I'll try to give everyone the readers digest version of my problem;


We live in a subdivision in Manhattan IL, Will County. I have neighbors next door to me that have three kids. They have a dog that is a pitbull / sheperd mix. Their dog is mean, escapes sometimes from the lead, and already has bitten one of the neighborhood kids. They keep there dog on a lead intentionally long enough for the dog to go over my property line, tear up my grass, and go to the washroom on my lawn. At first I asked nicely, went over, and asked her kids to shorten the lead. Nothing happened. The second time, I saw the mother outside. I told her that I asked her kids to shorten the lead, and that her dog was tearing up my lawn and defecating on it because it was so long. She said that she would take care of it. Again, nothing changed.

Naturally, I was very mad, so the next step that I took was to call the police. The police came, wrote the neighbors address down, said that there wasn't really anything that they could do (no law on the books against the dog lead) and that I would have to go through our homeowners association.

My question is, I have 2 kids and their dog going on my property worries me because of this. Not to sound like a cruel person, but if this dog is on my property, and breaks off the lead, would I get in trouble if the dog was killed as a result of protecting myself or my family?

One more thing about the neighbors. The kids play tackle football outside on the front lawn. They are constantly running around on my property and driveway, denting my cars with the football, and I've also asked the mother several times to have her kids not do this. She flat out defends her kids saying that they aren't doing anything wrong. What should I do next?

There is no way I'm moving because some jerk refuses to control her dog or kids. It's a nice neighborhood with the exception of the neighbor next to me.

It sounds like a police matter to me, they, the neighbours being a complete public nuisance and they are basically destroying your property. Where I live, there are laws against dogs like that.

Most homeowner's associations are more tenancious than the cops. Make a formal complaint. They will be able to use more leverage because your neighbor had to have signed the HOA contract which I am pretty sure tells them they have to keep their animals in control and to respect other owner's property.

I say call the police over there and explain to them where the dents came from and .put up a chain link fence. Or ask the neighbor do buy an underground electric fence for the dog or buy one [and put th electric collar on the kids ][no more dog and kid problems]hehe]