Woman, 89, who kept boy's football, sues parents

[PrayersForMaura]

The kids are lucky she doesn't shoot them. What I mean is ... trespassing.
Breaking and entering. I have seen it in the papers where you could shoot someone who comes onto your property uninvited...

I know that sounds totally out of line and horrible for me to mention, but the kids need to knock it off. They could drive the woman to do something crazy out of insanity. Yes, kids will be kids, but the parents need to discipline those kids. Once or twice of something happening is surely an accident. Repeatedly having items land in someone else's yard is not only disrespectful and un-neighborly, but it is uncalled for. Surely the kids can see the boundaries of their own yard??

I am sure there is more to this story than is being reported. And I believe the "old lady" is a sympathetic character.


This story first made me think of a horror movie called "deadly friend" with the older woman who played Momma in Throw Momma from the Train. The older woman kept the basketball of the kids because it kept going into her yard. Then the girl neighbor kills her because she is "mean". Scary movie.

I thought possession of the "property" (in this case -- the football) was 9/10s of who would be able to keep it?

At any rate, this whole story is just crazy... arresting an elderly woman over a football? Come on! It sounds like the offending parents of the unruly children could've dropped the charges and handled it better.

 

[Vegas Bride]

I'd be interested in seeing a picture of their homes so I could see just how close the houses are.
How many times before she kept the football did things go over there? Did things get thrown over there on purpose to do any damage?
How old are the kids? Were things so bad that she had a genuine fear of tripping over something they were throwing over there?
It's 1 thing for a 5-6 year old to have a ball get away, another for a 14 yo to be throwing a hard ball on purpose, possibly aiming towards knocking something over etc. It also should not be something that happens every day or even every week.
Years ago I had a neighbor with a teenage boy, he was a nightmare! I have no doubt he's locked up somewhere today! My yard was big, her yard was big, the only times something came over into my yard it was on purpose. Yes I had to talk to the mother because he was shooting bottle rockets at my car, my windows and my dog! After that I would never leave my dog alone in my fenced in back yard. My dog never wanted to go in the back yard after that because of how that &^%$ tormented him so I only walked him around the front yard.
I'm thinking this woman had to get a lawyer when she was charged with the football theft, it is probably that lawyer who has gotten her to bring this new suit. I hope things do not escilate into something worse. Parents need to teach their children to respect others and how they treat their neighbors is a good indication to how they are taught.
I think nothing of the small toys that show up on our side of the fence and when we do yard work we just pick them up and toss them on the other side if a child has not already come over to retrieve it, however I would have a big problem if things were being thrown over to hit our cars, our pets, our windowns or the things we have in the yard such as planters etc.
It was not the elderly woman who imo brought things to this point, it was whoever called the police to have her arrested over a football!

VB

 

[Steely Dan]

Youtube

Another news station video.

Someone looking for a quick buck!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090101/ap_on_fe_st/odd_football_charge

BLUE ASH, Ohio – An 89-year-old Cincinnati-area woman arrested for confiscating the neighbor kid's football is now suing the boy's parents. Edna Jester filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court claiming she has suffered emotional distress because footballs and other playthings belonging to her next-door neighbors keep landing in her yard.

I heard about this before. She's the one who made a mountain out of a molehill. If you watch the news reports the kids always went to retrieve it right away. She's one of those "Hey you kids get offa my lawn ladies."

I'm positive these kids don't do it on purpose.

"Emotional distress"???? That is crazy! :crazy:

:laugh:

I have to admit- when we were kids, we lived on a little street with only a few neighbors. There was one lady (we called her old back then but honestly she was only about 50) who would yell at us for crossing her yard, so of course we called her "mean old lady P." Yes, once in a while we would pretend we were going to cut across her yard (to tease her) and while she was at work we would run willy nilly through her yard. All of that came to a screaching halt when all our parents went to her house and told her she had their permission to "whip our azzes". :blushing:

These kids aren't doing it on purpose though. Anyhoo, I hope she caned ya a few times.

My mom is 79 and has a thirteen year old boy living next door. Let's see, he's egged her car, played ball in the front yard and hit my car. Throws sticks in her yard (my mom keeps her yard immaculate). Talking to his parents is useless. When she saw him outside (in his backyard) but pointing a BB gun at her bird feeder she sent my sister over to talk with them. The father said to his son "I told you to leave that old lady alone." It was disrespectful and shows why his son has no respect for my mother. This man is a reverend too (or so he claims).

I bet there was a lot more to this than their toys being in her yard. Although I don't think she's helping matters any by suing the parents.

Did she call the police?

The neighbors' side of the story (Don't know how much of it to believe.)

