I can suggest a few things....
Poison Ivy-I can mail you some if you need it
Get a big dog-if they aren't scared maybe they'll slip in some doo
Tell them you've sprayed the yard with ____(insert long latin name) that will either cause testicular shinkage(if they're male and you're not) or unusually long and painful periods(if they're female and you're not)

I tell people that my husband has anger management issues and doesn't always take his meds! LOL!!
-B

B that is very funny! about the meds!

g3-wow! Those are some annoying people you've go there! My sympathies!

g3neenkp, I had to look an see what zone you were in. I thought there for a moment you were the person on the other side of my awful neighbor. I feel for you. some just have no respect for any thing.
B, Meds was quite funny. Since I live alone I just tell them I'm post menopause (funny thing is I am) an they take a step back. When I get out side and take to whacking some weed down they all stay back.
I do like the poison ivy idea though. Except It would sure enough be in my yard by the next summer.
Bonnie

Isn't there an old saying about fences making good neighbors. I think that's true until your neighbor takes it and burns it. I'm sure he thought he was doing you a favor. Stupid is as stupid does.
If that happened to me I would go out to the yard and turn into a screaming, cussing, arm flailing lunatic the first time I saw them and then I would show them where the property line is.
jim_6b (who is on meds and sometimes forgets to take them)

I would invest in a few locks or bring in anything you can't lock up. I might also consider adopting a very large dog. Ditch the wood fence and put up a cyclone fence with a bit of an electrical charge... and don't tell him! Even a cow can be trained to stay away from that!

LOL... Yeah the poisin ivy would just end up getting me and not them. And the med thing wont work either. The woman there has already told me all about the meds she's on, so i dont think it would have the desired effect.
Now their dog is chewing up my roses, so an electric fence would be wonderfull, sadly they are not allowed where I live. Their landlord and I had talked about that very thing last summer as neither of us liked all the people cutting through our yards. Everything is now safely locked in the shed. I have thought about putting up no trespassing signs facing their house, it would be the first thing they saw when the walked out their back door.
My family has lived in this house for almost 40 years and we've never had so many problems with a neighbor before. And they only moved in last fall. Its sure to be an interesting summer.
thanks for making me laugh and the sympathy.
Neen (who also forget's her meds now & again)

Have you told them you need to be asked before anything is borrowed from your yard garage? I had neighbors that we let borrow our mower occaisionally. Then one day I noticed they had taken it out when we weren't home. We have some very nice things in the garage and I had to talk to them about it. I told my neighbor my husband has some nice tools and I can't let anyone in without me being there or I might get in trouble.
I also had another neighbor borrow a shovel that was in my garage without asking (other side this time). She said she knew I would let her borrow it but I wasn't there. So I told her that I had been really upset because I thought I lost it and I needed to be asked in the future. Also that if I wasn't there to ask then get what you need somewhere else.
It feels like the lesson I taught my kids when they were four. Always ask for permission, if they are not there to ask, then the answer is no.

I got rid of people passing through my yard with a sign that says: "Caution: Snakes!" It's not a lie either. They're welcome and encouraged.

A locked shed is an obstacle but not a guaranteed. Since they are so accustomed to stealing from you. You need to find a way of keeping your things under your roof. Maybe in a cellar or garage or something.

flood: They always seem to slink off when i come outside so i never get the chance to speak to them. I wish someone had taught them that borrowing means asking first, otherwise its just taking. They have teenage children and are not setting a very good example.

clumsy: oh how i wish we had snakes, I lived in KY for a few years and learned real quick not to go in the garden without boots on. The shed is the best i can do for now. But nowhere is realy safe, we have had people steal things from our inclosed front porch in the middle of the day.

My best bet seems to be their landlord. He and his wife complimented me numerus times on my garden. He was quite upset when i told him what had been going on, and told me "I will have words with them". I think he can be scarier than a snake, especially after some of the conversations we have had.

