Guy Tries To Sabotage Neighbor’s Fence To Expand His Yard Access, Ends Up With No Access At All

Good fences make good neighbors, or so the saying goes. And while you can choose your home, you don’t have any say in who chooses to live in your neighborhood. This can lead to friction if you and the person next door don’t always see eye to eye.

One person’s neighbor, who’d just moved in, decided their side fence violated property codes. He tried to have it taken down but wasn’t prepared for the person’s quiet but calculated revenge. They turned to an online community to share their story. 

More info: Reddit

Good fences make good neighbors, but this person’s suddenly became a bone of contention

Residential neighborhood street lined with trees and parked cars, peaceful with no visible fence damage or sabotage.

Image credits: Parker Coffman / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Their new neighbor took issue with their perfectly legal fence that had been there for years, claiming it violated property codes

Neighbor attempts to sabotage fence but plan backfires, leaving the fence still standing and yard access blocked.

Text describing a neighbor's attempt to sabotage a fence that is still standing despite the plan backfiring on him.

Text on screen saying Still, he filed a complaint related to fence sabotage plan backfiring.

Modern two-story house with a sturdy white fence intact in front, showcasing neighbor fence durability in clear weather.

Image credits:Pixabay / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Upon official inspection, the city confirmed the fence was fine where it was, upsetting the neighbor who wanted it gone for extra yard access

Inspector reviewing paperwork and confirming the neighbor’s fence is legal and still standing after sabotage attempt backfires.

Text on white background showing a message about a neighbor annoyed and planning to expand yard access by looking into his property.

Text describing a man attempting to sabotage his neighbor’s fence with the plan backfiring and the fence still standing.

Man in denim jacket and cap leaning on a wooden fence, discussing with a woman in a yellow sweater outside near a garden.

Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The person quietly retaliated by reporting the neighbor’s illegal fence and paving, which ended up with him being fined and ordered to tear it down

Text slide showing a message about sending a detailed complaint with photos and documentation about a neighbor’s fence.

Text about city ordering removal of gate and fining man, while neighbor’s fence remains standing after sabotage attempt.

Fence still standing with flowers planted along it, showing a failed sabotage attempt by a neighbor.

Image credits: afzaal_ahmed75

In the end, the person’s fence is still standing, while their nasty new neighbor has lost his easy access to his whole yard

OP and their mom lived a peaceful life in a quiet neighborhood. Their backyard fence, legally approved years ago, had never caused trouble. That is until a new neighbor moved in. Claiming the fence violated property codes, he filed a complaint. An inspector came, checked everything, and confirmed the fence was 100% legal. Case closed.

The entitled neighbor, however, wasn’t satisfied. He wanted the fence gone to expand his yard access. Curious, OP looked into his property and discovered his backyard gate cut through public utility land. Even worse, he’d paved over part of it; something very much prohibited. So, OP reported it to the city, calmly and with full documentation.

A month later, karma came calling. The city ordered him to tear out the gate and slapped him with a fine for the unauthorized pavement. Now, instead of using a convenient shortcut, he has to walk around the front of his house just to reach his backyard. Meanwhile, the fence he tried to remove? Still standing.

To top it all off, OP’s mom planted flowers along it, making it look even better. What started as a petty attempt to gain more yard space ended in a costly lesson for the neighbor. Turns out, weaponizing the city can backfire, especially when your own setup isn’t even close to aboveboard.

OP’s neighbor is the perfect example of what happens when the person next door gets nasty. Fortunately, they flipped the script on him, but what should you do if your neighbor turns out to be less than ideal? We went looking for answers.

Colorful red and yellow tulips blooming in front of a white garden fence, symbolizing a fence still standing strong.

Image credits: Kristina Paukshtite / Pexels (not the actual photo)

In her article for Psychology Today, Jacinta Francis (Ph.D.) writes that there are many ways in which our neighbors can annoy us. According to Francis, common causes include unwanted noise, overcrowding, and different values. 

Some conflicts can be handled with something as simple as a knock on the door or a note in the mailbox, while others might be extreme enough to require legal action or even relocation. In general, says Francis, it’s preferable to approach your neighbor before involving the authorities – as long as you feel safe doing so.

According to real estate expert Andrew Finney, before you decide to take action, consider if the problem is serious enough. Occasional disturbances are a part of life but, if the issue is repetitive and affects your quality of life, it’s time to address it. Finney suggests documenting behavior, researching the rules, and even involving a mediator.

We’d say OP played the situation perfectly. The greedy neighbor got what was coming to him, the fence remains untouched, and revenge was served at its best – ice-cold. 

How would you have handled things if you’d been in OP’s shoes? Do you think fighting fire with fire was the best move? Let us know your opinion in the comments! 

In the comments, readers applauded the person for their quick thinking, decisive action, and drama-free handling of the situation

Screenshot of a Reddit comment thread with a user praising content about a neighbor’s fence sabotage backfiring.

Online discussion about a neighbor’s fence sabotage attempt that backfired, with fence still standing firm.

Screenshot of an online comment thread discussing a failed attempt to sabotage a neighbor’s fence and resulting karma.

Screenshot of a Reddit conversation where a user praises a story with a happy ending about a fence sabotage backfiring.

Man attempting to sabotage neighbor’s fence, but plan backfires as fence remains standing intact.

Man attempting to sabotage neighbor’s fence, but plan backfires with fence still standing strong.

Comment screenshot showing a user named faroutman7246 praising someone for their good eye after a failed fence sabotage attempt.

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