A Redditor shared a post on r/AmItheAsshole describing how an initially amicable understanding with his new neighbor turned sour after the neighbor began acting entitled to using part of his private property for his contracting business. He said they had initially agreed that the neighbor could use his driveway to turn around with his large trailer. But when the noise began waking up his toddler early in the morning, he asked his neighbor to stop, and the neighbor wasn't too welcoming of the request.
The Redditor began by explaining that when he and his family bought the property two years ago, it came with a fairly long stretch of paved driveway. He then explained that his neighbor, who lived across the street, owned a large utility trailer that he used for his contracting business. Because the street was narrow, the neighbor often used the upper end of the Redditor's driveway to pull in, reverse and turn around with the trailer attached to his truck.
The writer said his neighbor had asked if he could use the driveway, and he initially agreed. However, over the past six months, the Redditor said the neighbor had been taking advantage of his leniency by using the driveway multiple times a day, especially early in the morning, around 6 a.m. He said the combined noise of the neighbor's diesel truck and attached utility trailer often woke up his toddler.
He Asked His Neighbor to Stop Using His Driveway, but the Neighbor Got Defensive
In addition, the edge of his lawn had been churned into mud whenever the trailer tires moved from the lawn to the driveway. Recently, on a Saturday, the writer said the trailer's noise woke his toddler again at 6:30 a.m. He took the opportunity to politely ask his neighbor to stop using his driveway to turn around, explaining the damage to his lawn and the unbearable noise from the diesel truck and utility trailer.
However, the neighbor immediately became defensive, saying he had lived on the street for 15 years and that the previous homeowners had never had a problem with what he was doing. He even accused the Redditor of being an "unneighborly a-----e over a little bit of dirt."
After two years of being lenient, the writer had had enough. He firmly told his neighbor that he was using private property and that, if he continued using the driveway, the writer would establish visible boundaries along the edges of his lawn. He said his wife thought he should have given the neighbor a warning before putting up a clear boundary, but he felt it was long overdue.
Reacting to the post, many commenters agreed with the boundary he had set, pointing out that the neighbor hadn't shown any remorse for the damage. One commenter wrote, "Nta. He wasn't even sorry when you confronted him but rather sounded entitled because the previous owners were lenient. Its good you set that boundary."
Another commenter said the previous homeowners' leniency had nothing to do with the boundaries the Redditor was now setting. They wrote, "Exactly like the previous owners allowing it doesn't mean he's entitled to use it forever, the least he could do is show some respect when it's waking up a toddler and damaging the lawn."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the claims made in the post, which are based solely on the author's account shared on r/AmItheAsshole.
