The worst part about owning a home is that no matter how remote you go, you’ll always be within some distance to a neighbor. Of course, this could be considered a good thing depending on the community you’re part of, for some the people keep them around much longer than the general area ever could.
That said, when living among people, from time to time you’re going to experience issues that need resolution. Politely asking a neighbor to turn their music down late at night is one of those issues, for instance, and escalating the issue if they fail to do so may be something you have to chase.
But what happens if neighborhood kids inadvertently damage your property? What if a ball flies through a window, or they cycle over your lawn, or they’ve ruined your plant display by kicking over a ball a few times too many? Well, it’s worth staying calm and trying to be as charitable as possible here, let’s consider how to achieve that below:
Document The Damage
It’s good to be a charitable neighbor and to brush off a few mistakes. If your flower bed is hit with a ball, or a plant pot is knocked over, it’s quite easy to repair that. But if you can, don’t be afraid to take a picture of the damage with the date clearly marked. This means that if this happens again, or multiple times, you’ll have a clear documented history of the issues that have taken place – showing to anyone reasonable that brushing the damage off once or twice was something you decided to opt for, and that you were never overly confrontational.
Calmly Approach The Neighbors
If the issue occurs more than once or causes intensive damage, then it’s important to present your documented evidence to the neighbors parents. This way, you can open with the most charitable and polite conversation, firmly describing the issue and how much this may have cost you to repair it. This way, you’ll also be able to get the authorities involved if you’re treated with disdain, or you’ll be able to show that you took the right recuperative moves despite the issue you were dealing with.
Use Restorative Services
The best restorative services, like a replacement window company, can give you a quote to fix the damage properly. This way, you can show this to your neighbor and have them pay for the damage with quite reasonable documentation. They’ll be sure to discipline their kids if this costs them money. On top of that, if you need to take your neighbors to small claims court, you will have documented evidence of the replacement, the reasonable quote you found, and the fact that you tried to communicate with the neighbor ahead of time. This way, you exhaust all the realistic opportunities presented to you, and assert your rights of respect as a neighbor.
With this advice, you’re certain to seek a resolution even if neighborhood kids inadvertently damage your property.
