I had to call the non-emergency line on my neighbor’s sprinkler.
By @jaredlol · Am I the Villain
His sprinkler was hitting my house, but not just hitting it. It was aimed directly at my front door, creating a puddle and making the wood start to feel soft. I asked him three times to adjust it, and each time he said 'sure' and then did nothing.
The full story
So this saga starts about a month ago. My next-door neighbor gets really into his lawn every fall. Like, obsessively. He bought this new sprinkler system that has a million different settings and he's out there tweaking it constantly. Fine, whatever. But then I notice a wet spot on my front door. The next day, it's bigger. The day after that, I open the door to get a package and get sprayed in the face. I walk over while he's outside and politely ask if he can angle the sprinkler head away from my house. He's super agreeable, 'Oh yeah, no problem man, my bad.' The next day? Same thing. I ask again, a little more firmly. 'Hey, it's still hitting my door, the paint is starting to look weird.' He says 'Oh weird, I thought I fixed it. I'll do it right now.' And then... nothing changes. This morning I went out and the wood at the bottom of my door frame is literally soft to the touch. It's starting to rot. I was seeing red. I went over and he wasn't home. I looked at the sprinkler, and it would have taken me two seconds to just... turn the nozzle myself. But I stopped. I thought, 'No, I've asked him three times.' This is a matter of principle. It felt insane, but I called the non-emergency line and explained that my neighbor's sprinkler was causing property damage and he was refusing to fix it. they said they'd send a community service officer by to talk to him. Now I'm sitting here feeling like the most extra person on the planet, but what else was I supposed to do?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 24% (25 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 41% (42 votes)
- You’re Fine — 35% (36 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 41% — 103 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@willaforsure — I would have 'accidentally' redirected his sprinkler onto his own security camera.
@marahm — That's textbook weaponized incompetence and you were right to stop playing his game.
@violetkinda — You gave him three chances, which is more than he deserved. Don't feel bad for protecting your home!
@tessyy — Couldn't you just have turned the nozzle yourself after the first time he ignored you?
@willsorta — lmao
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