Children 9 to 14 Playing all over everyone's yards

I'm not sure this is an HOA matter unless the HOA wants to consider constructing a play area. Even then, the HOA cannot prohibit children from playing in the street or on other owner's properties. This is between the property owners and the children, their parents and if necessary, the local police.

the streets are public. The homeowners property on which the children are playing on is not theirs. they are playing in driveways and yards of homeowners not related to the children..
Your idea of nusiance may be the only way to go. As their parents think they do no wrong and they are in another area of the subdivision.

The neighbors do ask them to stay off the lawns and property. We have talked with the parents, (all of them live on other streets) we have called the police..
Police talk to the children ask them to stay off property. Parents say they can play there, since there is no where else. they don't believe there children would go on others property as much as there being told. we need to treat the children with respect is one of there solutions. I guess we can't understand why they aren't in front of there own house or in there own yard.. We also have tried to have all the children that play together, have there parents try to come up with a solution. Maybe each on take turns taking the group to a ball park.. The children are extremely defiant..and so are there parents.

Please do not forget...."they are kids". I understand 100% if they are destroying property or vandalizing in any way.
Do the kids know that it bothers you? Is that the only attention they get?
Kids need attention, and they WILL get it whether good or bad. Chances are they do not get ANY attention on their own street / yard, so they are convening on yours for the attention.
I see more and more kids in need of parental involvement, and unfortunately it seems to manifest itself in these type of situations.
I do not have a solution per se, but getting them involved in something positive might help. I know you are not their parent, but they are kids....it doesn't matter.

A nieghbor of mine just contacted me via email about this issue acouple of days ago. Let me give you a run down. And whats going to happen.

The niegbor informed me that someone was coming onto her property and damage her driveway solar lights.

A few days later as she was leaving her house and open the door she saw two little girls riding their bikes on her lawn. She thinks that this is how her stuff was getting damage. She told the little girls "nicely" to get off her lawn, since she just moved in and her grass was just layed two weeks ago. (this was almost a year ago)

Just acouple of days ago she was going to lay some weed killer and fertizer down and the little girls were near the lawn again, she walks over to where the girls live (which is about three houses down from her) and the mother was outside in her driveway watching the girls from there. As she approch and was going to tell the lady nicly that she was going to lay chemicles down and didn't want the kids around so that they wouldn't get sick or hurt, the other lady told her to F*ck-off and she didn't want to hear anything from her. (WOW!) she though.

I informed her that she could call the cops and get her for disorderly conduct (which is a ticketable offense) which I know works, cause I had it done myself to someone else.

She said that she going to install cameras until it happens again and when it does that she will file lawsuit for damages and her having to buy the camera because of the kids, also I told her to file a criminal trespassing warning, so if it happens again, then the parents could be arrested.

This is currently going on and is a issue for the HOA to address. We are also working on issue of people walking their dogs and letting them crap on people lawns. What is this world coming too?

If it was a civil issues, then why would some cities enforce the poo-n-scoop laws? You would think if I let my dog crap on someone lawn that this is an civil issue. This isn't anything diffrent then children running up on someone lawn and damaging their property. We need to least talk as a community that this is an issue going on in the nieghborhood. For the HOA to turn a blind eye is not something i'm willing to do. We are the people to build bridges and help nieghbors get along with each other, even though it is a civil matter.

Nothing for nothing, annoying as it may be, the world has alot more major issues than a dog pooping on your lawn. They can poop on mine, but by God, you'd better have a paper towel in hand, or guess where that poop is gonna end up? On YOUR doorstep! if it's your dog, of coarse : )

LoriP

I've read through this post and there are opinions ranging from this issue not being something that an HOA should involve itself with, to calling the police or suing. Because I am still not clear as to what is common ground and public access here, spare the streets themselves. I can only respond from the prospective of my own HOA where we are required to maintain our own back yards, and the HOA maintains our streets and front yards as common areas.

