RelationshipsSEP 6, 2024

Neighbor Deals With Teen Who Uses Their Driveway, Now He Has To Pay Up For Hedge He Ruined

"Love your neighbor as you love yourself" is sometimes easier said than done. Especially when one of your neighbors keeps rubbing you up the wrong way. 75% of Americans polled in a 2022 survey said they dislike at least one of their neighbors. While 23% admitted to calling the police because of a neighbor.

There are plenty of ways a neighbor can get on your nerves. They might be noisy, nosy, rude or untidy. For one man, it was a matter of parking. He’d had enough of his neighbor’s kid using his driveway while he was out, so he decided to park him in. But he wasn’t prepared for what happened next. The man asked the internet whether he'd gone too far.

He was tired of asking the neighbor's kid not to park in his driveway so he decided to teach him a small lesson by blocking him in

Image credits: Ferhat Kocakaya / pexels (not the actual photo)

When the kid desperately needed to get out of the driveway, he resorted to drastic measures

Image credits: ckstockphoto / pexels (not the actual photo)

Image source: Competitive_Rough246

The kid clearly wasn't considering the consequences when he plowed his car through a hedge that had been minding its own business

Now the kid is among a whole bunch of others who think their neighbor is an AH. A Lending Tree survey revealed that three quarters of Americans don’t like their neighbors. The main reason is “because they give off a weird vibe”. Being rude and being loud were the next biggest gripes. Gen Z are the most likely generation to dislike a neighbor. 8 in 10 of those polled said they had at least one neighbor they couldn’t stand. 1,537 people took part in the survey.

The Gen Zs were also twice as likely as baby boomers to complain about neighbors who smoke cigarettes. While millennials moan more about problem pets. The Gen X clan can’t handle rudeness and baby boomers hate neighbors who don’t keep their yards tidy. When it comes to petty fights over parking, only 13% of people stated that as the reason they don’t like the person living next door.

What a house looks like from the outside is important to many people. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans polled admitted they felt pressured to keep up with the Joneses. Especially when it comes to the exterior of their place. Some even said they spent above their means to keep the outside of their home looking pretty. This included things like shrubbery or hedges. Others spend money making sure a flashy car is on display in the driveway.

The neighborhood kid would probably have to pull quite a few extra shifts to replace the poor shrub and fix his car

It’s unlikely the OP or their neighbor would be moving because of the incident. But 1 in 10 Americans said they had previously packed up due to a neighbor, while 23% had considered it. According to Moving.com, there’s a proper way to handle disputes before deciding to ditch the neighborhood. “There’s a big difference between a neighbor who causes an occasional annoyance and one who seriously interferes with your quality of life,” notes the site. So before taking any drastic action, make sure the “problem” is really a problem.

The site suggests keeping a log of the offending behavior for at least a week or more. Make sure you’ve researched the rules about your neighborhood, complex or apartment building. Find out what other neighbors have to say about the issue you’re having. Take time to cool off before confronting the neighbor in question. And be willing to compromise.

When you’re ready to have the talk, do it in a polite but direct manner. "If you’re not comfortable with a face-to-face confrontation, it’s perfectly acceptable to leave a note or send an email or text message outlining what’s going on. It’s even okay to leave an anonymous note if that’s the only way you feel comfortable doing it," states the website. If all else fails, get outside help. Ask your landlord, housing board or an attorney to assist.

Fortunately, the OP and the kid's dad could discuss the incident over a beer. And come to an amicable solution. In the end, the person who parked where they shouldn't have is the one paying the biggest price. He's also the one that's the most pissed off.