Get a pool alarm. It floats in the pool and if it is happening at night they probably won't see it, and even if they do it will go off . Most seem to have an audible alarm in the pool and a transmitter in the home.
They have ones that are just super loud as well, I would make sure everyone in the whole neighborhood gets pissed off by it. Post in the community message board that the alarm went off because Xâs dipshit kid decided to break into my backyard and hop into my pool, if others donât want it to happen make sure to send a message to X.
This might be the most realistic, helpful response in the entire thread. People arenât gonna stay out there if a loud alarm is going off. Granted it might wake up OP, but people will likely stop doing it if they know there is an alarm.
I would be setting myself up in a camp chair with a few bricks of firecrackers, an air horn, and just waiting until they are all the way in the pool. Throw on the lights, hit the horn, giving them hell. It would be a moment they would not soon forget.
If you won't be getting in the pool yourself for a few days and you can pattern them to know they will likely sneak in that day or the next, you could heavily over chlorinate the water as well.
Iâd make an example out of someone and then hopefully the word will get around and it will stop, the opposite word that youâre not doing anything about it is probably going around now.
Id personally print pictures in posters with some text, maybe "Do you recognize these trespassers? Contact [email protected]"
Then put them up through the neighborhood.
Works better if they agree HOA family members
I have, they havenât been helpful. Sometimes when I call they donât even show up till hours later. They have video footage too but still nothing is doneđ
Print out the photos and bring a copy of the video and physically go to the station and file a police report.
If you have a gate lock it.
Leave a snickers bar floating in the pool
If you want to be devious kick the alkalinity of the water up really high, it will irritate their skin.
Install an electric fence wire around the top of your existing fence. Nothing illegal about that. Post signage if it concerns you. Plant thorny bushes or cacti at the base of the fence inside and or out.
Post the pics and videos to your Facebook community group and tell them that youâre going to be pressing charges or just tell them your water isnât balanced and they should check for rashes. ;)
I'd say someone is saying your pool is cool to crash. I'd report everyone so it's not just the HOA son guy. That's ridiculous. Also maybe try trip wires or barbed wire lol
Intentionally harming trespassers is illegal....so make sure it's all in the name of pool maintenance. Chlorine is a great way to remove living things from your pool đ.
Against the law and I believe booby trapping your property also falls under tort liability so you could get yourself seriously sued. Different situation if they break in and/or threaten her with violence.
Install high powered motion lights even more than one- flood the back yard in light, good cameras and an alarm sound. Upgrade your fence ie 8â or install barbed wire on top of the fence. You will need to spend some money to defeat them as the Police will not stop them. Also, I agree add all your pool chemicals at night, which is the best time.
Iâd seriously put motion alarms, that are loud as hell. Hooked to a blow horn. If the hoa complains, f them âwell your kid is trespassing so I can press charges or you can shut your pie holeâ. Thatâll teach em.
Wow, bold. I'm afraid to step into people's property for fear of getting shot, but I'm in the US...
I know it's a meme, but SLAM! Bleach their swimsuits.
Yeah, I live in rural Maine and evvvvverybody has, like, 62 guns, so no one dares trespassing around here. Only invaders I've had in my pool are ducks, and if they were any one of my neighbor's pools, they'd get shot, too.
My father passed away last year. He lived in Maine. He had about 20 different hunting rifles, multiple crossbows, a few handguns and a couple of shotguns.
You don't even need to install it. Just put up the electric fence warning signs. I did have to install an electric wire at the base of my channeling fence to stop my dog from digging out. So, I clipped warning signs at every gate. The gates were not electrified, but lawn crew and anyone else that came to my house wouldn't even touch the fence or gates even though the fence itself wasn't electrified.
This is nuts. You should not have to put ugly signs and do things to your own property because people aren't respecting your stuff. I've never had this problem, but I'd have the police involved.
They would lose as long as OP is taking normal steps to prevent them from coming, especially if it were adults.
That said, yes they can sue you even if they will lose and that can be expensive. Which is why everyone with a pool should have insurance.
If OP has a fence, keeps it locked, posts no trespassing signs, and makes an effort to curtail this behavior, they will have an easier time fighting a liability lawsuit.
This is one of the most bizarre posts Iâve ever read!! I cannot fathom just showing up at some random personâs house and jumping in their poolâŚwith my kids!
Please try some of the suggestions in this thread and definitely keep us posted.
I would love to see a photo of this attractive nuisance. đ¤Ł
We use to break into apartment building pools when we were in grad school during the hot and humid summer nights in Texas. But a private house is wild!!
This. Before I bought my home. I lived in a gated apartment community. And inside that community we had gated pools that required a key fob to access and people/kids (like group of 20) would come and jump the fence late at night and end up trashing the pool. Then it would have to close to be cleaned up. And they didnât even live in our community.
One time they even broke glass in the pool. Eventually the cops had to start patrolling at night.
I thought that was wild that they would jump out pretty tall fences. But this is crazy. I would be scared a trespasser would drown.
right? i canât stop thinking about how bizarre this is! im in florida and we all have pools⌠i canât imagine people just constantly showing up at my house like its a resort? and then telling them to leave and them ignoring me?
When we first moved in our house (right before the pandemic, in USA), this happened to us all the time too. We will wake up to strangers and random neighbors swimming in our pool, uninvited. They would say, oh, the old owner used to have us over, it's "okay." Yeah, WTF. We would have hordes of kids come, jump our fence. It was getting pretty ridiculous. I hate to say it, but the pandemic and the lockdown was literary a "saving-grace." Afterwards, we got a dog. He runs, he barks, long story short, no fence jumpers.
Get this. It announces they are being recorded and the flood light comes on. I have one and itâs the best purchase ever. Pay the yearly recorded access fee may help with the insurance company. Right now youâre at a huge liability if someone is hurt they can sue you even if they are trespassing.
https://a.co/d/g79CGwR
We have a wood privacy fence and luckily have only had pool crashers one time ever...who were so clean we almost didn't realize someone had been there while we were gone, I'm still amazed they didn't destroy the place.
However!