Kelly Tanis denies the allegations and says the simmering dispute has seriously curtailed her five children's outdoor play since the Oct. 16 incident that led to Jester's arrest. . .

Following that episode, Jester, through her attorney, refused to accept the Tanises' offer to meet to discuss "how we could peacefully coexist and how we could retrieve anything that might land or blow in her yard," Kelly Tanis said.
Over the past 2½ months, however, there have been at least two contacts between the neighbors.
One came when Paul Tanis, who had regularly mowed Jester's front lawn until the football flap, offered to do so again when he saw the woman struggling with her lawn mower.
"He said, 'You don't have to do that, Edna - I'll do that for you,' " Kelly Tanis said.
"But she said, 'I'm sorry, Paul. I can't talk to you. It's all in the lawyers' hands now.' "

On another occasion, Paul Tanis was throwing a football with his son when it sailed into Jester's yard. They decided not to retrieve it, and though they did not see Jester, the next morning, the football was gone, Kelly Tanis said.
Kelly Tanis said Jester also still apparently has the original football from October.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090101/NEWS0107/901010334/1167/NLETTER05

She's just an old biotch.

 

[wildTrose]

The way I see it is if the kids are purposely throwing their toys onto the ladies yard causing destruction of some sort then ok I see a problem but most of us who have neighbors who have kids usually end up with toys in our yards...what does it harm?

I think the lady should spend money putting up a privacy fence with HUGE no trespassing signs on it instead of giving some lawyer money to go to court which I doubt she will win and if she does what is she going to get? the people have 5 kids and cant afford a lawyer They should counter sue for the emotional stress this case is going to cause them lol

 

[tlstcb]

The parents are not teaching the kids to be responsible. If they had went over and got the football soon as it went into her yard or had the parents get it, none of this would have happened. They should not have waited till it was gone the next day. They are not teaching the chldren to respect other peoples property. What kind of people have an 89 year old woman arrested over a football they wouldnt even bother to get out of her yard when it landed on her property. What did they think, that they would just leave it in her yard until they was ready to play it again. No one should have to tolerate this from any neighbor. I hope the parents and the kids learn something from this. Its called respect for other peoples property and rights. If she doesnt want someone elses stuff left in her yard that is her right. She pays for that property not the neighbors.

 

[Vegas Bride]

In one of the articles, her lawyer mentions that this woman was in poor health before any of this happened and those problems have become worse, I'm sure being arrested did not help! He also said that items would be on her porch, would hit against the side of her house and be thrown into her garden, this does not sound to innocent to me. As a child I ran wild with the other kids, but the only house I ever threw something up against was our own! I knew better than to be doing it to the lady next door. If I had ever thrown something in someone else's yard and didn't get it back, I also know my parents would have told me it served me right, they would not have called the police on a 80+ year old woman because of something I caused!

VB

 

[Steely Dan]

The parents are not teaching the kids to be responsible. If they had went over and got the football soon as it went into her yard or had the parents get it, none of this would have happened. They should not have waited till it was gone the next day. They are not teaching the chldren to respect other peoples property. What kind of people have an 89 year old woman arrested over a football they wouldnt even bother to get out of her yard when it landed on her property. What did they think, that they would just leave it in her yard until they was ready to play it again. No one should have to tolerate this from any neighbor. I hope the parents and the kids learn something from this. Its called respect for other peoples property and rights. If she doesnt want someone elses stuff left in her yard that is her right. She pays for that property not the neighbors.

It's my impression that the kid was going to get it and she picked it up before he could get there and took into her house. It was a brand new ball. I doubt he was going to leave it there overnight.

The stuff that I linked gave me the impression the kids went to get the stuff immediately. Their father mowed her lawn for her. She didn't mind the trespassing then.

 

[tlstcb]

It's my impression that the kid was going to get it and she picked it up before he could get there and took into her house. It was a brand new ball. I doubt he was going to leave it there overnight.

The stuff that I linked gave me the impression the kids went to get the stuff immediately. Their father mowed her lawn for her. She didn't mind the trespassing then.

Look on post #23 last paragraph. It was talking about a previous time leaving it and the next day it was gone. I imagine it was left again this time. Somehow i don't picture this 89 year old woman standing outside in hopes it would land in her yard so that she can take the ball. The woman may have been afraid it would come through her window.

