Rancher puts pig pen on the boundary line next to neighbors' home after they sue him over encroaching fence: 'My eyes would start watering it smelled so bad'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Apr 14, 2025 12:00 PM EDT

We've probably all heard a story or two about someone buying property only to discover much too late that there is something dreadfully wrong with it, or that it's in the vicinity of something that you'd much rather not live next to. 

Around where I once lived, there was a massive drama about a waste management transfer station that they had built in the middle of the city. Normally this would be fine but they went and built the thing incorrectly so on a hot and sunny day and with the wind blowing in the right direction depending on where you lived relative to the stink-pile, you'd pretty much just be getting gassed out of your own home until the wind changed direction again. Apparently, the smell was unbearable. But imagine buying a place near there and never being there on a day when the wind was blowing in the right (wrong) direction and then never knowing that there was an issue until moving in. 

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  • 01

    "Never mess with a rancher! My father had the ultimate revenge/malicious compliance when I was a kid…"

    Cheezburger Image 10493552384
    via Tim Doerfler

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • There are all kinds of things like this that can happen, from terrible neighbors to issues with the land or with the home itself. Undoubtedly, you can mitigate this with the proper due diligence and investigating zoning and environmental hazards that might be near or adjacent to the property.

    Without a doubt, you shouldn't go around antagonizing your new neighbors either, who might be more than happy to make your existence as miserable as possible… especially when they have a whole drove of smelly livestock that they can park right on the boundary line next to your home… 

  • 02
    I grew up on a horse ranch in Colorado. We had a long piece of property, about 80 acres, and we raised Missouri fox trotters. We had lived there for almost 20 years when some folks bought a strip of property way at the back of our land. It was a strange plot of land as it was very narrow, and was sandwiched between our back fence, and a busy county road. We were surprised anyone would buy it actually, as it forced the house to be pretty close to said road.
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    Well, we never meet these new neighbors until once day my dad gets a notice from a lawyer telling us that after having surveyed the property lines, our back fence encroaches on their property between 3 and 6 inches depending on the spot along the fence line. These folks had never met us, never introduced themselves, our first introduction was this legal demand.
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  • 04
    My father was a salt of the earth kind of man, very kind, but also very strong-willed. He called these folks, arranged a meetup, and tried to talk some sense into them. First did 3 to 6 inches really matter that much, and why had they not come to us to talk it through? He even offered a number of different compromises. These folks were hostile from the get-go. They demanded he move the fence immediately, or they would sue. Apparently the law stated they had to put their house so far away from ou
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  • 05
    I still remember when my dad got home from the meeting. He hung his hat up and shook his head when he told my mom in his slow way. "Well looks like we got the kinda folks for neighbors you don't ever want to have for neighbors." They sued, and won, and we were forced to move the fence in 2 weeks. I say we because I was the free slave labor as all farm kids are in this kind of thing. All that fencing material, and the time, were a big cost for my family. But we got the work done that late fall.
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    Here is where the fun comes in... So the new neighbors broke ground and built all through the end of winter and into spring. The very next weekend after they had moved into their house, Dad rousted me out of bed and we took the big truck into town to the lumber yard. I was extremely puzzled as we loaded up a bunch of fencing material, and building supplies. We didn't have any big projects going that I knew about, and I kept asking him what it was for, but he just told me to wait and see with a d
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  • 07
    We built a pen and a small enclosure very near our back property line, directly behind the neighbor's new shiny house. The next day one of our farm friends delivered a half dozen pigs to their new home. Dad insisted on feeding those hogs table scraps and all the things that would go in the composter, as well as some good balanced hog feed to keep them healthy.
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    Now you may not know this, but the smell of pig excrement is directly related to what they eat, and their pen conditions. Table scraps make them smell BAD. I mean BAAAAAAD. I had to drive the four-wheeler back there every day to take care of them, and within a month halfway to the pen and my eyes would start watering it smelled so bad. When we mucked out the pen with the bobcat we also made the pile right next to the pen. I can't even imagine how bad the smell was living in that house.
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  • 09
    The neighbors, of course, freaked out and again without ever even trying to talk to us, went the legal route. They lost the case asking to have the pen removed as the area was zoned agricultural, and my dad had done his homework to make sure he was NOT breaking any laws or regulations. The pigs were far enough from us, and our other neighbors that it didn't bother anyone but the people he wanted it too bother.
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  • 10
    Come fall when winter moved in we sold the pigs to slaughter, and dad stacked up a bunch of building supplies next to the pen and let the neighbors know we would be expanding the profitable operation in the spring. He smiled the whole time, speaking in his slow steady way as they screamed at him.
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    The new neighbors sold their new house in January when the ground was frozen and the new owners would not smell the pen. Though as soon as the old neighbors were gone we tore down the enclosure, spread the nasty stuff on the hay field, and the new neighbors never had any bad smell come spring. They also were great neighbors and are still life long friends. Never mess with a rancher...
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    EDIT: Since I have gotten this question a bunch of times... This is what my dad proposed to the neighbor after getting the letter to move the fence, but before we ended up in court. He really did want to try to cultivate a good relationship with a new neighbor, even though they started on such a lousy foot.
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    1. He offered to sell them 5 acres of land at the back of the property at a super affordable price so they could have a better plot, and get well back from the road. Our back fence line was almost 5 acres long, so it would have shaved an acre long line off is all, and that was wooded land that was not good pasture land anyway. They were not interested. (The had plenty of funds too btw, as they were sitting on a million-dollar payout
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  • 14
    from selling their home in CA which we knew as they brought it up multiple times in the discussion. Statements that "They had all the money they needed to take us to court if we didn't comply immediately!") 2. My dad asked if he could move the fence over time them, rather than being hit for the cost all at once. Ranchers are not made of money. We could move the section right behind the proposed building site immediately to help with planning etc first. They were not willing to do that. It all ha
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    3. Lastly, my dad was friends with the two guys that did the inspections for the county for this kind of stuff. We had built many additions and changed on the ranch over time as well. They were all in the volunteer fire department together as well. He offered to get all of them together and see what options they had for dealing with the offset issue. The neighbor refused, again demanding the fence be moved immediately.
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    If you see a theme here, so did my dad. There is no pleasing some people, so my dad let him take us to court. I later found out dad was using the time to save up some money since he figured he would have to move the fence and that was expensive, and he hoped maybe the neighbor would not push it that far and come to work with him rather than go to all that cost. I know my dad reached out a couple more times to the neighbor before things went to court too.
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  • 17
    chickachickabowbow Now you may not know this, but the smell of pig excrement is directly related to what they eat, and their pen conditions. I did not know this. And this is why you should never underestimate somebody--you never know who's going to be an expert on how to make pig sh smell worse.
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    Cheezburger Image 10493552640
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 19
    Nameless_Mofo As soon as I got to the part about the pigs, I already knew how this story was going to end. Well played, OP's dad. Well played.
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  • 20
    theinconceivable I can't stand people too childish to talk to their neighbors like adults. Your dad sounds awesome.
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  • 21
    rickdagless666 · I'd like to think your dad has ruined bacon for them for life, just as an added bonus Great work
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  • 22
    TallIndependentWoman As someone who also grew up on a farm, I absolutely love this story.
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neighbors farmer neighborhood homeowner neighborhood-drama bad neighbors neighborhood-stories terrible neighbors farmers Bad Neighbor neighbor
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