'He just tells me..."What can ya do?"': Guy reports neighbor to city officials over a pile of brush

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 15, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

These two neighbors completely disagree over who's responsible for keeping a yard clear of debris. 

Having friendly neighbors is a blessing, but this dude is more concerned with a giant woodpile. Instead of having someone next door they can count on, their neighbor has been flipping them off constantly. 

One of these neighbors, u/brushpileeyesore, came to r/AmItheA**hole to complain about their issue with the guy next door. OP writes that their neighbor had a tree removed, but even after several months, this guy still hasn't removed all of the small branches and twigs that came off of the fallen tree. Instead, the dude has compiled them into a large heap… right in between his property and the OP's. 

As much as the OP got downvoted in the comments, they're right to worry about animals inhabiting the stick pile. However, the way OP is going about this is all wrong. Instead of blaming the company that couldn't complete their contract, or city officials, the OP has decided to blame their neighbor. 

Commenters pretty unanimously told OP to knock it off, and when the OP decided to comment back, they got heavily downvoted by other Redditors. 

Up next, these 25+ people had some excellent ideas for petty pay back tactics. 

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  • 01
    Wood
    via Lucas van Oort on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - AITA For reporting my neighbor to the city for storing a brush pile on his property A couple months ago my neighbor had a large tree removed from his property. I don't know if it was diseased or dying, but it was a big tree. Like, 40-50ft big. The company that removed the tree also disposed of all the big logs that they cut up. However, they did not remove the smaller limbs and branches. Instead, they piled them up in a big heap right next to the fence separating our properties.
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 03
    Font - The pile is huge and it's a big eyesore whenever I look at it. I've talked to my neighbor about it and he said that the company was supposed to take all of that with them as well, but they didn't and now he can't get a hold of them. He said they aren't responding to his calls and emails. He said their website has also been pulled down and when he contacted the city about it, the city said that company hadn't applied for a new license this year. So, he thinks the company went under or clos
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 04
    Font - I've asked him what he is going to do about the brush pile and he told me it's going to have to sit where it is until everything thaws. We live in the midwest and he says the pile is pretty much one frozen entity at this point and he's not going to break his back trying to pull it apart. I've expressed to him how much of an eyesore it is and he just tells me "Yeah, I know. But what can ya do?"
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 05
    Font - Well, you could do something at least instead of literally doing nothing! I don't want to see a huge pile of branches every time I look out my windows for the last 2 months. So, I went to the city website and did some reading about tree removal and I found a city ordinance that says it is illegal to store brush on your property at any time. So, I reported my neighbor to the city to get the ball rolling.
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 06
    Font - A couple weeks ago I noticed a city truck at my neighbor's place and a worker walked around their backyard and looked around. A couple days later a different guy came back and this time walked around with my neighbor. They stood by the pile for a bit talking, and I saw my neighbor kick at the pile a few times with his boots and try to grab a limb to move it. They talked for a bit longer before the worker left.
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 07
    Font - Then last week I saw the wife outside with their little boy so I went to say hi. I asked her about the brush pile and she said she didn't know anything about it. We talked for a bit longer and then her husband pulled into the driveway. I told him that I saw him talking with the city about the brush pile and asked what they said. He said it went great and that they told him "I should mind my own f ing business."
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 08
    Font - His wife scolded him as he walked inside and apologized to me before taking their son inside. Things are beginning to thaw here, but the pile is still there and I haven't seen them working on it at all. Now whenever the neighbor sees me he flips me off and ignores me.
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 09
    Font - NUT-me-SHELL 5 350 55 His Holiness the Pp [13... YTA. Good news! Now instead of a brush pile, you can see two birds anytime you look out your window!
    via u/NUT-me-SHELL
  • 10
    Font - Trin_42 A Enthusiast [6] YTA, he gave you a perfectly acceptable reason why it isn't a priority right now but that wasn't good enough for you. You're the worst kind of neighbor imo and you deserve the animosity
    via u/Trin_42
  • 11
    Rectangle - Bosconino A Enthusiast [7] If someone flips you off daily, yes, you're probably the as thought busybody neighbours like you only existed in movies (or in my mother's imagination). . I
    via u/Bosconino
  • 12
    Font - mrschia A Aficionado [12] YTA - as someone who used to live in the Midwest I know exactly what your neighbor means. Wtf is he supposed to do about it? You say anything besides nothing...then give some examples. It's all frozen together. He got put in a tough position by a company who removed the tree. Then it became winter and things freeze. The logical thing to do would be wait until it all thaws and then take care of it. He probably doesn't like it much either but sometimes s YTA happen
    via u/mrschia
  • 13
    Font - anonymooseuser6. Parta_pant [2] I've also lived in the Midwest... I'm glad the neighbor is making his anger known. OP is an idiot to for making it clear as day he called the city. Bet he has some city workers show up soon too.
    via u/anonymooseuser6
  • 14
    Font - fernAlly A YTA Aficionado [11] I'd understand a bit if you were concerned about vermin in the brush, but you only seem to care that it's an "eyesore". And there's even a fence between you and the brush. Get over yourself. The world doesn't owe it to you to be one big, manicured carpet.
    via u/fernAlly
  • 15
    Font - brushpileeyesore OP. I absolutely am concerned about vermin and rodents using the pile as a nest. I don't want mice or rats or whatever else could be living in there anywhere near my home. -293 Share
    via u/brushpileeyesore
  • 16
    Font - MuzzyMnic Parta: ipant [3] YTA, can't even wait for spring???!!! You suck as a neighbor!
    via u/MuzzyMnic
  • 17
    Font - thyrells Parta ipant [3] YTA. You ruined any chance you had of being friendly with your neighbors, but at least you don't have to tire your eyes peeping at their backyard! Thank god I'm not your neighbor, you sound awful.
    via u/thyrells
  • 18
    Font - brittanybegonia. if i were OP's neighbor i'd be finding a couple more trees to cut down to add some more brush onto that beautiful pile - then come up with some more excuses to leave it there until spring 2023. 33 Share brushpileeyesore OP. Which would also be illegal. -247 Share
    via u/brittanybegonia
  • 19
    Font - JuniperLaCroix Colo-rectal Surgeon [30] YTA - You sound absolutely exhausting. Get a life and leave your neighbor AND THE CITY alone.
    via u/JuniperLaCroix
  • 20
    Font - lobosaguila A Aficionado [13] YTA - your neighbor sounds like a victim of circumstance. He already had to deal with an incomplete job, Mother Nature preventing him to complete it on his own, and an unempathetic neighbor who tries and sics the city on him. Hopefully the city gave him the leniency he deserved rather than recommend he tackle a frozen brush pile so his neighbor won't have to look at it.
    via u/lobosaguila
  • 21
    Font - shadowsofwho A YTA Aficionado [17] Bold move to make it that obvious how much you care about what others do on their private property and how little about having a cordial relationship with your neighbors.
    via u/shadowsofwho

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Tags

eyesore brush aita neighbors neighborhood pile city fence windows bad neighbors midwest tree Bad Neighbor sticks neighbor
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