John, a man living in a rural area, faces a dilemma when his neighbors express discomfort with his presence by a pond that is on his property because he was sitting near their kids playing. Here is what he had to say:
A Rural Setting
John, a 40-year-old man, lived in a somewhat rural place with decent land between houses and a lot of forest. In between his land and his neighbor’s land was a decent-sized pond, technically all on his land, but one side of it was surrounded by his neighbor’s land. There was a dock on it that John upgraded about 15 years ago, making it somewhat nice. It was right next to the property boundary, which would become important later.
He Regularly Uses the Pond
John would go down to the pond somewhat often, usually for a few hours in the evening with his dog, his work computer, and sometimes a drink. His neighbors, a couple in their late 20s/early 30s who moved in a few years ago, had a pair of young kids, both under ten. Their backyard was not far from where John was in the evening, and neither yard was fenced in. Every few days, the kids would come outside when John was down by the pond.
They Felt Uncomfortable
John would usually ignore them, but about a week ago, his neighbors approached him and asked if he would go inside or somewhere else when their kids were outside. They said they felt uncomfortable letting their kids go into the backyard and that their kids were also scared of John’s dog.
He Didn’t Pay Attention
John did not pay any attention to their kids, usually facing away from them and never directly facing them. He understood why they would not want their kids outside alone with him nearby, but he wanted to clarify that he was not on any registry nor did he have any criminal history. However, he understood that they may feel uneasy about their kids being around a man they did not know very well.
The Dog was Large
John’s dog was always tied up when he was on the dock with him. He never barked when they were down there, usually napping. He was a fairly large dog, weighing 75-80 pounds, but there was almost no chance he could or would hurt the kids.
Accused of Drinking in Excess
The neighbors also expressed concern about John drinking. John assured them that he did not get anywhere near the point of being intoxicated, and it was at most one drink when he did have it, which was only a couple of times a month.
He Received an Angry Letter
John told them that he appreciated them reaching out to him, but he was not going to stop going down to the pond. This week, he kept doing it, and he received a somewhat angry letter.
Straight to the Internet
John started to doubt if he should just head inside whenever his neighbors come outside. He didn’t want to cause any more tension between them, but he also didn’t want to give up his peaceful evening routine. John decides to head to the internet and asks a popular internet forum for ideas.
The Internet Responds
One person comments, “I don’t understand how they are mad at you for quietly using your own property. It’s bonkers. As a mom of young-ish kids it’s important to teach the kids to be good neighbours too, by letting them play quietly and do their own thing without interrupting your joy of using your own property.”
More Internet Comments
Another person writes, “I feel like the easy fix for this is a good meet and greet lunch or something. Show he’s a normal dude who like the outdoors, show that his dog is actually just a sweety who’s tied up, and have the kids (and parents really) practice their needed people skills.
Not saying he’s in the wrong, and the family could totally not go for that, but that’s the nicest way to fix this and have a good relationship with your neighbors. People here are too concerned with “they are the jerk so you don’t have to be nice” when sometimes it’s better to try to be pleasant. You’re stuck with these neighbors for a while at least so try to make nice?”
A Final Response
A final person writes, “Tell them to build their kids a fence if they don’t like it. You are on your property, they don’t get to dictate your behavior on your own property. If they don’t like it their kids can play in the front yard, they can supervise their kids while outside, or they can build a fence. Not your problem.”
MORE FROM SMART GAMING LAB – SHE OWNED A LARGE TRANQUIL HOUSE AND ALLOWED NEIGHBOURS TO TAKE SHORTCUTS THROUGH HER LAND, BUT WHEN THEY STARTED TAKING LIBERTIES SHE TURNED TO PETTY REVENGE
Living in a large house with a huge property surrounding it was a dream come true for this woman. However, when her neighbors started to take advantage of her goodwill, she had to take revenge.
HER MOTHER STOLE HER INHERITANCE AS PAYBACK FOR HER MEDICAL BILLS WHEN SHE WAS FOUR, SHE CLAIMED THE MOTHER OWED HER MORE AFTER YEARS OF THEFT, SO SHE SOUGHT LEGAL ACTION
An 18-year-old woman, currently undergoing immunotherapy, was supposed to receive 125k from her grandfather’s inheritance to pay for her college fees. But her mother, who had taken upwards of 250k from her daughter in the past, wanted the money all to herself as payback for her child’s medical bills when she was four.
HE MOVED TO HIS DREAM APARTMENT, BUT WHEN HIS ENTITLED NEIGHBOR FOUND OUT HE LIVED ALONE THEY TRIED TO FORCE HIM TO TRADE
In a recent move from Miami to Orlando, a man found a nice apartment complex where he could work from home and live with his two dogs. However, when a family of four moved in and questioned why he needed a 2-bedroom apartment when he lived alone, the man found himself in a confrontation with an entitled neighbor.
A WIFE BEGRUDGINGLY SHARED HUSBAND WITH ENTIRE FEMALE NEIGHBOURHOOD, BUT WHEN SHE SAID SHE WANTED HIM ALL TO HERSELF AGAIN, SHE WAS ASKED TO STOP BEING SELFISH
In a neighborhood made up entirely of women, there was only one husband to go around. The female neighbors called on him for household chores and flirted with him in front of his wife. The wife allowed it for some time before things went too far. She took action and was unaware of what was to come.
THEY MOVED TO THEIR DREAM HOME IN LA, NOW THEIR ENTITLED BOOMER NEIGHBORS ARE MAKING THEIR LIFE HELL WITH CONSTANT COMPLAINTS
A couple of years ago, a man and his wife purchased a house in Los Angeles. With a decent-sized yard and a few chickens, it was the perfect place for their family of five – three boys, 6-year-old twins, and a 9 years old.
Images are for illustrative purposes only