Sometimes you want to do something good for other people just out of the kindness of your heart, and at first they might be really grateful for the random generosity, but after a while they might get too used to it and start expecting free favors from you or even demand them from you.
A man on Reddit who chose to be referred to as Legitimate-Impact253 on the platform is confused as to whether he should continue being the generous and kind neighbor that everyone keeps telling him to be after the favor he was doing for them was causing him more worry than joy.
More info: Reddit
Man wasn’t very happy when he saw that his pool was broken so he closed it for the neighborhood kids, but everyone felt he was being a jerk
Image credits: Bambizoe (not the actual image)
The Original Poster (OP) is a 37-year-old man who moved into a small neighborhood with his fiancée and the couple is expecting a baby. Their child will have a lot of older friends as their neighborhood is full of kids at around 9 or 10 years old.
When the future spouses found out that they would be having a baby, they thought it was a good idea to install a pool in their yard. They put up an above-ground pool last year and the ones that were most excited about it were the neighbors’ kids as the OP allowed them to play in it with the condition that they wouldn’t bring any dogs.
The OP explained that the lining in the pool was fragile so he thought there was a bigger chance of it breaking with dogs around. But nothing happened last year so when the warm days came this spring, the man opened the pool again.
It seems that the kids used it as both of the homeowners were away and when the OP got back, wanting to refill the water, he noticed a big tear which he had to fix.
When the OP moved, he and his fiancée wanted a pool and put an above-ground one in their yard
Image credits: Legitimate-Impact253
Seeing that the kids weren’t careful enough with someone else’s property, the OP decided that he will no longer allow them to use his pool, especially because the following day after fixing the tear, the kids came with a dog, which he forbade them to bring.
Naturally, the kids told their parents, who, for some reason, got really angry and felt that it was unfair of the OP to close the pool. He came home to his fiancée arguing with a few of the parents, accusing the pool owners of hurting their children’s feelings.
They allowed the neighborhood kids to play in it and the only rule was that no dogs were allowed
Image credits: Legitimate-Impact253
Image credits: Marc van der Chijs (not the actual image)
The OP explained that he found a tear in the pool which was clearly a result of their children playing in it. We could imagine that the OP didn’t trust the children anymore as they broke something and didn’t even bother to tell him, moreover, he had to put in his own money to fix it.
It seems that the parents didn’t care and some of them laughed at his reasoning, still demanding that he reopen the pool. Even his own fiancée told him to apologize to the neighbors.
Until the OP noticed the pool had a tear and after that, he didn’t want the kids coming anymore
Image credits: Legitimate-Impact253
People in the comments were completely baffled by the entitlement of those neighbors. As far as we can understand from this short story, the OP bought the pool himself, put it in his property and was just kind enough to let the neighborhood kids play in it as it was a small community and that usually means people have friendly relationships.
But he doesn’t want the children coming anymore and because it was his money and his property, he absolutely had the right to do so despite how many children’s hearts would be broken over it.
That made the kids’ parents angry because it hurt their feelings and demanded for him to reopen the pool. Even his fiancée was on their side
Image credits: Legitimate-Impact253
What is even more important is that children get in trouble all the time and if they got hurt or, in the most tragic case, drowned in that pool, the OP would be the one held responsible.
Many people were concerned if there were any adults supervising the kids and in a reply to a comment, Legitimate-Impact253 said “My fiancee works from home. She will keep an eye on them if one of the parents can’t. The kids normally swim in the afternoon/evening when we both are home. I also have cameras in the front and back of the house.”
We can assume redditors didn’t think that was enough because this reply now has 167 downvotes, which is understandable. Small children need close supervision because as fun as water is, it is dangerous too.
Image credits: ctj71081 (not the actual image)
It is hard to understand how neighbors could demand something another person owns, but it is actually more common than you think. Bored Panda has another article that talks about a neighbor who demanded the OP get rid of his dogs because her children would come back home with poop on their hands.
Where do you think this neighborly entitlement comes from? Why would another person think they have a right to use another person’s property or things they own even if the owner doesn’t want to share it? Leave us your thoughts in the comments!
But the redditors stand by the OP because not only can he decide whatever he wants, but having children play on his property is a liability
THE F**K??? Your neighbors and fiance are crazy. And god forbid some precious child gets hurt and his family sues you. I never would have opened it up to the neighborhood in the first place, so now you've got to find some way of securing it. Also, cameras.
Is it really like that in the USA? This is a completely absurd situation. Why would he be responsible? This is not a public swimming pool, he is not a lifeguard, these are not his children. If a thief hurt himself on his premises, could he sue him too?
