Can anybody help. We have recently moved our trampoline to the bottom of our garden. At the bottom of the garden behind the fence is the front door of our neighbour.She is complaining that we are intruding on her privacy and that we have put the trampoline their to annoy her. Not the case. Does anyone know where we stand with this. Are we intruding on her privacy?

How can you be intruding on her privacy if the trampoline is in your garden? Whats annoying her , your children's head popping up and down, or is she moaning at the children making noise?

Is it a 6 foot fence between the properties?

yes there is a six foot fence. She has asked us to move it because of her privacy. I think your right it's the noise of the kids!!!

The only suggestion I can make is that you move the trampoline back to where it was in the interests of a quiet life. Not particularly helpful I know, but it's either that or have your neighbour complain. They don't have any right to privacy, but try to reverse your situations and see it from her point of view. Google gardenlaw for lots more on this.

Why did you move the trampoline to the end of your garden? So the area closer to *your* house would be quieter when your kids are using it perhaps?

If so, her response might not be a surprise.

How would you feel in her position with such disruption?

Our garden in only small, the reason it was moved was because the grass underneath has died , so we moved it so it could re grow.

I wouldnt personally move it, its your garden, surely you can put things where you want, you shouldnt be dictated to by a neighbour where you can put something in your garden.

The neighbour bought the property, knowing that there was a back garden backing onto her property! Do you usually get on with this neighbour?

Jaz, we've given up with the dead bit under ours, we just leave it in the same place, so only a bit of garden is permanently dead!!!

dg1 you have made me feel better!!!!!
We own our property and she is a council tenent.
We used to get on until one afternoon my kids were playing with water guns in the garden and some water went in her garden and she shouted at them because she had the lawn mower on and it was electric!!!!!!!!!!

I would stick by my guns on this one i'm afraid, i know lots of you wont agree, but sorry, your garden and your kids should be able to play when they want, but, i do think, maybe whilst she was cutting the lawn i would ask the children to refrain from squirting water, but its done know, and you've probably got her back up, so she's going to pick on you.

Just be polite, if you can, as long as your not causing harm to her, i personally dont think she's got anything to complain about.

Some people just don't like kids - I should know, I don't like anyone else's

To the side of us has a trampoline and the kids make an absolute racket on it, squealing till past 8 oclock etc. then 'Rooney' next to them with his football banging against the rattly metal garage door at half 8 outside my son's bedroom window. To be fair he does stop when thrown a single dirty look now.

Then the street behind us playing cricket in street till half 9 at night in summer, screaming at the tops of their voices. It's what some people do.
Trampolines etc. will just wind some people up. TBH I think I'd have a problem with it... if it was extremely noisy, all day etc. or late.
If it was just a couple of kids in the afternoon for a bit I don't think she should complain because kids are kids.
I can see her point with privacy aswell though. I wouldn't like it but I'm more of a 'darkly muttering to myself in the hope they hear' type!

Maybe if you rotate the location of the trampoline, to keep your lawn from dying, then she will settle down, as it's not permanently where she feels she is being overlooked?

I think one accidental squirt of water whilst mowing the lawn is hardly a crime. Lawnmowers are built to operate outside perfectly safely, water included.

I would apologise one last time for the water pistols thing, saying that it really was an accident and you have told the kids off for it. Tell her that you are moving the trampoline around the garden to keep the lawn alive, rather than permanently moving it over to her side, and that you hope you can be friends again.

Some people won't be placated, others will. I hope that your neighbour is of the latter kind.

Ary.

Thanks for all your advice. Ive spoke to the neighbour in question and I have decided to move my trampoline back to where it was. I am a nice neighbour really. We have decided to try and get on. Just haven't decided where to put the swimming pool yet!!!!!!!!!!

I would imagine the 'squeak, squeak, squeak' of the kids jumpimg up and down on a trampoline would drive you bananas. It would me. Right outside your front door would be even worse.

Looking at it from your neighbour's point of view... what is the use of having a six foot fence if you have kids bouncing up and down to see over. There's nothing worse than sitting in the garden and knowing someone is looking at you! Personally I'd have a long stick and poke the darlings each time I saw their heads

Obviously that is a joke