Darned Kids @#&$!

pennwalk · Apr 23, 2006

Friday I went to the farm to get the mower ready for spring mowing. Somebody had been in the barn and gone through everything. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif My first thought was that someone was sleeping there cause I found a blanket and a coleman lantern. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif As I looked around I discovered that they had gotten a key cause several padlocks were off doors. I have just about decided it is kids cause thay had set up a club house in the tack room which thay had filled up with my stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Anyway I tracked down the tenant and told her "somebody" had been in the barn. I guess you will be surprised to learn that she didn't know anything about it although she has two boys. When they had first moved in I had put padlocks on all the doors but I hadn't realized how inventive kids can be. Well I collected up my stuff. I found stuff everywhere. They had been building forts down the lane. Saturday I went back and screwed down all the window shutters that I thought were painted shut. All the doors on the lower level are dutch doors so I had to figure out how to secure them. I screwed shut all the windows in the horse barn and the door to the hay loft. By the way I uses stainless steel deck screws with the square hole hoping that the perpetrators won't have the right tool to get them out. I went to the locksmith and ordered 24 new locks which I get keyed alike. I still have some areas that need more work. I was kind of mad when I found that my stuff had been messed with (thank goodness they didn't mess with the machines.) Now I'm almost amused cause if I was 10 I probably would have done the same thing. You will have to admit that it is kind of funny that one of the things I found down the lane was the big jar of vasaline that I use to coat battery terminals. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I wouldn't be surprised if there is more to this but I hope we won't have to kick the tenant out as she has been paying the rent. I would be glad for your thoughts and ideas.

Chris

newcountry · Apr 23, 2006

Well, I've never rented to tenants and can only dream of the hassles involved with that...

BUT, as you say, you probably would've done the same thing as a kid, as would I and probably a lot of other readers. I didn't read that anything was destroyed, so the kids were having some fun but weren't being mean-spirited. I'd try to give 'em a break. Do you have access to the kids personally? I know when I was a kid a good talking-to by any neighbors was all I needed to straighten up right quick. You don't have to be mean about it, just firm talk about other people's property and the importance of respect for others. Then if there are continued problems consider more severe consequences.

Anyway, that would be my approach. Good luck

Cliff_Johns · Apr 23, 2006

( Now I'm almost amused cause if I was 10 I probably would have done the same thing.)

That's a very positive attitude and one most adults can't seem to realize.

Since you posted, I'll assume you wanted some comment. My view is that kids tend to do this when they don't know the owner of the stuff very well or perhaps at all. If they know you, in general, they are less likely to cause you problems. This is why vandalism is much less of a problem in small towns. Everyone knows each other and dammage is associated to the person it will affect.

I expect the kids just have a lot of undirected energy. If you can think of ways to direct their energy in some other way it would be helpful, although I can't imagine how you would do that. Normally that's the parent's job.

Good Luck.

Cliff

gordon21 · Apr 23, 2006

You have 2 options.
#1 Show the kids how to pee on an electric fence. Tell them it will create a shower of sparks. That will convince them to try it. That will get their attention!!! You are now even. They messed with you and you messed with them.

#2 (preferred option) Involve the kids with your tractor for a day's outing and let them become involved. Kids will NOT mess around with an adults stuff if they consider him or his "stuff" neat or cool. If they realize the value or "coolness" of your tools or implements, they will never vandalize or mess with your stuff any more. After having lots of tenants over the years, some with kids, I have learned this lesson the hard way. It only takes one day with a tenants kids to get them with the program. In the long run, they are better than the adults you rent to. You become the neutral person or something like the caring "uncle" they never had. After I learned to embrace the tenants kids, I never once had a problem with damage to any of my rental properties.

pennwalk · Apr 23, 2006

so the kids were having some fun but weren't being mean-spirited 

Yes they just messed stuff up and moved it around. There may be some things missing. it is hard for me to keep track of everything in the barn and outbuildings. If you asked my wife she would probably say it was all junk that needed to be cleaned out. Darned woman doesn't know treasure when she sees it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 Do you have access to the kids personally 

Their Mom keeps them in when I'm around which I appreciate cause when I'm mowing I hate to have kids in the line of fire.

We'll see how it goes. I did think about talking to them. If more stuff happens then I will have to do something else.

Chris

pennwalk · Apr 23, 2006

My view is that kids tend to do this when they don't know the owner of the stuff very well or perhaps at all 

Sadly I don't know these kids at all and to tell the truth I haven't caught anyone at it so I can't say for sure who it really is. I am a little shy of messing with someone elses kids. It would be fun to help them build a tree house but I would hate for them to fall out of a tree... That is a lot of my concern about kids in the barn as there are so many ways to get hurt in an old barn and I'm sure their Mom wouldn't want me to let them have sharp tools like the axes and knife that they borrowed.

Chris

pennwalk · Apr 23, 2006

Show the kids how to pee on an electric fence /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

LG you are going to have the ASPCA after me with advice like that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 After I learned to embrace the tenants kids, I never once had a problem with damage to any of my rental properties. 

That sounds like real good advice.

Chris

plumboy · Apr 23, 2006

I'm might have done the same also,but I would have got the belt for messing with other peoples things.Good age to learn.

63DH8 · Apr 24, 2006

It may be a good idea to take the petroleum jelly to the boys' mom and tell her you're concerned about her boys and that she should check her sons out because of the possibilty of the battery acid in the petroleum jelly because you use it on your batteries terminals. That'll teach them to get into your stuff as well as make their mother realize her boys are getting into things as well as mature things.

pennwalk · Feb 7, 2007

Darn. I thought I had this problem solved. I was up to the farm yesterday to drop off some new equipment. Somebody had pried a shutter off one of the low windows that I had screwed shut with 3 inch stainless deck screws. The shutter is completely off. Lying on the ground and the window is busted out. Once inside they pried the hasp off one of the man doors in the big barn door. Let me say that the 3/4 inch wood screws that came with the hasp don't seem to have been up to the job. They busted the lock off the horse barn too. Looks like its back to the hardware store for me. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I'll probably leave it up to my sister in law who manages the property to decide weather to call the police. I doubt if they can do much.

Chris