Borrowing between neighbors only works when “borrowing” doesn’t quietly turn into theft.

When a neighbor crossed that line one too many times, a simple lawn mower request set the stage for a quietly perfect bit of petty payback.

Keep reading for the full story!

Neighbor kept “borrowing” my tools until I returned the favor

I used to have this neighbor who treated my tool collection like his personal rental service—except the part where you actually return the stuff.

Most of the time I didn’t care, because I didn’t use the tools often.

This did create somewhat of an awkward dynamic between them.

But I always ended up having to wander over days later to reclaim my own belongings.

One time, I actually needed a tool back, only to find out he had “borrowed” it and then loaned it to one of his buddies.

That tool vanished into the void forever.

Finally, the tool owner found a way to get back at this neighbor.

Granted, I should have handled this better, but a few days later, to make this end, I asked to borrow his lawn mower.

I made the excuse that I always let him borrow my tools.

I used it and put it back exactly where it belonged.

I just “forgot” to return the keys.

The owner then feigned ignorance.

When he came over the next day demanding them back (granted, I was always friendly when asking for my stuff back), I said, “Oh! I remembered last night. I left them with Jimmy. He said he’d mail them back to you.”

After the neighbor left, I actually went and put the keys in the mail.

Their plan worked like a charm.

Weirdly enough (and at this point thankfully), he never asked to borrow anything from me again.

And that, folks, is a masterclass in petty revenge.

What did Reddit have to say?

This commenter could unfortunately relate to this story.

This story sparked an idea for this commenter.

It’s always a good time to stick up for yourself and your belongings.

Sometimes a little accountability goes a long way.

Funny how a little inconvenience suddenly jogs someone’s memory about borrowing etiquette.

The tools stayed put after that — and so did the message.

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