| Author | Message | ||
     Hootowl |
I'm building an addition on the back of my house. My neighbor told me a few weeks ago that he saw some kids playing around on my roof. I shrugged it off. I had torn down my back fence to get the cement truck etc. back there, and kids being kids, and a construction site being fascinating to young boys, I figured it was a one time thing. A few weeks ago, I built a new fence. Yesterday, they did it again, this time climbing the fence, leaving my extension ladder up against the house, and my step ladder against the fence. Both ladders were stored inside the structure of the new addition, though there is no door at this time. Still, they're coming into my house to get the ladders. An open door is not an invitation. I've called the local Sheriff's office, they say that unless I catch the little punks, there isn't anything they can do. I'm pretty sure they're doing it on the way home from school. I can't be there during the day to watch for them. They don't appear to be doing anything malicious, but the question of liability should the injure themselves has me worried. I can't imagine that every home in America has to have a "stay off my roof" sign in order to avoid culpability in the event of an accident. I'm putting up a web cam today so I can watch the house from work. I'm not that far away, I might be able to make it home in time to catch them in the act. So, what would you do? By the way, I live in Texas...can I shoot them? | ||
| Fast1075 |
You should at least post signs and secure the ladders in some way where it is impossible for them to use them...if they get hurt, it will be your liability as stupid as that sounds. | ||
| P_squared |
...I live in Texas...can I shoot them? Legally, I think you can. Probably not a good idea though.  If you can record the webcam video & you get them on it, I'd give the parents a copy. That should reduce their incursions in & around your property. If the parents seem to "not care" when you give them the video, you might also mention that the Sheriff/Police might find it "interesting" as well. Hope it works out for you. | ||
| Kyrocket |
Ummm, probably not now. If you did catch them it might only be civil unless they did some damage. Of course I know nada about Texas law except that you guys don't mess around. Heck maybe you could shoot 'em, or get your neighbor to do it. Seems I remember that happening down there, then of course all the riots that ensued. Anyway, hope you catch the little punks, but like you said construction sites are irresistible to youngsters. | ||
| Etennuly |
Day off, 30-06, 14X scope, tripod, on a hill top 300 yards out. No, wait a minute, that is for if they are stealing or vandalizing your place! So far it sounds like curious kids doing nearly innocent stupid stuff. How about a surveillance video shown to their parents with the local pd present? | ||
| Mndwgz |
+1 on the cam. Cable lock the ladders to something. | ||
| Daveswan |
Set up the web cam and call the cops as soon as you see an intruder? is the web cam setup able to make a recording? Give a camera to your neighbor to stake out and take pictures between those school dismissal hours? I'm not sure how the "Castle Law" works in that instance. I'd try the camera and call the cops approach first. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
do post signs though. that's what i was told to do legally for trespassing in case someone got hurt on your property. also find out what time school is out and either skip lunch to get out of work early or go home sick. | ||
| Court |
Grease the roof. | ||
| Fast1075 |
"Grease the roof"...  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Sounds like the camera+parents is your best solution. Failing that, game on! Wait until they get up there and take ladder. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Rottweiler | ||
| Ulywife |
Wait until they get up there and take ladder.  | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Grease the roof....grease the ladder....loosen a couple rungs....pick up a couple rabid pit bulls from the pound.....spray the ladder rungs with pepper spray....rig a bucket of paint so that when they grab the ladder the bucket falls So many ideas and so few chances to use them! | ||
| Pammy |
And THEN call the parents and the local constabulary...HaHa | ||
| Hootowl |
I thought about putting up signs, but I don't want to be that guy. I think that type if sign is a blight on the neighborhood. Thanks everyone for the suggestions, even the humorous ones. Especially the humorous ones. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Sounds like everyone is watching the Home Alone marathons  | ||
| Sayitaintso |
