Over the years many people have suggested many things I can do to respond to the Mercers total lack of consideration for their neighbors and to utilize my side yard property. I will not take any actions for the sole purpose of responding to the Mercers.

That would make me no better than they are, and I am better than they are.

I will not make up lies and accusations about the Mercers in an attempt to discredit their position. The Mercers have made up one calculated hysterical accusation after another about me (some in conflict with the prior accusations ???) for the sole purpose of preventing a discussion of the facts. I prefer an honest discussion on the facts and the facts alone.

It took me a while before coming to the realization that the Mercers are completely outside the bounds of rational thinking.

This is partial list of some of the suggestions I've received, all legal actions that I will not do, as I take the high road in this dispute.

People suggest I get a huge nasty mean dog. And make a dog run on the side of my house with the playground.

Although, I'd try and keep the area clean, the dog droppings would get to smelling pretty bad until I got around to picking it up.

And the dog would bark and howl constantly whenever anyone was on the playground.

I could tell the Mercers "You're not going to like it, but I'm getting a huge nasty dog and will be keeping it right here between our houses."

See The Seeds of a Problem where Jeff said almost the EXACT thing to me about his planned swing-set.

The Mercers would ask why I had to put the dog only a few feet from their playground and house. How I'd live for that question. This fantasy conversation could be reversed, talking about the screaming children, and it would sound just like conversations we've had.

Then I could start making personal cheap shot attacks about Jeff's lifestyle (as he does to me).

Good idea, but the loud nasty dog would also impact my other neighbors, and I can't do that, two wrongs don't make a right. Considerate people always lose...

Almost everyone suggests I put in some HUGE outdoor speakers. I would LOVE to have outdoor speakers! See how the Mercers like listening to hard rock and roll at times of MY choosing. I could play the music at totally random times and then the Mercers would have no idea when it was safe to attempt to use their backyard. AC/DC - Highway to Hell might be a good starting choice...

The music may come on when they are not outside, or it might come on. How could they plan any use of their backyard when they know that at anytime the music would be blasting and hurting their ears, making them twitchy and nervous?

We all just live way too close to make noise at any time of our choosing, without ANY consideration for our neighbors. The Mercers don't understand this. They seem to believe that the world is theirs to take and for the rest of us to put up with them. Like always it's all about them...

Our government sometimes plays loud heavy metal rock and roll as a form of torture....

Good idea, but any attempts to play the music loud would also impact my other neighbors, and I can't do that, two wrongs don't make a right. Considerate people always lose...

It has been suggested that I store my garbage on the side of my house with the playground so that I never again have to smell it in my garage. The smell would waft over the fence to the playground area and might be distasteful to the Mercers. Since they show NO concern for how their actions affect my property, why should I show them any concern?

I guess that would be reasonable, it is MY YARD (as the Mercers always say). The bad smell wafting over the fence to the playground area is no different than the sound of their playground wafting over the fence into my house and backyard. It the same thing exactly, something done in one yard affects the air space in a neighboring property, and the Mercers say they have NO responsibility for how their actions affect my airspace.

But I won't do that, two wrongs don't make a right, considerate people always lose.