You can’t control your neighbors — but with the right permit, you can control how you seek revenge.

Sometimes it works out that you really can have exactly what you want while annoying your neighbors at the same time!

Read how one Redditor visits their old neighborhood and gets the scoop on one neighbor’s biggest score.

Permanent structure? Okay!

I grew up in an okay town that has since become a bit…snobbier.

I was driving down my old street last year, and I saw my old neighbor, Andrea, sitting on her front porch, so I stopped in to say hi.

Oh, you just know Andrea is gonna spill some tea…

Turning into the driveway, I noticed a regulation-sized soccer goal in her next door neighbor’s small front yard….which is VERY out of sync with the rest of the neighborhood.

It made me laugh a little.

After a quick catch-up, I learned a couple of things: she’s the last of my old neighbors who still lives on the street and the neighborhood has become very “keeping up with the Jones’,” with the exception of her next-door neighbor.

I asked about the soccer goal, and here is the story:

The neighbor has a young daughter who loves soccer. She would spend hours in the front yard kicking goals into a small goal anchored in the front yard with tent spikes.

And then a nosy neighbor gets involved…

Apparently, another neighbor (they don’t know who, but they suspect the people directly across the street) complained to the township because of the “semi-permanent structure” in the front yard.

The neighbor got upset….obviously. It was basically a toy in the front yard!

Cops came to their house, they got a warning.

Can a compromise be made?

Then, they thought it would be ok as long as they took it down when they weren’t home, but nope.

Cops were called again, and they were fined WHILE the daughter was using it!

The fine said something about having a semi-permanent (because of the tent stakes) structure.

They fought back.

Cue malicious compliance: they weren’t allowed to have a semi-permanent structure, but they COULD have a permanent structure!

So, they went, got a permit from the township, dug the holes, filled it with concrete, and built a regulation-sized goal and hung the permit on one of the poles!

Now, the mystery neighbor has to look at that goal every day.

That’s a hilarious way of getting around the rules and annoying the neighbor who complained at the same time!

How does Reddit feel about this big goal?

Let’s read the comments below to find out.

Redditors were so ready to praise this malicious compliance.

Others had ideas for other structures they could build on their property.

And other readers called karma!

Some were so happily surprised that they had few words to leave.

This neighbor needs to mind their own business!

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.