Moving into a new home can be daunting. You don’t know the dynamics of the neighborhood until you’re settled, and at that point, it’s too late to relocate. But there’s always a risk that someone new will move into the area and completely throw off the balance...
One woman hopped on Reddit to vent about her neighbors that have been wreaking havoc on her neighborhood ever since they moved in. So below, you’ll find the full saga of how they’ve terrorized their fellow neighbors, as well as a conversation with Susanna Haynie, broker and owner of Colorado Real Estate Group.
This woman was shocked to see her neighbors break into her backyard to use her pool
Image credits: Impactphotography (not the actual photo)
But that turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg of their inappropriate behavior
Image credits: seleznev_photos (not the actual photo)
Readers had plenty to say about the story, so the author replied with even more details
She also provided a brief update and explained why she didn't immediately call the police
Image credits: Brightside256
Image credits: Image-Source (not the actual photo)
But of course, this wasn't the last time the woman found herself in conflict with her neighbors
Image credits: ADDICTIVE_STOCK (not the actual photo)
She wasn't the only victim of the neighborhood tyrants either
Image credits: edb3_16 (not the actual photo)
Readers were invested in the situation and wanted to know even more background info
Eventually, the situation escalated to the point where police did get involved
But it turned out that it was the entitled mother who called the cops
Image credits: Brightside256
Image credits: Chalabala (not the actual photo)
Finally, the mom's actions did have consequences
Image credits: Brightside256
Image credits: rovenimages.com (not the actual photo)
Not everyone is interested in getting to know their neighbors
Growing up, my parents always knew the neighbors that lived close to us, and they were extremely social in the neighborhood. In fact, they still know all of their neighbors where they live today, and my mother keeps in touch with families that we lived close to nearly 20 years ago. There’s something heartwarming about having neighbors that you truly trust and grow close to, and sometimes I wish that I could experience that today.
Nowadays, however, it’s much more common for us to avert our eyes when we pass a neighbor or wait to leave the building until there’s no one else in the stairwell. And according to a survey from the Pew Research Center, older Americans are more likely to build a relationship with their neighbors than younger people are.
In fact, 34% of people over the age of 65 say that they know the majority of their neighbors, while only 20% of those between the ages of 18 to 29 can say the same. But the survey did find that, even though we’re all consumed by our phones, interactions between neighbors are still more likely to occur in person than via text or email.
Of those of us who do keep in touch with our neighbors, two thirds say that they would feel comfortable asking a neighbor to hold onto a set of keys to their home in case of an emergency. And although social events among neighbors don’t happen very often nowadays, but when they do, they’re likely to occur between higher-income Americans.
Image credits: CHUTTERSNAP (not the actual photo)
"Because we all have different ways to live, once we start living closer together, others' behavior affects us"
To learn more about this situation and conflicts that can arise between neighbors, we go in touch with Susanna Haynie, broker and owner of Colorado Real Estate Group. Susanna was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and discuss her thoughts on this story.
First, she noted that, while conflicts between neighbors may be common, extreme cases like this are not. "Because we all have different ways to live, once we start living closer together, others' behavior affects us, and it becomes a problem," she explained.
So is there anything home buyers can do to prevent themselves from moving into a home next to terrible neighbors? "Being a real estate agent, I pay attention to what buyers are telling me. Maybe they talk about things that happened previously, and they can't handle a similar situation, i.e. a neighbor has a dog that is barking when we are visiting a property. My buyers turned around, not even looking at the property," Susanna shared.
"In another instance, we were looking at a property, and a neighbor had several huge wind chimes that sounded more like church bells ding donging in the wind. The buyers still looked at the house, but once they stepped outside onto the deck and the wind chimes were more than gently and somewhat quietly sounding in the wind, buyers declined to make an offer even though they liked the house," the expert continued.
But Susanna has some recommendations for prospective home buyers who want to make sure they'll like their neighbors. "Drive the streets of the new neighborhood in the evening and at night to see what's going on," she shared. "Actually talk to the neighbors to get a feel for who they are and if there is an issue in the neighborhood or with the house for that matter. Other neighbors are the first people to tell you about it. This is not a 100% foolproof strategy, but it definitely helps."
"Reporting to the authorities is one of the last resorts"
And if you have issues once you've moved in, the real estate broker says that some things can be mitigated by talking to the neighbors. "A non threatening request can go a long way," Susanna noted. "But who wants to confront a neighbor, not knowing what to expect and who likes to be told how to live?"
If your neighborhood has an HOA who can step in, especially if the neighbor is violating an HOA rule, Susanna says they can take off the burden of having to personally confront the resident. "Reporting to the authorities is one of the last resorts, but that, of course, is usually limited to threats, actual damage or crime," she added.
"If the violating person is a tenant, there is a much higher chance that at least at some point they are moving. Or if the behavior is damaging enough, the landlord can be pulled in to address the situation," the expert shared. "If you are dealing with an owner, that situation is much tougher, since the likelihood of that person moving anytime soon is much lower."
Unfortunately, sometimes the only option left is to simply relocate yourself. "My 80-year-old mom moved into a townhome, and the new tenants next door were smoking pot, the smell penetrated into her house," Susanna told Bored Panda. "She tried to talk to them, but they were offended, saying that they were not smoking anything, when it was very clear they were. How else would it smell the way it did in my mom's house? She ended up moving because she just couldn't handle the situation, and that would ultimately be your only option. But who knows what will happen in your new location?"
Having a solid security system can also prevent conflicts between neighbors
And if you’ve had experiences like the ones described in this story, for example, you might want to upgrade your security and keep to yourself. When it comes to making sure that your home is safe, even with bad neighbors living nearby, Onit Home recommends first installing an alarm system. It’s also a good idea to make sure that any sliding doors are reinforced, as the locks they come with are often easy to pick.
Having a security system on your property can also be extremely helpful if neighbors are lurking around. You’ll have hard evidence to show the police too, if they need to get involved. Motion activated lights can also be helpful to know immediately if anyone is outside, and you’ll always want to be sure that garages and sheds are secure.
But these precautions aren’t only important when you’re at home; they can be crucial when you’re out of town for a week or after you’ve made a big purchase. Your neighbors might be keeping an eye on your home and notice when you’re not around, so it’s best to be prepared in case they try to take advantage of your absence.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have responded if your neighbors were behaving like this? Feel free to weigh in, and then check out this Bored Panda article featuring similar drama between neighbors!
Image credits: AS Photography (not the actual photo)
Readers were captivated by the saga and happy to hear that karma was eventually served
