Homeowner Says Neighbor Expected to Use Their Yard for Weeks Without Asking
One homeowner says a neighbor with an overgrown yard came up with an easier solution than clearing a path for an upcoming plumbing project: use someone else’s property instead.
The homeowner, going by the username u/crazymom1978, described the dispute in a Reddit post on a sub dedicated to neighbors straight from the pits of despair. Their backyard fence begins near the back of the house, leaving an open side yard next to a narrow strip of the neighbor’s property.
According to u/crazymom1978, they already maintain that strip—because the neighbor does not. They wrote that the neighbor’s backyard has become filled with chest-high weeds, and an overgrown hedge has outright blocked access to the area from the front of the property.
The situation went from irritating to disruptive when the neighbor needed plumbing work on the side of her house facing the poster’s home.
The Situation Only Escalated
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Neighbour using my property because they are too lazy to take care of their own.
by
u/crazymom1978 in
neighborsfromhell
The homeowner said they looked outside one evening and saw the neighbor walking up their driveway with another person. The pair crossed into the side yard, followed the sidewalk to the fence, and then walked across the lawn toward the neighbor’s house.
The duo stopped near the area where water enters the neighbor’s home. So commenced a new layer to these jaunts.
The homeowner did not say anything at first because they assumed it was a one-time visit. Then they said they overheard the neighbor telling the person she planned to hire that he could park at the homeowner’s house and use the driveway and property to reach her home.
When u/crazymom1978 confronted her, she said “the work was ‘only’ expected to last about three weeks,” according to the original poster.
Previous Access Allegedly Left Lasting Damage
The poster said one earlier incident caused relatively minor damage. A second left their backyard unusable for about three months.
The latter situation proved especially difficult to navigate because u/crazymom1978 reported having a physical disability, requiring relatively even ground to walk safely. They eventually had to remove much of the grass and level the area again.
Five years later, they said they are still dealing with bare patches in the lawn. Those repairs are made all the more difficult, however, because their dogs frequently play there.
Multiple commenters proposed ultimatums and urged u/crazymom1978 to stand their ground. U/derpplerp suggested, “Warn the plumber that you are quick to call a tow.” Another, u/BoomeramaMama, advised, “Start budgeting for or take out a home equity loan to completely fence in your property. Any gate you may have in the fence, put a lock on it from day 1.”
U/“We are saving up to do exactly that.”
