Sometimes, we meet neighbors that are so lovely, kind, and helpful, we can’t believe we went through life before without them—these are NOT these neighbors. In fact, these neighbors are the absolute worst the world has to offer. From backyard antics to driveway shenanigans, these horrible next-door neighbors had us wanting to move far, far away.
1. Caught Red-Handed
A couple of months back, I began to notice that my internet speed was getting slower. Just today, I got hold of a Wi-Fi scanner for my mobile, and what do you know? There showed up three devices, all mobiles, I did not recognize. That frustrated me so much since my slow speed was coming in the way of my movie and game downloads and causing lag. That's when I thought it best to switch up the password.
About a quarter-hour after the change, I overheard some neighborhood kids start squawking about their internet going off and how they can't get back online. I couldn't believe it! Did they seriously think I'd never catch on that they've been piggybacking off my Wi-Fi?
2. A Family Affair
I'm sharing a story from a time when I was both a school teacher and combat veteran. My wife was a teacher too. About 12 years back, we bought our first house in a neighborhood made up mostly of working-class families. Our house had a backyard pool, and we received a hot tub as a wedding gift from our folks.
Only two weeks after settling in, we came home to a disturbing sight. A woman and six teenagers were having a swim in our pool! We'd never met them before but ended up learning that the woman was the mother of two amongst them, who we'll refer to as the Entitled Daughter and the Entitled Son.
When we asked them to leave, the mom stated that they had the previous owner's permission to use the pool whenever. I made it clear that I was now the owner, and I wasn't okay with this. The lady didn't take this well and melodramatically accused us of being selfish and held us responsible if her kids suffered from heatstroke. I couldn't believe her response.
She yelled and faked cried, saying I was being a bad neighbor, selfish, and forcing her kids to sweat in the summer heat. She told me that if they got heatstroke, it was my fault for not letting them swim in my pool. I told her to get the heck off my property and never return. Fast forward two weeks. I had put up a "No Trespassing" sign on my property in multiple spots and had gotten to know many of the not-entitled neighbors.
They warned us about the entitled family but advised us to ignore them. This is when things took a strange turn. We started noticing left-behind signs of the nighttime use of our pool and hot tub in our absence. This led us to install surveillance cameras, which confirmed our suspicions of the family exploiting our facilities secretly while we were away.
My wife and I decided to take matters into our own hands and teach the family a lesson. On the upcoming Friday night, we parked our cars on a different street, creating the illusion of us being out. As expected, the daughter, son, and their friends arrived and began enjoying our pool and hot tub.
After waiting 45 minutes while they got comfortable, my wife switched on the backyard lights and I boldly stepped outside with my piece, ready to confront them but not harm them. My wife immediately called the authorities.
The kids were stunned and didn't attempt to react for a while. However, when they asked for their clothing, I knew I didn't want to keep it from them. But there was a twist. I then walk over to their piles of clothing, phones, and purses and throw EVERYTHING into the pool. They freak out trying to save their phones and other goods. The officers arrived shortly after, and after I clarified the entire situation, they took the trespassers away.
Then came the very best part. The mother arrived just in time to see her kids being put into cruisers and demanded that the children be released. The officers needed to threaten her with detention to make her leave us alone. Eventually, the teenagers received minimal punishment of community service, fines, and probation, and we got a restraining order against them.
We also sent the mother a bill for $400 to cover the costs of pool cleaning and repair, threatening action if she failed to pay within a month. She paid up, and a year later, the troublesome family moved away, bringing an end to an eventful chapter in our lives.
3. What She Does In The Shadows
I installed a doorbell camera yesterday. Since then, my sleep-deprived neighbor has been setting off motion alerts, 45 to be precise. Among them, one surprising event was her tumble down the stairs—finally explaining the regular thud sounds I've been hearing in the hallway. The alerts haven't ceased coming in yet. Interestingly, she also spends random lengths of time standing and peering at our front door. Makes me curious about how long she's been up to this!
Flickr, D Thompson4. Doggone It
My neighbors' children have a habit of letting out high-pitched screams that may sound like they're in terrible pain. My service dog isn't much of a fan; he'll bark three quick warning barks in response, and I don't stop him. The dog's bark may startle the kids a bit, but it effectively quiets their screams. These children don't just yell, they shriek as if they're under some dreadful torment.
In a situation like this, both the dog and I feel a genuine concern. The dog, perceiving those tiny humans to be in distress, feels compelled to help. Typically, I'll let him out; he goes to the fence we share with the neighbors, barks a few times until the screaming stops, and then calmly lies down beside the fence.
From where I stand, it seems my dog manages the children's noise better than their actual mother. Just this morning, the same situation unfolded—the dog did his bit, the kids silenced. But then, I heard one child start to cry, which marked the beginning of quite an ordeal. Their mum came to my place, teetering on the edge of anger. I greeted her courteously, eager to know what was wrong.
She claimed that my dog had frightened her children to which I reasoned—"Well, he was worried. Your kids were screaming so loudly that it sounded as if they were hurt. This screaming is quite a regular thing". This only angered her further as she insisted her kids were just being kids. I countered, "No, listen, I am a kindergarten teacher and a mother myself—your kids are unnaturally loud to the point where they're alarming the neighbors with their constant screaming".
She fired back, defiantly claiming her kids weren't being that loud. I offered to show some footage from my porch ring that captured her kids' decibel-breaking screams. Things took a turn for the worst. She even threatened to get my dog taken away. This dog, being a seizure alert canine trained by a nearby academy, had nothing but the best of training.
You could clearly see from the footage that after his three warning barks, he just sat down, clearly not intending to threaten anyone. I made it clear to her that she could attempt this, but also suggested she teach her kids to not scream as if they’re in a horror movie. She left, more exasperated than before. Following this incident, I contacted the local dog trainer to provide a heads-up just in case she made any unfounded allegations against my dog.
It's a good thing that I have ring cameras installed throughout my home. This way, my husband can keep tabs on my seizures, and I can accurately verify my dog's actions as needed.
5. Don’t Try Me
I live in the heart of my town, right above a store, and share my living space with two wonderful ladies as neighbors. We happen to be fortunate to have our own parking space off-street. However, over recent months, a new arrival in the nearby apartment block has decided to park his new, flashy $12k car, in our spaces, despite being fully aware that his rented flat comes with no parking.
We've communicated to him that it's not permissible, but him being a rather imposing man, he attempts to use his size to scare my two older roommates. He never directly talks to me, but prefers to leave stern messages on my car. Surprisingly, however, I discovered he had more plans. Some weeks ago, I got contacted by law enforcement.
They needed me to report to my local station due to claims I damaged his car. When I got there, they showed me CCTV footage and images that he'd gathered. Shockingly, he had installed a camera aimed at our property without our consent. Unfortunately for him, his camera captures more than just our parking space—it invades my bedroom and my neighbor's bathroom; that's one strike against him.
The footage revealed I passed his car pushing a wheelie bin, supposedly scratching his car. They showed me pictures of his damaged vehicle. There was just one problem. I noticed the scratches were on the opposite side of where I'd been. I had pictures of his undamaged vehicle on hand—strike two for him. He also claimed in his report that he had written permission from our landlord to park in our spaces, then wasn't able to provide the supposed letter.
On the contrary, I had an email from our landlord affirming that he hadn't given any parking permission— strike three for him. So, I went to the station worried that I would end up with a criminal record, but left with him receiving a formal warning for inappropriately using CCTV and falsifying a report. In the end, things couldn't have worked out better for me. Now, he has no choice but to find elsewhere to park.
6. Good Riddance
In the 20-apartment complex where I live, only half of us have parking spots with our names on them. I'm one of the lucky ones. My parking spot is right near my front door and has a sign mentioning my unit's number. That doesn't stop some neighbors, or their guests, from parking there. I tolerated it until things escalated quickly.
A fresh tenant engaged in continuously parking in my spot, most of the time during daylight and occasionally overnight. I had requested him to respect my place and not park there since his slot was supposed to be on the road. This fell on deaf ears, so I had to involve the landlord and send an official letter.
When this strategy also failed, a prank idea popped up in my mind. The guy was quite predictable in his timing to park and leave with his vehicle. The inspiration for my plan came from practical joke books I read as a child. These books triggered an idea for revenge—I purchased an extra-strong double-sided tape and a large roll of bubble wrap.
The moment came quickly. I enlisted a willing neighbor, and under the cover of night, we stuck tape all around his car's rear tires, then added multiple layers of bubble wrap. We also packed more between the back of the front wheels in such a way that it wasn't visible from the outside.
Thankfully, I have surveillance cameras installed outside my apartment. The following day, around noon, he walked to his car. Boom! As soon as he started reversing, a loud, alarming noise echoed from his car tires—priceless! His confusion and panic were clearly evident even from my apartment.
Many neighbors came out and so did I, pretending to be puzzled. The new tenant then spent the following hours battling the stubborn bubble wrap stuck on his tires with the industrial strength tape. The following days, his car tires echoed an odd sound. The bubbles of that prank ensured he never used my spot again.
7. Nice To Naughty
Here's my experience handling a troublesome neighbor: All my life I've been a homeowner, apart from a brief two-year stint when my son was born and we were between houses. During that time, I rented a place in a bigger town and faced some pretty sour-faced neighbors, an older couple in their mid-fifties, who were quite well-off.