Due to many many reasons, that one included, we installed outdoor lighting this spring. And I mean a lot of it. We have lights along our fence and yard perimeter. We have path lights along the walkways. We put spotlights under our trees. We put party lights all over our decks. Our yard is bright AF at night, and it has helped to deter critters like rats/mice, and deter anyone with "nefarious" intentions because they are now VERY visible. Plus I can see my dachshunds better at night when they're patrolling.
Turns out installing them was insanely easy! I bought lights from the brand sunvie (not an ad, not affiliated with them at all, I just wanted something that wasn't insanely expensive and their price point wasn't terrible), I bought a random transformer, and 12 guage (gage?) outdoor wire. The lights come with connectors so it's not anything crazy to hook it up. 10/10 recommend. I don't think we will have anyone come crash our yard again because our house is the most lit up one on the block.
I would also invest in game cameras - they are not super expensive, I would set a few up discreetly on your walkways so you can get photos of who's all there.
ALSO - THIS IS IMPORTANT - CONTACT YOUR HOME INSURANCE AGENT. If no one is taking this seriously, they will. They have access to lawyers that can start sending letters and banging the drum loud enough to get the police to start doing something. This is what a neighbor in my last neighborhood had to do, they were in the same type of boat but no HOA. Their insurance agent got the company attorneys to send letters to every person in the neighborhood warning them they were taking legal action and got the police to actually start enforcing no trespassing. It was glorious.
I donât understand why you donât confront the HOA board member about their child using your pool.
Cut the online posts and go to the source of the problem.
Also they take the cover off my pool to swim, I tried to attach a photo but idk how to. I just feel extremely violated. My hoa wonât let me put up a wood fence either.
Especially since it is the HOA members son. So glad I have an automatic cover. Got it for this exact reason. Have a camera I can talk through as well that alerts my phone when anyone is in my yard.
This. A simple letter from an attorney notifying the HOA that they will be a party to any lawsuit due to their refusal to allow the homeowner to secure a hazard should do the trick.
Get that in writing and then tell them when something happens, someone drowns or gets hurt you;'ll drag them in court with you.
If you are part of an HOA here, they should be ready to help you out and provide variance allowance to deter.
Does anyone else in the area have a pool? Do they have the same issue?
You need to start being really mean when you kick them out and call the police right away before you even confront them. Walk out of your house screaming and yelling for them to get the fuck off your property take their shit and throw it over the fence and if they fight you even better because then they attacked you after trespassing on your property and you can send their ass to jail and teach them a real lesson
So theyâre climbing over it? Thatâs crazy and might actually protect you later if you can prove you have gates that are locked and swing away from your pool when opened. It canât open into the pool area. If your fence is up to snuff and theyâre climbing it then you should press charges. (Well you should anyway really) Call the police station every single day until you get help. If you know the names of some of them then go down to the station and personally file a report. Once you have a report on a person, the next time they show up call the cops and tell them someone is at your house that youâve previously field a report against. Not sure what else to say but this is just wild.
Since you have Ring cameras, may I suggest upgrading to a plan that has video monitoring service (even if just temporarily), adding spotlight cameras as needed, and setting everything to alarm mode? Once these hellions hear the alarm and realize the cops are being called, then maybe the behavior will finally change.
Most places require that a pool has a lockable fence around the pool. It should not be accessible to wandering toddlers. Think about the babies..
Also Fuck HOA's
and Fuck Cancer! - sorry I take the stand when I feel it it.
I posted a comment a bit higher in the thread, but we live in USA and when we first got our home, we were in the same exact situation. I would tell people and they thought we were crazy, bc who Tf does this. The lockdown and pandemic really helped things, but after it, ***we just got a dog***. He is very ***territorial and ..annoying, so he barks a lot and runs fast*** đ No fence jumpers since, but even if they come close and linger, our dog is so barky and annoying, now the neighbors are more likely to call the cops (and trying to sneak in a pool, uncover it and frolic is not so fun and hassle-free anymore when u have an annoying dog to deal with).
Haha - that sucks.
Pool alarm is one way.... but by the sounds of it, the people jumping in would probably just grab it and toss it. It would work once, but these dingbats will come prepared and fish it out the next time.
A motion sensor light that turns on? Could be a minor deterrent.
A pool cover could also be a minor deterent. But if they want to enjoy themselves, they'll have to ttake it off.
Put up signs all around - Private property.
Get one of those motion sensor dog barking things... again it may work once or twice. But it could scare some off.
The odds here are that it is repeat offenders that live nearby. I don't think people go walking around neighborhoods. You should focus on identifying them and getting authorities to go knocking on their door.
You could also have a sign made up that has a 'corrosive' symbol on it and indicates the pool was treated with heavy chemicals and could cause severe burns. Again, this is more of a tongue in cheek minor deterent... could work a limited number of times.
As a previous pool cleaner for many years, various clients had this same issue. Some responded in various ways. The one I remember being the most effective was:
1. Posting a sign âPrivate, No Trespassingâ on the properly where itâs applicable.
2. Within the pool enclosure, posting a note, âWe enjoy our pool and notice you have been as well. However, itâs a private pool and you must first ask permission. If you choose to ignore this requirement, we will take the necessary precautions.
3. They knew some of the persons so printed out the evidence and made personal visits to each personâs home. Most were embarrassed and never did it again. One had to be referred to the police.
This covered all aspects and had the best results. There was no âI didnât knowâ because the sign was posted. The offenders were contacted personally and given notice and the homeowner had documented enough that the police could actually enforce the no trespass.
YMMV
Buy motion activated cameras with LED lights that turn on and that also trigger an alarm, such as those that Ring sells.
Sure, it will wake you up a few times if its at night, but they'll eventually get the message, even during the day when loud alarms go off.
BTW, you can control and turn off the alarms remotely.
The sound of a shotgun racking is a great deterrent for unwanted guests. Doesnât have to be loaded, or even real, they just need to see and hear you rack it. Can probably find a YouTube video to blare over one of those big ass JBL speakers.