Neen

I'm sorry Neen,
Neighbors can be such a big problem to us gardeners,have you read Sassys story?
I am sure by now they know you mean business,they will shy away for awhile,but be on the look out them kind of people never stay away for long,they think they are intitled some how.
I hope your summer will be good,we have been waiting a long time for it to get here eh?
cAROL

Hi Neen,

Bad neighbors - never a good thing. Here in St. Louis we have a citizens complaint bureau. Basically you can complain about various things like overflowing trash, street problems, light issues, etc. Maybe there is something like that where you live. I have been a city dweller for a long time and have had all sorts of neighbors. My experience has been the dead beats usually don't stay around for long especially if the rest of neighborhood makes it known their behavior isn't tolerated.

-StLGirl

A few years ago the neighbor behind me decided to put in a garden so he trimmed my trees to give it more sun. I let that pass and even picked up the limbs and burned them. I have two storage sheds and they are several feet from my property line so I need to get behind them and weed-eat, etc. He had moved broken concrete pieces from his new garden spot and stacked it on my property along with a landscape timber, a utility pole, and about a dozen metal fence posts.

I had a broken foot that summer and couldn't do much. The next spring, I moved all of the post back to his yard, and used the landscape timber and the pole to mark off the property line. The timber kind of sticks up since it was on top of the concrete he moved, but at least he got the idea. Only my veggie garden is fenced, but since you can clearly see the back of that fence from his property, I would have thought he would have realized that if the fence extended further over, it would include his "trash dump area". I will probably put up a fence in that area, just to mark the property line....and maybe I should grow a heavy vine on it just for kicks. LOL

St.LGirl, where do you live? I used to live in St. John. I miss St. Louis springs so much. We were there last spring in early April, it was cold and windy and wet but we loved it. Fell in love with the weeping plum? cherry? (can't remember) trees that has been a new addition to many yards. Sadly, not hardy here.

On topic, we mostly had good neighbors in St.Louis. Even the house next door that was a rental for a couple of years. One family down the block took umbrage when I told their seven year old that he was to ask before taking toys home with him as we always pick up outside toys (croquet mallet) each evening. They said I accused him of stealing, which I didn't, just told him to ask. They were unpleasant for awhile but eventually the kids were back over to play with my son.

I have good helpful neighbors here all around. If only spring didn't come so late in MN. I know it is officially spring by the calendar but won't really be spring until mid-May here.

Hi mnwwsgal,

I live in the city just south of Tower Grove park. Early last April I was actually in Hawaii getting married so lucky me missed all the cold wet weather. Glad to hear you have good neighbors all around in MN. You know in St. Louis it can all be a block by block thing. Fortunately my block is one of the good ones surrounded by other good blocks as well.

I would tell them how you feel - do not borrow my belongings without first asking, do not enter my property when i am not home, do not remove anything from my property without my permission (even if you think it's trash). If they touch another thing, then I would send them a certified letter stating that you have asked nicely and will report anything futher to local authorities and press chages for vandalism/theft. I would also send a copy to their landlord.

I may sound harsh, but I have some truly trash bag neighbors that I would love to see on a one way boat to hades...needless to say I have little patience for ignorance. Please don't ask about my neighbors. I would like to live my life, not spend the rest of it trying to explain what morons live next door to me. LOL

Good luck with the thorns in your side.....

well i do believe my problem is solved. I was out working in the yard today when the fella next door came out unfortunately it came down to me turning into the cussing arm flailing lunatic i was trying to avoid after finding another piece of my fence hidden in their yard and the dog TOTALLY destroying one rose bush and several other flowers.

He even admitted he took my fence and burned it. I got all my tools back. He moved his dogs leed line, I have a 6 foot privacy fence being put up shortly, and someone else from the neighborhood called the cops on them for burning leaves,i'm sure he'll blame me though, but as of now i dont care as long as he stays out of my yard i'm happy

thanks to everyone who has listened to my troubles and offered advice and words of wisdome . GW is thereapy for me ..even cheaper than bubble wrap ... you guys are great!
neen

i LOVE BUBBLE WRAP!