Load More Replies..."How DARE YOU not let my precious littlebaby and his beloved dog into YOUR POOL! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!? I DON'T CARE IF MY LITTLE TIMMY DAMGAGED THE POOL, I DEMAND YOU LET HIM BACK IN!"
*OP allows the kid into the pool and the kid gets hurt* "HOW DARE YOU LET MY BABY GET HURT!!!! YOU'LL BE PAYING MY PRECIOUS LITTLE TIMMY'S HOSPITAL BILLS!!! I'M SUING YOU!!"
Load More Replies...Add me to those wondering about the insurance implications if someone gets hurt. OP needs to look into what an "attractive nuisance" is.
I'm wondering if maybe he has a locking pool cover. That can help. In my state, there's a list of safety precautions and you need at least two. A locking cover and maybe something like a pool alarm might satisfy our law, but really a fence with a locking gate is considered the standard. I'm astounded he let anyone in a pool without him there. That's nuts.
Load More Replies...Where I live you have to have a 4' fence around a pool and also an adult if under 13 because...drowning! So random kids in your yard with no parents and no fence is a lawsuit waiting to happen. And a dog in the yard that can leave poops or tear the ground up or gets thirsty (.kids would prob give it pool water which is bad) or heat stroke with no shelter, is also wrong. Fence the yard off. And maybe suggest they get a pool for their own yards. I didn't see anyone offer to pay for the lining. So bad neighbors all around.
The first thing the OP should do is contact his insurance agent and ask about the liability of having the pool in the first place. It's possible that his policy would require a fenced enclosure around the pool, and he may be in violation of the insurance policy terms and conditions. Having a kid drown in your pool is a terrible way to find out you're not covered.
....where does all this entitlement come from ?.......mind boggling.........alas a lesson here is to not share at all..........
ESH. Your neighbors are jerks for thinking they're entitled to use your pool. You're an idiot for ever allowing them to, because if anything happened, the liability would be yours...even if you weren't home at the time.
law here in Perth WA all pools must be fenced with childproof lock and are inspected by local council
Glad I live in a "keep to yourself" community. I say hi and do the nod when I see my neighbors, that's it. They keep their spawns in line and we are all good.
If the demanding parents in question were saying, "How much was it to repair your pool? We can pay you back," then "demanding" to open the pool wouldn't be as bad.
Are these parents even real? How does anyone think they are entitled to someone else's pool?
Demanding, are they? Then how about you DEMAND that one of the neighbours purchases their own god damned pool and keep THAT open to their fūcking kids and dogs? It’s the same level of crazy - and then maybe, by a miracle on par with walking on water, just one of those bizarrely entitled bag of aśśholes might get a small notion of how dingbat deluded they’re being. “Demanding”? Eat shìt and die. Seriously - in what universe is it reasonable to “demand” that a neighbour pays a lot of money and spend a lot of time on upkeep of his own personal pool, free of charge, so their inconsiderate spawn can keep destroying his property? What?
I bet the parents would also blame OP if something bad happened to their kids in OPs pool. Those parents are the reason why there are stupid laws in my area that if i want to install a pool i NEED to get it fenced in (even if i get a pool with a removable ladder i put in my locked shed, which was my plan) AND get an alarm for the fence. That's so much more $$ /I/ have to spend because other people aren't responsible parents.
Is that a thing? to share a pool with the whole neighborhood just because you have one? If I had a pool that'd be for very carefully selected friends only and if I caught a neighbor using it, it'd be filled with bleach the next day!
Why is it that when you try to be nice to others, people start viewing it as a weakness, jump on your shoulders and start spitting on your head, trying to convince you that it's raining? Also, the dude is not married to that overly-friendly fiancé of his, so maybe he should take it as a sign to not get involved with crazy? He still has a chance of getting out safely... Just sayin'.
I'd start charging each kid $50/DAY to use the pool! Then we'll see how much the neighbors want their little destructo kids to use it! Plus, I'd have my lawyer draw up contracts that say "You agree to use this pool at your own risk + hold Homeowner not responsible for damage to your kids." (only in "real" lawyer lingo!)
What is wrong with your fiancee? She should be in your side. You apologise to neighbour? What in earth for? Get rid of her! Close down the pool, or just chuck it over the fence to those neighbours. Honestly, I don't think you will very happy with that woman of yours for very long. Wake up!