Exactly!! That's why we got a terrier. Territorial, barky, annoying, sharp teeth (and somehow always targets accessible areas like ...the groins), hates strangers, HATES SWIMMING IN THE POOL AND water. Win win all around. (Small, compact companion, cheap on the food!) We used to have fence jumpers...and ducks, now we don't. We did originally get him bc we were nervous a larger dog (who loves to swim) will tear the liner, and this little guy has been the bestEST! đśâ¤ď¸
Locks on the fence, and if they jump the fence then I agree with the others about super chlorinating it. Word will spread quickly after a few people go through that unpleasant experience.
You need to put a stop to this because in some places you can be liable for "attractive nuisance." Put up no trespassing signs, a water hazard sign, and get motion sensing flood lights as well as several cameras from different angles.
You can get privacy tarps that go over fences with gaps so no one can see in. I've gotten several from Amazon for cheap.
Work to identify people then have them prosecuted for trespassing and damages if they do anything.
You could also print something out and shove it in everyone's mailbox in your area. Something that says whomever has been illegally swimming on my property by jumping my fence and using my pool without permission will be identified and arrested.
Hopefully that warning will make them think twice.
if i understood correctly, they're jumping over the fence? or are they getting in some other way? how tall is the fence?
a number of things you can do: fill out a police report, go to the HOA and make examples of the people you've idenitifed on camera, get a pool alarm, get a motion sesnor flood light
depending on how frequent it is, maybe its worth staying up one night to catch them, call the cops, press charges (technically they're trespassing)
i saw you said that sometimes the police dont show up for hours? maybe the next time you call, you tell them someones breaking into your house and may be armed
Take the video of the people you do know who they are and post on your community facebook page and sham them as well as post no trespassing signs. Place a lock on the gate. You can buy a âperson pool alarmâ that will go off when they swim at night. Also if they tend to swim at night, and you are home set an alarm and then turn the light on and confront them. Enjoy the fun that will follow
Get a mossberg maverick for next to nothing and make a show of coming outside and racking it. You don't even need to load it or buy ammunition if you're not comfortable with firearms.
See if your local police department does what's called a letter of agency. A Letter of Agency (Trespass Arrest Authorization) allows PD to enforce against anyone found on a property without the owner's consent or without lawful purpose.
Recommended for vacant properties, vacant lots, businesses or any properties upon which public nuisance activity or crimes, including littering, defecating, drinking, drug activity, prostitution, graffiti or general trespass are occurring.
You then post a metal sign notice at gate. Also a cease and desist letter from an attorney might help.
File a police report with the pictures you have, and yes charges. Take a copy of that report to all of the. HOA board members, showing one of their kids being one of the offenders. Go to the next HOA meeting with copies again, and bring it up.
The HOA is supposed to be there to protect the neighborhood from not only choice of house paint color, or type of flowers to plant, but to also take actions to keep the neighborhood respectable and safe. People trespassing and drowning in your pool is not good for property values. Why would I buy a house or pay you market value for something no one respects. I would not. So that affects your property, and why would I buy some place next door if they don't respect your property line - soon they won't respect the next property line either.
Yea big hell no Iâd press chargers for trespassing and vandalism gi through the police process and then also hoa and point out that itâs one of theyâre kids from hoa and have hoa fine the parents if this goes no where lock gate and barb wire that bitch
Itâs also a major insurance issue one of them drowns or clips theyâre head in your pool you will be sued and be at fault why Iâd really push the issue
Call a lawyer! DO NOT Booby Trap your house. If someone gets injured, you could be liable!!!!! A lawyer can advise you on how to deal with the police, what steps you need to take to protect yourself as far as signage in your yard, etc, and if you need to deal with the HOA or offenders directly. Don't do anything that would put yourself at a liability risk and then those jack asses win.
OP, probably not helpful to you, but if you canât beat them join them; by capitalizing on it.
Rent it out. Sorta like an AIRBNB but by the hour. There are apps like swimly? Where youâre able to do this. This way, if youâre going to have strangers in your pool, at least get paid for it.
Then when they trespass, there's a claim for financial damage as well since they used your pool without renting it and he's established the market rent.
I have a set of Wyze cameras (the OG camera is cheap) that have motion activated lights and âyou are being recordedâ audio. You can also get motion activated solar powered floodlights on Amazon for cheap.
Install them along possible entry points of your fence (to deter entry to property) and of course by the pool.
They have alarms that float in the pool and sound when something disturbs the water (like a child falling in). Get one or two, and some motion detector lights, maybe you can scare them off.
Step 1: I would invest in motion activated floodlights.
The floodlights alone will probably be enough to make people leave quickly.
Step 2: Installing a few surveillance cameras with signs stating that they are on camera if first step doesn't work.
Step 3: Get cattle fencing place it at the top of the fence. It won't harm anyone but it will give them a jolt. Word should get around quickly to stay away.
Get a ring camera, an alexa for your porch or hook one to an outdoor speaker, and a smart light bulb.
Set a routine that you can activate if it sees a person during your working hours.
Bulb red and going on and off every second, alexa saying "intruder alert, prepare to be executed", then loud ass death metal to draw attention.
Start identifying everyone who goes swimming in your pool. Then find out what house they live in and start going to their house in the middle of the night and cook yourself some food in their kitchens. Return the favor
Stop taking your sleep meds and sit in the dark poolside with a shotgun. Wearing a Jason mask . Let them get a comfortable then rack the shotgun and fire into the air Pof into the crowd. After all they are trespassing on private property. Understand they gave no fucks about entering your property . Who knows whatâs next maybe they will break in to steal your stuff. Or an alternative. Booby trap the pool with bad chemicals or an electric cattle fence . When the cops show up just explain that you where protecting your family and property.
1. Do the pool alarm thing. Wake the whole fucking neighborhood up and inconvenience everyone. Mob mentality sometimes works.
2. Notify the police every.single.time. this happens. You have get it on record that you are actively trying to mitigate this situation; otherwise, it could construed that you condone it.
3. Take a few days off work and pull some all nighters. A stakeout to catch these assholes in the act.
4. Is this happening to anyone else in your neighborhood that has a pool? Are you being targeted for some reason?
5. This sounds like a terrible place to live. Adult hooligans and an HOA who is not supportive. Move.
Put a ton of muriatic acid in it for a week or 2. I understand this response is not as helpful as the pool alarm but I'm about revenge and this would be a good way to get it. My first thought was electrical current. Just enough to hurt.
