Neighbour Refusing to Return Football UK: Where Do You Stand?

I have seen how minor disputes with neighbours can escalate quickly and cause tension. One issue that can arise is when a football is regularly kicked over the fence into a neighbour’s garden and maybe the neighbour is refusing to return the football.

You are well within your right to play football and have fun in your garden, but you should do all you can not to disturb your neighbour by kicking the ball over the fence or by kicking the ball against the wall.

Your neighbour is entitled to enjoy their garden, just as much as you are.

If the ball is regularly getting kicked over your fence, maybe you are wondering if you have to return the ball or if you can keep it. Or maybe you are trying to get your ball back from your neighbour and want to know where you stand.

In this blog post, I will provide you with some guidance on how to handle such a situation in a friendly manner.

I will be discussing the legal aspects of the situation, as well as steps to take to resolve the issue. Additionally, I will also provide preventative measures to help avoid similar issues in the future.

Does My Neighbour Have To Give My Ball Back?

Your neighbour is legally obligated to return your ball if it enters their property. However, it’s always best to communicate with your neighbour to resolve the situation amicably. Don’t ever trespass on your neighbour’s property to retrieve your ball.

Football in Garden Law

Under UK law, you have a right to possession of your property, which includes your football. This means that your neighbour does not have the right to withhold your property from you.

If a football is kicked into a neighbour’s garden then your neighbours should return the football if you ask for it back. Your neighbour can leave the football in their garden until you request they return the ball.

If your neighbour doesn’t return your football over the fence, you can politely ask for this back. If your neighbours refuse to return your football then this is technically theft.

Your neighbour is likely refusing to return the football because they are frustrated if you keep kicking the ball over into their garden.

If you were to go into your neighbour’s garden, without their permission to retrieve the ball, then this is trespass. You should never go into a neighbour’s garden without their permission.

If you have found a neighbour trespassing into your garden, I have an article that I hope will be helpful that you can read here.

If a neighbour is refusing to return a football, you can try to resolve the situation through communication, mediation, or legal action. It’s important to remember that disputes with neighbours can be stressful and disruptive, so seeking a peaceful resolution should be a priority.

It’s worth noting that local bylaws may also apply in certain situations, such as restrictions on playing ball games in certain areas. It’s important to check with your local council to understand any relevant bylaws that may apply in your area. However, this won’t apply to playing football in a back garden.

Criminal Damage Act 1971

If a neighbour refuses to return a football that was accidentally kicked over the fence, and instead damages or destroys it, the Criminal Damage Act 1971 could be considered.

Under this act, intentionally or recklessly destroying or damaging property belonging to someone else without lawful excuse is a criminal offence.

If the neighbour intentionally or recklessly damages the football, they could potentially be charged with criminal damage.

However, it is important to note that the criminal justice system will not be the most effective way to resolve a dispute between neighbours, and alternative methods may be more appropriate.

The Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977

The Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 is the primary legislation that governs unlawful interference with goods.

This act outlines the circumstances in which a person can be liable for trespass to goods, including the unauthorised taking or detention of someone else’s goods. If your neighbour refuses to return your football, they may be in breach of this act.

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is another piece of legislation that can come into play in situations like these.

If the football has been stolen, this act gives the police the power to search for and seize stolen property.

Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!

Engaging in a conflict with your neighbour can be quite unpleasant, and such situations often seem to extend indefinitely.

However, discovering your neighbour in the act of trespassing, causing property damage with their football or committing any other unlawful act can serve as irrefutable evidence to secure victory in your dispute.

To effectively address such circumstances, it is advisable to equip yourself with a reliable security system like the Ring Video Doorbell or Outdoor Security Cameras, both available on Amazon. This proactive measure proves to be a prudent choice in this scenario since visual evidence possesses the power to convey volumes of information beyond mere words.

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Steps to Resolve Issues With Neighbours and Footballs

Step 1: Communicate With Your Neighbour

In many cases, the best approach to retrieving your football or to stop footballs getting kicked into your garden will be to have a direct conversation with your neighbour. This conversation should be respectful and non-confrontational.

If you are trying to get your football back you should explain the situation calmly and ask for your football to be returned. You should apologise for kicking the ball over the fence. You can explain that it is theft if they refuse to return the ball.

It’s important to listen to your neighbour’s side of the story and try to come to a resolution that works for both of you.

If you are having issues with children kicking a ball over your fence, then explain the frustration you are facing. When they next ask for their ball back, explain that you are worried that the ball is going to damage your plants or smash a window and would appreciate them doing all they can to stop the ball from coming over the fence.