Their grown-up kids and their grandkids were the same way. They would gaze at you until you looked back and then shake their heads before turning away dejectedly. They lived right next to me and seemed compelled to observe everything, even something as small as a cough.
Their strange behavior got to me in about three months. Now, I'm a fairly big guy (6'4" half, 295 lbs) with a scary biker beard but these folks seemed unfazed, at least initially. So, I thought I'd switch gears and take a psychological approach. Since they were always so grouchy, I figured excessive kindness might do the trick.
Every time I caught them looking at me, I'd march or rather dash over to them with an enthusiastic "Hello"! I'd get close, make small talk and interrupt them before they could respond. Every single word from them would be met with thunderous laughter even if they hadn't finished talking.
They started staying clear of me and I'd see them less frequently. Until one day, a good friend passed by while I was in my yard. He wasn't in his usual car but in a rental because his was in the garage. He honked, I recognized him and he shot me a playful middle finger with a yell of "Screw You," which was our thing.
The neighbors saw everything. I shouted "You're done" to my friend, sprinted inside, fetched my piece, placed it on my truck's front seat, and raced to my neighbors' porch startling them. I accused them of knowing this stranger. Their fear silenced them. Then I hopped into my truck and took off.
Caught up with my friend down the road, shared the whole story (he knew about my quirky neighbors) which cracked him up. We then devised the next move.
I went back home after a while to find the neighbors still spying but pretending not to. I acted oblivious, headed inside, retrieved a huge beach towel, and went outside again. Being certain they were watching, I cleaned my piece with the towel, wrapped it up, pretended to check if I was being watched, and hurried to the back of the house.
I returned inside to put the piece away and exchanged it with a baseball bat which I wrapped in the towel. Created quite a noise while fetching a shovel from the shed. I saw them peeping through an upstairs window in their house.
I dug a shallow hole, tossed the towel-wrapped bat into it, and buried it. The nosy neighbors never bothered me or stared at me again after.
8. The Garden Of Eden
So, something odd happened. My cat didn't show up for his dinner time, which is quite unusual as he always bugs me to feed him. I've got a pair of felines but he, particularly, is usually more eager about canned food. I searched the usual places he might be hiding like inside a closet or maybe the garage, but no luck. I had my dinner, expecting his characteristic meow any moment, but still no sign of Frank.
Oddly enough, Frank isn't the adventurous type, he's mostly a couch potato with occasional outdoor jaunts. Speaking of which, my neighbor had complained to my wife a while back about Frank leaving his "business" in the man's garden. I understood his frustration. So, I visited him and gave him my contact details, requesting him to reach out in case Frank continues his garden exploits.
Trying to resolve the issue on my part, I purchased some dirt and catnip and created an outdoor litter area for Frank. We also attempted to keep him indoors more frequently. But, being used to the freedom, Frank can get quite tricky about getting outside sometimes.
Nevertheless, as Frank didn't return home, I was filled with worry. I had a hunch that my neighbor had something to do with it. I roamed around his driveway, calling out for Frank, and I heard him meowing back.
Following the sound, I found him trapped in my neighbor's garage. After knocking on the neighbor's door and explaining the situation, his response was shockingly dismissive. His hostility didn't lessen even after I knocked again. I was determined to rescue my cat so threatened to break the window if needed.
What followed was a stand-off with my neighbor calling the authorities alleging that I threatened him. Naturally, I also reached out to the authorities explaining my side of the story.
Soon enough, the authorities arrived at the scene. I explained the situation as Frank continued to meow from inside the garage. The officers talked to my neighbor and urged him to release Frank, calling out his extreme reaction over a cat relieving itself.
Eventually, Frank was released and returned home. The officers emphasized the importance of keeping my cat indoors, to which I explained the difficulty due to Frank's craftiness and housemates who sometimes left the doors open. Seeing this whole fiasco, I'm worried about what might happen if Frank manages to wander off again.
9. Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Last year, I purchased a townhouse, but within just six months, I was forced to sell owing to a nightmarish neighbor. This person was dealing with severe mental health issues, causing a lot of distress. The threats he directed toward my family and me, the sound of his pounding on our shared wall, having bottles hurled at us– it all became unbearable. Despite our pleas, neither the authorities nor the Homeowners Association were able to intervene. Thus, we had no choice but to put our house on the market.
Without diving deep into the details, it's crucial to note that this troublesome neighbor was already a longstanding issue, one that was never disclosed to us by the seller or the HOA at the time of purchase. Our experience in the townhouse was an absolute nightmare, to the point where I developed PTSD. It was such a blow to see our newly renovated three-bedroom house, where we were enthusiastic about starting a family, fall to pieces because of a single individual.
In response to the ordeal, my lawyer, who initially assisted me in buying the home and then later with selling it, implemented a new provision into his contracts. This new clause, named after me, mandates that all social issues with neighbors must be disclosed during a home sale. Perhaps it's the pregnancy hormones, but I'm drowned in tears over this.
I'm so grateful that my lawyer has incorporated this regulation in all his future sale agreements. Despite my overwhelming efforts to maintain our home, the situation was simply untenable.
10. The Making Of A Legend
Nearly 45 years ago, I took on the exciting project of building my first home. I bought two plots located behind a rather grumpy neighbor, and right off the bat, tensions were high. This guy took offense to the fact that I wouldn't sell or trade him those plots. He was so upset that he'd constantly tell the county inspectors about non-existent rule breaches on my part.
Fast forward to the following spring when I moved into my new house and began to landscape the property. I created a lawn, planted 20 trees, including six majestic blue spruces, all situated within the boundary of my lot– specifically, 10 feet away from what Mr. Grumpy and I had agreed was the property line.
One sunny Saturday, I saw him mapping out his property. To my surprise, he comes over and hands me an old “bank survey” of his property, claiming that I had violated the property line with my trees, and demanded I relocate them. I checked his survey and agreed to move my trees. However, upon closer inspection, I discovered something shocking.
This survey also showed something that everyone on my block had conveniently left out. They all were claiming a long-empty alleyway, and a 20-foot strip of my property as their own—twelve households in total!
What made this more interesting was the fact they had used this strip to plant a massive strawberry bed—their most cherished possession with over 500+ fully matured plants, all sitting on my land! I was taken aback and immediately commissioned a proper survey of my property.
Although Mr. Grumpy's survey was indeed correct about his boundary, it had a downside for him. His beloved strawberry bed was on my property. When presented with this, he was far from happy. He lashed out at me, spiking the hostility to new levels.
This fallout took an ugly turn when my neighbors started to harass my wife. These incidents upset her immensely. Determined to end this unpleasant situation, I handed over copies of the legitimate survey to all the neighbors and requested law enforcement to keep an eye on things.
One day, upon learning that the neighbors had rudely shouted at my wife while she was gardening, I sprang into action. A few phone calls later, I had arranged for my brother-in-law’s tractor and the local authorities to be at my place.
After reassuring the officers that the strawberry bed was indeed on my property, I informed the shocked crowd of neighbors that they had 15 minutes to save as many strawberry plants as they could before my brother-in-law’s tractor would start tilling.
And so it was that 15 minutes later, the sound of the tractor echoed through the street. Half an hour later, the once-flourishing strawberry farm was but a memory, leaving the spectators in astonishment. In no time, this unforgettable incident turned me into a neighborhood legend.
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11. Don’t Make A Sound
About seven months ago, I moved into my new apartment. After having issues with noisy parties in my previous living situation due to thin walls, I decided I wouldn't host any in my new home. But then I didn't foresee this problem. My neighbors are incredibly difficult. I had a small family dinner when I moved in, and they complained.
I figured they were overreacting, but decided to extend an olive branch. I gave them my phone number and told them they could text me with any issues instead of confronting me personally. Needless to say, they took advantage of this and started texting me constantly, telling me not to use my phone or even laugh after 8 pm. Just for clarification, I don't talk or laugh excessively loud.
They explained that their bedroom is directly above my studio apartment, which led them to hear everything. I attempted to accommodate them by speaking softer. However, their complaints persisted and I wasn't going to start whispering in my own home. After four grueling months of constant complaints, I told them to stop texting me. Their demands had crossed the line and now felt like harassment.
Things reached a boiling point in August when I had five friends over for the first time. Needless to say, it caused an uproar. The husband of the complaining duo attempted to force open my door after grumbling about the noise; I suggested he get the authorities involved, knowing I wasn't doing anything wrong, then shut the door. His anger escalated because he knew we weren't making excessive noise—we didn't have music on and were merely playing cards.
Now, they're getting the Homeowners Association involved because I'm on my phone past 8 pm. Honestly, I'm up to here with this.
12. Doing Their Best
I cope with PTSD, social anxiety, and a neurological condition, which is why I chose my mostly tranquil apartment as my dwelling place. Recently, a younger woman with her lively 6-7-year-old kid moved in upstairs. Sure, the kid loves to sprint around early in the morning—pretty annoying but it's a kid, and it doesn't last more than 5-10 minutes.
The tricky bit is my neighbor's nighttime routine of carrying out loud conversations on her balcony, which, unluckily, is located directly above my bedroom. I fail to escape being her unwilling eavesdropper, it's discordant. Last week her place was searched by authorities for reasons unknown to me, and she was even taken away. At one point, her altercation with someone got so intense that I worried it might turn violent and I had to call on our landlord.
