Random: would this bother you?

[JBaxter]

In the grand scheme of things in the world I'd just ignore it. If you were out for some other reason I'd speak to her but I think the no trespassing sign would be tacky in your yard You may become "that family with the no trespassing sign"

[KrisM]

Here, the electrical boxes do not belong to the homeowner, so I may have a different view. They belong to the electric company. But, it wouldn't bother me, really. I'd wonder why she's doing it, but whatever.

I don't understand the liability part. Do you mean if she has a heart attack while sitting there, you can be held responsible just because she's on your property? Or because you don't maintain that part so she is likely to trip in a hole, on a rock, etc and hurt herself?

[carolinacool]

It would totally bother me, and my DH would have already said something to her. lol But I'm imagining my front yard. Even the "far" left corner is still pretty close to my house. We actually have a street light pole to the right in our front yard, and I realize that is not our property. But if we walk out on our front porch and talk at a normal level, you can hear everything we're saying from there. And if the blinds are open, you can look right into our living room. No thanks, move it along, lady.

[SnuggleBuggles]

So, we live on a cul-de-sac in the last house that overlooks kind of a nature-y type area to the east of us. It's a very nice view and why we chose this lot to build our house on. We have an eye-sore-y, large electrical box in the extreme front left of the lot (so on our property line, but at the very edge) where the view is. A woman that I don't know (and that doesn't live on our street, I know all of our street neighbors, so she could live one another street) has been regularly walking to our house and sitting on that electrical box. And just sitting. She plays on her phone, stretches. Basically just hangs out. She moves along eventually, but it's super weird to me. I think we should say something to her to the effect of "move on." But, Dh says she's just enjoying the view and not hurting anything. My point is that she's on our property and is therefore, a liability should anything happen to her. I also think it's just wildly inappropriate (one time, we had parked along the street because we were riding with friends and as all the kids got out of the car, the woman just continued to sit in my front yard; my daughter tripped literally within twelve inches of this woman and she just continued to sit there. it was dark and creepy.) I don't want my kids to feel like they should just be OK with a stranger in the front yard, KWIM?

WDYT? My DH thinks I'm very intolerant and unfriendly. WWYD?

I'm on my phone and can't highlight the part that changes my opinion. You relay a story above about her sitting there when it was dark. Did I get that right? That'd make me want to chat with her. Nice chit chat as others have outlined in this thread.

If she's not from your area, she might not know the box is yours. I would have assumed it was public property. Maybe she rents so has no reason to think the boxes aren't public. What you assume is common knowledge might not be so give her the benefit of the doubt.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I believe I used to live in same area as OP..and given that and what I assume th e lots are like, heck yes something like this would really bother me. Liability is not a real concern IMO it would just be loss of privacy and awkwardness factor. I think you have a right as a homeowner to not have random people sitting in your yard on a regular basis. If it's a one time thing, sure, and if people just walking thru. but sitting there, on a regular basis, no.

I agree with TwinFoxes the "may I help you" approach is extreme passive-aggressive and may make things worse.

I wonder if she is from a different culture (or maybe different part of the country) and does not have same mindset of private property or whatever. I just can't imagine doing this here . I felt strange when my kids want to get on someone's yard to see Christmas decorations up close (e.g. sometimes a neighbor would have a train or a holographic Santa and my son insisted on seeing it closer and that I take a photo).

Your dh may not be bothered as much but th en again he is probably not the one that is th ere at home most of the time.

[TwinFoxes]

I would think life is too short to worry about this. She's not casing your house, it is annoying but really no harm no foul. And no liability. Contrary to popular belief, there isn't liability precariously attached with every person who touches your property. I know it is just an excuse to be territorial and I get that it is super annoying, but since you are next to open space and it is on the edge of your lot (I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was actually an easement for power box/company and not "your property" in the sense you could fence it or obstruct it in any way), I would distract myself and ignore it. Or I would introduce myself and see if that would make her realize it is your yard. But I wouldn't confront her or put up no trespassing signs. I would attempt to be more neighborly as goes with cul de sac living.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am surprised at how many people said this would bother them. I agree with you, I'd just let it go, or chat with her. OP, if you're seeing her often, she's probably a neighbor. And who knows, maybe some day you'll need a neighbor's help with something, and she'll be there for you.

I don't like the passive aggressive "may I help you?"

[Momit]

Would not bother me. Other than thinking it might not be the best idea to sit on an electrical box day after day. I don't know, exposure to some kind of voltage or something. I would probably plant some bushes around it to obscure the view of the box. If she trampled my bushes or flowers I might be a little irritated.

[Kindra178]

I would be shocked if that electrical box and the land it sits under is yours. It is most likely an easement. I have always lived in more urban areas so random people walking down the street or stopping by my house isn't really concerning. I wouldn't let this bother you. There really isn't any liability concerns either.

[Momit]

I would be shocked if that electrical box and the land it sits under is yours. It is most likely an easement. I have always lived in more urban areas so random people walking down the street or stopping by my house isn't really concerning. I wouldn't let this bother you. There really isn't any liability concerns either.

Yes. We live on a suburban lot. The box at "our" back corner is definitely on an easement. I did still plant a couple of bushes between it and the house so I don't have to look at it.

[aa2mama]

I would be a little weirded out, but I would not do anything. I definitely would not put a No Trespassing sign on an electric box that mostly likely does not belong to you. I would either ignore it or try making small talk with her just to get to know her.