'I'm in full compliance with the city, just like you wanted': Neighbor calls next-door's fence an "eyesore," is forced to remove the fence on his own

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jun 15, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

This person saw that his neighbor's fence had collapsed in a bad storm, and the first thing he thought to do was tell his neighbor how terrible it looked. Storms can be devastating to entire neighborhoods, and it can take some teamwork to rebuild. If you work together, you can share tools and expertise. But of course, if you don't like your next-door neighbor, when you go looking for a helping hand, you may not find one. 

U/Transcendentalcat had a fun malicious compliance story to share. Their uncle had one of those neighbors that simply cannot mind their own business. This guy kept complaining to the uncle about the condition of the fence, which was apparently too big and too old to be replaced without a lot of effort. But at the same time, this guy was a complainer. He just wanted to yap about the issue, while never actually putting in any work to fix it. 

Up next, this theater sound designer was sick and tired of a prima donna actor bossing them around, so they decided, "You aren't getting your sound cues fast enough? Okay. Run." 

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    Cheezburger Image 10361194240
    via Dimitar Donovski on Unsplash
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    My Uncle and the Fence On mobile so if formatting is funny forgive me. Where I live the fence put up by the builder and on the property line is called a builder's fence, to replace or repair the fence you need both owners' consent in writing. My uncle's house is has two such fences on either side of the property. The fences were old and because of the size of the
    via u/Transcendentalcat
  • 03
    fences were cost prohibitive to replace. The year this happend in was very rainy and the fence collapsed in one section. Now uncle takes pride in his property and had been trying for years to get to get permission from his neighbour to repair it. The day after the fence collapsed the neighbour came over and screamed at my uncle that he had to replace the fence because that the thing was an eyesore. My 1, but because uncle was
    via u/Transcendentalcat
  • 04
    the fence was now dangerous he agreed if the neighbour covered half the materials totalling about a grand. The neighbour did not agree, and said "you're going to replace the fence and use my contractor or I'm going to call my cousin in the City (by-law compliance) and he'll make you replace it." My uncle told him to call the City and slammed the door in his face. Of course a by-law official shows up a few days later and give my
    via u/Transcendentalcat
  • 05
    uncle a notice that he had to replace or remove the fence in a month or be fined. After carefully questioning the official and was told that it is only required to have a fence around your property if you have a pool. So the day before reinspection my uncle and cousins took it down. The neighbour freaked out and screamed at my uncle that he had to replace it because he had a pool. My uncle looked him dead in the eye and said, "not my
    via u/Transcendentalcat
  • 06
    problem, I'm in full compliance with the City just like you wanted." I found out because I went over with my mom to hang out and were greeted with sight of the neighbour trying to pour concrete footings in the rain.
    via u/Transcendentalcat
  • 07
    TLDR: neighbour doesn't let uncle repair fence and calls by- law compliance on uncle, resulting in uncle removing fence causing neighbour to be fined by the City
    via u/Transcendentalcat
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    Commenters loved the story, and naturally, they sided with the uncle over the bad neighbor

    KryOnix I want everything done my way, and I want you to pay for it! Charming.
    via u/KryOnix
  • 09
    Pokerus2010 Lmao I freakin love this. Seeing the neighbor in the rain like that must have been so satisfying to your uncle!
    via u/Pokerus2010
  • 10
    enjoyoutdoors This is a pretty important lesson in the importance of ensuring that you got everything that's yours up to code before you decide to try to nail code infringement onto someone who is almost in compliance.
    via u/enjoyoutdoors
  • 11
    And an important lesson in what happens if a city official gives your neighbour free reigns to serve it back in your face. Well played. Well played.
    via u/enjoyoutdoors
  • 12
    JohnRambosDad This actually reminded me of my parents neighbors when I was younger. my parents have a small side yard with their driveway in it, and a fence maybe 30ft long. The fence was there way before my parents. bought the house and the neighbors were there so it was falling apart so my dad replaced it. No issues right? well when the old fence was
    via u/JohnRambosDad
  • 13
    up the neighbors had a ramp put in between the fence and their house for their handicap daughter. When the new "replacement" fence was put up one of the neighbors fathers started raising saying it was on their property it has to come. down. there was a lot of back and fourth getting the town and code officers
    via u/JohnRambosDad
  • 14
    involved (who they new personally). Eventually the neighbors paid to have the property's surveyed which i'm not sure but i don't think is cheap, to find out that in fact the fence was on their property so it had to be removed buuuuuuut what was also found out was my
    via u/JohnRambosDad
  • 15
    parents property line wasn't straight through and cut three feet into the neighbors back yard. So raised about maybe a foot? and lose 3ft.
    via u/JohnRambosDad
  • 16
    Tamalene the entitlement is strong in this one!
    via u/Tamalene
  • 17
    Kamica So it was fine to tear it down without written consent? Or had the neighbour given written consent to change the fence?
    via u/Kamica
  • 18
    DarkNymphetamine That neighbour has severe issues.
    via u/DarkNymphetamine

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housing neighbors Fencing malicious compliance neighborhood malicious-compliance-reddit fence neighborhood-drama neighborhood-stories terrible neighbors malicious compliance reddit
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