Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 9 posts · 4 votes
Hi everybody,
My brand new tenants just informed me that the next door neighbor's pit bull has been digging underneath the fence and setting up shop in their backyard. I plan on discussing it with the neighbor, but I really don't want to have to depend on him to resolve this, so I was hoping that someone who has successfully dealt with this could give me some suggestions on how to keep the dog out of the yard.
My brand new tenants just informed me that the next door neighbor's pit bull has been digging underneath the fence and setting up shop in their backyard. I plan on discussing it with the neighbor, but I really don't want to have to depend on him to resolve this, so I was hoping that someone who has successfully dealt with this could give me some suggestions on how to keep the dog out of the yard.
Thanks!
Addressing the physical issue of actually preventing dogs from digging under a fence, I'd suggest what I did at my primary home. My back yard is fenced and I have two dogs who had no trouble digging under the fence.
What I did was dig a trench under the fence and bury cinder blocks. I dug the hole an inch or two deeper than the blocks' height, dropped the blocks in, then put enough dirt on top to level it off with the surrounding area. After a month or so, the grass grows back and you never know the difference from looking at it. However, the dogs know the difference because when they try to dig under the fence they can't dig through concrete blocks.
Investor · hampton, VA · Member since 2009 · 428 posts · 249 votes
10y
i had a similar case where the neighbors had 2 big old rotwielders. they were big as small bears and kept breaking out the fence and coming in my yard..... after calling the city animal control about 10 times the city magistrate said i could press charges and start fining the owner in court. id take a quick trip down to ur magistrate 1st to let them know ur concern. i highly doubt the owner will do anything, in fact my owner told me her rots were friendly and i should just pet them, unbelievable how some people want their pet to be ur pet...
start calling animal control to create a paper trail
Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
I would approach that neighbor first, because all of the authorities are going to ask you, if you have done that. Don't automatically assume that they don't care. Maybe they do, maybe they don't . Once you know that they don't want to do anything, then you can look at other options.
Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
10y
Yeah, you should talk to the neighbors first no matter what you think they'll do or not do. Also, have you seen this dug hole for yourself? By "setting up shop" the tenants are saying that the dog is actually going into your yard?
If you haven't seen this for yourself or photos, I'd also suggest doing that. Being brand new tenants, you also don't know yet if they exaggerate.
My brand new tenants just informed me that the next door neighbor's pit bull has been digging underneath the fence and setting up shop in their backyard. I plan on discussing it with the neighbor, but I really don't want to have to depend on him to resolve this, so I was hoping that someone who has successfully dealt with this could give me some suggestions on how to keep the dog out of the yard.
Thanks!
Addressing the physical issue of actually preventing dogs from digging under a fence, I'd suggest what I did at my primary home. My back yard is fenced and I have two dogs who had no trouble digging under the fence.
What I did was dig a trench under the fence and bury cinder blocks. I dug the hole an inch or two deeper than the blocks' height, dropped the blocks in, then put enough dirt on top to level it off with the surrounding area. After a month or so, the grass grows back and you never know the difference from looking at it. However, the dogs know the difference because when they try to dig under the fence they can't dig through concrete blocks.
Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
10y
Difference is that was your own home and your own dogs. She shouldn't have to pay for a modification to her rental property for other people's dogs. The idea itself is good though.
Difference is that was your own home and your own dogs. She shouldn't have to pay for a modification to her rental property for other people's dogs. The idea itself is good though.
Nicole, I agree she should not have to. On the other hand, it is her rental property which means it is both her income producing property and her responsibility as a landlord to her tenants. She owes it to herself and her tenants to take care of this asap.
Sure, she can ask the neighbors to keep their dogs out of her yard. Then, after a few weeks of the dogs continuing to get out, she can complain to the local officials. Then a couple of weeks later, she can file a court case. Weeks and weeks and months go by, all the while, she can continue to tell her tenants it's not her fault and she is doing "all she can" to rectify the situation. Meanwhile, the tenants become more and more unhappy, until finally, maybe they simply move out. Or maybe they stay and in the meantime, one of them (or their child) gets bitten by the dogs.
Or, she can spend $50 for 35-40 blocks, pay a laborer $75 to bury them on that property line, and rectify the situation in half a day. She'll spend more than that in her time running back and forth downtown, and in actual costs for filing the lawsuit, and yet more time spent going to court.
