Drive by mowing?! A rant

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I had something weird happen here this afternoon. I have an acre and a half of land shaped like a triangle. The house sits almost on the property line at the base of the triangle. The coops and all spread out from there towards the point. I don't mow about half of it. I did my first year and then gave up as people coming to ballgames across the street kept parking down there. I got tired of picking up their trash so I quit mowing it. It turned into a great wildflower pasture. The cats loved it- they got to be mighty hunters with the mice and what not. I liked it because of the flowers and it blocked the view of the ball field because of the slope. Well, when I got home today it was just like normal, all flowery and pasture like. I heard them cutting the grass over at the ball field and didn't think anything of it. When I went out to check on the cats and chickens (all of whom were out ranging), the grass had all been cut!!! What the heck?! They cut it around Fourth of July because I allow them to use my yard for elderly and handicapped parking. Even that cutting makes me kind of sad though. Why the heck are they cutting it now? I'm sure the guy thought he was being nice and all, but why would you cut some one's yard without talking to them? It was obvious that I was home. My car was in the driveway. Nope. Sparky just mowed down my wildflowers! What really makes me cranky is that the animals were out. He could have run over any one of them! Had I wanted the grass cut I would have put everyone up and then cut the grass. GRRRRR!! I can't decide whether to say something or not. Again, I'm sure the guy was trying to be nice. I hate it though. He messed up my yard! The chickens (who never would go in to the tall grass) ranged all over once I went out. I'm sure the guy scared up all sorts of yummy bugs and such. But part of the point of the chickens is to eat the ticks around the house. Only mowing half the yard kept them around the house. Now they have all sorts of room to range and not eat my ticks! Clearly there is nothing to be done about it now. The grass is cut. I just need to decide whether to throw a fit about it or not. GRRRRRRR!!!

 

[SpringChickens]

I would say something about it, but nicely. Explain your situation, and tell him that you DON'T WANT IT MOWED, please!!! I'm sure he was trying to be nice, but explain your concerns, and I'm sure he'll be more considerate next time.

I agree... I think it's very strange to mow someone's lawn without asking!!

 

[Teach97]

I bet he thought it was part of the ball field! Probably a new guy that was trying to be proactive for parking situations! I would say something in a very nice way!

 

[jbowen9]

All i can say is i hope that guy moves in next door to me. No though i would say something to him but put it as nice as you can and explain why you kept it that way

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Sadly they never offer to do the yard chores I hate- like weedeating. Sigh.
I've spent a year actively spreading wildflower seeds in that area. I was just starting to see some cool flowers.

When I bought the house I was unaware that ball season lasts forever and that the ball field patrons would be pains in the tushie. Apparently my yard is fair game for their ball field activities.

The first trauma was people parking in my yard. I came home one night and there were a couple of hundred cars over there. This was after we had blocked most of the access off so people had to literally drive right by my house and the picket fence to get over there. Really? If it's blocked off clearly we don't want you parking there. That was the time that the ball game winners decided to have a drunken celebration in my yard after the game (that was still going on when I went to bed at midnight). When I went out the next morning there were cigarette butts and beer cans everywhere. I spent an hour cleaning up (and confess that I piled it all on top of the car that had been left there by someone shacking up). Arg. Don't even get me started talking about the idiots that parked right by my "Please no parking. Private property" sign. I swear I'm hiring a tow truck to boot them. At least that way I'd make a little cash off the deal.

Trauma two is that people don't pay attention to their children. A couple of times now I have had children wander over to check things out. Stay out of my yard! Why aren't the parents watching these kids? For all they know I'm some perverted axe murderer.

Trauma three is that ball games are almost every night until 9pm or later. That means it is really noisy all the time. Really noisy. Apparently we don't believe in mufflers AND we like to drive really fast. While the sound of the little league games is fun, the zooming about is obnoxious. AND some little kid is going to get smushed by the driving maniacs.

Trauma four is that the unsupervised kids torment my dogs and roosters. The roosters crow pretty much nonstop when there are ball games going on. Apparently my roosters see that area as a threat and they will crow like crazy when people are over there. It doesn't help when there are little kids standing there screaming at the roosters. It also makes the dogs insane. One little brat was standing at the edge of the road barking at my dogs. The dogs, of course, were going insane! I finally stopped what I was doing and just stood there with my hands on my hips and stared at the little brat. Finally his dad noticed and made him shut up. Seriously, they are dogs and WILL react if you bark at them. A 10-ish year old boy is old enough to know better than to aggrevate them.

ARGGG. I'll stop now or I'l just go on and on and on. I love this little house. I just wish it were in the middle of about 100 acres with one road in!
I have tried to be a really good neighbor to the ball field, but I'm about to get hateful. Enough is enough.

Okay... rant over.

 

[blossom hen]

My thought on seeing your title, "DS would love for someone to do that!" (DS is mowing for me since I broke my ankles in March). Agree with others about explaining nicely why you have a Wildflower Garden.

 

[Teach97]

On further review...I think a sign that stated cars will be towed at owners expense would be great! Contact a tow company and hook 'em up! I coach little league and we are way more considerate than that! One guy lets us use an empty lot for practice...to the point of back stops and old plow disks set for bases!

But I would be getting overly aggressive, poorly treated attack dogs and realesing them on the drunks!

It really sounds like the ball folks think that is their area...have you thought of large rocks as decoration or a nifty trench?

 

[mamaKate]

I had some odd neighbors who repeatedly mowed a large part of my yard in spite of my asking them to stop. I found out later that they thought it was possible to "claim" land by mowing it. Of course that's beyond ridiculous, but after I lost enough plants from mowing "accidents," I put up a fence of 18" PVC pipe connected by ropes. They did run a couple of them down but it was an easy fix.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Well, I would say something to them about all of your issues. Nicely of course

Explain what happens, and that they need to do something to help stop it from continuing. Is putting up any type of fence an option for you? If you can't do it yourselves, introduce that solution to the park officials. You shouldn't have to deal with that type of disrespect on your own property. I hope you can come up with a solution that doesn't include going nuts on somebody!!

 

[Boyd]

Then again, string up a chain across the main part you blockade, then have an army of tow trucks come..... use a bullhorn and announce that unauthorized parking will cost them 20$ per car or they are towed

Only have to do that a couple of times to make some bank!

PS, I would buy a paintball gun and start marking all the cars up

But that's just the devil in me talking