If you ever reopen the pool, have a release of liability signed and notorized with whatever other legal things you need to protect yourself. Also, think about a fee. Have them so bogged down in legal whatever that they won't want their kids in your pool.
Definitely too much liability. I'd fence in that pool and not let them in. If they're complaining about this, they would definitely complain if their kid drowned.
Dont play with that, if anything happens, if a kid drowns you are liable. They have no right to demand anything.
Seriously, you don't have a fence?!?? Does your insurance company know you have a POOL? In the State of Florida a pool is considered an attractive nuisance. Anyone with a pool must have at the least a 5-foot hurricane type fence around it, it's the law. Here I have an 8 foot cinderblock wall around mine with an 8-ft gate that's always bolted AND padlocked from the inside. I still worry about my neighbor's twin children. They're under age 4. I hope they don't learn there's a pool here, they're the age of kids who die from drowning every summer here. Check out your local laws on pool ownership. Build a fence ASAP and keep it locked. Increase your liability insurance to at least $250,000. Even a minor injury to a child in your pool can bring a lawsuit that will cost you your cars, your house and all your retirement funds. Stop letting neighbor kids in your pool without an adult lifeguard WHO WILL WATCH THEM SWIMMING. SMH at your naivete..
"Sure you can use the pool. Its $5 per person. And if you bring a dog it becomes $50."
In my town in Iowa you have to have at least a 4 foot fence around the pool. If you don't it's a $250 fine and it goes up from there. My neighbors refuse to fence theirs in, left it up, and drained it. My neighbors are idiots though and I don't even like going into my back yard because their entire backyard is covered in wooden palette structures.
Sounds like the neighborhood moms were doing the happy-dance when the pool went in. Free babysitting! If the homeowner wants to let the kids back in the pool, a fee should be required. It will cover wear and tear on the pool and clean up. And ABSOLUTELY NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THR POOL!!!! Good luck sir.
Can't believe ANYBODY would have a pool in their yard, esp unattended, W/O a fence!! That's just an accident/lawsuit waiting to happen. That aside... "yOu HuRt My BaBy'S fEeLiNgS!" Ugh, I fúcking HATE those kinds of parents, AND their spoiled, whiny, entitled kids!! Asking a child to follow the rules & respect YOUR property is NOT hurting their feelings. Besides, the world doesn't care about anyone's feelings. So if a kid is coddled & babied and never allowed to experience disappointment, they won't learn how to deal with it, & they won't be able to handle being an adult. Hey Karen, guess what? Your kid is NOT the center of everyone else's world. He is NOT more important than anything or anyone else. Stop expecting him to be. And stop expecting everyone else to treat him as such. It don't work that way. God. My ex-best friend was just like this, after she had her son. It's one of the main reasons we don't talk anymore. I just can't deal w/idiots like that-or their disrespectful brats!!
Add me to the 'where-is-all-that-world-topping-American-freedom-we-all-keep-hearing-about' list; you mean to tell me that while Americans DO have the freedom to buy, carry and use enough guns and ammo to completely wipe a large city off the map they DON'T have the freedom to have an open pool with just a 'Use At Own Risk' sign??? Wow, just wow - so much for all that 'freedom' they carry on about!
Good to find out the fiancé doesn’t have your back she would be out also
These are the same parents who, if one of their wild children managed to drown in that pool, would totally sue the pool owner. I would completely remove the pool because these entitled fools will just keep pushing until something bad happens. Tell them to purchase their own pools and dont come back on your property.
When I was 14 or so we got a second-hand above ground pool. My mother had to put a fence up before you could put water in it. And there had to be someone that was14 or older in order for young people to be allowed swim. Both of those were city bylaws. And the city did check.
This goes along with Redditors demanding that Congress passes a law requiring Chick-fil-a to stay open on Sundays. Ownership means nothing to too many.
Why dont these neighbors install their own pools,???? because they dont want the liability.
Agreed with most of them, but the idea of a 17-year-old not being allowed to swim unsupervised, as the last person said, is just kind of ridiculous. I would be more sympathetic if they said, "No one should swim unsupervised because if something happens" but kids above 13 but under 18? Lol no.
Dang, it! I can't say what I want to say the way I want to say it or BP is going to suspend me. I'm not good at self-restraint when it comes to entitled people so just use your imagination and DON'T downvote me over your imagination...
You don't want your property damaged? OmG sUcH a KaReN OMG!!
Load More Replies...THE F**K??? Your neighbors and fiance are crazy. And god forbid some precious child gets hurt and his family sues you. I never would have opened it up to the neighborhood in the first place, so now you've got to find some way of securing it. Also, cameras.