Tonight, she ramped up the volume, literally. She took her entertainment activities outside, complete with speakers and a movie on her laptop. What filled my room was the loud movie audio, her unmistakable, boisterous laugh, and their non-stop dialogue... After mustering some courage, I stepped out and kindly asked them to consider using headphones as I had an early day and pointed out that it was well past quiet hours.
With all this happening, renewing my lease for the tenth year seems to be a dilemma. Though I'm still slightly jittery, I'm equally proud for standing my ground. Living here is a result of my hard work and so is actively managing the challenges life had tossed my way.
13. Don’t Mess With Me
Five years back, when I shifted to a wheelchair-friendly apartment, parking became a problem because of this tenant, James. Despite having no parking rights, he always parked his car in my spot. Despite multiple complaints, he didn’t stop until frequent letters from the landlords arrived.
But did he start parking on the road? Absolutely not. His next move was even worse. He began parking on the driveway, blocking my exit. As my apartment has no rear exit, I had to use the driveway, part of which was often blocked by his car. I reported this issue to the landlords and the local parking authorities to intervene.
Despite multiple conversations, James refused to stop this annoying habit. Seeing no other way, I warned him that his car might get damaged because of my wheelchair. But he didn’t pay heed. One day, I found the exit partially blocked, and in order to leave, I had to maneuver my wheelchair around his car, which inevitably caused some scratches.
My choice was clear: miss my appointment or work my way around his car, so I chose the latter. Now, before anyone berates me for damaging his car, let me tell you, the car was an old heap with existing scratches. I just added one more to the collection. Later the same day, his car was still obstructing my way, so I called a tow truck.
Now I don't usually use my disability for my gain, but I was fed up! My call to the tow truck service went something like this: “Hello, I am really sorry to trouble you. I use a wheelchair and can't access my house because of a car blocking my way. The car belongs to my stubborn neighbor who refuses to park elsewhere. I really need to get inside”. They promised to arrive right away.
Just 10 minutes later, the tow truck showed up. The driver arrived to find me stuck in the driveway, visibly upset. As he was about to tow the car away, James showed up, shouting unreasonably and threatening to sue the tow truck company.
He moved out two years later, but for the remainder of his stay, James was forced to park on the street.
14. The Spite Light
My spouse and I recently bought a house from his parents. The house next to ours has been long-time friends of my husband's family. Here's something about our homes' setup: Our garage door faces sideways toward our neighbors. Unfortunately, their bedroom window is directly facing our garage. There's a little light above our garage door that brightens up our driveway.
Our homes are situated on an acre each in the county, outside city jurisdiction. Our neighbors have been griping about that light ever since his parents lived here. We've heard quite a few complaints since we moved in, but we tried to remain understanding. The main issue was the motion-sensor light, which they claim shines into their bedroom.
A large pine tree on our property initially blocked this light. That was until they requested us to chop it down because its branches were getting in the way of their vehicles. We agreed to do so, aiming to maintain a friendly relationship. Unexpectedly, they left the trunk behind, claiming it's our problem to handle.
With the tree gone, they started complaining more about the light. Despite their complaints, we refused to change anything. Instead, they decided to install a privacy fence. Fine by us—at least we'll have fewer complaints to deal with. This happened around the same time when we were hearing local news about thefts from cars and had also adopted some chickens.
So, we installed a ring motion detector light/camera towards the back. The light only activates when someone is near the chickens or in the driveway, but inadvertently it also projects some light towards their house. It's in our bedroom's exposure too, but it hasn't bothered us.
It had only been three days since we installed the camera when we received a text from the neighbors. Basically, they said, "We accept your challenge," and threatened to install the brightest light they could find and direct it towards our window.
It's been about a month since then. True to their word, they installed a light on a 12-foot pole that was supposedly aimed at our window, but it missed its mark. They didn't know their attempt was a miss, not that we told them, and truthfully, it didn't bother us. Four days after, the light was gone. But to add to our surprise, they called the sheriffs on us!
The attending officers were courteous. Upon inspecting the light, they assured us it was fine. We showed them the texts, which changed their reaction completely. Their apologised for the disturbance and went off to have a word with our neighbors.
The very next day, we received a text from our neighbor's wife. Apparently, she had been unaware of her husband's actions. She'd been away when he installed the "revenge light," and she made him take it down when she found out. She was also clueless about the abrasive texts he'd been sending us. The authorities informed them that there was enough evidence for us to file a harassment lawsuit.
The wife requested to speak with us, and a conversation with my husband seemed to have resolved things. Turns out their decision to involve the authorities actually worked in our favor!
15. You Get What You Give
The other night, around 12:45 am, a car pulled into our complex and stopped quite close to my place. Could hear their bass—and it was pretty loud considering it was nearly 1 am. Wondering if it woke up the whole block. Then, surprisingly, the volume increased and stayed that way for quite some time. I mean, really, who blasts music that loud late at night?
You see, my workday ends at midnight, and I usually spend time reading or playing games till about 4 am. So, noises happening around 1 am aren't too much of a bother for me. Fast forward to the following day; as I'm going to work, I pass my car parked in the garage near my stairs. There are like four cars, and one of them—a Porsche SUV—has what looks like ketchup splattered all over the hood, windshield, and driver's side.
Or it could be salsa—it was chunky and bright red. Didn't even think much about it at the time. But today, there's a message on our community chat room explaining that messing with someone else's car is indeed an act of vandalism. That gave me a good laugh. My guess is someone took offense to that late-night noisemaker and decided to give their car a condiment makeover.
Honestly, I'm tempted to reply to that community notice with something like, "Whoever did this, let me treat you to a drink"!
16. Wake-Up Call
Yesterday, my boyfriend and I had a frightening experience. We were jostled awake by someone attempting to enter a code into our front door keypad, and then persistently knocking on the door. Rather unnerved, my boyfriend shouted through the door, telling the stranger to leave. Despite this, the unwelcome guest persisted, which led my boyfriend to open the door and speak more directly.
The man claimed he had rented a room at our place. My boyfriend repeated his instruction to leave, then shut the door firmly. When we looked at our video footage this morning, we noticed the man initially trying to find the Airbnb address on his phone because he didn't have his itinerary. After being sternly told to leave twice, he had the audacity to brush the incident off with an insincere "okay". as if he wasn't just caught trying to access a stranger's home.
We weren't aware of his rental plan until we stumbled upon the listing this morning. It was indeed our neighbor who, upon moving in, had creepily hovered at our guest room window in the dark. He had also startled our friend, who was staying with us, by asking for our Wi-Fi password through the window. Thank goodness, our friend was unnerved enough to refuse his request.
This neighbor and we have never had a conversation, and frankly, I'm not particularly keen to start one now. We enjoy a cordial relationship with every other neighbor we've met so far, but is it justifiable to give this one a wide berth from now on?
17. Home Alone
For about a year now, my family and I have been renting a house in a pretty decent area, mostly surrounded by older folks from the boomer generation. We scarcely cross paths with our neighbors—one lives across the street and two are next-door. The lady who lives across is the only one we interact with, and she’s always been friendly even though I’m away a lot because of my job as a truck driver.
My partner spends their time at home, homeschooling our kids. Just yesterday, we decided to spend the day together exploring a larger city nearby. As we were bundling into the car early in the morning, our neighbor across the street noticed us. A couple of hours later, our Ring doorbell detected movement, and we found her knocking at our door. She said she was just checking on our kids, which struck us as a bit odd since we aren't really close.
Then things got even weirder. Just 10 minutes later, we saw officers at our door through the Ring doorbell, responding to a report about unsupervised kids at home. We quickly cleared up the misunderstanding by letting the kids chat to them via the doorbell app, proving that they were not alone.
Fast forward to today, when we confronted our neighbor about her actions. The conversation escalated quickly—she wrongly accused us of frequently leaving our kids home alone based on the fact that the kids help us bring in groceries from the porch.
Interestingly, there's another kid in the neighborhood who often wanders from house to house without any supervision, and that doesn’t seem to concern anyone. I don't quite understand how our situation translates to negligence, but I felt the need to vent. We've asked our neighbor to stop communicating with us, so hopefully, that will settle the issue.
18. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
A few months ago, my husband and I finally bought our first home in a southern suburb. It's not exactly plain sailing, though. I love my house, don't get me wrong, but my neighbors are not quite my cup of tea. And they haven't been shy about letting us know the feeling is mutual. As a case in point, I have epilepsy and use medical marijuana to manage it. Our neighbors behind us, a conservative older pair, aren't thrilled with this.
Currently, our neighbors to the left are engaged in a full-volume backyard conversation. I was engrossed in my book when they burst out. So far, they've whined about my dogs being the reason their dogs are aggressive towards the fence, which is theirs, not ours. Just for the record, my dogs have never bothered the fence. Their dogs, however, have even damaged a fence board in their fervor, only because my dogs are present.
Then they started passing judgement on the way we look, my husband and I, and started speculating about my employment status since I'm always at home. So I semi-yelled, "I work from home, and by the way, I can hear you, right"? That sent them back indoors. It's a real letdown. Back at our previous place, we were on great terms with all the neighbors. Having invested a cool 50k in this house, I didn’t sign up for frosty neighbors.
19. The Woman In The Window
I'm a woman in my 30s who lives by myself, just like my neighbor, also in her 30s. We exist in an ordinary suburban setting. To cut to the chase, she is extremely fixated about her borders as I saw her raise her voice to another neighbor concerning this matter just about a month into her moving in.
