Imagine living on the first floor of a building filled with condos, and your neighbors upstairs hire some construction workers for some repairs. Would you be upset if these construction workers jumped the wall surrounding your patio and plugged their equipment into your electrical outlets without even asking, or would you think it was no big deal?

I’d definitely think it was a big deal! I’d at least want them to ask first not to just see a construction worker on my patio and have no idea why he’s there.

In this story, one condo owner is in this situation, and he’s pretty upset about it. However, he also tries to put himself in the position of the construction worker, and he wonders if he may have been too harsh.

Keep reading to see who you think did anything wrong.

AITA For Confronting Contractors About Using My Electricity?

This is a really small issue in the grand scheme of things but I’m kind of tired of it.

I live in an condo with other units around and above me.

This would be really annoying.

Generally, I don’t need a lot of work done with the condo so I never need contractors to come over but whenever anyone else does they always hop over my patio wall and use my outlets for power.

I bet it costs almost nothing but a lot of times they leave a mess behind and they almost never knock and ask (I’d say yes to them asking) which kind of irritates me to be honest.

My home is supposed to be where I recharge and should be inviolate in my mind but I recognize that point of view can be taken too far.

Talk about an awful way to wake up!

Today I went out after being woken up from a nap from the noise they were making on my patio.

I got up after they jumped over the wall and only saw them through blinds that are right next to the patio so I got dressed and ran out to confront whoever it was.

I didn’t know it was a contractor at that point and I was wondering what the hell someone was doing on my patio because it is walled off. So I walked out and said just that “What the hell is this?”, and then I saw and just pointed at the outlet.

OP found the answer both helpful and frustrating.

And the guy said something about working on the unit above me and how they’re preventing the unit above me from water damage or something and how it’s not going to cost me very much.

Granted, that’s helpful and I would never want the neighbors to have any water troubles but it also sounded like an excuse and don’t the upstairs neighbors have power?

Then I said “why didn’t you ask?”

And he said he was sorry and I left it at that.

OP realizes he was a bit rude.

I was very short with the man and was glaring at the guy the whole time if it makes the interaction any clearer and he seemed very taken aback.

I ‘ripped open’ the door and stomped out aggressively as well.

It’s also extremely hot outside like 100+ Fahrenheit so I’m sure he doesn’t have it easy either carrying heavy stuff and doing contractor work.

Here’s what OP wants to know.

I want to know if I’m a jerk but if you guys can color things a bit more and let me know if:

*That’s petty to really want them to ask when it really doesn’t cost me much of anything

*The protocol in situations like this

OP tries to put himself in the construction worker’s position.

I don’t like being a person who has to be impolite like that.

I’ve had members of the public be very hostile towards me in my own job and I know it doesn’t feel good and that can stay with you all day, so I feel bad about that too.

Plus, like how scary must that be for those guys, they have no idea who I am just that I’m an upset homeowner, I’m a complete stranger, they don’t have any idea if I have a weapon or not, and that must be kind of scary to have coming at you.

I’ll accept your judgement, thanks everyone.

But, how scary must it be for the homeowner to be woken up by loud noises and realizing someone is on your patio. The construction workers shouldn’t be jumping the wall to his patio or using his electricity.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a family who is resisting pressure from the HOA to remove their tree and lights.

Let’s see if Reddit agrees.

This person offers some suggestions.

Another person is on OP’s side.

This person points out that the construction worker is breaking the law.

A construction worker weighs in.

The construction worker is clearly in the wrong. OP has no reason to feel bad. Perhaps the specific person on the patio is not 100% at fault if he was told to use the outlets on the patio by his boss, but someone at that construction company is to blame.

Maybe the first step would be to talk to the condo’s HOA, or OP could talk to the neighbor upstairs to get the contact into to  speak to whoever is in charge at this construction company. A security camera for proof would be a good idea too.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a tenant who decided to stop returning his neighbor’s misplaced laundry after two years.