First off, yes taking a basketball from a kid makes them #######s (and maybe thieves?). I don't think we need to go into much more about their actions to make a ruling on that. But from their perspective;
What type of fence is it? If it's chain-link, a 16 year old climbing over it is very easily going to deform it. Even a solid fence could get damaged depending on how well it was constructed. I wouldn't have a problem with a kid showing up in my backyard to retrieve his ball, but if they caused damage to our fence doing so, I wouldn't be super happy either and could find myself being 'unreasonable' in that situation. Maybe I just have had cheap fences.
At the same time, it's reasonable for someone to not want teenagers (or anyone) going into their yard, especially if they consider the area to be problematic and don't get along with their neighbours. It's plausible they have dealt with theft from their yard and from their perspective the teenager from the family who had the cops at their house was snooping in it. Maybe they just don't want someone stepping on their garden. It doesn't really matter.
Yeah it sucks that you don't get along with them and they may have a distorted view of your family, but they do have the right to not have anyone they don't want on their property, obviously.
So, I think the initial drama was sort-of somewhat reasonable on their part. They weren't dealing with a toddler, your son maybe should have known that you guys don't get along and they are #######s and not gone into their yard. But sounds like he knows now.
|