I thought then, "Alright, she's a bit intense but I'll keep my distance from her property lines and things will be fine". I rarely even hang out in my own backyard since I'm yet to set up a patio there. In my mind, I planned to maintain a neighborly relationship and believed she'd appreciate my laid back attitude. However, I was mistaken.
Fast forward to December following a significant snowfall, a situation arose after my plow truck driver cleared my driveway and she claimed some of the snow ended up on her land. She even traced a line in the snow, saying anything crossing it would instigate trouble.
I tried to reason with her, calmly but firmly explaining that the snow wasn't on her property and that I was tied up with a work call (we both work remotely). Then, she crossed a line. Reacting unexpectedly, she marched onto my property and started berating me on my front porch like nothing I'd ever witnessed before.
She insisted I accompany her to inspect the snow that had allegedly filled her property. I felt uneasy so I declined the invitation. Her rage intensified as she shouted, “Then we’ll really be in trouble, don't you get it"? I was stunned and didn’t respond.
Flabbergasted, I stood there as she then let out a piercing yell: "Do you understand me"?! This prompted me to slam the door and resolve to steer clear of her from that point. Yet, she wasn't done. The following days saw her vehemently shoveling her driveway and cursing me while doing so.
My workspace faces the window, so our interactions are inevitable. In the spring, I go for walks with friends but once, she charged at us with a garden tool, essentially forbidding us from ignoring her. I reported the encounter.
On her benign days when not yelling, she manages to be present each time I am out and feigns working on a bush that shares our property line. I've even hired a landscaper now due to this discomfort. My first day with the landscaper, she immediately tried to get involved. Essentially, any steps I take in my home lead to some form of reaction from her.
She's always peeking and always there, as she never leaves her home. She arranges for all her needs to be delivered and never drives anywhere, remaining eternally vigilant. Although I've considered moving, I won't. I was here before her and my house has been renovated to match my dreams.
While I'm not keen on fences, I'm putting one up for the sake of privacy. That's my only solution.
20. Drive-By Headache
There's this woman who seems to have it out for us in our neighborhood. She regularly drives by our house, honks her horn at all hours, basically disturbing the peace. She's going around telling our neighbor that we're throwing wild parties and causing her grief, and that we're rent defaulters living in a house owned by her uncle. All untrue claims, of course. We've been peacefully residing in this house for three solid years!
So I decided to fight back. I started keeping track of every time she drove past our place, honking like a banshee. I counted eight instances—that's twice a week, usually on Sundays, Mondays, or Tuesdays. Thinking about the episode that took place just an hour ago still gets my pulse racing. The moment I saw her pull into our driveway, I was on high alert, phone in hand, watching from our doorway. I mustered up my most caustic tone and asked if she needed help.
Suspiciously she asked, "Where are your kids who always run around"? I promptly responded, "We don't have any kids. There are children next door, but none here". As my husband joined me at the doorway, about to tell her to vacate our property, she started to retreat, threatening to return with the authorities. I simply egged her on and quickly snapped a photo of her license plate.
Ironically, my phone was on selfie mode! But, I had read her license plate number a few times and committed it to memory. Quickly, I noted it down, and my husband got on the phone with the non-emergency line. We had an officer at our place in just 10 minutes. We relayed the series of events, I showed him my log of all her drive-by/honking incidents. To our relief, we had some solid backup.
Our neighbor woman confirmed our tale and gave us an approximation of the troublemaker's residence. The officer paid her a visit, then returned looking both amused and vexed. The reality was an unexpected twist. The woman had been targeting our neighbors, not us, believing their non-existent 17-year-old son sabotaged her home with spy cameras! This woman seemed delusional, to say the least.
Anyway, the cop assured us she would back off. Let's hope she keeps her end of the bargain, if not, there's official record of this nonsense now.
21. Any House Will Do
So, my boyfriend came over yesterday for movie night at my place. He swung by our favorite pizza joint to pick up a pie and even paid for it beforehand. We heard the familiar sound of the delivery motorcycle, so I popped out to retrieve our meal. And there was the delivery guy, stopped a few houses down, handing my pizza to my neighbor as if it belonged to him!
I held my tongue for a moment, thinking maybe it was a fluke. But nope, that was definitely our pizza and the guy was definitely trying to swipe it. Don't even get me started on the delivery guy. When I finally got the pizza from him, I can't recall exactly what he said, but I responded with a simple: "Well, they were trying to snatch it". The guy turned to me and—I kid you not—said, "Oh, he said he'd pay for it".
I was too mad to respond. Seriously, nerves of some people! We had already coughed up the cash for that pizza and it didn't matter if the neighbor wanted to pay for it twice. Nope, totally unacceptable. So, long story short: this sour experience with my neighbor and the pizza guy left us with bitter taste and we decided to search for a new pizza spot.
22. The Neighbor Agenda
For about a year now, I've been dealing with this situation. I have been living in my house for seven years, and have owned it since the late 90s. It used to be on rent before I moved in. When it was a rental, my neighbor had a waist-high picket fence that encroached on my property by nearly a foot. I didn't really mind then.
We got on fairly well and I always aim to maintain peace with my neighbors. When she decided to replace her failing fence last year, I suggested adjusting it to align with our actual property line. Her response shocked me. She overreacted as though I had physically assaulted her!
I responded by hiring a survey company, as did she. The results confirmed that the fence was indeed on my property. Coincidentally, a code enforcement officer came by to inspect a construction across the street. I had a chat with him, reassured that his visit was unrelated to the fence dispute, and then I went back in. This turned out to be a mistake, as after he left, my neighbor accused me of calling code enforcement on her and verbally berated me.
Overcome by her rudeness, I lost my cool and we screamed at each other. She later falsely accused me of instigating the argument and endangering her life, but luckily, my yard cameras captured the whole incident. After showing the footage to the authorities, they left, visibly annoyed with her. However, my problems escalated when I shared this episode with my local Facebook group. She complained, accusing me of incitement. To pacify everyone, I deleted the post, hoping it was over. It wasn’t.
She called the authorities on me twice more for similar, non-existent reasons. The authorities were as clueless as I was. One day, she insulted me from her van, an act my camera captured again. Fed up, I shared the footage on my group. When the officers showed up again at her behest, they warned her to stop harassing me. She did not appreciate that.
Fast forward a month, she reported me to code enforcement over a tree trimming task my other neighbor and I undertook. Her claim was dismissed as we'd trimmed a Camphor tree which doesn’t require a permit. Despite her summons, she refused to answer the door when the authorities arrived. The mystery of her call still remains unsolved.
Later, a detective investigating our case visited me. To my relief, she assured me I had committed no wrong, and was going to enlighten my neighbor about it. However, the news did not go down well with my frustrating neighbor. She put up Google Nest cameras, pointing towards my front door. Despite my discomfort, there was nothing I could do due to Florida's privacy laws.
Two months ago, a thief rummaged through my storage. Although my cameras recorded the event, the lack of light made recognition impossible. I have since upgraded them to night vision. I pushed myself to have a polite conversation with her finally, after a year of non-stop problems. During our 10-minute talk, we agreed to tolerate each other for the sake of peace.
All went well for a couple of months until she accused us of spying on her and threatened to take it forward if we happened to be outside when she was. She also threatened to call code enforcement for my noisy van detailing. Fed up, I warned her of filing a restraining order if her harassment continued.
23. The Grass Really Is Greener On The Other Side
Australia was grappling with severe wildfires and facing an intense drought. In my hometown, there are significant water restrictions in place, so activities like cleaning your car or refreshing your garden are entirely off-limits. Our water resources are frighteningly limited, and the local council has even discussed having to resort to importing water by truck.
Although I now live in a different city and my parents have relocated to the coast, they still own the house we grew up in back in our hometown. It's been vacant for about six months since they've been trying to sell it. We have friends who stop by now and then to ensure everything's in order and to mow the grass. You can imagine their astonishment when they received a water bill amounting to $500.
My dad decided to investigate this on Wednesday. The discovery was astonishing. It turns out our neighbor had removed a fence picket on our joint boundary and had been running a hose from our backyard tap to her own yard. Her garden appeared to be a lush, tropical paradise, flourishing with vibrant greenery and blooming flowers despite the surrounding yards being dried up.
The bill indicated that about 200,000 litres of water were used. My dad, who serves as the family investigator, snapped photos of her thriving garden in contrast to ours and the altered fence, and reported her to the council. He's particularly adept at such tasks, so she could be in a fair bit of trouble. We're all taken aback that in such a crucial period, while wildfires rage and farmers struggle to tend to their livestock, all she seemed to care about was maintaining her garden.
24. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
While messing about on my not-great laptop, I found a new Wi-Fi connection. The signal strength was unimpressive, and since I already had my internet, I ignored it. Unplugging some stuff about a week later, I accidentally disconnected my wireless router. When this happened, my phone automatically connected to the new Wi-Fi point, which I hadn't given much thought to. It got weird though, when my phone began suggesting I install smart home apps for an array of appliances that I didn't even own!
Having a bit of IT knowledge, I know that for ordinary folks, managing home automation isn’t always ideal, especially if your digital information could potentially be accessed by anyone. It was clear that this wasn’t my Wi-Fi network because, apparently, the unsuspecting owners of this Wi-Fi connection had nearly all their electrical appliances, including their garage doors, HVAC system, lights, TVs, and even the fridge connected to it, without a password. Complete lack of safety aside, there's a term in the IT world for this—it's called being mindlessly silly.
