Discussions

After the recent crash in my house I need suggestions on how to protect my family and home. This is the second crash into my house and it needs to stop. Traffic lights will not help as many do not stop . I am thinking bollards and large rocks. I haven't asked the city yet but I am worried my insurance company is going to stop insuring us. I am hoping this last crush people will slow the heck down and come to a complete stop. My family was not hurt, but the what ifs. There are people walking there dogs, childern on bikes and people just walking and enjoying the freash air. The city should be doing something to make this corner safe for everyone that uses this area , before someone is seriously hurt.

Hey I’m sorry this has happen again too you and your family. I too live on a 4 way stop and I totally I agree that lots and lots of people do not stop or they do a rolling stop. As for your spot I only see borders or a cement fence

You could install a hedge all around the street side property? My guess is the city will refuse to allow rocks and lord knows their dumb rules on fences may be hard to deal with too. It will not help you this year - but a cotoneaster hedge grows really fast and cars can't drive through it readily. It would take three or four years to grow in full depending on the size you start with.  
 
You may still need approval and you may have to keep it trimmed to three feet tall to meet bylaws. With any luck you can get a hold of someone in the city who is not just a policy pusher and will listen to your concerns. In my mind, you have legitimate reasons for needing a sturdy fence or block of some sort - especially if your insurance company is considering pulling your coverage.  
 
Good luck and stay safe.

My first thought on rocks is that I can see a car going flying into y our yard if they hit them.  
I would think a good hedge or wall of some sort would be a better idea.  
Good luck.

Wow, I can imagine its freaky enough having that happen once but multiple times, yikes.  
 
I like the big honking rock idea, maybe a couple pieces of that large tindle stone stacked and rebarred together or maybe a beefed up fence with 6x6 or 8x8 posts sunk a little deeper than normal might be helpful and still look more conventional.

Why should you pay for what should be mpi and the drivers insurance coverage paid. You should have zero with your insurance other then to tell them of improvement after mpi pays the bill. It is not fair that you should have any expenses related to prevention or fixing what is road hazards. Either the city or mpi should help pay for remedies that are out of your control.

It wouldn't cost much to buy some used 4-6" pipe, borrow a post hole auger and place a few in a strategic areas. Fill with cement. Maybe camouflaged with some bushes.

I'm going to say a island of crushed rock, some nice hardy perennial plantings and a couple half meter high granite boulders combined into a mound, placed halfway up the front yard would give the best results. Start by marking the outline of the island to figure out the best location (probably best effective half way between the corner of the street and corner of the house), maybe in a oval or oblong shape. Cut & remove the sod, add a thick lawn edging and some layers of really good underlay landscape material. Order from and have a landscape outfit deliver and set the boulders accordingly to follow with a good amount of crushed gravel so it mounds above the grass a few inches (I prefer not using white because it shows all the debris like dead leaves, grass clippings and stray weeds). All the while figuring out what and where the plantings (shrubs and flowers) should go before around the boulders before the gravel goes in so the fabric can be cut and rings of edging can contain and separate the gravel from the raised dirt. Ta-da! A decorative lawn feature that doubles as a barrier.  
 
Or go a cheaper way and just get the largest rock(s) that can be transported and have it/them dropped on the lawn, for now. Just get them to put it on a flatbed trailer, drive on the yard and get a loader to push it off at the spot you want. Then, build the rock garden around the boulder(s) at a later date. The city won't stop you if it's on your property, it only makes it you have just another thing to mow around in the front yard.  
 
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Was thinking the same a barricade with hedges or some kind of plants on either side so its not an eyesore.

Go look at the N.E. corner of 17th street N and Stickney ave. The corner building got hit twice by speeding vehicles and they installed large boulders in front for protection after. We owned the houses on the west side of the same intersection and the corner house got hit three times. We installed a barrier made of 8" X 8" posts and 2" X 12" planking. Not very pretty but it would work.  
As far as MPI was concerned after the last crash I called multiple times looking for compensation and they finally told me to stop calling them as it was "not my claim"  
Good luck to you, but I expect the remedy if not the repairs will be at your expense. And remember that regarding protecting your home, getting permission might be harder than getting forgiveness.

Has to pay for the home repairs-or homeowners insurance? I would ask your Insurance about suing the car driver, which would end up with a court ruling that forces MPI to pay the damages.  
 
I would look into getting a rock barricade between your house and the intersection. Boulders set on the lawn, or an iron fence set in cement-something that will stop or at least slow any vehicle that might miss the turn. Just make sure that it does not have any sort of angled surface that a car could climb-you do not want a car using it as a ramp and therefore hitting your house above the foundation.

Good ideas. The first time the house was hit at the front door. I had just finished weeding the once flower garden and gone in for water. I would have been under the car and had nightmares so I ripped the garden out and turned it into grass again. During this first accident the woman at MPI told me they didn't deal with this kind of accident and if they did a certain percentage would not be covered. House insurance covered all but premiums went up. My insurance now won't be going up this time as they have a new plan that doesn't hit victims. This second accident has cause major structural damage, posts holding main beam, new furnace, hot water tank, water pipes snapped and electrical. I love the idea of the pipe turned into bollards and will be taking this idea to the city for permission, my family needs to feel safe in our own house. Pipes or bollards would be placed 2-3 feet inside my property, but because its a corner lot I want to ensure it meets city standards. The following year I would put shrubs in between the bollards,the next year I would have a raised garden giving the house corner nearest the intersection more protection. The cost is all on me. When this sidewalk was put in I asked about bollards to stop vehicles driving down it, but ignored. If anyone thinks my 3 year plan is wrong please let me know. I can only pray no one gets hurt around this intersection.

Have a look at the fence on the northeast corner of 13th & Van Horne. It was installed because there had been instances of vehicles blowing through the stop sign and ending up on their lawn. Maybe another option for you to consider? Good luck!