Good neighbors usually ask for compromise, not total compliance.

So when one couple moved in and demanded accommodations for “dirty electricity,” a homeowner agreed — until their neighbors tried to sic the HOA on them for installing solar panels.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

AITA for installing solar on my house?

We live in a semi-dense suburban neighborhood. We bought this house new about six years ago.

One of the neighbors moved out about two years ago, and new neighbors moved in.

Soon these neighbors had a pretty big request.

After about a week, they came over and said the wife has MS and is sensitive to electromagnetic frequencies / dirty electricity.

I was asked to install a cover over our electrical smart meter because they believe dirty electricity, WiFi, and smart meters change your DNA and exacerbate her MS symptoms.

The homeowner wasn’t initially on board, but decided to go through with it out of his own goodwill.

While thinking they are cookoo, I obliged and installed the cover because it doesn’t do any harm to me.

Go back two weeks, and we’re having our house mapped for new solar panels and Powerwalls.

The husband noticed the solar truck.

The neighbor wasn’t happy about this at all and got the HOA involved.

Long story short, he tried to get the HOA to block approval of our solar panels, citing dirty electricity and claiming the ADA should stop us.

I know enough about the law from previous professional lives to know it doesn’t apply to private single-family residences.

This homeowner proceeds to fight back with mountains of evidence.

I sent a note to the HOA explaining, in no uncertain terms, that I would get a lawyer involved in two shakes of a lamb’s tail if they blocked it.

I provided 10+ articles from high-impact journals, including two meta-studies.

Attorneys then got involved.

The HOA attorney wrote me back asking if I was willing to oblige on any of his accommodation requests.

These included moving our entire electrical panel/system to the other side of the house and installing very specific components that would cost 50% more.

But for the homeowner, this was just way too much to ask.

I told the attorney these were not reasonable accommodations and that I would not humor him. They approved our plan.

Now the neighbor is showing his true colors.

He is now painting his side of the house with WiFi and electromagnetic blocking paint and is upset because these measures on his end will cost him thousands of dollars, destroy his DNA, and make his wife’s MS symptoms worse.

AITA?

Sounds like a bit of an overreaction.

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

Why don’t these people just live in the country?

Maybe a semi-dense neighborhood just isn’t right for these neighbors.

There’s definitely such a thing as asking too much of your neighbors.

This commenter agrees it makes no sense for these neighbors to offload their anxieties onto other homeowners.

This homeowner followed the rules, but all the neighbor was following was pseudoscience.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.