Is it really like that in the USA? This is a completely absurd situation. Why would he be responsible? This is not a public swimming pool, he is not a lifeguard, these are not his children. If a thief hurt himself on his premises, could he sue him too?
Load More Replies..."How DARE YOU not let my precious littlebaby and his beloved dog into YOUR POOL! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!? I DON'T CARE IF MY LITTLE TIMMY DAMGAGED THE POOL, I DEMAND YOU LET HIM BACK IN!"
*OP allows the kid into the pool and the kid gets hurt* "HOW DARE YOU LET MY BABY GET HURT!!!! YOU'LL BE PAYING MY PRECIOUS LITTLE TIMMY'S HOSPITAL BILLS!!! I'M SUING YOU!!"
Load More Replies...Add me to those wondering about the insurance implications if someone gets hurt. OP needs to look into what an "attractive nuisance" is.
I'm wondering if maybe he has a locking pool cover. That can help. In my state, there's a list of safety precautions and you need at least two. A locking cover and maybe something like a pool alarm might satisfy our law, but really a fence with a locking gate is considered the standard. I'm astounded he let anyone in a pool without him there. That's nuts.
Load More Replies...Where I live you have to have a 4' fence around a pool and also an adult if under 13 because...drowning! So random kids in your yard with no parents and no fence is a lawsuit waiting to happen. And a dog in the yard that can leave poops or tear the ground up or gets thirsty (.kids would prob give it pool water which is bad) or heat stroke with no shelter, is also wrong. Fence the yard off. And maybe suggest they get a pool for their own yards. I didn't see anyone offer to pay for the lining. So bad neighbors all around.
The first thing the OP should do is contact his insurance agent and ask about the liability of having the pool in the first place. It's possible that his policy would require a fenced enclosure around the pool, and he may be in violation of the insurance policy terms and conditions. Having a kid drown in your pool is a terrible way to find out you're not covered.
....where does all this entitlement come from ?.......mind boggling.........alas a lesson here is to not share at all..........
ESH. Your neighbors are jerks for thinking they're entitled to use your pool. You're an idiot for ever allowing them to, because if anything happened, the liability would be yours...even if you weren't home at the time.
law here in Perth WA all pools must be fenced with childproof lock and are inspected by local council
Glad I live in a "keep to yourself" community. I say hi and do the nod when I see my neighbors, that's it. They keep their spawns in line and we are all good.
If the demanding parents in question were saying, "How much was it to repair your pool? We can pay you back," then "demanding" to open the pool wouldn't be as bad.
Are these parents even real? How does anyone think they are entitled to someone else's pool?
Demanding, are they? Then how about you DEMAND that one of the neighbours purchases their own god damned pool and keep THAT open to their fūcking kids and dogs? It’s the same level of crazy - and then maybe, by a miracle on par with walking on water, just one of those bizarrely entitled bag of aśśholes might get a small notion of how dingbat deluded they’re being. “Demanding”? Eat shìt and die. Seriously - in what universe is it reasonable to “demand” that a neighbour pays a lot of money and spend a lot of time on upkeep of his own personal pool, free of charge, so their inconsiderate spawn can keep destroying his property? What?
I bet the parents would also blame OP if something bad happened to their kids in OPs pool. Those parents are the reason why there are stupid laws in my area that if i want to install a pool i NEED to get it fenced in (even if i get a pool with a removable ladder i put in my locked shed, which was my plan) AND get an alarm for the fence. That's so much more $$ /I/ have to spend because other people aren't responsible parents.
Is that a thing? to share a pool with the whole neighborhood just because you have one? If I had a pool that'd be for very carefully selected friends only and if I caught a neighbor using it, it'd be filled with bleach the next day!
Why is it that when you try to be nice to others, people start viewing it as a weakness, jump on your shoulders and start spitting on your head, trying to convince you that it's raining? Also, the dude is not married to that overly-friendly fiancé of his, so maybe he should take it as a sign to not get involved with crazy? He still has a chance of getting out safely... Just sayin'.
I'd start charging each kid $50/DAY to use the pool! Then we'll see how much the neighbors want their little destructo kids to use it! Plus, I'd have my lawyer draw up contracts that say "You agree to use this pool at your own risk + hold Homeowner not responsible for damage to your kids." (only in "real" lawyer lingo!)
What is wrong with your fiancee? She should be in your side. You apologise to neighbour? What in earth for? Get rid of her! Close down the pool, or just chuck it over the fence to those neighbours. Honestly, I don't think you will very happy with that woman of yours for very long. Wake up!