After restarting my wireless router to restore my family's internet connection, I took my friendly cockapoo for a walk. Taking a smart-home app, I turned on an exterior light somewhere nearby, then set out to find the property the light belonged to. My logic was if I could connect to their Wi-Fi, I should be able to spot their house. Sure enough, I found the house on the adjacent street, directly behind my home but separated by a large hill.
Bringing my dog along for the meet-the-neighbors adventure, I knocked on their door. As an introvert, I find the dog helps break the ice—he’s quite the people-pleaser. A pleasant older woman answered, and both she and her husband fell in immediate love with my charming canine.
After the dog had entertained them for a bit, I decided it was time to address why I was there. Upon asking them about their new smart home set up, things quickly turned sour. The husband felt taken aback: "How do you know we have that stuff"? I attempted to explain, "Your Wi-Fi doesn't have a password, and my phone connected to it by accident. I came over to suggest you set a password, or anyone might use it to control stuff like your garage doors".
At this, the husband seemed even more bothered. However, before he could unleash his thoughts, his wife realized what I was attempting to explain, "Oh! That's what the installation guy was saying about something 'encryption'. We've never set a password, it just seems a hassle". The husband appeared even more puzzled at this, and I decided this was my moment to exit the conversation, and quickly went back home.
However, this wasn't the end. Two hours later, a visit from our town's IT-savvy law enforcement officer “Dave” had my heart skipping a beat. He had received complaints about someone, presumably me, fiddling with a neighbor's smart home. I quickly explained that I had only turned on an exterior light to figure out which house the Wi-Fi belonged to. It was clear that Dave recognized the issue—I had unintentionally stumbled onto open Wi-Fi.
The issue was eventually resolved after the couple was advised to secure their Wi-Fi. Within two days, their unprotected Wi-Fi was password protected and we all moved on. Except, of course, for the mild suspicion that followed me whenever I passed their house.
25. To Norma With Hate
Honestly, I can't believe this whole saga happened to me—it's been so wild that I may need therapy to get over it. A quick rewind: my husband (then boyfriend) and I were thrilled to move into our new apartment in December 2018 after we both had less-than-perfect roommate situations and we were excited to finally be living together. Little did we know what was about to unfold.
Our first glimpse of the apartment was through a "model" unit that was nicely upgraded—top of the line counters, appliances, hardwood floors, the works. Imagine our surprise when we moved into ours and found '70s style decor and carpeting. Our first clue that something was off was the creaky, thin-sounding floor, yet we were still excited because we had the top floor apartment (and no noisy upstairs neighbors!).
As we settled in, all was fine... until the music started. Suddenly, the loud strumming of a guitar was coming from below. However, brushing it off, we continued with the move-in. That is, until the banging started. Off went our music, but the banging continued. Even as we finished up and got ready for bed, our downstairs neighbor banged away. And then, to top it all off, blaring holiday music from below filled our freezing apartment all night.
The next day we found a note on our door from the lady below, complaining about our noise. This sparked my anger because all we were doing was settling in and making regular noise. That didn't stop her accusations and, eventually, calls to the office about her issue with us—just walking and living in our apartment.
Then things escalated. Visits from law enforcement began, due to noise complaints. She was adamant that we were the problem, despite us having no idea who this woman was, other than that she lived below us. Her claims got increasingly absurd, from blaming us for her car problems to accusing us of stalking her. All the while, she was blaring music and banging on the ceiling, disturbing us.
Our attempts to get help from the apartment office or authorities led to a stalemate. They suggested we move, although we couldn't afford it and felt unjust in doing so when we weren't causing the problem. Despite her antics, we decided to renew our lease simply because moving to another unit or complex was not feasible at the time.
Our decision to stay didn't reduce the chaos. The tantrums from the lady below only got more frequent and worse, even to the point of her turning off the power to our unit. Frustrated, we finally got the office to let us out of our lease penalty-free and moved. This ordeal was so stressful that sounds, like a simple bang or thump, now trigger panic in me.
We've had to alter many aspects of our lives to avoid being harassed, such as cooking or even going for walks. Although I never confronted the woman below us for safety reasons, the whole experience has left me a shell of my former self. For anyone dealing with something similar, please know that you're not alone. Sometimes, despite the unfairness, the best option is to move.
If you're a downstairs neighbor and dealing with noise, remember to handle things amicably with your upstairs neighbor. Buildings can be poorly built, and people are usually doing their best to not disturb others. Avoid escalating the situation to management too soon—if it doesn't have to be a battle, don't make it one. And to the woman who made my life miserable (name changed to 'Norma'), if you ever read this: I honestly can't stand you.
26. Privacy, Please
As I was pulling out of my driveway, my neighbor stopped me to "chat". He started making random small talk before boldly asking me about my divorce with my ex, implying that she must've found someone else already. I don't understand why some people are like this. Does he really think I'm comfortable discussing such personal matters with him? Then, he inquires about why I did not move back to my hometown.
Well, it doesn't mean everyone prefers living too close to their family. And he wonders why I always steer clear of him. Frankly, we've discussed these topics before. It's like we're stuck repeating the same conversation every time we cross paths. I simply don't wish to discuss my divorce and family matters with him.
27. Be Careful What You Wish For
My neighbor keeps blocking our driveway after a minor parking mistake we made. My partner has stopped using our driveway because he needs his car for work. I was hesitant to tow her vehicle as even a slight scratch might lead to us having to pay damages. I also felt reluctant about calling the authorities, even the non-emergency number, given how stretched they are currently.
So I spoke with a friend familiar with parking laws, who suggested approaching the local council. My friend also advised me to mention my doubt about whether our neighbor had sought approval to put in a dropped curb near her garden. I've been documenting instances when she blocks us and captures her intentionally avoiding our requests to move her car by peeking through her curtains and not answering the door.
After receiving all my photographic and video evidence, the council visited. Coincidentally, the neighbor had parked over the driveway at the time of their visit. The timing was perfect. They decided to instantly fine our neighbor due to the abundant evidence of her repeating the act.
They also looked into the issue of the dropped curb leading to her driveway. Here's something I didn't expect: I asked my daughter to ride her bike outside so I could eavesdrop on the conversation they were having. It turns out that our neighbor had applied for a dropped curb, which got denied because her garden was too small. It seems she went ahead and got the curb dropped anyway.
The council official informed her that they would make a decision about the curb. Likely, she'd have to finance the curb's return to its original state, with the potential of another fine thrown in.
28. Ruining The Holiday Cheer
I stay close to a park trail that leads directly to a dog park. My home security camera captured an odd event yesterday—one of my neighbors decided it was okay for their pooch to urinate on my Christmas display. The object they chose? An arrangement of three Christmas gifts, made from a light-filled wireframe wrapped in some nice fabric. This festive decoration was situated approximately 6 feet from the sidewalk and right on my lawn.
The neighbor simply lingered on, hands comfortably tucked in their pockets, while they watched their dog defiling my decorations. I snapped a few photos of the scene. Now, the images are slightly blurred, so it's hard to recognize the person's face. However, their outfit is quite visible, and it's clear that the dog is a shih tzu. I went ahead, printed these photos and covered them in protective plastic sleeves, before fixing them onto the gift boxes. To top it off, there was a sign featuring The Grinch, humorously conveying "He sees you when you're peeing".
Now, my camera is all set and poised, lying in wait for the next episode.
29. People Are Trash
A few months back, I purchased a lovely home with a spacious driveway. The house next door is closer to the street and they have a trailer in their backyard. After we moved in, we noticed a lady who lives in the trailer often uses our driveway as it's challenging for them to navigate their own cluttered property filled with rubbish and scrap metal.
This continuous use has started to create a large pothole in my driveway. At first, we didn't mind her driving on our property, but upon seeing the progressing damage, we vowed to discuss the matter with them. Meanwhile, for entirely different reasons, we decided to get our property surveyed so we could enclose our yard with a fence for our dog, a section far removed from our problematic neighbors.
Our neighbors seemed to have an issue with our surveying efforts and began to act out by yelling at the surveyors and claiming that our driveway was a "public road" and that we had no rights to put up markers because they asserted it wasn't ours. But indeed it is ours, as clearly stated in our deed and plot plan. In attempts to address the pothole damage and possibly split the cost of snow plowing, my husband tried to engage them in a conversation.
Shockingly, the response was extremely hostile—the house owner, the lady in the trailer, and her boyfriend all began to shout at my husband. They declined any responsibility or payment, they voiced aggressive threats against him, and to our utter disbelief, they began to berate our little three-year-old.
The boyfriend has now taken up the habit of shadowing us, yelling about our property markers anytime we have company. He practically dares us to seek counsel, even though our markers are in line with their own property plan. Based on advice from both the survey company and an attorney, we've decided to cease engagement with them in the future and are even considering a privacy fence to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
I'm extremely disheartened. Our own yard, our own home, should be places of comfort and peace, not battle grounds. It baffles me that someone would stoop so low as to insult a young child over a property line dispute. As horrifying as that is, it's not even like my child knows them or has ever tread foot on their property.
I find this all rather shocking. Why do people have to stoop so low?