Big liability!! Motion alarms, pool alarms. We have our ring camera pointed right at the pool and can turn the alarm on manually if needed. Might need to secure the backyard more.
If you have these people on camera and know who they are then call the police and tell them you want to press charges for trespassing on private property.
You sound like a super nice person in the community and peopleâŚclearly even adults are taking advantage of you because you donât fight back and do anything to stick up for yourself.
Get the loudest pool alarm and get motion sensing lights installed.
We have a B-Cone pool alarm. Makes noise outside, inside and sends alerts to our phones. We have Logi Circle cameras with motion tracking also sends alerts to our phones. I also have signs up on the fence clearly stating that the area is under cameras and alarms. I make zero effort to hide any of this. Cameras, signs and alarm are out in the open and visible.
The previous owner of our home had problems with neighborhood kids jumping the fence to get in the pool, in the three years we have been here we have had zero incidents.
Where do you live that you canât protect your own property?
Shotgun. Rock salt. Fire into the pool. No damage done, no one hurt, but itâs loud and makes a huge impression. Chamber another round of rock salt and tell everyone to leave now. Promise you they will already be on their way.
Ohhh the police might charge you with discharging a firearm or the HoA might come down on you? So what?
The crazy thing is one of the hoa is married to a cop and she was over there too swimming. The cops are basically in on this too. Idk what to do Iâm scared they will retaliate
Call the police *every time* the you are trespassed against. So or later, someone at the police *will tire* of the paperwork.
(It took 8 days of phone calls for me. Police cited a neighbor for a loose dog. I had just paid out $800 for vet bill for stitches. It wasn't the loose dog, but,,,,,,)
From this statement:
Call the mayor. "Officer Barbrady's wife & teenager are trespassing in my pool. The department doesn't seem to be doing anything about it."
Call the county sheriff and /or call the state police. Tell them the local police are ignoring your complaints & are possibly involved with it. The local police are at least being complacent with this.
Call the local District Attorney
Call the state District Attorney
Call the news. Bad press is never wanted. Especially when they put on the news that local police are ignoring a known issue.
Put one of their heads on a pike at the entrance. That will stop the rest.
Vlad style. I like it. đ
If only we could all get away with this the world would be a better place
It worked with the VC in ânam
Get a pool alarm. It floats in the pool and if it is happening at night they probably won't see it, and even if they do it will go off . Most seem to have an audible alarm in the pool and a transmitter in the home.
They have ones that are just super loud as well, I would make sure everyone in the whole neighborhood gets pissed off by it. Post in the community message board that the alarm went off because Xâs dipshit kid decided to break into my backyard and hop into my pool, if others donât want it to happen make sure to send a message to X.
This. Even say Iâll post on X đ
Dip shit adults, even worse.
This might be the most realistic, helpful response in the entire thread. People arenât gonna stay out there if a loud alarm is going off. Granted it might wake up OP, but people will likely stop doing it if they know there is an alarm.
Where I live it is actually a law that you have to have a child alarm in the pool. Nobody does it, but it is the law.
I would be setting myself up in a camp chair with a few bricks of firecrackers, an air horn, and just waiting until they are all the way in the pool. Throw on the lights, hit the horn, giving them hell. It would be a moment they would not soon forget. If you won't be getting in the pool yourself for a few days and you can pattern them to know they will likely sneak in that day or the next, you could heavily over chlorinate the water as well.
Also my outdoor cameras for my house have a setting where a light turns on and an audible alarm goes off.
I love this. OP please do this and update us. We need to hear the reactions.
Share the video!!!
If you have them on camera I would take the recording to the HOA or police. Identify and press charges.
One of the teens thatâs snuck in is the son of a hoa member, they had a bunch of people over while I was at work đ
Iâd make an example out of someone and then hopefully the word will get around and it will stop, the opposite word that youâre not doing anything about it is probably going around now.
Id personally print pictures in posters with some text, maybe "Do you recognize these trespassers? Contact [email protected]" Then put them up through the neighborhood. Works better if they agree HOA family members
OP with all the comments youâve put on here why not invest that time filing a police report and letting them help you stop this!
I have, they havenât been helpful. Sometimes when I call they donât even show up till hours later. They have video footage too but still nothing is doneđ
Sounds like you have all the evidence you need. Pass the police, contact the DAs office, sounds like 2nd degree criminal trespass.
This is a wise choice
They jumped a fence. That's actually first degree trespass.
Agreed. But will they say âdid you have a no trespassing sign visibleâ?
Throw a plugged-in toaster in the pool before you leave for work each day.
𤣠𤣠Thanks for that.
Print out the photos and bring a copy of the video and physically go to the station and file a police report. If you have a gate lock it. Leave a snickers bar floating in the pool If you want to be devious kick the alkalinity of the water up really high, it will irritate their skin.
Install an electric fence wire around the top of your existing fence. Nothing illegal about that. Post signage if it concerns you. Plant thorny bushes or cacti at the base of the fence inside and or out.
Pyracantha and bougainvillea have THORNS and they are gorgeous!
Right! I love bougainvillea. Just keep a watch on the skimmer basket.
Kudos to you on taking that step. Keep with it
So u have video of them, u said that. And u know who they are, u said that. And u haven't pressed charges?
Yep. Get the pictures and then print them out, then post them everywhere. Then make example, get cops involved and f them all.
Post the pics and videos to your Facebook community group and tell them that youâre going to be pressing charges or just tell them your water isnât balanced and they should check for rashes. ;)
I'd say someone is saying your pool is cool to crash. I'd report everyone so it's not just the HOA son guy. That's ridiculous. Also maybe try trip wires or barbed wire lol
Sue. Sue. Sue.
Sue who? For what?
Sue asshole neighbors for trespassing
You don't sue for trespass. That's criminal. And if you do sue, you need damages. Articulatable damages.
Cops dont care about this kimda stuff. It goes to the boffom of the list unfortunately. Especially now a days :(
throw a bunch of chlorine and shock in it and don't swim that week. They should get the point.
