Being on good terms with your neighbors makes everything easier. As long as they’re reasonable.

Read how one Redditor’s desire to have a chicken coop spirals into an all-out temper tantrum from his neighbor.

In this story, the neighbors come to an agreement, but while one neighbor is technically right, did he really do the right thing, or does his neighbor have good reason to be frustrated?

See the story below to find out more.

You wanna throw a fit over the property line? No problem!

So, I bought a house in 2018.

I had to in a hurry, so I could get my mother in my old home before her chemo got intense.

My family had outgrown the one we were in, and we found one that needed some work but had 5.25 acres and a chicken coop.

Neighbor (Dan) obsessively manicures his property and it is much nicer as a result, but the price and features worked for us on our side.

We fix up and paint the chicken coop, only interrupted once by Dan asking us to tear it down or move it.

But they were positive this coop was within his property.

Surely, the coop was well on our side of the property line, I thought.

I politely declined and described how the only thing I’d be doing is building an enclosed run toward my house to protect the birds from predators after fixing some things inside the house that have been neglected.

The previous owner was a serious alcoholic and there’s a lot of work to do.

Dan walks away angry but defeated.

A couple of years pass, and the run is built exactly as described and our informal survey shows the property line about 20ft back, and I build gardens roughly the same distance from the property line.

But then, Dan does his survey…

Dan has a survey done that suspiciously puts the back corner of the coop and about 1/3 of the run over the property line, but we agreed that it could stay so long as I don’t encroach any further, and I eventually move it, which WAS my actual plan.

He said to take all the time I need, declining my offers to buy the dirt or trade easements and reimburse him for the cost of the survey.

However, Dan’s decided too much time has passed.

Another year goes by, and Dan has changed his tune.

He interrupts a target practice session with my two foster kids to demand that I demolish the coop and run soon, to which I said, “I suppose I could push that project up to next fall (2024)”.

He isn’t happy but seems pacified.

I wasn’t thrilled either, but I’m a reasonable guy and would prefer to have a good relationship with a neighbor I don’t like much.

Dan comes back again — and THIS is where things get crazy.

Enter May 2024, six months before I agreed to do anything, and this guy shows up in my backyard wanting to talk about the coop again.

“You know, Dan. You said I could have all the time I needed and then demanded I tear it down, going back on your…”

Cue the most childish temper tantrum I think I’ve ever seen.

He was literally stomping on the ground with elbows out, screaming about suing me and how he’ll own my whole house by the time he’s done with me.

Malicious compliance: **** you, Dan.

I decided the best place for that coop is exactly where it is.

It’s been there about 20 years and adverse possession only requires 10.

I can take that 12 sq ft of dirt from you, and you’ll even have to pay my legal fees. Only the run needs to move since it’s only been there 5 years.

And they decided to stand his ground.

That’s exactly what I did.

The new run connects to the gardens and the roof funnels the roosters’ crows right to his house.

Setback requirements say structures must be 5′ from property lines.

The back corner of the run is now exactly 5’2″ away from the supposed property line, and he gets to hear and smell my chickens every single time he’s outside.

He will not have peace until he dies or moves.

I am well within my rights, and while I do struggle with medical and PTSD issues from my service, I learned very well from the Navy how to be technically correct in a way that works only for me.

Does Reddit think this vet is being petty?

Or is this neighbor’s reaction just for the birds?

Let’s read the comments below to get an idea.

Many Redditors insisted they get his own surveyor.

A couple called out the real meaning of “adverse possession.”

One even said that this homeowner was “morally 100% wrong” in how he acted toward his neighbor.

And finally, a non-native English speaker realized the other definition for “survey.”

This veteran needs a land surveyor and a moral compass.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.