Some people take the whole arm when you offer them a hand.

This man started helping out his 87-year-old neighbor out of goodwill, but his neighbor started expecting more from him.

When he set some boundaries, people in his life began to chime in.

Read below for more details.

AITA (42M) for refusing to keep helping my 87M neighbor, even though my mom (70F) and half my family say I’m being heartless?

I (42M) live next door to “Bill” (87M). He’s been my neighbor for about 15 years, and for the past two, I’ve been helping him out a lot: groceries, rides to appointments, fixing small things around his house.

Here’s the problem: Bill has started treating me like his personal caretaker. He calls at random hours for stuff that isn’t urgent (like moving his couch or resetting his router).

Last month, he called me during my work meeting because he “couldn’t figure out his thermostat.”

I told him I can’t always drop everything, and he blew up, saying younger people owe the elderly their time.

Now here’s where the drama escalates.

Here’s what his family think to his dilemma.

My mom (70F) says I should keep helping because “someday you’ll be old and hope someone helps you.”

My sister (39F) told me I was cruel for setting boundaries.

My brother (44M) says Bill is manipulative and I need to stop.

My wife (40F) is furious because I keep missing dinners and family time to deal with Bill.

My cousin (36M) actually sided with Bill (!!) and told me I was “selfish” because I don’t have kids at home anymore, so I have “more free time.” I don’t! I am literally a nurse in their 40s

My friend (41M) says I should call social services or a senior support group instead of trying to do it all.

He feels stuck.

So now it’s me against half my family + Bill.

Mom and my sister think I’m abandoning an old man who “has no one else.” My wife and brother are on my side that Bill is taking advantage. Cousin keeps guilt-tripping me.

I feel like I’m stuck if I keep helping, I’m drained and my marriage suffers.

If I stop, I’m the “cold neighbor who turned his back on an old man.

AITA for refusing to keep being my 87M neighbor’s on-call helper, even though my family is pressuring me to cave in.

What a predicament! Looks like charity has its price.

Here’s what people have to say about this situation.

Some wise words from this one.

Here’s a potential solution.

Great idea.

Prioritize family, says this user.

And lastly, here’s some useful advice.

Even kindness needs boundaries.

If you liked that story, read this one about grandparents who set up a college fund for their grandkid because his parents won’t, but then his parents want to use the money to cover sibling’s medical expenses.