30. Don’t Be That Neighbor
Back in 2009, I lived in Sydney, Australia's heart, in a ground floor apartment in a three-story building located in Randwick. The neighborhood was bustling, with plenty of charming local restaurants, lively nightlife, and Coogee beach down the road. My wife worked downtown while I was about an hour away, so the location was ideal for us against the city's traffic flood.
Being in the Army demanded early mornings to reach work by 5 am. As newlyweds, we were truly enjoying life in our cozy apartment, making friends with our amicable neighbors, sharing meals now and then. A new person moved to the top-most apartment of our building after a while.
We didn’t really get to meet or even bump into them in the staircase for a brief hello. Some minor inconveniences arose when they misused my parking spot, obstructing the garage and making me late for a couple of dinner appointments. We had to switch cars due to their frequent blocking, but owning a spare car kept my temper at bay.
Over time, some peculiarities surfaced. They owned several cars, and the faces were hardly ever the same; their Irish accents were consistent, though. Suspecting they were backpackers, we assumed the apartment was being used as a vacation rental or youth hostel, which wasn’t rare in Coogee, known for Irish backpackers.
The real distress kicked in when another group moved in who were disturbingly loud. They rumbled up and down the stairs, yelling as though at a rock concert, paying no heed to the time. Once past their threshold, they'd bang doors, blast the stereo, holler from the balcony and gulp drinks non-stop. When it continued for days, I approached them, requesting them to keep it down. They duly obliged the first two times.
However, within a week, they grew brazen, cranking up the music the moment I turned my back. Our neighbors felt the same, and despite complaints by others, there were no significant changes. This agony lingered over a month. In my bachelor days, I too indulged in occasional rowdiness, but settling into marital life and with hopes of starting a family, it was annoying.
On a rare evening after a party, around 2 AM, we returned emphatic and feeling merry. Despite the buzz, an immediate provocation awaited us—the uproarious singing and loud music from the top-floor apartment. In my vexed state, an idea struck me.
I asked my slightly reluctant wife to accompany me for "one last drink". We headed to the noisy neighbors' dwelling, knocking on the door and marching in without waiting for an invitation. Brushing past the small Irish man who answered the door, I walked in, started a conversation, helped myself to their drinks, and asked them to be hospitable and offer my wife a glass of wine, which she respectfully declined.
Determined about my intrusion, I chit-chatted about their travel, making myself at home with new drinks every few minutes until their fridge was bare. Somehow, my demeanor of friendliness amid the odd situation silenced any protest from them. From being seen in my uniform earlier, they perhaps had some assumptions, which I did nothing to clear.
A sudden realization that the number of people in the room were depleting spurred me to act on the initial motive. When told they had an early flight the next day, I grabbed a pan from the kitchen, barged into the packed, sweaty bedroom, flicked the lights on, and started banging the pan loudly, waking those who had slipped away from the room.
The unbearable ruckus and my assertive action clearly irked my listeners. Looking at the many barely-touched cans strewn on the counter and the three groggy men now awake in the room, I tossed the pans to the corner, stating sternly that if they never wanted a repeat of the event, they must wind up each day by midnight. With a faint "Yes Sir" in response, I wished them goodnight and headed back with my wife. A peaceful sleep embraced us that night.
From then on, for months, not a single issue arose. The group stayed for a few more weeks, behaving impeccably. I’m unsure if my approach was the best, but it did the trick. Stay calm and don't be that annoying neighbor.
31. To The Letter
What a roller coaster! I've been anxiously waiting for a large check for ages now. So I finally got in touch with the company, who told me it was shipped out two weeks back and there's nothing else they can do but wait. Notably, mail usually takes two days max here. In fact, my rent check got cashed in just three days after mailing.
The mystery thickened... There were loud knocks on my door at 9 this morning. No text, call or any communication whatsoever. I have two neighbors, one straight across and another downstairs. The one across almost never knocks and communicates via text or calls. The one downstairs has sworn off coming upstairs due to her hatred for the neighbor across, not to mention her difficulty with stairs because of a disability.
Noon struck, the loud knocking resumed. This time, it was the voice of my downstairs neighbor. She stood at my open door with my ripped-open letter in hand. The story went, she'd gone out at 5 am and returned one hour later to find the torn letter in the building's common area.
Good news: the check was intact. She suspected the neighbor across from me reluctantly discarded it after realizing it held no value to her. I was on the phone with the authorities in no time. Doesn't everyone know it's not okay to meddle with someone else's mail, adding a high-value check to the mix, makes matters even worse?
Additionally, the check was dispatched two weeks ago. Whoever got to it must've held onto it for days. The officers came and interviewed both neighbors. My downstairs neighbor wouldn't stop singing professing her fabricated fondness for me. My opposite neighbor, who isn't a fan of mine, vehemently denied the accusations.
Not too far in the past, she'd informed me immediately when my mail ended up in her box and I did the same for her. So, I have my suspicions on my 'savior' downstairs neighbor as well. The officer's verdict: no concrete proof, no case. His solution was to request a surveillance camera in the common area from the landlord.
Even with multiple thefts from the common area, the landlord declines to install cameras. The officer also suggested getting a PO Box for around $70 or trying out a post office app that alerts you on incoming mail for the day. The app seems promising.
Sadly, it appears that little can be done. It seems my neighbors now have a free pass to tamper with my mail. It's my hard-earned money at stake, so maybe a PO Box is the best way to go.
32. Too Close For Comfort
My driveway doubles as the school bus stop. Previously, parents would park in a way that blocked the street due to lack of parking space. We've managed to stop this by parking my fiancé's work truck, surrounded by cones, in front of our house. However, this has brought up another problem—the parents now know who I am and where I live as I am a teacher. This means they often approach me with school-related questions or issues.
For example, last Friday morning at the bus stop, a mother asked me about her child while I was trying to train my puppy. Then, another mother asked why an elementary school teacher, someone I have never met, assigns so much homework. This morning, a dad asked me about the school contract's sick day policy because his kid’s teacher took a week off due to being sick.
They came to know about me because I wore a district-union t-shirt to work last Friday. Given my job's nature, there is an expectation of maintaining a certain demeanor outside of work. Thus, I must be careful about how I interact with people, as it could affect my job.
33. Let Sleeping Babies Lie
Around two weeks ago, my wife and I welcomed a new baby into the world. Our little one is quite the handful, often crying throughout the night due to colic. This has left us both utterly sleep-deprived. As I head off to my day job, my wife dutifully stays at home to care for our newborn. We're lucky to reside in a pleasant neighborhood, surrounded by long-time friendly neighbors.
Recently, a family of five moved in across the street. Their behavior is certainly less than ideal. Loud noise, piles of trash, and late-night music is their norm, irking everyone nearby. Recently, an issue has cropped up that directly concerns us. One of their kids, who looks to be around nine, has taken to ringing our doorbell and bolting while I'm at work. As a result, our dog starts barking, waking our already restless baby.
This ongoing situation is taking a toll on my wife, pushing her towards a nervous breakdown. We're certain it's this kid because my wife has caught him in the act. A couple of days ago, I took a day off from work. As I was brewing coffee, I noticed him sneaking up to our house. I swiftly swung the door open and sternly warned him, promising serious consequences should he trespass on our property again.
34. Not Coming Up Roses
My saga began last autumn when I set 30 tulip bulbs into the roomy flower bed in front of my place. Not long after, I found my neighbor's dog regularly wreaking havoc, digging up my bulbs. I told my neighbor about it, and it seemed to stop. But this was only the beginning. The situation intensified when my tulips popped up through the soil—the neighboring girl started to bring her dog to play in my garden.
By play, I mean, her dog munching on my tulips and the little girl shredding the leaves. Observing this, I quickly went outside and calmly explained my concerns. She apologized and I believed everything was settled. But I was mistaken. Over the last few weeks, the little girl and her dog have turned my flower bed into their personal playground.
Each time I spot them and rush outside, the little girl scampers off as if it's all a big game. I've attempted reaching out to her parents again, but it feels like they're deliberately giving me the cold shoulder. Eventually, I contacted our landlord for a friendly intervention. True, they sent a reminder, but I'm still at my tether’s end. Just yesterday, I witnessed the girl next door swatting my remaining tulips with a stick like it's baseball.
Petals scattered all around and stems snapped. I was distraught. I knew I was too emotional to confront them then and there, so after cooling down, I ventured over to discuss the matter with the parents. Their response? Radio silence, even though I'm certain they were home.
Now I'm at a loss for what to do next. Our landlord knows the entire story, even gave me new flowers to plant, but they too fell victim to yesterday's rampage. Sure, they're just flowers at the end of the day, but seeing the damage this morning brought me to tears.
My 30 tulips, that took half a year to bloom—ruined.
35. Keep It Hush Hush, Or Else
I've got an immune disorder that affects my large intestine. It's not exactly a joyride. Typically, my nights include at least one trip to the bathroom or a snack to calm my finicky insides. I'm an athlete, so I usually rise early, around 5 am. My morning routine involves a stroll to the kitchen to grab an allergy pill and brew some caffeinated beverage.
Apparently, my new downstairs neighbor, who's been living there for a few months, finds this routine problematic. Would you believe she rang my bell yesterday morning? And, funny enough, this happened right after a particularly rough spell where I'd spent over two-thirds of the last three days sleeping it off. She claims she's been "dealing with" my routine for a while now. Her issues? A little hard to swallow.