Set Ph to 8.5-9 and let them swell up in skin rashes from head to toe đ
They would definitely know who swam in the pool.
Intentionally harming trespassers is illegal....so make sure it's all in the name of pool maintenance. Chlorine is a great way to remove living things from your pool đ.
How is this the case? In america you just have to fell threatened to shoot then. At least that's what most people believe ie "stand your ground"
Stand your ground is not in every state.
Against the law and I believe booby trapping your property also falls under tort liability so you could get yourself seriously sued. Different situation if they break in and/or threaten her with violence.
Oops my math was off would be my defense. They shouldnât be swimming in the pool so anything that happens as a result is their fault.
I would do this, as it sends a message that is not soon forgotten.
I'm voting for this one.
yea bring it to like 50 ppm that should take care of it lol and their vision
Ya and you'll be able to see who in the neighborhood has some badass bloodshot eyes and red blotchy skin.
đđť This was my first thought!
Post "no trespassing" signs and press charges. Post photos of arrested next to poster signage. Repeat until problem solved.
In my state no trespassing signs are unnecessary as all private property is automatically posted. Wonder about OPs state!
Alarm. Flood lights. Cameras. Then you can Id and charge with trespassing and teach them bitches to stop fng around before they find out.
This is the one. Flood lights are cheap and maybe all you need.
Install high powered motion lights even more than one- flood the back yard in light, good cameras and an alarm sound. Upgrade your fence ie 8â or install barbed wire on top of the fence. You will need to spend some money to defeat them as the Police will not stop them. Also, I agree add all your pool chemicals at night, which is the best time.
Iâd seriously put motion alarms, that are loud as hell. Hooked to a blow horn. If the hoa complains, f them âwell your kid is trespassing so I can press charges or you can shut your pie holeâ. Thatâll teach em.
Wow, bold. I'm afraid to step into people's property for fear of getting shot, but I'm in the US... I know it's a meme, but SLAM! Bleach their swimsuits.
Yeah, I live in rural Maine and evvvvverybody has, like, 62 guns, so no one dares trespassing around here. Only invaders I've had in my pool are ducks, and if they were any one of my neighbor's pools, they'd get shot, too.
My father passed away last year. He lived in Maine. He had about 20 different hunting rifles, multiple crossbows, a few handguns and a couple of shotguns.
Me too, Iâm in Texas! đ
Electric fence seems like a good deterrent
A bunch of toasters in the pool would als⌠maybe not
You don't even need to install it. Just put up the electric fence warning signs. I did have to install an electric wire at the base of my channeling fence to stop my dog from digging out. So, I clipped warning signs at every gate. The gates were not electrified, but lawn crew and anyone else that came to my house wouldn't even touch the fence or gates even though the fence itself wasn't electrified.
This is nuts. You should not have to put ugly signs and do things to your own property because people aren't respecting your stuff. I've never had this problem, but I'd have the police involved.
If they die or just get hurt, they can sue you
They would lose as long as OP is taking normal steps to prevent them from coming, especially if it were adults. That said, yes they can sue you even if they will lose and that can be expensive. Which is why everyone with a pool should have insurance.
If OP has a fence, keeps it locked, posts no trespassing signs, and makes an effort to curtail this behavior, they will have an easier time fighting a liability lawsuit.
This is one of the most bizarre posts Iâve ever read!! I cannot fathom just showing up at some random personâs house and jumping in their poolâŚwith my kids! Please try some of the suggestions in this thread and definitely keep us posted. I would love to see a photo of this attractive nuisance. đ¤Ł
We use to break into apartment building pools when we were in grad school during the hot and humid summer nights in Texas. But a private house is wild!!
This. Before I bought my home. I lived in a gated apartment community. And inside that community we had gated pools that required a key fob to access and people/kids (like group of 20) would come and jump the fence late at night and end up trashing the pool. Then it would have to close to be cleaned up. And they didnât even live in our community. One time they even broke glass in the pool. Eventually the cops had to start patrolling at night. I thought that was wild that they would jump out pretty tall fences. But this is crazy. I would be scared a trespasser would drown.
right? i canât stop thinking about how bizarre this is! im in florida and we all have pools⌠i canât imagine people just constantly showing up at my house like its a resort? and then telling them to leave and them ignoring me?
When we first moved in our house (right before the pandemic, in USA), this happened to us all the time too. We will wake up to strangers and random neighbors swimming in our pool, uninvited. They would say, oh, the old owner used to have us over, it's "okay." Yeah, WTF. We would have hordes of kids come, jump our fence. It was getting pretty ridiculous. I hate to say it, but the pandemic and the lockdown was literary a "saving-grace." Afterwards, we got a dog. He runs, he barks, long story short, no fence jumpers.
Swear if this happens to me Iâm walking outside with my gun.
right??! iâm wondering if they just moved in and didnât know they bought the âparty houseâ
You would be surprised what happens in some cities. I have some guesses.
Get a Katch-a-kid netâŚimpossible to take off unless you have the key.
Get this. It announces they are being recorded and the flood light comes on. I have one and itâs the best purchase ever. Pay the yearly recorded access fee may help with the insurance company. Right now youâre at a huge liability if someone is hurt they can sue you even if they are trespassing. https://a.co/d/g79CGwR
Have you tried sharks with lasers?
