A Man’s Neighbors Were Green with Envy Over His Kids’ Backyard Gear—So He Built a Massive Mega-Structure to Escalate the Suburban War
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Some neighbors feel like they’re in a competition with their neighbors to outdo each other and have bigger and better things.
This is really pointless, but when kids are involved and the kids are jealous of what the neighbors have, it’s easy to see how these neighbor wars can begin.
In this story, one man has a lot of cool things for his kids, most of which he got for free. The neighbors are jealous and try to outdo him, but they fail miserably when the police show up.
Let’s read all about it.
I can build a better/bigger one
So a friend of mine, got married,bought a house, and then had a couple of kids.
As he made his way through life , he got padding pools, a trampoline, bikes the usual things that you get with a young family.
Thing was that he works in a hospital, and a lot of the time, the older people who had the kids years ago would be getting rid of stuff (most of it in really good condition) and they would ask if anyone wanted it. Free to a good home kind of thing.
So basically he had loads of really cool stuff for his kids.
The neighbors are jealous.
Neighbours wife noticed, and would nag her husband about it.
My friend offered him some of the things.
But he said that he wasn’t a charity case and that he could look after his own family.
Mate thinks he touched a nerve so left it there.
He wanted to get back at the neighbors.
A while later my friend got a swing set with a slide, so the neighbour got one too only his was bigger and had a shed on top, and is right up to the hedge, so that when the neighbours kids hang out, they are able to see in my friends back garden and some of the house.
So here comes the petty revenge.
Mate comes to work and he is annoyed, he knows that if he just asked the neighbour to move the shed/swing set he would get laughed at.
So he came up with a better solution, he would build a pergola, a heavy duty one with a solid roof, and he needed some help.
They definitely outdid the neighbors.
So most of the estate workers, a few doctors and a couple of nurses went over to his house to help.
By the time we had finished, there was a really cool treehouse style kids play area with railing all the way around a little dining area and a beautiful decorated shed all located on top of the pergola, looking into the neighbours garden and blocking the neighbours kids view of his garden.
He knew that this would really tick his neighbour off so he made sure that everything could be removed (takes him about 3 minutes to put up there and about the same to take down)
Couple of days later it’s a nice day, he’s in the garden, his kids are in the garden all is good.
Let’s see how the neighbor reacts.
Then the neighbours kids appear on their shed, so my mate erects the pergola roof, play house. His kids play.
Neighbours kids get very angry, and go and fetch their dad.
Neighbour completely loses it, calling my mate all the names under the sun, threatening him with violence.
All the time my mate is recording him.
Time to get the police involved.
Ends up with the neighbour saying that he’s going to phone the police and storms off.
About an hour later the police turn up, talk to the neighbours, then they come round to my mates house.
He shows them it’s not a permanent structure, and takes it down, but all the while the neighbours kids are on top of their shed laughing and pointing at my friend, thinking he’s getting in trouble.
My mate says that the only reason he built it, is that he doesn’t want to have to deal with that every time he is in the garden, also shows the police the view from his house and the rooms, the neighbours kids can see into, (all the time this is happening the neighbours kids are waving at him and making rude gestures)
The police reached a decision.
Mate then shows the police the video.
Police have seen and heard enough, they go back next door and tell the neighbour he has to take the shed slide thing down, and that if he doesn’t he will get done for breach of the peace as there is video evidence.
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Mate’s kids still use the pergola tree house but know not to engage with the neighbours.
That was a clever way to get the neighbors to take down the structure that could see into their backyard. You can’t say no to the police!
Let’s see how Reddit responded.
This person liked the story.
Another person says this wouldn’t happen where they live.
Here’s hoping the neighbors stop trying to compete with each other.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a neighbor who keeps reporting a neighbor who is constantly parking in the handicapped spots.
They’re jealous.
Jealousy is pointless. Trying to outdo your neighbor is pointless.
I love how the police handled the situation, and I love how the coworkers came together to help OP’s friend build that epic play area for his kids.
I really do hope the neighbors stop trying to compete with each other after this.
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