‘I can't handle the guilt if anything happens’: Family next door repeatedly leaves their elderly parent on a neighbor's porch without asking, sparking the neighbor's worry that if she ever gets hurt, they'll be liable

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Sep 13, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

As our parents age, we can only hope that we have the means to support them in the next phase of their lives. If we don't, it's important to find a trusted individual or assisted living facility who can. What we don't do is leave our elderly parents outside on a neighbor's porch—especially without asking the neighbor if they'll keep an eye on our beloved family member.

You'd think that eventually, a family could admit that they cannot handle being the primary caretaker of their elderly loved ones. What's worse is that the neighbor who unknowingly "watches" their elderly family member is liable if anything happens to the parent on their property. Is this a scam? Or just a sad case of a family failing to show up for their loved one?

At its root, this is a familial issue. Now, it's spreading into the lives of those who live near the family, when it clearly shouldn't be. What are the next steps? Commenters are adamant about setting a strict boundary, putting up a fence, and even calling the authorities. What would you do in this situation? Scroll below to read the full story.

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feud the elderly neighbors neighborhood elder neighborhood-drama bad neighbors neighborhood-stories reddit story terrible neighbors entitled reddit thread Bad Neighbor r-entitled elderly Reddit entitled people neighbor conflict
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