I realised she was showing a damn sight more maturity than I was and dialled back my own reaction.

        If the neighbour told you first what they were going to do e.g. "We're going to have builders over for renovations for a few weeks, they might start early in the morning so I figured I'd give you a heads up, if there's any problems let me know." would you have reacted the same way? I would say most people would be thankful and react more calmly if they were given a heads up.

        • +1

          I think you may have missed my point. It isn’t about getting the information up front it was de-escalating issues once they occur. It is not blowing a minor annoyance into a full scale issue. Yes the neighbour should’ve been more considerate but that ship has sailed. It is how the OP reacts now that will determine what happens going forward.

          • +1

            @try2bhelpful: Yeah, OP came here to see what others thought and everyone's basically ridiculing them….

            • @Ghost47: I have tried not to ridicule them. However, I do question why they need to discuss this with us? Surely the logical thing is de-escalate and have a quiet word with the neighbour.

              • +1

                @try2bhelpful: True, you didn't but there are heaps of replies that are.

                And yes that's a fair question, sadly I would say most people lack logical thinking.

  • +2

    Don't be so hard on yourself mate, just go talk to them or leave them be.

  • +1

    Unbelievable just Unbelievable what upsets ppl these days..

    • Next thing you know, someone might whinge about breathing air.

  • People worry about small petty things too much and too easily. No wonder neighbour disputes is rift in Straya.

    • If there weren’t scumbags that thought it was ok to enter someone else’s property without permission there might be fewer neighbour disputes too.

      • +1

        Yup the scum bag over grown grass thief the scourge of the neighbourhood

  • Maybe the neighbour had an agreement to pick the grass from last owner. Had a similar thing where neighbour would park on our kerb after work. Looked in Streetview and previous owners let him park there.

  • -1

    You should put a sign "Tresspassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again". Then shoot him and finish this thing once and for all.
    My goodness he is not the problem. It's the neighbours like you who are the problem.

  • +1

    Ask for photos of the rabbit. Otherwise, she'll be right, it's grass but not as though you'll lose anything from it.

  • +1

    One of the reasons I refuse to move is my neighbours. My neighbour has keys to my place when I am away so they can use my pool. It is not hard to build a relationship and it doesn't hurt to build a relationship. Not saying you have to go to that length but ffs its grass. Doing you favour by showing your property is maintained while you are away.

  • Wait wait wait

    This seems kind of innocent at first glance.

    But - why tf isn’t he taking his own grass for his rabbits?

    • Maybe they already ate all of it, it's said he has rabbits, but…how many (≖_≖ )

  • +1

    I have really really nice maintained weed free grass.

    My neighbors grass is the equivalent of a rabies infected dog, horrible and never maintained - maybe a cut once every 3 months.

    So I did roundup on the edge where his grass meets mine so the weeds don't spread.

    Never heard a complaint.

  • -1

    a real 'feels' problem this one

    if I liked my neighbour I'd be happy to share and thank them for trimming my overgrown grass while I'm away, and it also helps prevent burglars from knowing I'm away and breaking into my home

    but seeing I don't really like the neighbour I don't like this - what should I do ?

    Hmm - act like a performance car and STFU and GTFO ?

    attribution bias …
    if I fail it's because I was just unlucky
    if I succeed it's because I was smart and hard-working
    if my neighbour fails it's because they were stupid and lazy
    if my neighbour succeeds it's because they were just lucky …

  • Legit who cares 🤣

  • How do you know he his feeding your grass to his rabbit ?

    I would text him/say to him…. ‘Please do not come in to my front yard’. (Do not mention rabbits).

    Then, a discussion about why he does might occur…. And he might then seek your permission.

  • +4

    Op thinks his lawn is worth more then 18 carrots, he must be hopping mad or having a bad hare day.

  • add some paprika to your grass for seasoning.

  • Maybe I am stating the obvious, but why not build a fence to keep out grass stealing neighbors and trespassers?

  • +1

    The Whinging Olympics has a new gold medal favourite.

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