Imagine buying a house and then four years later, the previous owners want to claim something they sold along with it.

That’s what happened in this situation when the previous owners decided they wanted the water fountain they left there four years ago.

But the current owners don’t want them to pick it up. Are they in the wrong?

Let’s analyze the situation.

WIBTA if I refused to give up a water fountain the previous homeowners abandoned 4 years ago?

In September 2021, we purchased a home that was built in 2019 & we moved in immediately.

The previous owners (PO) left a few things at the home, including a water fountain.

Within the first month, the PO asked if they could collect the fountain, we said that was fine, but they never came.

It’s now March/April of 2025, 4 years later, and has been sitting in the front yard.

That’s a long time. So she figured she would keep it.

Over the last 2 years, I have been organizing, prepping, and designing my front garden where it will be incorporated into my design.

I am an avid gardener and decided to redo the garden, but haven’t yet planted anything.

It’s has taken me a while to actually get started for multiple reasons.

The first year we were settling in.

2nd year I had to learn about the seasons (I’m from Florida, we don’t have seasons), research native plants, best planting times, amongst other things.

It was a lot of work.

The most important reason was because the house was built poorly and we had to repair an entire wall that was in the main section of the garden.

There is no point for me to plant when we will be doing construction work.

After we finished the exterior part of the wall, winter started.

The roof still needs repairs, but I have access to the area now.

I planned on power washing, repairing, and painting the water fountain this weekend, but I got covid and again delayed.

The project was still standing after all that time, though.

I dismantled the fountain and relocated it to various places to be worked on.

Suddenly, the PO messaged my husband stating he wants the water fountain back, it’s his 45th anniversary soon and it was his wife’s 35th anniversary present.

Wow. Did his wife forget his birthday and panic?

He stated he’ll be by this weekend to get it.

I told my husband to inform the PO that I’m no longer willing to part with it.

PO, states it’s not mine to ‘part with’ and he’ll be by to pick it up.

It’s his birthday gift, apparently. But not according to any law.

It has been on our property for 4 years.

It’s considered abandoned property after 30 days, we gave him the chance to pick it up, but they didn’t.

We’re not a storage unit.

What claim is it his to come get it?

I understand it was an anniversary gift but clearly he didn’t care enough to get it in the last 4 years.

This house was brand new, but terribly built by the PO.

Everything that could be wrong is wrong.

There are lots of issues to fix.

Roof is missing edge pieces, subfloor is uneven causing the entire floor to be uneven with gaps in all the wood.

The ENTIRE house needs new siding because they installed the Hardy Board incorrectly and now falling off, 4 different colors & textures of caulk used in the backsplash of kitchen.

There are screws popping out of every single wall in the house, studs aren’t 16” on center.

The list goes on and on.

We literally have to rebuild the house from bottom up.

The whole situation is a literal piece of work.

Before you ask, yes we had an inspector but no, he didn’t catch these things.

We’re also trapped in the house because we bought during the VID times and the interest rates were very low.

So, moving isn’t an option.

Trust me, we would if we could.

AITA?

The least they could do is let them keep the fountain in peace.

Let’s see how Reddit feels about this.

A reader shares advice.

This commenter shares their thoughts.

Someone suggests what to tell them.

Another idea.

Another reader chimes in.

This person has a different take.

They bought the house and everything that was in it, including the problems.

The fountain is theirs, too.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.