Living in a neighborhood comes with good and bad neighbors. Good neighbors are those who will always lend you a hand when shoveling snow or when you run out of sugar. Bad neighbors will probably only cause you annoyance and will complain about the most minuscule things.
This family had exactly that kind of neighbor, yet the man found a way to deal with the entitled neighbor in a particularly petty way. Because her thing was filing complaints about the most absurd things, he decided to turn the town code against her and treat her to a party with some 1900s Greek chanting music. And he did it in a way that's legal.
A man found a way to deal with his neighbor's constant complaints to the authorities
Image credits: Nathan Anderson / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
He went by the book and got a permit to blast loud 1900s Greek chanting music while she was having a party
Image credits: Vanessa Garcia / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Z-mount
Image credits: A. C. / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
A neighbor would only be liable for water damage if they altered the landscape and caused water damage to another neighbor
Neighbors filing complaints against each other is quite common. According to a 2019 FindLaw survey, 42% of Americans say they've been involved in a dispute with their neighbors. Yet few neighbors complain to the authorities about things like dry wells or floodlight covers.
The most common complaints are about noise, pets and animals, children, visual nuisances like trash, and property lines. Most people approach their neighbors directly and solve the issue by having a conversation. But one in four also admit to involving the police, and 15% said they've complained to their homeowners' association.
In a case where rain causes water to flood a person's garden or yard, a neighbor is not legally responsible. According to the experts at Nolo, "a neighbor is not liable for harm caused by the natural conditions of land."
"If the land lies in such a way that a particular amount of water is dumped onto your backyard every year from rain running off your next-door neighbor's property, it's not legally your neighbor's fault."
If the owner had altered the landscape in such a way that caused the water to flow into the neighbor's garden, then he would be at fault. In essence, if the man in this story had done any landscape improvements that caused the neighbor damages, he would've been liable.
In some cases, homeowners get flood insurance that covers the damages from outside flowing water. While it's hard to say whether this neighbor can, her best bet is probably to pay for the dry well herself.
Image credits: olia danilevich / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Experts advise always trying to talk to your neighbors about issues
Although the old saying says, "Love thy neighbor," many homeowners do not. In fact, 53% of Americans say they have annoying neighbors. According to Cora Jordan, author of Neighbor Law: Fences, Trees, Boundaries and Noise, these are some potential ways to deal with a difficult neighbor:
- Try having a conversation. Although it may sound trivial, having a calm, direct discussion about the issue at hand can do wonders. Many disputes arise because we assume the other person won't listen. Try to be cooperative: if there's an issue, say something like, "How do you think we should proceed?" Also, always try to leave an open door to compromise; kindness can go a long way.
- Convene with other neighbors. There's strength in numbers: if the other neighbors experience similar things, try approaching the bad neighbor together. Perhaps one of the other neighbors has a better relationship with them and will get the others' point across better.
- Try mediation. If a neighbor is making you lose your marbles, ask someone else to be a mediator between the two of you. An outsider may not get as emotional and will be more objective about the situation.
Although petty revenge sounds good in theory and makes for an entertaining story, the mature thing to do is often much more boring. Revenge might escalate the conflict further and drive the neighbor to even worse antics. When you think about it, that's what happened to the lady in this story, didn't it?
The woman was unpopular in the neighborhood, so other neighbors didn't even mind
People approved of him putting the annoying neighbor in her place: "Grade A malicious compliance"
Others had similar stories to share: "Being Scottish, I played bagpipe music"
