Neighborhoods grow and evolve. In many cases, this can be a good thing, but that is not always the case.

What happens if a house next door to you is knocked down and a huge new one is put up that drastically changes your views?

That is what happened to the homeowner in this story and he is taking it out on the new neighbors.

AITA for telling the new neighbors that they got what they paid for, including being shunned by the neighborhood?

Where I live, real estate developers have started snatching up family homes, bulldozing them and building enormous 2 million dollar houses on the plots of land.

Some people must like them if they are selling for so much.

The houses also stick out horribly in terms of aesthetics – think single level brick homes with a 3-level gigantic white and black box in the middle.

My home’s been in my family for several generations.

Sounds beautiful.

We have always been known for having a large, beautiful garden.

We invited over kids to help with gardening, we gave away so many veggies, we’d hold parties, etc.

It’s been a neighborhood treasure for years.

I can see why he is heartbroken.

Until developers snatched up the lot next door, bulldozed, and erected an enormous house that blocked out the light to most of the garden.

Many of us tried to fight it with the city but everything was denied.

It was heartbreaking.

Our neighborhood has been changed forever.

This was a link to my family and I almost have had to go through a grieving process for it.

It really wasn’t their fault.

The new owners moved in and were not welcomed warmly by people in the neighborhood.

I avoided them for as long as I could, other than politely waving or nodding.

It was a young couple in their early 20s.

We finally came face to face and the woman asked if we could chat.

She said that they felt like maybe they’d done something wrong when they moved in, or if they aren’t pulling in their trash bins or something, being too loud, etc, because people haven’t been very friendly.

The guy says that he’s surprised considering it felt like a “nice” and somewhat “affluent” neighborhood, and given the price, he was expecting friendly neighbors.

He is being a little rude.

I asked if they had done any research about the area.

They said that they moved from California, so no.

I said that maybe that was their mistake?

They said they didn’t know what I meant, so I asked if they’d ever looked in our backyard.

They said yes and said they think the garden is cute.

I said “Yes, the garden that now has about half less sunlight than before that house was built was a neighborhood treasure.”

The guy said “Well it’s not our fault you built the garden there, is it?”

I said “Well, you guys got what you paid for. 2 million dollars for a house that everyone in the neighborhood hates.”

I said that I hoped it was worth it and wished them a nice day.

When I told another neighbor about the exchange, she told me that she does feel bad for them moving without having any idea what they were getting themselves into.

AITA?

I can see why this guy is upset, but it really wasn’t the new homeowner’s fault.

Let’s see what the people in the comments think.

There is no way they could have known.

It really is hard, but he is lashing out.

Exactly, this person is hurt and mad at the wrong people.

Yup, they didn’t intentionally harm the garden area.

Yup, they are not to blame!

He is really blaming the wrong people!

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.