For me, it's not always about what's "fair" for me. It's more about what more effective and what keeps my tenants happy, renting, and paying.
Rental Property Investor · Baltimore County Maryland and Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
10y
Yeah, I definitely see that. I suppose it's a fine line. If the neighbor's dog bites the tenants or their kids, that wouldn't be the landlord's fault. It'd definitely go to the dog owner. The blocks could be put in, but the tenants still move out because now they just don't like the fact that this dog is in the neighboring yard all the time and they decide they feel they can't enjoy their own yard. There's no guarantees they'll stay. I just initially feel that immediately burying blocks shows that the landlord will jump to these tenant's any whim, and as I suggested before, these tenants are new so the landlord doesn't know if they exaggerate.
I'd like to hear if Sarah has seen this hole/holes for herself or clear photos of the holes and/or dog sitting in their yard. Assuming this dog is genuinely digging serious holes and coming into her yard, I still do think her first step is to talk to the neighbors. Kindly inform them of the situation and of the damage the dog is causing to her yard and fence-line. If no change, I would then inform the neighbor that they will be paying for some sort of fence modification. ;-) If it escalates, simple civil case that wouldn't be difficult to do. Take plenty of clear photos and videos now of the damage, fence-line, and especially the dog out of its yard.
...as I suggested before, these tenants are new so the landlord doesn't know if they exaggerate.
I'd like to hear if Sarah has seen this hole/holes for herself or clear photos of the holes and/or dog sitting in their yard. Assuming this dog is genuinely digging serious holes and coming into her yard, I still do think her first step is to talk to the neighbors. Kindly inform them of the situation and of the damage the dog is causing to her yard and fence-line. If no change, I would then inform the neighbor that they will be paying for some sort of fence modification. ;-) If it escalates, simple civil case that wouldn't be difficult to do. Take plenty of clear photos and videos now of the damage, fence-line, and especially the dog out of its yard.
I agree 100% that the landlord should be certain the tenant isn't exaggerating. Tenants have a habit of doing that, don't they? It drives me crazy.
I also agree the landlord doesn't want to appear to be ready to jump every time the tenant cries wolf. And agree again that the tenants might turn out to be short-timers with or without the dogs.
But, once the landlord has determined the complaint to be valid and the neighbor has been directly informed of the problem with the dogs, I don't think the landlord should wait very long to rectify the issue herself.
Investor · Century, FL · Member since 2015 · 950 posts · 603 votes
10y
Call Animal Control. I know different counties handle things differently, but here, a dog that escapes from it's own yard is no longer considered a licensed animal and the owner will get written up for it. Make sure you get a photo of it sitting in your yard.
Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 9 posts · 4 votes
10y
Thanks so much everyone for your replies. I'll still have to go by the house to confirm that the dog did dig underneath the fence, but I have every reason to believe that he did. I found him in the yard about two weeks ago when the house was still vacant. He had shoved through one of the boards. After that I had work done to strengthen the fence, which clearly was not enough to keep him out. I really like your suggestion, @Randy E., of using the cinder blocks. Thanks! Hopefully that does the trick. I'll speak to the neighbor as well, but I'd rather just go resolve it than wait for him.
Investor · Careywood, ID · Member since 2015 · 53 posts · 8 votes
10y
Having been involved with a shelter for 18 years I think reporting the owners is probably not going to work long term. If the dog is taken to a shelter, the owners will just go get it and nothing changes. The dog is probably lonely and restricting his access would be the quickest way to handle the issue if the owner of the dog won't do anything about it.
Confirm the dog is getting into your yard, Speak to the neighbour and advise them your tenants will be calling animal control if it happens again. Instruct your tenants to call animal control to pick up the dog every time it enters your property.
Investor · hampton, VA · Member since 2009 · 428 posts · 249 votes
10y
Well people are saying talk to the neighbor. I don't think that's a good idea because I had a pit bull and she only got out of my fence but a few times. But when she did, I made it a point to let the people that she came in contact with know that I was sorry and that I'm making all efforts to keep my dog contained. Doesn't look like this is happening here at all. I think talking to this neighbor is irrelevant.
Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
Does the owner know that the dog gets out? My dog has gotten out a lot of times in a previous yard, but I didn't know. Whenever I came home, he was in the yard. Neighbors told me later, that they kept putting him back inside the gate, but they didn't tell me. So, I never looked for a place where could have possible gotten out.