She says my nighttime bathroom visits, or my early morning kitchen trips (either in socks or barefoot) are too "noisy" for her taste. Just so you know, I'm 5' tall, weigh less than 115 lbs, and I'm actually smaller than my neighbor. Anyway, I had a chat with the management yesterday, and they get it. Seems like they've been flooded with similar gripes about nocturnal noise, and they're quite tired of it.
They've offered to keep a note from my doctor on file and might get in touch with the disgruntled neighbor. A friend suggested I jot down my wake times at night for any future complaints. But honestly, right now I'm just on edge—every move I make, I wonder if it's too "loud".
This way of living? Not at all fun.
36. You’re On Candid Camera
I have a difficult relationship with my neighbor and installed security cameras to monitor his actions. In an interesting turn of events today, he came out onto his porch holding a clear jug and upon noticing the camera, he quickly phoned someone to voice his complaints about me. He seemed to find pleasure in boasting about how nervous he has made me, noting that I only installed the camera due to fear of revenge over an incident when he believes I damaged his plants. But, he didn't stop with that conversation.
He insulted me heavily, calling me an overweight witch, expressing how much he despises me, and declaring that he finds me laughable. He made mocking comments about my camera, threatened to install his own to catch me supposedly vandalizing his plants, and blamed me for the water backup he experiences each winter as he claims I don't clear the alley. He also vowed to sue me and report me to the authorities. Oddly enough, he specified that his issue was with me and not my husband. He voiced a number of other outrageous statements, claiming that I'm unstable.
He made several phone calls, repeating this slew of claims and accusations while continuously pointing at the camera. However, the most unsettling part was when he appeared ready to damage our flowers, as he never once drank from the clear jug he was holding. He immediately accused me of knowing his intention to ruin our plants.
Yet, the initial reason we installed the cameras was primarily to document his harassment. I haven't damaged any of his plants, nor do I trespass on his property. I'm usually asleep when he leaves for work, so his cameras won't capture anything. Also, the alley isn't our responsibility to clear, since it is not privately owned. I have doubts about his threat to sue me over an issue that I was never informed about or given the chance to rectify.
The cameras have only been in place for under a day, and we already have evidence which can feed into a potential civil suit. Oddly enough, he's the one referring to me as unstable. It's worth noting that he has a proven history of confrontation, often leaving his house to yell at multiple individuals, including myself and my guests. He also has a habit of delivering intimidating letters and publicly shouting at a new neighbor over a minor parking disagreement.
Yet, apparently, I'm the one who's unhinged.
37. A Little Too Honest
I share my home with five cats who I consider family. My usual routine involves leaving the house around 7:30 in the morning and not returning until after 6:00 in the evening, sometimes even later. Four out of my five cats are older, and two of them were taken in when their previous owners, who were elderly, had to shift to a nursing home. My cats generally venture out onto the front porch briefly and then relax on the back deck within a secure yard for the majority of their day.
Last night, as I got back home, a couple of my older cats made a beeline for the front door to soak up the warmth of the concrete steps and eagerly await the neighborhood kids who typically come by for a petting session. This has become their nightly tradition, though the other three cats would rather avoid children.
After about a quarter of an hour, I heard the familiar knock on our screen door, signaling that they'd like to come back in. I headed to the door to let them in, and by then a few neighborhood kids were still hanging about. One of these kids curiously inquired about my first name. When I told her, she replied that her mom told her to call me Crazy Cat Lady, but she suspected that couldn't possibly be my real name. It does make you wonder what impressions others might have of you.
38. The Long Goodbye
About eight months ago, a new family of six settled in the house next to mine. The family comprised of a father and mother and their four young children. I've been acquainted with the father for several years, and the mother is distantly connected to a friend. Despite initial reservations, I treated them with respect. Soon, problems began to emerge.
The couple had a tempestuous relationship. The mother often indulged in heavy drinking on weekends, arriving home late and engaging in loud disputes with her husband. Their kids bore the harsh brunt of this. They were regularly yelled at or neglected. They looked unkempt and their meals depended on whatever they could scrounge, as the family's budget prioritized drinking over groceries. Responsibilities like getting ready for school and childcare also fell on the oldest child, who was just seven.
Regrettably, the situation turned so bad that it led to a social services investigation. The school was also informed and is currently supporting the kids. When the weather improved in April, the neighbors opened their door, but the stench was so bad I had to seal all entrances to my house.
I've brought this up with the landlord several times, but the stringent renters' rights here tie her hands. They only pay rent sporadically, so there's little she can do. A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to find the house keys and a note, stating that the family had moved out, left unceremoniously behind my door.
Together with the landlord, I went in to confirm their departure; the state of the house was abysmal. I saw used diapers scattered everywhere, walls smeared with body fluids, abandoned food cans and scribbles all over the walls, along with broken bottles. The rented furniture was broken and stained, and the washing machine was full of wet, moldy clothes.
I noticed letters from debt collectors stacked untidily on the porch, and the electricity supply had been cut off. Some of the internal doors were either damaged or missing. The landlord has spent the past two weeks documenting the catastrophe to share with social services and the school. Consequently, she had to spend a substantial amount of time and money cleaning up and refurbishing the abandoned house.
From what we can gather, the parents separated again, and the mother has taken off with the kids, probably to dodge social services and debt collectors. She's bound to reappear because she's not savvy enough to elude them forever, but the landlord now faces significant financial loss with no realistic way of recovering. I must admit, though, I'm relieved they've left. I'm just glad I won't have to live next to them anymore.
39. What’s Yours Is Mine
Since we moved in four years ago, we've been having some difficulties with our peculiar neighbor. Apart from waking us up with his noisy motorcycle revs at 6 am, he also went ahead and planted trees on our land. Thankfully, he achieved his dream of becoming a Florida resident. Over the last few months, I've gotten to love the peace of sleeping past 6 am.
While casually browsing Zillow to check if his house had been sold, what do I see? My land, being advertised as part of his for sale property! The photo even showed the stake marking the start of his actual property. I contacted his real estate agent about this. She visited when I was at work and my husband showed her the actual property boundaries.
Ironically, the neighbor claimed it was his land. My husband produced a document from the GIS with our name as the owners, and she agreed to inform potential buyers about it. The planted trees are rather dreadful and seem to be crumbling. I thought I'd find out if the potential buyers wanted them relocated before I got busy with a chainsaw, but we haven't heard anything yet.
On a recent visit to inspect the best way to clear the trees, I found that the departing neighbor left a parting gift—seedlings which grew into thorn-covered trees intertwined with the sickly pines. Quite a surprise, I can tell you! You'd think real estate agents would spend a minute or two checking property boundaries before listing a house. But hey, what do I know?
40. Mind Your Business
Okay, let me share what's been going on with me. I have this small house in the countryside, where I live with my pets and farm animals, tending to my veggie garden and enjoying the peaceful quiet. Off in the distance, there's another house just across a field, separated by a stone wall.
This house belonged to an older couple till they passed, after which a local landlord bought and refurbished it. Being familiar with this landlord, and having a good rapport with his sons from high school, I had no issues with either him or the renovation.
The trouble started when the new tenants moved in—a couple in their 60s and their son in his 40s. I'd like to mention that I moved to the countryside for peace and quiet, and value my privacy. But, with an abundant display of assorted flags including religious ones, freshly moved in, they decide to pay me a surprise visit.
We hadn't even met before, and yet they were on my property, complete with a rowdy poodle. I wasn't too pleased, but introduced myself and asked them to refrain from bringing their dog to my place due to my own pets. Despite my clear hint, they insisted on a conversation that got quite bizarre with mention of their former town being filled with "Satanists". That ended with me asking them to ensure they wouldn't disturb me and thought that would probably be it.
But oh boy, they surprised me during election time, landing on my doorstep to ensure I was voting Republican. And, like that was not enough, when the pandemic hit and people were panic buying, they decided they needed my 50lb bag of flour to make bread for church. Their audacity got as far as trying to scare me by coughing towards my doorway when I refused.
This was getting too much, so I reached out to the landlord's son who was an old friend, to request that they have a word with their tenants about their behavior. I'm not sure if they did, but the tenants continued to bother me.
Now, with the ongoing power outage caused by a tropical storm, they frequently knock on my door to ask if I've got my power back yet. At one point, they made such a ruckus that I had to firmly ask them to leave me alone.
I'm at my wit's end now, contemplating about putting up upside-down crosses and other symbols they might find disagreeable, so I might finally get some peace. I’d be glad even if it just stops them from trooping onto my property uninvited.
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41. Ghosting The Neighbors
I just received a frustrating text from my not-so-lovely neighbors next door. You won't believe it, but someone actually gave them my cellphone number! My apartment's decor has a spooky vibe. There's these adorable ghost decals I've put up on my window—they're just cute smiley cartoons, nothing terrorizing or unsuitable. But, when their text message pinged in, it really got me riled up.
They said, "Hello: We'd really like it if you could take down your ghost decals from your window. We've been, and still are, investing thousands of dollars to enhance our property. This includes coordinating with your landlord to remove the unsightly chain-link fence and decayed material on our boundary line. We are paying for these enhancements which are going to help everyone, including you".
We're not sure if you realize that your window decor is visible from all our living areas—our kitchen, lounge, and dining room. We basically can't help but see it unless we keep our curtains shut all day. If required, we will get your landlord involved but we'd prefer if it doesn't come to that". Gee, how gracious of them.
