'Neighbor wanted the fence fix[ed], we just removed the fence': Neighbors insist couple next door fix their fence, couple contacts city inspector instead

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Sep 16, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

It costs zero dollars to mind your own business. 

Natural disasters caused by hurricanes, windstorms, and floods are no joke. They will destroy a house with ease, leaving the residents to clean up the mess. Depending on your location, you might have to deal with natural disasters all the time. For example, places like New Orleans or the Florida coastlines are subjected to hurricane conditions and flooding on a yearly basis. For people in these areas, rebuilding can be a consistent effort. 

This couple had a home damaged by strong winds from a storm. But instead of offering to help repair their damaged fence, their next door neighbors were more concerned about how the damaged fence impacted them. Funnily enough, the damage wasn't even terrible. The fence was just leaning over. But since the couple was forced to wait until the spring to get it fixed, their neighbors decided to be pushy about it. That didn't turn out so well for them, as you can read in u/NotGayRyan's malicious compliance story below. 

Check out the entire story below. Then, take a peek at these ingenious methods of petty pay back, like one dude who cut off his girlfriend's phone service in the middle of an argument. 

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  • 01
    Rectangle - 'When the neighbor found out they were going to wait until spring, the neighbor called the city and complained that their fence was out of code'
    via Scott Webb on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - Neighbor wanted the fence fix, we just removed the fence S OC TLDR at bottom This happen to my friend a couple months ago. Him and his wife just moved into their first house about 6 months ago. Then a strong wind storm came through and damaged their fence. And by damaged their fence I mean the fence was now leaning slightly, leaning about 70 degrees.
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 03
    Font - Because home insurance won't fix the fence plus it being winter. My friend and his wife were going to wait until spring to hire someone to fix/ replace their fence. Well their backyard neighbor did not like that. The backyard neighbor wanted the fence fix asap.
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 04
    Font - When the neighbor found out they were going to wait until spring, the neighbor called the city and complained that their fence was out of code. When the city inspector came out to inspect their fence, it was in fact out of code and needed to be corrected.
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 05
    Font - Now the reason the neighbor was so fixated on the fence being replaced is because the neighbor has a pool in their yard and need to have a fence around their pool for safety.
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 06
    Font - Well my friend and his wife now ped off at their neighbor decided to only remove the fence and not replace it. This allows them to be in city code and now when the spring hits, the neighbor is going to need to build a fence on their backside of their yard if they want to fill up their pool for the summer.
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 07
    Font - If the neighbor would have just been nice and not called the city like a Karen my friend would of build the fence up in the spring now problem.
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 08
    Font - TLDR: wind damage friend's fence, friend was going to fix it in the spring. Backyard neighbor wanted it fix now and called the city. Friend just removed fence instead and neighbor has no fence on their backside of yard
    via u/NotGayRyan
  • 09
    Font - PennyoftheNerds It's hard to live beside some people. I don't blame your friends at all. Somewhat similar story. We have our dogs in a fenced in yard. Our fence is several feet on our side of the property. He never watches his dog and his dog would come to the fence and irritate our dogs. They started jumping on the fence and now it's leaning. We wanted to get it fixed as soon as his dog passed, but then he started piling wood up against our fence before we had a chance. The fence that is
    via u/PennyoftheNerds
  • 10
    Font - He wanted us to fix the leaning fence because it was making it hard to pile his wood up. The fencing company needs to get on his side of the fence in order to fix it, hence why we kept our fence over on our property line, in case of maintenance. We told him this and his response was, "I'll put my wood wherever I want." He has 8 acres of land and our fence is the furthest place from his house.
    via u/PennyoftheNerds
  • 11
    Font - Then he called the township about our fence. The township came out, saw the markers for the property line and told us to do whatever we wanted with his wood since it was on our property. Can't wait until Spring comes.
    via u/PennyoftheNerds
  • 12
    Font - teamanfisatoker This is great. Make sure your friend knows to request the neighbor pay for a survey of the property line before fence building starts. Edit to add: OP please update us on this when the new fence drama starts!
    via u/teamanfisatoker
  • 13
    Font - spidey3040 As a former pool owner that fence rule applies in the winter as well. You could have your friends call the city today and he will have to fix it in a hurry in winter. It's a safety issue and kids can still get stuck in an empty pool.
    via u/spidey3040
  • 14
    Font - larz_6446 After the fence is removed, you should call the inspectors yourself to report an easily accessible pool. I wouldn't wait till spring. It'll be more money to install a fence in frozen ground.
    via u/larz_6446
  • 15
    Gesture - AstrixRK Neighbor- Surprised pikachu face
    via u/AstrixRK
  • 16
    Font - brainwashed INC This same neighbor will then ask them to split the cost of putting a new fence by spring. With the rough ugly side facing them of course. I recommend ignoring them.
    via u/
  • 17
    Font - Hjoldram Ya, don't split and don't let them put the ugly side facing you. Most local codes require fences to face away from the property, so if the neighbor is putting in the fence then it needs to have the pretty side facing you.
    via u/Hjoldram
  • 18
    Font - Wadsworth_McStumpy. Building codes don't care whether it's summer or winter. If the pool's outside, it needs to be fenced in. Call now, when the building inspector has free time.
    via u/Wadsworth_McStumpy
  • 19
    Font - Saiyan GodKing Had something similar happen. Our fence got hit by a flying trampoline. Can't make that up. It was ha windy. Two walls of the fence were knocked over bad. Both neighbors skipped talking to us and went to the HOA immediately. We were fined for being out of regulation. I barely used my back yard anyway and we paid for the fence before they even moved in. So I knocked
    via u/Saiyan GodKing
  • 20
    Font - down the two walls and left the back one. Per code I was in regs now without the two walls. They tried to complain that we had to put walls up but ultimately the HOA had no power to force us to pay for it. Both neighbors had to pay for our new fence sides. Kiss it Karen's, thanks for the newer fence.
    via u/Saiyan GodKing

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karens wind neighbors Fencing spring neighborhood city fence yard pool fences pools backyard karen
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