Imagine sitting in on an HOA meeting when a neighbor complains about some of the kids in the neighborhood. If you thought the complaints were ridiculous, would you mind your own business, or would you call her out on her fake drama?

In today’s story, one person finds themselves in this situation, and they can’t stop themselves from laughing at the neighbor’s complaints.

Keep reading to see if laughing was a bad idea.

AITA for giggling at a family’s problems during an HOA meeting?

This happened this past Sunday. My dad and stepmom are out in a small trip and I’m pet sitting their cat and staying at their apartment while they’re out.

My dad asked me to attend the “HOA” (not sure how to call it, we live in Mexico and we don’t have an HOA in the US sense) meeting due to some points about renovations, and other important issues would be touched upon.

During the meeting, there was an “open mic” moment to discuss other matters in a more neutral way.

One of the neighbors, a woman that we’ll call Carol, raised a concern about the ongoing issue with the “gang” that’s been terrorizing the complex for a while now, and how nothing had been done to stop this.

This doesn’t sound like a gang.

The gang in question? a group of kids between 6 to 10 yo

Their “clear gang activities”? talking about games in the elevator/corridors, playing in the main plaza after school, going from tower A to B to pick some of the other kids, or getting toys out to go play.

I know some of them, they sometimes come to the apartment asking for bandaids or get one of my nephews to go play with them, really good kids imo.

Most outrageous thing they’ve done was hit a garden light with a ball and breaking it, which they took full accountability for and told management as soon as it happened.

Carol’s daughter spoke out against the kids too.

According Carol, the kids are an issue and they make her feel HIGHLY uncomfortable, because she can tell all of them are “up to no good”

Her daughter, a mid teens, added that she feels so insecure when she’s home alone cuz more than once the kids have come up to her door and tried the door handle, banged on it, and that they’ve even tried picking the lock.

Mind you, her apartment is across from my dad’s, and the kids only knock on his twice a week when my nephew is there.

And that she also felt unsafe walking anywhere near the plaza because she felt “perved on” by, again a bunch of kids between 6-10yo.

Carol’s husband said something even more ridiculous.

The husband was also very mad cuz according to him, he’s seen them running around the underground parking lot, and I quote, “Keying cars and trying to open them, probably to steal the cara or whatever is inside!”, which cannot be true because all minors need to be accompanied by an adult or a security guard to access the parking area, to avoid any accident.

I couldn’t help it and snorted, then giggled when Mr. Dad added that whole bit about kids trying to steal cars, cuz as we all know, kids are into that kind of stuff.

Carol began to ask what was so funny and why I thought that “gang” activity was funny, when I could be the next one to be attacked.

OP is wondering if they messed up.

I probably messed up by telling her that, I doubt that a bunch of kids who look for anthills to kick are crime masterminds, which of course got a couple of giggles from other neighbors.

Carol is now mad at me and my dad for raising “someone who supports gangs.”

My dad doesn’t give a care because he hates Carol, and my stepmom is also mad at me for not taking this seriously.

In some way, somehow, am I a jerk?

If other neighbors in the HOA laughed, it sounds like they were all thinking the same thing, just not brave enough to say it. Carol and her family are being ridiculous.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This person thinks the stepmom has no reason to be mad.

Here’s the perspective of someone else who lives in Mexico.

The kids don’t exactly sound innocent.

The kids’ behavior shouldn’t be ignored just because of their age.

It sounds like everyone knows about Carol.

Sometimes it’s hard not to laugh.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.