42. Getting Catty
A couple of weeks back, a skinny and dirty cat began wandering my street. She had scars and ticks all over her head, ears, neck, and tail. Despite her condition, she was extremely friendly and appeared to seek food and warmth from the neighbors. I even caught her drinking water from the sump pump next door. Once I established she was abandoned, I decided to bring her into my home.
It was a cold evening and rain was due. I simply couldn't bear leaving her outside. But here's the twisted part—her owners didn't move away. They're still living right across the street. They deliberately abandoned this defenseless indoor cat outside, seemingly having no interest in her anymore. For nearly two months they coldly observed their own pet starving and suffering, while the rest of us were trying to identify her owners.
To say that I despise them is an understatement. I've scheduled a vet appointment for the poor kitty tomorrow. I'm hoping we can nurse her back to health and eventually find her a loving new home.
43. Talk About A Perfectionist
Man, do I detest it when folks can't be bothered to clean up their dog's mess—it's a minor effort and frankly, it's rude when people don't care. Just had a rather peculiar chat with a neighbour I'd never met before. He lives a few houses away with a tree-filled strip separating his home from the others. A couple of nights back, my dog insisted on doing his business in the woods near this guy's home.
I'm not entirely sure if the neighbour owner owns the woodland, but after my pet was done, I used my phone light to pick up the poop and planned to throw it away at home. Little did I know what was in store for me. Jump forward a few hours, I was out enjoying a game of fetch with my dogs when a stranger approaches my house, clutching a manila envelope.
My 'something's not right here' senses were buzzing, and the man seemed even more nervous noticing me outdoors. He introduced himself as the resident from three houses down and began beating around the bush. I won't bore you with the complete conversation, but here's what he believed would happen when he approached me.
He claimed to know my dog defecated on his property and while I removed most of it, I apparently left a tiny part. For this mishap he demanded $2,000 to make up for the little I supposedly left. He had prepared a whole document in the envelope, comprising images of me walking my dog, the dog poop, and the 'scene' complete with yellow marker tags you see on prodcedural shows on TV pointing at the remaining poop and a leaf my dog had flicked on top of it. The envelope also contained a list of costs he had incurred to find the offender, like night vision cams and evidence markers.
He left in a huff, expressing his displeasure about everyone's dogs fouling his lawn. He got agitated when I was unmoved by his rant and threatened me with court. I simply waved him off. Maybe his dog poop detective shenanigans will have better luck with someone else.
44. Just Desserts
For almost half a decade, my next-door acquaintance has been a continuous bother, albeit he kept a low profile in recent months. Today, a loud argument at his place caught my attention. His family members—several siblings and their mother—stormed out of his house while he yelled at them to leave. The problem escalated, with claims of him threatening to push his elderly mom down the stairs and his sister calling him crazy.
What sparked all this? Apparently, he's been involved in bank fraud. He counterfeited their mom's signature on a $50,000 loan, and they've just unraveled this dishonesty. From my unapologetic eavesdropping, I gathered that he's living in the house for zero rent, his mom covers his electricity bill, he wrongfully claimed her on his tax papers without her consent, and pocketed her stimulus check. His sister's fervent declaration was that she would inform law enforcement and get the house on the market.
I'm not entirely convinced that all of this will transpire, but I find a certain satisfaction in witnessing his imprudent actions come to light. I imagine he's freaking out right now, and I sincerely hope his days as my troublemaker neighbor are numbered. I will stay vigilant for any signs of an upcoming outburst headed my way. I've noticed a pattern, whenever he’s frustrated, he takes it out on me whenever I'm outside. I just hope he keeps his sanity throughout all of this.
45. You Are What You Eat
I've been in my new apartment for just a couple of months. The first time I had my dinner delivered late at night from DoorDash, the delivery driver told me they handed the order to "my girlfriend". The only catch: I live alone. My neighbor, on the other hand, lives with his girlfriend. It didn't take a detective to figure out they intercepted my meal.
Another similar incident occurred yesterday. I dozed off and didn’t pick up my food from the door. I suspected my neighbor might have swiped it again, but didn't have any solid proof. However, this morning, I found the remnants of my meal discarded in the parking lot. Naturally, I was livid—it’s a matter of basic respect.
I mean, what kind of person brazenly steals from their neighbor? I've considered confronting them directly, expressing my frustration and setting boundaries. But I doubt it will make a difference. Any neighbor who could so casually pilfer from you shows a complete lack of conscience. So, I'm brainstorming a lesson they won't forget.
I'm thinking of ordering delivery again. This time, I'll spice up the dish with a laxative—not an actual poison or anything dangerous, just enough to send a clear message. As a single mother living alone, I find it disheartening that a couple would have no qualms about exploiting me. Regardless of what I decide to do, my next move will be measured and calculated.
46. Leave Well Enough Alone
For the last couple of months, I've had this hunch that the person living above me has been swiping my mail. I'm a big fan of online shopping, ordering everything from books to art materials. Unfortunately, some of my smaller packages fail to show up when they're supposed to. Once, I spotted her loitering near my entry, and when queried, she claimed she was searching for something she'd lost in my yard.
A while back, I set up some hidden surveillance cameras that my neighbors wouldn't pick up on. My front door camera, in particular, is well concealed from the drive. So I put a plan into action. I ordered a few shipping boxes specifically for my neighbor. The first one I rigged was a glitter bomb, designed to explode in her face upon opening.
To make it believable, I packaged it to mimic a regular delivery parcel and left it at my front door. Not long after, only 20 minutes, I watched as she strolled up to my door. She checked around, grabbed the box and strolled off. My one regret is not witnessing her surprise when she was showered with glitter. Since then, my mail seems to be intact. Although, if she dares to swipe again, she's got another think coming.
47. It Wasn’t Me
My neighbor isn't the easiest person to get along with. Just yesterday, she popped over, pounding on our door. Earlier, she and her son had been outside by our house scrutinizing the drain. Some grimy baby wipes were clogging the main pipe out on the street, and she was convinced we were to blame. When I asked her why she believed it was us, her response was that we have a baby and these were baby wipes.
My significant other joined the conversation to declare that we never flush baby wipes. She remained skeptical, standing firm in her belief that we were the culprits since we're the ones with a baby in the house. I tried explaining that the wipes could well be cosmetics-related. Given the neighbor's fondness for heavy makeup and dubious fake tan, it's plausible she goes through a fair amount of make-up wipes. She walked away in a huff, vowing to send the bill our way.
Today, a professional arrived to unblock the drains. He chatted with my partner and revealed that our neighbor had, indeed, asked for the bill to be sent to us. However, he said they couldn’t do that—they would bill the person who called them, leaving it to our neighbor to sort out cost recovery from others. On asking for more info, my partner discovered that, lo and behold, the blockage was located upstream from our connection point to the main pipe.
The blockage source has to be either from our neighbor's house or the other neighboring house, which is currently unoccupied and up for sale. We've contacted the drain-fixing company and they’ve sent us a brief report of the blockage's location. Later this evening, our neighbor stopped by to let us know the sum she believes we owe her. We calmly told her that if she wants us to pay up, she should take the matter to small claims court.
48. We’re Always Watching
My buddy's sister has been bravely serving as a frontline nurse while her husband looks after their four kids. Just a few weeks ago, they managed to save up and redo their crumbling driveway. Just for context, they've been living in this neighborhood for six years, and we don't have a homeowners association here. Yet, surprisingly, they got this letter from some unnamed neighbors yesterday".
Congrats on getting your driveway fixed at last—it had seen better days. The improvement is quite noticeable. We're all glad to see that your family could financially manage this upgrade, or perhaps you finally gathered enough donation money. No matter the reason, it was long overdue. We request you kindly turn your attention to your front garden next.
“Lots of us really appreciate a tidy, weed-free yard, and it's a bit disheartening when residents don't make an effort to control their dandelions".
49. Excuses, Excuses
So here's the gist: my neighbor Greg seemed to have taken a liking to me. We had a friendly encounter in the lift once, and a week later, he chased after me down the street to ask where I was headed. When I shared that I was going for a coffee, he wanted to join me. Yet, there was one big fact he was unaware of—not only was I in a relationship, but I was also 15 weeks pregnant, though I wasn't showing yet.
To dodge his company, I told him I was meeting a friend for coffee. Despite my indirect decline, Greg asked our doorman for my contact, claiming I had authorized them to share it. I really wish they'd asked before giving out my number. Ever since then he has been texting me relentlessly, inviting me to different events, and it really started to get to me.
Finally, I worked up the nerve to address it directly. I texted him back today with the facts. I shared that I'm moving into a new place in October with my long-term partner, that I'm expecting, and that while he seems like a decent guy I have no interest in getting together. His response floored me. He laughed it off, saying I did not need to invent stories merely to avoid hanging out. And assured me he wasn’t interested in taking things further. I texted back clarifying that I wasn't making anything up.
Anyways, I wished him well, and all the very best, hoping this would be an end to things. However, in a twist, multiple neighbors have now told me that Greg's been spreading rumors that I'm concocting tales about my pregnancy and relationship just to avoid dating him. It's bewildering a man in his mid-thirties behaves this way. Thankfully, the rest of my neighbors have seen past his claims.
What troubles me now is the awkwardness bound to be felt if we cross paths again. The whole situation feels like I'm back in high school.
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