Neighbours from hell!

[Alanj]

We have a village house connected to our garden by a staircase. Our French neighbours, recent arrivals from the north of France who purchased around the same time as ourselves, have a terrace which adjoins our staircase. They claim a right of way down our stairs and across our meadow to a nearby parking area. They have made two assignations before the Tribunal dInstance. Both have been dismissed. Now they are taking the dismissal to the court of appeal. Very fortunately we have protection juridique habitation coverage in our homeowners insurance policy the best advice we ever had! The insurance companys lawyer is defending our interests. In his opinion, the neighbours do not have this right of way. Not least because any such easement would have to be in our Acte. (At the time of purchase we investigated the issue of any possible right of way, and were assure by both notaires that no one had a right of way across our meadow). However, the appeal procedure could drag on for one to two more years.
In the meantime the neighbours continue to walk across our meadow, even though they now have to clamber over a concrete-block wall we built to defend our interests! They also intimidate us. Once on our staircase, they are able to walk up to our terrace. A couple of days ago a prominent item on the terrace was missing; the following day it was returned. We are keeping a daily log of these events, and have photographed them crossing the meadow.
What recourse might we have? The object would be to stop the harassment and intimidation, and to keep them off the right of way until the court of appeal has made its decision.

[Stephenlemmon]

What a nightmare! Neighbour disputes are the worst. I really do sympathise.

Don't be intimidated - at least don't show it. If you have put up visible sign posts to the effect that your land is private - which it is according to your acte, then next time they do it call the police. It's escalation, though, and they have already shown that they are willing to transgress normal civilised behaviour.

I'm quite bad at tolerating this kind of thing and I would probably be tempted to go wandering around in their garden too before putting up some barbed wire just to make sure they get the message. This isn't advice, but sometimes fire is best fought with fire.

Try the police thing - it might discourage them. Good luck.

[Washy]

I echo all the advice given here, especially the dog!! I do think you should have a word at the mairie, and go to the gendarmerie and make Porte Plainte against them for trespass. This Porte Plainte, an official form of complaint will rest on the file and should there be any further problems in the future the file will be taken into account. It may make them think about using your right of way.

[Weedon]

What you may try is something I found useful when I had problems with uninvited people in the middle of the night, in the UK, is to put trip wires at various places on your land.
You can connect them to a spring-loaded mechanism which has a blank cartridge in it.
It frightens the life out of them when it goes off and it warns you when people trespass.
I got mine from a gun shop in the UK but I guess they sell them here in France as well.
Connect them with very fine wire not fishing line and vary the places you set them up.
Best of luck, I hope it works.