If talking directly with the children hasn’t improved the situation, then you should try talking to their parents. The parents might not realise that the children keep kicking the football into your garden and hopefully, a few stern words with help solve the problem.

As a final resort, you could say that you will only return the ball if their parents ask for it back, meaning the parents will be well aware of how much they are kicking the ball over the fence.

Step 2: Follow up With a Letter

If talking to your neighbour doesn’t improve the situation, then follow up with a letter to the parents, detailing the issues you are facing. For example, if a ball has damaged your plants or smashed a window, then let them know and take photos.

If you are trying to get your ball back, then you could try writing to your neighbour apologising for the inconvenience and asking them to throw your ball back over the fence.

It would be a good idea to say that you will do all you can to stop the ball from getting kicked over into their garden.

You will want to adapt the tone of the letter depending on the severity of the problem.

I have written an example template letter that you can adapt and send to your neighbour that you can read here.

Step 3: Contact your Home Insurance

If your neighbour has damaged your property, then you should contact your home insurance to see if they will cover the damage. If the damage is covered, you could approach your neighbour to ask them to pay for the excess.

Step 4: Contacting the Police

If your neighbour is refusing to return the football, this is theft so you can call 101 to report theft.

If your neighbour has damaged your property with your ball, then you can also report property damage.

Reporting the issue to the police might resolve the problem but this could be deemed as a waste of police time and can create further tension between neighbours.

Buying another ball will most likely be a much easier option.

I have a blog on when it’s appropriate to contact the police regarding a neighbour dispute that you can read here.

Step 5: Legal Action as a Last Resort

If all other options have been exhausted, legal action may be necessary if the issue is severe and your property is getting damaged by the footballs, such as smashed windows or you have individuals trespassing on your property.

If your property has been damaged by your next door neighbours I would consider getting an outside home security camera system that records your back garden. You can focus the camera where the ball usually comes over your fence.

Video evidence of the property damage, trespass or nuisance is extremely helpful if you need to take the matter further.

I have the Eufy security system and I would highly recommend it but there are lots of different cameras now on Amazon at all different price ranges.

You should also keep a log of events with the date, the incident and any damage caused.

I also have a blog on what to expect when instructing a solicitor regarding a neighbour dispute that you can read here.

You can get free and quick quotes for qualified mediators or solicitors via Bark.com. I personally use Bark to get my quotes and I highly recommend it.

Preventative Measures For Nuisance Neighbours Football

Clear Communication and Boundary-Setting

One of the best ways to avoid disputes with neighbours over property is to have clear communication and boundary-setting.

It’s important to have a conversation with your neighbour about boundaries and expectations, especially if you share common areas. This can help to prevent misunderstandings and disputes in the future.

Your neighbour might not know that the footballs coming into your garden are annoying you. If they are, let them know and ask them politely to stop.

Play Football Somewhere Else

If you want to play football and you are having issues with your neighbour, you could play at the park instead. If you play at the park you don’t need to worry about kicking the football over a fence or how much noise you are making.

If you don’t have a park local to you and so you want to play in your garden or the street, then it would be a good idea to use a softer ball that will not cause any damage to neighbours’ property or cars.

How to Stop Footballs Coming into Garden

If you want to stop footballs coming into your garden altogether then you could consider growing higher hedges or putting up a higher fence.

Hedging such as laurel is a good option as it’s quick growing. Laurel is also good for privacy from your neighbours. You can buy hedging on Amazon.

If you are playing football and want to stop your balls from going into your neighbour’s garden, then you can buy a large net that is designed to stop footballs from going over the fence.

Taking preventative measures can hopefully help avoid or at least reduce disputes with neighbours about footballs.

Conclusion About Neighbour Refusing to Return Football UK

It’s important to remember that disputes with neighbours can be stressful and disruptive. Resolving conflicts in a timely and respectful manner can help to prevent further escalation and maintain good neighbourly relations.

If a neighbour is refusing to return a football in the UK, there are several options available to resolve the dispute. It’s important to try and communicate with the neighbour and resolve the issue amicably.

You should also consider if your actions are causing a nuisance to your neighbour and if so, how you can prevent this.

By communicating clearly and taking preventative measures, you can help to maintain good neighbourly relations and ensure everyone gets along.

To finish, there is a newspaper article where a neighbour was actually handcuffed after refusing to return a football in the UK, which you can read here.