If the HOA’s landscaping crew maintains your yards as common areas, the HOA can and should enforce restrictions and fines, which are in compliance with the by-laws and CC&R’s. If you contract out or provide your own landscaping services, assuming then that your yards are not common ground. Then RonaldW is correct in his belief that this is not an HOA matter. In fact, it would be the equal of living in any other neighborhood with out an HOA, and again he would be correct in saying that for the children to be playing on your yards would amount to trespassing. So again, if you will… common areas are enforceable by the HOA’s board of directors. Anything else belongs to the local police as a matter of civic duty.

All of this notwithstanding, I believe there are many households getting off on the wrong foot here. Understanding that the intention of HOA living is to be assured a peaceful and content environment, each home is occupied by individuals, whose idea of a peaceful and content environment is as diverse as most would ever imagine… This being the case, it is important for everyone to find “common ground.” No pun intended, and as quickly as possible. Given the fact that stress, which is derived from problems like this, is not healthy and by no means lends itself well to the American dream of owning your own home. In my opinion it comes down to a matter of respect for others and their propriety, and to that end, it’s a concern that we should even be posting in this regard here, perhaps there is more to this than the one side in which we are hearing, nonetheless, there are actions which need to take place and resolve the problem.

It was noted in your post that these children live in homes that are being rented out. Has there been any contact with the owner(s) or perhaps rental agents about any of this? I can assure you that if I had renters who were disruptive to their neighbors. I’d be having a serious conversation with them. That is, there are liabilities that fall upon the landlords’ shoulders as well. For all the post regarding this matter, I just can’t help be to think that this should be a very simple matter to resolve given the factors involved here. The most important being the children’s safety, their parents setting an example for them to learn by and of course again, the respect of your property. I wish you well in this…

Help, we are having the same problem with rental units. The parents don't seem to want the kids inside so they send them outside to create havoc for everyone else. When we have tried to talk to the parents, it seems it is never their children causing the damage. The area infront of our units are considered common area as well on the side of some buildings. Kids are constantly sitting on the block walls, breaking off sprinkler heads, swinging on the palm trees, throwing trash, screaming and yelling in the stairwells, the list could goes on and on. Can owners have the children play in front of their building only. We are in Vegas and have people who work shift work and it makes it impossible for some people to sleep during the day or evening. We contacted the Property Management Company and all we hear is the Fair Housing Act and we can't discriminate because of the age. We have talked to the parent and that went no where. Can something be changed in the rules and regulations about this? The BOD are at a loss as what to do.

Maybe?

Charge the owners that are renting the property a small fee for #of children. I think children are a community project. It was in the days before HOAs. Since this is a problem in this HOA, the solution will likely have to come form the Association. Fine owners for repeated offences. Any fines go into the above mentioned kitty. At some point, have the HOA match these funds and use the money for play areas. I have no idea if this will work, but, after all is said and done it is an issue that the owners of the property will have to solve. But, the association or the police can only do so much and may never solve the problem. It will take some inovative thinking especially now that the battle lines are drawn. If there is no cooperation between the residents, drastic measures will have to be taken or property values will be effected and that is again a matter of the few owneers not living under the restrictions of the whole.

We have a very relaxed community when it comes to children playing. And, thankfully, most parents are involved in their children's activities and work towards creating harmony amongst the "playing" and the "non-playing" residents. However, recently we experienced a problem with minors out after dark causing trouble and actually paintballing homes and cars. The "posse" was identified (some caught in the act) and a letter was sent to the homeowners from our HOA attorney. It's been rather quiet lately.

If the children are unruley and running a muck in your yard or area, I would ask the BOD to respond via letter from the HOA management or, as proven more effective, the HOA attorney.

Ron,
Guess I wasn't clear enough. I believe the Board could charge any owner that rents his property any $ that are spent out of association funds to resolve or control a renters action. The charge would or could be larger for # of children, it makes no difference. If any owner does anything that is cause for a special expenditure of funds, that owner is personally responsible, those that rent and those that don't.

The obvious answer to this child problem has to fall back on owners. I do believe that anyone living in an HOA or condo are obligated to the community to consider the actions of children and be willing to provide community funds to accomodate their needs. HOA's build walking trails, playgrounds basketball courts, etc with association funds all the time. They build workout facilities and steam rooms and bars and lounges to accomodate adults, all with association money. A community without all those little devils running around is not attractive to me, even if they do call me the Condo Cop.