City....the rest of the HomeAlone stuff was being saved for my next post..... toolbox on the roof tied to the step ladder, blowtorch on the roof, bricks on the roof, ladder cut part way through, 210 circuit hooked up to the ladder, rig a false wall frame to the ladder so that when they pull the ladder it knocks the "fake" wall down and makes them think they tore the place up, loosly covered big hole in the spot where they hop over the fence (maybe add spikes at the bottom of the pit, depends if you're feeling nice or not), rope trap like used in that Will Smith movie about zombies. | ||
| Etennuly |
Sure would mark the inside of their knickers if they stepped into the garage and met Kujo! Not expecting it, a big bark would certainly echo in an open unfilled garage! I thought about the grease thing also, but you would likely get yourself, or that would be the day they found something else to do and never come back. Look at the mess to clean up. They are just kids being kids, after a couple of visits they think that it is their special place. After a meeting with the parents and local PD you could do things like wait in your yard with a camera and a paint ball gun. That will sting like hell, prove they were there, prove you were within your own boundaries, and likely let them find that they need a new place to hang out. If they fight you and continue you could put in some, I cannot recall the name,is it "Bungi"? pits. Where you have the sharpened bamboo shafts in a pit covered with leaves and grass and such(leave the camera out of this production).  Then there are always claymores. | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Then there are always claymores. Paintball claymores.....You sir are a genius. Thats as good or better than the inventor of the potato gun. | ||
| Hootowl |
If I knew where they lived, I could talk to their parents. But then, if the acorn hasn't fallen very far from the tree, their parents probably won't give a crap anyway. | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Punji stakes.... just ask a Jarhead | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Etennuly is right...just kids being kids. i did the same type crap as a kid. But its still fun to think of the crap that COULD be done. (and bonus points if you get it on video) | ||
| Koz5150 |
Skunk scent in a small bag on the ladder. As soon as they step on it they are stuck with the smell.... that would be funny! | ||
| Skntpig |
Borrow one of those wildlife auto cameras. That way you get a picture of them with the paintball claymore all over them. Remember your goal is for them to Not get hurt | ||
| Sayitaintso |
Remember your goal is for them to Not get hurt Damn, I just KNEW I was forgetting something important. (Great idea on the motion camera) | ||
| Reepicheep |
We did this one by accident in high school... Take some "crystal violet". Its a kind of dye used for biology microscope slides. It's little crystals with a staggering amount of "blue" in just a little grain. Dry, it's just a little blue spec. But it sticks. And it tracks. Then it gets wet, then you try and wash it down, then it *really* gets messy. a few grains on the ladder rungs where their hands will pick it up, put some paper down under it you can carefully roll up and throw away. Then come home after they have tripped it, and *carefully* take the ladder somewhere and hose the heck out of it, and throw away the paper. It tracks everywhere, and stains hands, and just makes a ROYAL mess. We sent some as a joke to a friend that was already in college... and it just about got him expelled. In our defense, there was a note on it that said "under no circumstances should you open this envelope... you should immediately throw it away and forget about it." Of course, he opened it. | ||
| 86129squids |
Good stuff. How bout some "#69 Doe in Heat Buck Lure Gel"? Being a gel, you can put it almost anywhere. Used it to boobytrap election signs that idiots just HAD to steal/vandalize- I could just see them jumping out of the car, pummelling the sign, then jumping back in the car with the funk all over them... I'm into good pranks... to me they're more a philosophy. | ||
| Court |
I've changed my mind . . . . save the grease. Treat the ladder rungs.  | ||
| Sifo |
Bushnell Trail Sentry, 4 Megapixel Full Color Trail Camera with Infrared Sensor $84.95 http://www.adorama.com/BS119204.html?sid=126092412 0286337  | ||
| Aesquire |
The crystal dye....Priceless! ( did an Olympic pool with Methylene blue. About as much as fits in the palm of your hand ) Bear strength pepper spray on ladder, perhaps. The game camera is perfect for evidence gathering. Useful on deer trails, garage intruders, and trespassers. | ||
| Ourdee |
Fire extinguisher filled with pepper on a trip wire. Put some die in there too. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
you don't want to be that person with the signs but it's just a cya till the jobs done, than you can take them down. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Inject paint ball claymores with skunk scent violet tincture and capsasin from pepper gas dispenser. They will be stained painted stink and burn Kids ruined one of my roofs they were riding thier bikes on the roof and off into the pool while we were at work |
