Caught neighbor with ladder to look over fence!

[ohiogardener2011]

I'd be more than a little tweeked too if someone was using a ladder to look over a fence into my yard. It's not a crime though unless he's specifically doing it to harm or harass you.

The important question here is, how much do you want to keep your birds? If you're breaking the law by having them in your yard, your only hope is to make nice with the neighbors, especially the suspicious nosey ones. Don't steal his ladder. Don't even confront him about it. Instead, stop by and say that you noticed that he may have noticed your pet chickens. Get his feedback on what he thinks. Explain why you're raising them, how they're quieter and calmer than most dogs, offer free eggs from time to time. Try to make friends, not enemies.

Now if chickens are permitted and he's being nosey, then maybe you should take a harder line. But you're not going to win by stealing his ladder or accusing him of anything. You need him as an ally, not an enemy.

 

[zazouse]

Well i believe i would be putting up a big-ol-ladder right acrosss from his

 

[redhen]

Quote:
HAHA! YOu should do that! Let him know that you SEE him,..

 

[EweSheep]

Or build a lifeguard chair way up there!

 

[theghostandmrchicken]

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Better yet, a rotten just sitting in his hot car.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You are assuming that the ladder is so that he can look over the fence and spy on you. He may be building something on his side of the fence that requires a ladder, or may have stored it against the fence as that was near where he was trimming trees or some other task in his own yard. Goodness knows I have my ladder leaning against our wall (fence) often enough. Although personally, I really do not see a huge amount of harm in him looking over the fence unless it becomes outright and repeated staring/stalking/peeping tom activity.

 

[crtrlovr]

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So why not go over, eggs and/or baked goods in hand, welcome the new neighbor to the community, and casually mention "Oh, did I see a chicken coop? How great! We have chickens, too!" ....

You might make a lifelong friend, and if not, you haven't lost anything and you've still made a new neighbor feel welcome.

 

[HenPenny]

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No I didn't notice any construction in need of a ladder. Just the plywood board the ladder is being leveled on. I assume so it will be steady for his extended sightseeing. Those suggestions makes me feel so much better. LOL

 

[JanetfromDayton]

I agree, no one should be looking over your privacy fence. I have one in my backyard too. My back yard is like an outdoor room, part of my home. If I saw someone on a ladder looking over my fence, it would be no different to me than if he was looking in my windows.

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
Why not just go knock on the door and introduce yourself as a chicken lover