 

[miss u daddy]

OK first she should not have been arrested at all for something so petty. Second she should not be suing. There is no point except maybe retaliating against the family. Children live in every neighborhood. Balls hitting cars or going over fences is bound to happen. All parents should know this and should be prepared to pay any damage that may be done. You cannot not keep games like football and baseball controlled from hitting anything. Some families do not have the luxury of living near a park or school where their children can go crazy hitting things. They should explain to their kids when playing in a neighborhood to definitely tone it down some. Unless parents plan on keeping their children holed up in the house playing video games and watching TV then you really can't keep them from losing toys to neighbors or anything along those lines. Now the only other way she can get away from all kids and their toys is to maybe move to a senior only community. I am not saying she should have to result to that I am just saying that’s the only way to get the neighborhood kids out of her hair, especially if she is in poor health. Now, if it’s true the kids are being nasty to her then they definitely need some type of punishment.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Old people like her really upset me! One of the most traumatic memories I have as a child involves a very old HATeful OLD MAN. I was about 10 years old and every kid in my neighborhood as well as quite a few dads were all in the street playing wiffle ball. When the ball went in another neighbors yard my friend's dad hopped the small fence to retrieve it. The OLD MAN shot and killed him.

If a person HATES kids so much they need to move somewhere far away from them with a few acres around them.

 

[Steely Dan]

Old people like her really upset me! One of the most traumatic memories I have as a child involves a very old HATeful OLD MAN. I was about 10 years old and every kid in my neighborhood as well as quite a few dads were all in the street playing wiffle ball. When the ball went in another neighbors yard my friend's dad hopped the small fence to retrieve it. The OLD MAN shot and killed him.

If a person HATES kids so much they need to move somewhere far away from them with a few acres around them.

What the hades happened to the old :censored: ?!

 

[Linda7NJ]

What the hades happened to the old :censored: ?!

Honestly, I don't know. I do know he never came back to his house. My friend moved away and all the grown-ups around me whispered to each other about it and would stop as soon as I entered a room. I'll call my mom later and ask her.

 

[wildTrose]

About her being arrested for taking the football...I would imagine the police were called in and they probably went to her first and asked that it be returned...Im assuming here but I have a feeling she refused which led to her arrest....I doubt she would have been arrested had she just given it back.....She sounds a bit cantankerous...I wonder if she has any kids and what they think about all this if she does

 

[Linda7NJ]

Honestly, I don't know. I do know he never came back to his house. My friend moved away and all the grown-ups around me whispered to each other about it and would stop as soon as I entered a room. I'll call my mom later and ask her.

Talked to my mother who only remember's he went to jail. She never was much of a trial watcher

 

[Steely Dan]

Talked to my mother who only remember's he went to jail. She never was much of a trial watcher

I hope he died in prison.

 

[MCDRAW]

The neighbors' side of the story (Don't know how much of it to believe.)

Kelly Tanis denies the allegations and says the simmering dispute has seriously curtailed her five children's outdoor play since the Oct. 16 incident that led to Jester's arrest. . .

Following that episode, Jester, through her attorney, refused to accept the Tanises' offer to meet to discuss "how we could peacefully coexist and how we could retrieve anything that might land or blow in her yard," Kelly Tanis said.
Over the past 2½ months, however, there have been at least two contacts between the neighbors.
One came when Paul Tanis, who had regularly mowed Jester's front lawn until the football flap, offered to do so again when he saw the woman struggling with her lawn mower.
"He said, 'You don't have to do that, Edna - I'll do that for you,' " Kelly Tanis said.
"But she said, 'I'm sorry, Paul. I can't talk to you. It's all in the lawyers' hands now.' "

On another occasion, Paul Tanis was throwing a football with his son when it sailed into Jester's yard. They decided not to retrieve it, and though they did not see Jester, the next morning, the football was gone, Kelly Tanis said.
Kelly Tanis said Jester also still apparently has the original football from October.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090101/NEWS0107/901010334/1167/NLETTER05

It was a stupid football. They should never have had her arrested. Elderly people can sometimes be picky, but it's her yard she can be picky. I would have just told my kids that the football was lost to them. They should have been more careful. She had to be so humiliated to have been arrested at her age. It doesn't sound like the parents try to keep the kids and their toys in their own yard.

 

[STEADFAST]

Old people like her really upset me! One of the most traumatic memories I have as a child involves a very old HATeful OLD MAN. I was about 10 years old and every kid in my neighborhood as well as quite a few dads were all in the street playing wiffle ball. When the ball went in another neighbors yard my friend's dad hopped the small fence to retrieve it. The OLD MAN shot and killed him.

If a person HATES kids so much they need to move somewhere far away from them with a few acres around them.

I don't really see a comparison between this woman and some crazy guy who killed someone. She hasn't done anything violent. Plus the five children next door constantly throw things into her yard and AT HER HOUSE. And the parents called the police on her. I'd say she's the one who has the unbearable neighbors.