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Sometimes, you never know what you’re getting into until it happens.
So, what would you do if developers built a huge three-level home next door to your modest one-story that blocked half of the sunlight that used to reach your garden?
Would you forgive the homeowners because they didn’t know? Or would you hold it against them forever?
In the following story, one homeowner finds himself in this situation and chooses the latter.
Here’s what happened.
Where I live, real estate developers have started snatching up family homes, bulldozing them, and building enormous 2-million-dollar houses on the plots of land. The houses also stick out horribly in terms of aesthetics – think single-level brick homes with a 3-level, gigantic white-and-black box in the middle.
My home’s been in my family for several generations. We have always been known for having a large, beautiful garden. We invited kids over to help with gardening, gave away so many veggies, held parties, etc. It’s been a neighborhood treasure for years.
Until developers snatched up the lot next door, bulldozed, and erected an enormous house that blocked out the light to most of the garden. Many of us tried to fight it with the city, but everything was denied.
It was heartbreaking. Our neighborhood has been changed forever. This was a link to my family, and I almost had to go through a grieving process for it.
The couple was quite surprised that the neighbors weren’t friendly.
The new owners moved in and were not welcomed warmly by people in the neighborhood. I avoided them for as long as I could, other than politely waving or nodding. It was a young couple in their early 20s.
We finally came face-to-face, and the woman asked if we could chat. She said they felt like maybe they’d done something wrong when they moved in, or that if they aren’t pulling in their trash bins or something, or if they’re being too loud, etc., because people haven’t been very friendly.
The guy says he’s surprised, considering it felt like a “nice” and somewhat “affluent” neighborhood, and given the price, he expected friendly neighbors.
He explained what they did to the garden.
I asked if they had done any research about the area. They said that they moved from California, so no. I said that maybe that was their mistake?
They said they didn’t know what I meant, so I asked if they’d ever looked in our backyard. They said yes and said they think the garden is cute.
I said, “Yes, the garden that now has about half as much sunlight as before that house was built was a neighborhood treasure.”
Another neighbor thought he was out of line.
The guy said, “Well, it’s not our fault you built the garden there, is it?”
I said “Well, you guys got what you paid for. 2 million dollars for a house that everyone in the neighborhood hates.” I said that I hoped it was worth it and wished them a nice day.
When I told another neighbor about the exchange, she said she feels bad for them for moving without knowing what they were getting themselves into.
AITA?
Eek! His other neighbor had a great point.
Let’s see how the folks over at Reddit feel about what happened here.
According to this reader, they shouldn’t have asked if they didn’t want the answer.
Here’s someone who sees his point, but doesn’t think it’s the other people’s fault.
According to this comment, he takes the cake for treating people badly.
Yet another person who thinks the couple is innocent.
He needs to let this go and realize that things change.
The young couple did nothing but buy their dream home.
If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.
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