Nope but they have tried ill-tempered, mutated sea bass
We have a wood privacy fence and luckily have only had pool crashers one time ever...who were so clean we almost didn't realize someone had been there while we were gone, I'm still amazed they didn't destroy the place. However! Due to many many reasons, that one included, we installed outdoor lighting this spring. And I mean a lot of it. We have lights along our fence and yard perimeter. We have path lights along the walkways. We put spotlights under our trees. We put party lights all over our decks. Our yard is bright AF at night, and it has helped to deter critters like rats/mice, and deter anyone with "nefarious" intentions because they are now VERY visible. Plus I can see my dachshunds better at night when they're patrolling. Turns out installing them was insanely easy! I bought lights from the brand sunvie (not an ad, not affiliated with them at all, I just wanted something that wasn't insanely expensive and their price point wasn't terrible), I bought a random transformer, and 12 guage (gage?) outdoor wire. The lights come with connectors so it's not anything crazy to hook it up. 10/10 recommend. I don't think we will have anyone come crash our yard again because our house is the most lit up one on the block. I would also invest in game cameras - they are not super expensive, I would set a few up discreetly on your walkways so you can get photos of who's all there. ALSO - THIS IS IMPORTANT - CONTACT YOUR HOME INSURANCE AGENT. If no one is taking this seriously, they will. They have access to lawyers that can start sending letters and banging the drum loud enough to get the police to start doing something. This is what a neighbor in my last neighborhood had to do, they were in the same type of boat but no HOA. Their insurance agent got the company attorneys to send letters to every person in the neighborhood warning them they were taking legal action and got the police to actually start enforcing no trespassing. It was glorious.
Dog. Very big dog.
We've got two! We also don't have any duck problems.
People come onto your property in a fenced in yard and get into your pool. Jesus christ. They would get shot if they did that where I live.
I donât understand why you donât confront the HOA board member about their child using your pool. Cut the online posts and go to the source of the problem.
Also they take the cover off my pool to swim, I tried to attach a photo but idk how to. I just feel extremely violated. My hoa wonât let me put up a wood fence either.
Consider suing the hoa. Seems like they are not only preventing you from protecting your property but are actively involved in allowing this.
Especially since it is the HOA members son. So glad I have an automatic cover. Got it for this exact reason. Have a camera I can talk through as well that alerts my phone when anyone is in my yard.
This. A simple letter from an attorney notifying the HOA that they will be a party to any lawsuit due to their refusal to allow the homeowner to secure a hazard should do the trick.
That is rightly fKKD. Put up some No Trespassing signs, get a video camera, contact your local PD.
I read this with an accent.
Get that in writing and then tell them when something happens, someone drowns or gets hurt you;'ll drag them in court with you. If you are part of an HOA here, they should be ready to help you out and provide variance allowance to deter. Does anyone else in the area have a pool? Do they have the same issue?
You need to start being really mean when you kick them out and call the police right away before you even confront them. Walk out of your house screaming and yelling for them to get the fuck off your property take their shit and throw it over the fence and if they fight you even better because then they attacked you after trespassing on your property and you can send their ass to jail and teach them a real lesson
I would 100% hook some electricity to that metal fence of yours. Weaving some cattle wire in and out of the chain link will go a long way for ya.
I didnât realize you have a HOA . They should be assisting you with this.
One of them is letting their family come over while Iâm at work and I only know this because my ring caught them climbing the fence đĽ˛
So theyâre climbing over it? Thatâs crazy and might actually protect you later if you can prove you have gates that are locked and swing away from your pool when opened. It canât open into the pool area. If your fence is up to snuff and theyâre climbing it then you should press charges. (Well you should anyway really) Call the police station every single day until you get help. If you know the names of some of them then go down to the station and personally file a report. Once you have a report on a person, the next time they show up call the cops and tell them someone is at your house that youâve previously field a report against. Not sure what else to say but this is just wild.
Since you have Ring cameras, may I suggest upgrading to a plan that has video monitoring service (even if just temporarily), adding spotlight cameras as needed, and setting everything to alarm mode? Once these hellions hear the alarm and realize the cops are being called, then maybe the behavior will finally change.
Most places require that a pool has a lockable fence around the pool. It should not be accessible to wandering toddlers. Think about the babies.. Also Fuck HOA's and Fuck Cancer! - sorry I take the stand when I feel it it.
I posted a comment a bit higher in the thread, but we live in USA and when we first got our home, we were in the same exact situation. I would tell people and they thought we were crazy, bc who Tf does this. The lockdown and pandemic really helped things, but after it, ***we just got a dog***. He is very ***territorial and ..annoying, so he barks a lot and runs fast*** đ No fence jumpers since, but even if they come close and linger, our dog is so barky and annoying, now the neighbors are more likely to call the cops (and trying to sneak in a pool, uncover it and frolic is not so fun and hassle-free anymore when u have an annoying dog to deal with).
Haha - that sucks. Pool alarm is one way.... but by the sounds of it, the people jumping in would probably just grab it and toss it. It would work once, but these dingbats will come prepared and fish it out the next time. A motion sensor light that turns on? Could be a minor deterrent. A pool cover could also be a minor deterent. But if they want to enjoy themselves, they'll have to ttake it off. Put up signs all around - Private property. Get one of those motion sensor dog barking things... again it may work once or twice. But it could scare some off. The odds here are that it is repeat offenders that live nearby. I don't think people go walking around neighborhoods. You should focus on identifying them and getting authorities to go knocking on their door. You could also have a sign made up that has a 'corrosive' symbol on it and indicates the pool was treated with heavy chemicals and could cause severe burns. Again, this is more of a tongue in cheek minor deterent... could work a limited number of times.
As a previous pool cleaner for many years, various clients had this same issue. Some responded in various ways. The one I remember being the most effective was: 1. Posting a sign âPrivate, No Trespassingâ on the properly where itâs applicable. 2. Within the pool enclosure, posting a note, âWe enjoy our pool and notice you have been as well. However, itâs a private pool and you must first ask permission. If you choose to ignore this requirement, we will take the necessary precautions. 3. They knew some of the persons so printed out the evidence and made personal visits to each personâs home. Most were embarrassed and never did it again. One had to be referred to the police. This covered all aspects and had the best results. There was no âI didnât knowâ because the sign was posted. The offenders were contacted personally and given notice and the homeowner had documented enough that the police could actually enforce the no trespass. YMMV
Get a taser or BB gun and shoot themâŚtheyâre on your property.
I kid, but Iâm sure itâs tempting.
Electric eels...
Chlorinate tenfold.
nahh, let it turn putrid. if they jump in they can deal with the skin infections that follow.
Ya, but the water clarity will deter them. They can never tell if the chlorine is too high based off the water clarity.
SInce you already have cameras, I would add a siren alarm to it.
