'[I] picked a day they would be at work so not to ruin the "surprise"': Couple with ten dogs insists neighbors need to replace their fence, neighbors give them a fence that 'resembles the Berlin Wall'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 8, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean your neighbor has ten dogs? This person shared a malicious compliance tale, and buried that rather surprising fact in the story. 

Owning one or two dogs is pretty usual. Lots of people adopt one dog, decide the pup has been getting lonely during the day while they're alone, and then they'll get a second dog to keep that one company. Owning ten dogs is certainly out of the ordinary! That must be a full time job to feed, groom, walk, and play with an whole squadron of pups. 

These people wrote a malicious compliance not about the noise these dogs were making, but rather about a fencing issue with the dogs' owners. As the OP tells it, they had a "rickety old fence" that separated their property from their dog loving neighbors. The neighbors started insisting that the OP needed to fix the divider better… because their dogs required it. However, they utterly refused to contribute any money to that task. 

Scroll down to read this entire malicious compliance story. Then, have a laugh at these ridiculous things people overheard, like someone who asked, "Do you have a large pizza, but in smaller sizes?"

Advertisement
  • 01
    Sky - SAMS KANCH
    via Soheb Zaidi on Unsplash
  • 02
    Hair - You asked for a secure fence, we gave you a secure fence.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 03
    Font - Our neighbours can be funny buggers. Nice one minute, moody the next.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    Font - There was a rickety old fence between our properties which I owned. We'd patched it up a few times but didn't really have the money to totally replace 80 ft of bespoke sized fences and posts at that time.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    Font - The neighbours have complained a few times about our fence, they have 10 dogs and have spent a lot of money on landscaping their garden. They demanded we replace the fence because they need a secure boundary for the dogs but made it very clear they were not contributing to the costs. It's not unreasonable but the way they demanded rubbed me up the wrong way.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    Font - Generally in the U.K, There are no HOA rules on old builds so I can replace the wooden fence with anything we like as long as it's on our land and is no more than 2m high.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 07
    Font - So last month we got a quote and arranged for a firm to replace the fencing. I informed the neighbours and picked a day they would be at work so not to ruin the 'surprise'.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 08
    Font - When they got home they found the wooden fence and wooden posts have been replaced with 6ft concrete posts and a wall of concrete panels. Now they look out of their kitchen onto what resembles the Berlin Wall. I also made sure the smooth face of the concrete panels are pointing towards us. (We have bushes along our side so wouldn't see it anyway, but their side is right next to their patio area).
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    Font - They haven't approached us about it yet but my husband told me he could see the wife in her garden from his office window and she had a face like thunder.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    Font - Edited for clarify.. We got the materials cheap because hubby got a very competitive staff discount as part of contract for his new job. We couldn't afforded to replace the fence in until now.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 11
    Font - •The neighbours have been nagging for years but we have just been patching up the holes, so decided to finally get it done after one of her dogs got in my garden and wife ranted at me about it.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 12
    Font - •concrete fence was cheaper than bespoke fence sizes but more expensive (and less destructive on the gardens) than standard fencing as it would require repositioning the posts and having more holes dug for more posts.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 13
    Font - TboneXXIV Yeah. With a neighbor like that, I would have torn down the fence and waited a year to replace it. "10 dogs, huh? Sounds like you should do something to contain them. I'm saving my pennies for a replacement fence. Maybe another year. Not sure what lumber prices are going to do, though. We'll get it done. Eventually."
    via u/TboneXXIV
  • 14
    Font - JenRJen Huh. A year or so ago my landlord replaced our fence, here in New England USA. Apparently the law (around here anyway) is that nicer "smooth" side of the fence must be facing toward any Adjacent property; the less-nice side is required to face inward, toward the person who installed it. Apparently this law has been in place for a long time, in the interest of preventing neighborly disputes.
    via u/JenRJen
  • 15
    Font - Beyond that --- I don't understand why You would be responsible to pay for and install a fence because They have 10 dogs. ???? And further, I cannot understand how you could possibly consider such a demand "Not unreasonable."
    via u/JenRJen
  • 16
    Gesture - spamcan29 Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time...
    via u/spamcan29
  • 17
    Font - cperiod 2 yr. ago I bet any barking will echo off that fence really well.
    via u/cperiod

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

dogs neighbors malicious compliance house neighborhood malicious-compliance-reddit fence neighborhood-drama neighborhood-stories terrible neighbors fences
Scroll Down For The Next Article