Few are fortunate enough to pick their neighbors. But while there are many decent people you might be lucky to live next to, sometimes, the situation can be quite the opposite.
As this Redditor found out, in these situations, losing sleep over the loud “discussions” next door can quickly become an everyday thing. However, when these people started threatening other neighbors, he didn’t hesitate to deal with the situation by sharing his security cameras’ footage with the police, ending up as a local hero. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info: Reddit
While not all neighbors are a pleasure to live next to, some feel as if they were sent straight from hell
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
The lovely people living next to the man were replaced by a married couple who constantly screamed at one another and anyone else who'd ask them to keep it down
Image credits: Erik Mclean (not the actual photo)
Hearing threats being dashed around, the man installed security cameras and caught his neighbor physically assaulting a woman living across the street
Image credits: TriumphDaWonderPooch
He took the footage to the local police station, which resulted in the husband going to jail and being prosecuted for the assault charges
The OP shared that he lives in a decent condo community where everything was nice and quiet for a good while. The situation changed when a couple living next door moved out, passing over the place to the woman’s sister and her husband.
As the author called it himself, the married couple often had screaming matches late into the night, which they themselves referred to as simple “discussions.” With some of those so-called “conversations” even involving threats of shooting one another, the OP was prompted to install security cameras outside his house.
Things took a turn when, during one nightly shouting match, the poster decided to check the cameras and discovered that the married couple was not only screaming at each other, but the husband also involved the neighbor across the street, threatening her and her kids.
When the police were called, the couple lied and pretended they had done no such thing. However, the OP couldn’t let them get off that easily. He once again reviewed the camera footage and found that right before the screaming match, the husband actually did argue with said neighbor outside of her house and, at one point, physically assaulted the woman by throwing an unnamed object at her.
Having a concrete piece of evidence on his hands, the author took it straight to the local police station, where he was informed that the footage matched what the attacked woman described. The sergeant assured the man that the DA (District Attorney) would be able to use this evidence, and sure enough, the husband was soon arrested and prosecuted for the assault.
The commenters applauded the OP for his actions. Some also shared similar stories that happened to them, and others argued that this was not really a revenge story, but not a single person objected that the story’s author did the right thing.
Image credits: Ron Lach (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda reached out to the OP TriumphDaWonderPooch, who was very surprised that his post got so much recognition online. We asked him a few questions to get an even deeper insight into his story.
The author explained to us that the story in question took place a few years ago, and besides the married couple being evicted, there hasn’t been much development since. “I’ve become somewhat email buddies with the owner/landlord, and his current renter seems to be a fine person,” said the man.
The poster further said that even though the wife in this story appears to be a tiny bit less problematic, she was really just as complicit as her husband, just not as outwardly violent. He added that one night, during their usual ‘discussions’ outside, she screamed at the family across the street when nicely asked to keep it down.
While the man did have a baseball bat laid down next to the door as a second option, which he got from his buddy who heard the story, he advised anyone dealing with a similar situation not to hesitate to get cameras. “And do not be afraid to call the police. Document whatever you can, and keep a low profile. Then give whatever you can to the authorities.”
The OP expressed that his only regret was not calling the police sooner because of the children that the married couple had with them. “Until the night/morning of the video, I never heard a peep from the girls. I should have taken them into consideration earlier,” said the author.
Image credits: IKRAM (not the actual photo)
Hostile neighbors can be a real problem. But, like with every problem, there are usually multiple ways to deal with it. So, while getting security cameras is likely the best approach, we decided to look into other options SafeHome presented us with.
The first step that the article suggests actually comes before moving in. Even though things might change with time, doing some reconnaissance of the property ahead of signing the lease leaves less to chance and gives you an opportunity to see what you’re getting yourself into.
But if problems do arise, the first step would be to try to talk it out while all parties involved are calm and look for solutions. And if your words alone are insufficient, you can turn to outside help, like a mediator, to help you solve the conflict.
However, not everything ends with words. So, to keep someone away from your property, you could consider installing a home security floodlight. Being put in a literal spotlight can quickly drive away anyone who’s not supposed to be there. In addition to that, it might be wise to invest in quality home security equipment, like smart locks, door and window sensors, and video doorbells.
Lastly, if the situation does come to the point where authorities must be involved before calling the police, you could opt to contact your Homeowners' Association, Condo Association, or the Mayor’s office. However, if the evidence is strong enough, this option might just waste more time for the same results.
In the end, sometimes it can be hard to predict when a problem like that will knock on your door. But when it does, the right thing to do will always be to protect yourself and others from possible harm, just like the OP did.
What did you think of this story? Have you had any similar experiences? Come to the comments below and share!
The commenters praised the poster for his actions and agreed that his neighbor deserved everything that he got