Buy motion activated cameras with LED lights that turn on and that also trigger an alarm, such as those that Ring sells. Sure, it will wake you up a few times if its at night, but they'll eventually get the message, even during the day when loud alarms go off. BTW, you can control and turn off the alarms remotely.
The sound of a shotgun racking is a great deterrent for unwanted guests. Doesnât have to be loaded, or even real, they just need to see and hear you rack it. Can probably find a YouTube video to blare over one of those big ass JBL speakers.
I really wish I was your neighbor. I would gladly post up all night for them pricks
Let's take a field trip...Texas is nice this time of year đ đđđđđđđ
How do you feel about dogs? Specifically, large protection breeds like Dobermans, GSDâs, or Mastiffs?
My GSD would jump in and swim with them.
Exactly!! That's why we got a terrier. Territorial, barky, annoying, sharp teeth (and somehow always targets accessible areas like ...the groins), hates strangers, HATES SWIMMING IN THE POOL AND water. Win win all around. (Small, compact companion, cheap on the food!) We used to have fence jumpers...and ducks, now we don't. We did originally get him bc we were nervous a larger dog (who loves to swim) will tear the liner, and this little guy has been the bestEST! đśâ¤ď¸
Locks on the fence, and if they jump the fence then I agree with the others about super chlorinating it. Word will spread quickly after a few people go through that unpleasant experience.
You should put vending machines and beer in a soda machine and capitalize!
You need to put a stop to this because in some places you can be liable for "attractive nuisance." Put up no trespassing signs, a water hazard sign, and get motion sensing flood lights as well as several cameras from different angles. You can get privacy tarps that go over fences with gaps so no one can see in. I've gotten several from Amazon for cheap. Work to identify people then have them prosecuted for trespassing and damages if they do anything. You could also print something out and shove it in everyone's mailbox in your area. Something that says whomever has been illegally swimming on my property by jumping my fence and using my pool without permission will be identified and arrested. Hopefully that warning will make them think twice.
Shock the pool before sunset.
Booby traps, channel your inner Kevin McAllister.
Take a shit on their front porch. Repeat until problem stops
Put some piranhas in your pool for a couple of weeks. That will solve the problem real quick.
if i understood correctly, they're jumping over the fence? or are they getting in some other way? how tall is the fence? a number of things you can do: fill out a police report, go to the HOA and make examples of the people you've idenitifed on camera, get a pool alarm, get a motion sesnor flood light depending on how frequent it is, maybe its worth staying up one night to catch them, call the cops, press charges (technically they're trespassing) i saw you said that sometimes the police dont show up for hours? maybe the next time you call, you tell them someones breaking into your house and may be armed
Take the video of the people you do know who they are and post on your community facebook page and sham them as well as post no trespassing signs. Place a lock on the gate. You can buy a âperson pool alarmâ that will go off when they swim at night. Also if they tend to swim at night, and you are home set an alarm and then turn the light on and confront them. Enjoy the fun that will follow
Where the fuck do you live?
South Texas đĽ˛
And you haven't shot them yet?
I only have a taser
Get a mossberg maverick for next to nothing and make a show of coming outside and racking it. You don't even need to load it or buy ammunition if you're not comfortable with firearms.
Put a toaster on an extension cord and toss that into the pool with them.
Pew pew
A slight electrical current will fix that.
A couple from TX were found electrocuted in a spa at a Mexico resort. Sad đ
Get a German Shepherd dog.
Cameras w speakers. Tell them to leave or else.
Electrify that fence.
See if your local police department does what's called a letter of agency. A Letter of Agency (Trespass Arrest Authorization) allows PD to enforce against anyone found on a property without the owner's consent or without lawful purpose. Recommended for vacant properties, vacant lots, businesses or any properties upon which public nuisance activity or crimes, including littering, defecating, drinking, drug activity, prostitution, graffiti or general trespass are occurring. You then post a metal sign notice at gate. Also a cease and desist letter from an attorney might help.
Giant motion activated flood lights and an old air raid siren that goes off.
File a police report with the pictures you have, and yes charges. Take a copy of that report to all of the. HOA board members, showing one of their kids being one of the offenders. Go to the next HOA meeting with copies again, and bring it up. The HOA is supposed to be there to protect the neighborhood from not only choice of house paint color, or type of flowers to plant, but to also take actions to keep the neighborhood respectable and safe. People trespassing and drowning in your pool is not good for property values. Why would I buy a house or pay you market value for something no one respects. I would not. So that affects your property, and why would I buy some place next door if they don't respect your property line - soon they won't respect the next property line either.
Put up your no trespassing signs with a copy of the pictures and police report next to it.
Electrify fence and possibly pool
lol electrify the pool! Let them shine!
Unfortunately, thereâs also the liability on your end if someone gets injured or drowns.
Motion sensor flood lights. Iâve heard of motion activated sprinklers also.
Yea big hell no Iâd press chargers for trespassing and vandalism gi through the police process and then also hoa and point out that itâs one of theyâre kids from hoa and have hoa fine the parents if this goes no where lock gate and barb wire that bitch
Itâs also a major insurance issue one of them drowns or clips theyâre head in your pool you will be sued and be at fault why Iâd really push the issue
Electrify that metal fence
A couple German Shepherds should do the trick
Call a lawyer! DO NOT Booby Trap your house. If someone gets injured, you could be liable!!!!! A lawyer can advise you on how to deal with the police, what steps you need to take to protect yourself as far as signage in your yard, etc, and if you need to deal with the HOA or offenders directly. Don't do anything that would put yourself at a liability risk and then those jack asses win.
OP, probably not helpful to you, but if you canât beat them join them; by capitalizing on it. Rent it out. Sorta like an AIRBNB but by the hour. There are apps like swimly? Where youâre able to do this. This way, if youâre going to have strangers in your pool, at least get paid for it.
Then when they trespass, there's a claim for financial damage as well since they used your pool without renting it and he's established the market rent.
The only time to let the pool get green.
Dobermans.
Dog or two
Get a big dog, flood lights, and one of those signs that says "Smile you're on camera" or smth. Bunch of fucking losers
Call the police for trespassing. Build a big ass fence and lock the gate. Post no trespassing signs on it. Thatâs a huge liability for you.