If you ever reopen the pool, have a release of liability signed and notorized with whatever other legal things you need to protect yourself. Also, think about a fee. Have them so bogged down in legal whatever that they won't want their kids in your pool.
Definitely too much liability. I'd fence in that pool and not let them in. If they're complaining about this, they would definitely complain if their kid drowned.
Dont play with that, if anything happens, if a kid drowns you are liable. They have no right to demand anything.
Seriously, you don't have a fence?!?? Does your insurance company know you have a POOL? In the State of Florida a pool is considered an attractive nuisance. Anyone with a pool must have at the least a 5-foot hurricane type fence around it, it's the law. Here I have an 8 foot cinderblock wall around mine with an 8-ft gate that's always bolted AND padlocked from the inside. I still worry about my neighbor's twin children. They're under age 4. I hope they don't learn there's a pool here, they're the age of kids who die from drowning every summer here. Check out your local laws on pool ownership. Build a fence ASAP and keep it locked. Increase your liability insurance to at least $250,000. Even a minor injury to a child in your pool can bring a lawsuit that will cost you your cars, your house and all your retirement funds. Stop letting neighbor kids in your pool without an adult lifeguard WHO WILL WATCH THEM SWIMMING. SMH at your naivete..
"Sure you can use the pool. Its $5 per person. And if you bring a dog it becomes $50."
In my town in Iowa you have to have at least a 4 foot fence around the pool. If you don't it's a $250 fine and it goes up from there. My neighbors refuse to fence theirs in, left it up, and drained it. My neighbors are idiots though and I don't even like going into my back yard because their entire backyard is covered in wooden palette structures.
Sounds like the neighborhood moms were doing the happy-dance when the pool went in. Free babysitting! If the homeowner wants to let the kids back in the pool, a fee should be required. It will cover wear and tear on the pool and clean up. And ABSOLUTELY NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THR POOL!!!! Good luck sir.
Can't believe ANYBODY would have a pool in their yard, esp unattended, W/O a fence!! That's just an accident/lawsuit waiting to happen. That aside... "yOu HuRt My BaBy'S fEeLiNgS!" Ugh, I fúcking HATE those kinds of parents, AND their spoiled, whiny, entitled kids!! Asking a child to follow the rules & respect YOUR property is NOT hurting their feelings. Besides, the world doesn't care about anyone's feelings. So if a kid is coddled & babied and never allowed to experience disappointment, they won't learn how to deal with it, & they won't be able to handle being an adult. Hey Karen, guess what? Your kid is NOT the center of everyone else's world. He is NOT more important than anything or anyone else. Stop expecting him to be. And stop expecting everyone else to treat him as such. It don't work that way. God. My ex-best friend was just like this, after she had her son. It's one of the main reasons we don't talk anymore. I just can't deal w/idiots like that-or their disrespectful brats!!
Add me to the 'where-is-all-that-world-topping-American-freedom-we-all-keep-hearing-about' list; you mean to tell me that while Americans DO have the freedom to buy, carry and use enough guns and ammo to completely wipe a large city off the map they DON'T have the freedom to have an open pool with just a 'Use At Own Risk' sign??? Wow, just wow - so much for all that 'freedom' they carry on about!
Good to find out the fiancé doesn’t have your back she would be out also
These are the same parents who, if one of their wild children managed to drown in that pool, would totally sue the pool owner. I would completely remove the pool because these entitled fools will just keep pushing until something bad happens. Tell them to purchase their own pools and dont come back on your property.
When I was 14 or so we got a second-hand above ground pool. My mother had to put a fence up before you could put water in it. And there had to be someone that was14 or older in order for young people to be allowed swim. Both of those were city bylaws. And the city did check.
This goes along with Redditors demanding that Congress passes a law requiring Chick-fil-a to stay open on Sundays. Ownership means nothing to too many.
Why dont these neighbors install their own pools,???? because they dont want the liability.
Agreed with most of them, but the idea of a 17-year-old not being allowed to swim unsupervised, as the last person said, is just kind of ridiculous. I would be more sympathetic if they said, "No one should swim unsupervised because if something happens" but kids above 13 but under 18? Lol no.
Dang, it! I can't say what I want to say the way I want to say it or BP is going to suspend me. I'm not good at self-restraint when it comes to entitled people so just use your imagination and DON'T downvote me over your imagination...
You don't want your property damaged? OmG sUcH a KaReN OMG!!
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