A simple sign asking dog owners to keep their pets off a family’s lawn shouldn’t spark an ongoing conflict, but that’s exactly what happened for one homeowner dealing with an increasingly stubborn neighbor.

The signs went up after his toddler repeatedly stepped in dog waste while playing in the front yard, a reasonable enough request given the circumstances.

His neighbor, who owns their own yard with plenty of space, dismissed the signs entirely, arguing the lawn counted as public property and responding with a blunt “sorry, too bad” when asked to comply.

Since that confrontation, the behavior hasn’t stopped, in fact, it’s escalated, with the neighbor now deliberately walking their dog onto the lawn.

Keep reading for the full story.

Disrespectful neighbor

A “neighbor” of ours has made it a point to walk their dog across our lawn and pee right next to the “no peeing or pooping” signs.

These signs exist for good reason.

The reason I have these signs is because I have a toddler that likes to play in the front lawn, and he’s stepped in poop before, and so has my wife.

It’s also just the principle of the thing.

It’s also gross to have dogs peeing and pooping on grass that is being played on by kids.

The property lines show that they are a mere inches from being on our actual property.

But when the homeowner confronted the neighbors, the neighbor practically told him to buzz off.

I confronted them and they stated that they are free to walk on our lawn because it is public property and dogs need somewhere to pee (they own a property with a lawn and backyard), and their response to me asking to respect the sign was “sorry, too bad.”

Now the neighbors are going out of their way to be rude.

Now they make a point to walk on the grass and have their dog pee on it.

Do I have a case for harassment since they are going out of their way to come close to my property and do something that I feel is disrespectful, or am I out of luck?

What a terrible neighbor.

Reddit is sure to have thoughts.

Since reason clearly didn’t stick, this user comes up with several ideas to get the neighbor to stop.

There are plenty of other untapped methods to try.

This commenter thinks this homeowner might be missing the easiest solution in the book.

This user doubts this homeowner actually has any real recourse.

There’s a clear difference between an accidental lapse and a deliberate pattern, and this situation has firmly crossed into the second category.

A neighbor with their own yard choosing to specifically target someone else’s lawn, right after being asked directly to stop, isn’t about convenience anymore, it’s about proving a point at someone else’s expense.

Whether this technically qualifies as legal harassment depends heavily on local ordinances. Signs alone clearly aren’t enough here, since the behavior escalated the moment the homeowner directly made the request.

A paper trail, combined with a local ordinance check on leash laws or public nuisance rules, is probably the most productive next step.