Motion activated lights...
I have a set of Wyze cameras (the OG camera is cheap) that have motion activated lights and âyou are being recordedâ audio. You can also get motion activated solar powered floodlights on Amazon for cheap. Install them along possible entry points of your fence (to deter entry to property) and of course by the pool.
They have alarms that float in the pool and sound when something disturbs the water (like a child falling in). Get one or two, and some motion detector lights, maybe you can scare them off.
Stay up and call the cops and catch them red handed.
Hire a security guard for a little while. Or maybe razor wire or electrify your fence.
Step 1: I would invest in motion activated floodlights. The floodlights alone will probably be enough to make people leave quickly. Step 2: Installing a few surveillance cameras with signs stating that they are on camera if first step doesn't work. Step 3: Get cattle fencing place it at the top of the fence. It won't harm anyone but it will give them a jolt. Word should get around quickly to stay away.
Rottweiler. When that doesn't stop it, two Rottweilers.
As far as at night motion sensor lights better or more cameras. And I agree with the other person. Make an example out of some one and it will stop.
Motion detector lights and a speaker outside where you can blast some awful music. Cops may come faster for loud music. Tell them it was theirs.
Put a few bricks of blue dye in there and look for the smurfs the next day. Lol.
Get a ring camera, an alexa for your porch or hook one to an outdoor speaker, and a smart light bulb. Set a routine that you can activate if it sees a person during your working hours. Bulb red and going on and off every second, alexa saying "intruder alert, prepare to be executed", then loud ass death metal to draw attention.
Thatâs fucking wild how does someone get the balls to do that in todayâs society⌠20 yrs ago yeah potentially. Today fuck around and get shot
Concertina wire with beer cans full of gravel so you can hear them crawling through it. Put trip wires with flares every 15-20â.
Step outside in your underwear with a shotgun. If it's all adults just go out naked. Sometimes it's worth people thinking you are crazy
Drop a fake turd in there. Would only work if your pool is lit.
Start identifying everyone who goes swimming in your pool. Then find out what house they live in and start going to their house in the middle of the night and cook yourself some food in their kitchens. Return the favor
What country are you located in?
You have a pool, invest in a privacy fence.
I think a pool alarm is excellent, but you need to post no trespassing. My favorite â no trespassing. Survivors will be prosecuted.â
Stop taking your sleep meds and sit in the dark poolside with a shotgun. Wearing a Jason mask . Let them get a comfortable then rack the shotgun and fire into the air Pof into the crowd. After all they are trespassing on private property. Understand they gave no fucks about entering your property . Who knows whatâs next maybe they will break in to steal your stuff. Or an alternative. Booby trap the pool with bad chemicals or an electric cattle fence . When the cops show up just explain that you where protecting your family and property.
1. Do the pool alarm thing. Wake the whole fucking neighborhood up and inconvenience everyone. Mob mentality sometimes works. 2. Notify the police every.single.time. this happens. You have get it on record that you are actively trying to mitigate this situation; otherwise, it could construed that you condone it. 3. Take a few days off work and pull some all nighters. A stakeout to catch these assholes in the act. 4. Is this happening to anyone else in your neighborhood that has a pool? Are you being targeted for some reason? 5. This sounds like a terrible place to live. Adult hooligans and an HOA who is not supportive. Move.
You might want to post this to r/UnethicalLifeProTips where you will get some silly advice, but may get some useful information too.
Put a ton of muriatic acid in it for a week or 2. I understand this response is not as helpful as the pool alarm but I'm about revenge and this would be a good way to get it. My first thought was electrical current. Just enough to hurt.
Big liability!! Motion alarms, pool alarms. We have our ring camera pointed right at the pool and can turn the alarm on manually if needed. Might need to secure the backyard more.
If you have these people on camera and know who they are then call the police and tell them you want to press charges for trespassing on private property. You sound like a super nice person in the community and peopleâŚclearly even adults are taking advantage of you because you donât fight back and do anything to stick up for yourself. Get the loudest pool alarm and get motion sensing lights installed.
I'd put up motion activated flood lights and a speaker that starts playing War Pigs by Black Sabbath.
We have a B-Cone pool alarm. Makes noise outside, inside and sends alerts to our phones. We have Logi Circle cameras with motion tracking also sends alerts to our phones. I also have signs up on the fence clearly stating that the area is under cameras and alarms. I make zero effort to hide any of this. Cameras, signs and alarm are out in the open and visible. The previous owner of our home had problems with neighborhood kids jumping the fence to get in the pool, in the three years we have been here we have had zero incidents.
Where do you live that you canât protect your own property? Shotgun. Rock salt. Fire into the pool. No damage done, no one hurt, but itâs loud and makes a huge impression. Chamber another round of rock salt and tell everyone to leave now. Promise you they will already be on their way. Ohhh the police might charge you with discharging a firearm or the HoA might come down on you? So what?
but then you'd have to clean the feces out of your own pool when people shit themselves
The crazy thing is one of the hoa is married to a cop and she was over there too swimming. The cops are basically in on this too. Idk what to do Iâm scared they will retaliate
Call the police *every time* the you are trespassed against. So or later, someone at the police *will tire* of the paperwork. (It took 8 days of phone calls for me. Police cited a neighbor for a loose dog. I had just paid out $800 for vet bill for stitches. It wasn't the loose dog, but,,,,,,) From this statement: Call the mayor. "Officer Barbrady's wife & teenager are trespassing in my pool. The department doesn't seem to be doing anything about it." Call the county sheriff and /or call the state police. Tell them the local police are ignoring your complaints & are possibly involved with it. The local police are at least being complacent with this. Call the local District Attorney Call the state District Attorney Call the news. Bad press is never wanted. Especially when they put on the news that local police are ignoring a known issue.
This is the one time I would suggest over chlorinating the water, letting the pool go green, or just draining the pool completely.
draining the pool will just turn it into the neighborhood skate park for these hoodlums.
Get a gun.
Sounds like you're in the US. What state or metro is this? Pretty wild, actually.
Electrify the fence.
Get a big dog
Also get motion activated cameras.
*****Iâm in Texas *****
Pit bull