New Homeowners Bought A Lakefront Property And Told Neighbors They Couldn’t Use It Anymore, Stirring Up All Kinds Of Neighborhood Drama
by Matthew Gilligan
Are you ready for yet another edition of “Entitled Neighbors” from the pages of Reddit?
Well, you’re in luck, friends!
Check out what happened and see if you think this person is doing anything wrong…
AITA for shutting down access to my property and lakefront?
“I recently purchased several acres of wooded property, a good portion of which juts out into a rather large lake.
My little peninsula gives me some great lakefront, there’s a smallish strip of “beach,” a dock and a few boat slips.
Sounds great!
Because of the woods surrounding the lake, I’m the only lot for several miles that has access to the water without going bushwhacking through the trees.
Apparently, over the years my neighbors have gotten used to taking their boats down my driveway to launch, or going and spending time on the beach.
I bought the place over the holidays and just recently moved in at the beginning of the summer, and before anyone introduced themselves to me I was met with a regular stream of traffic cutting through my lot to the water.
At first I thought it was because I purchased the property and didn’t move in the right away, that everyone just assumed the house and land was vacant and could take advantage until that changed.
Just so you know…
So, I started walking out when I saw people and letting them know that I lived there now, and also making a point to make it obvious the house was lived in.
Not much changed so I got blunt and started asking people directly not to trespass on the property.
I wish I could say my direct approach solved the problem, but people would still trek right through.
I put up a fence, and put up a sign stating “private property” as well as a sign letting folks know that my dogs were on the property.
Once I put the fence up I started allowing them (the dogs) to roam the property and didn’t want any trouble.
Oh, boy…
Unfortunately, my neighbors took the fence and the dogs, despite the fact I owned the dogs well before moving to this lot, as an act of aggression.
I had a neighbor come to my door and literally yell at me because my dogs barked at her kids when they tried to pull their raft up onto my beach.
That same neighbor advised me that my lot has always been the neighborhood entrance to the lake.
Apparently, a number of the neighbors built the fire pit and put the tables and rocks and park like features out there.
In chatting with a couple of the friends I’ve managed to make in my new neighborhood, they confirmed that what the neighbor said was true, that my property has always been more of a park than a private lot.
I don’t blame them!
Anyway, while I feel bad that the convenience of nearby lake access has been cut off, I live by myself and I’m personally not comfortable with anyone and everyone just traipsing through my yard.
On one hand, I feel like it’s absolutely my decision to restrict access to my lot but on the other I’m wondering if I’m breaking some sort of unspoken rule of access that was established before I ever got here.
AITA for closing off my property?”
Reddit users weighed in on this story.
One reader said they’re NTA.
Another individual agreed.
This reader chimed in.
Another individual had a lot to say about this.
And this Reddit user shared their thoughts.
Sounds like common sense to me!
The neighbors don’t have to like it.
If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.
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