For context, I (21F) have been living in my home for close to 18 years. My neighbors moved in about 14 years ago and it was, at the beginning, peaceful between us. However, about 8 years ago, my family and I noticed a strange plant growing in backyard when changing out the screen windows for storm windows that fall.
Naturally, my family called the police (because it was illegal in my state at that time) and he was arrested for it and was released about a month later. Since then, it has been downhill with conflict between him and my father, who was only trying to protect his daughters.
Now to the property issue. About 2 years ago, the empty lot beside my house was up for sale and my landlord purchased it and attached it to my property, with strict rules that no other kids except my sisters and I could play there. Reason being, he didn’t want the neighborhood kids causing any damage to the home or end up getting injured on the property.
Naturally, he also didn’t want us or himself to be held responsible for any injuries acquired. For the last couple of years, my next door neighbor lets their kids play on our property and every time getting told by either me or my father to stay off our property, even to the point of involving the landlord and/or the city police of numerous occasions.
Well, yesterday, it was the same as always. The kids playing on our property, my father this time asking them to get off our property and getting the “I didn’t know” from the kids. Kids start mouthing off when they’re told that they’ve been told every year since the lot became ours. Their mother pipes in with her own choice words and the kids start punting their football into our house.
I’m trying to work in my studio at this time and start getting irritated with the punting and running of their mouths so I head out and, rather calmly ask to speak with their mother about the situation and try to convince them to see it from the landlord’s perspective.
The discussion was brief and when I thought that she had understood, she starts running her mouth claiming that the kids won’t get hurt or damage the property. And that’s when I start needing to fight the urge to cuss her out.
I tell her off the numerous times the kids have kicked or thrown a ball against the house and explain that kids will be kids and that their prone to injury, having been a very clumsy and injury prone kid myself.
She continues to argue and this is where I let her have it. I call her out for not enforcing the strict instructions that even the police have backed us up on and sitting on her fighting with her husband (which can be heard throughout the neighborhood) instead of enforcing a simple rule to stay off our property. So, AITA for calling her out like that?
DANADIABOLIC said:
YTA. Because you aren't even the landlord of the property. You need to mention it to the actual person who owns the property, and let THEM deal with it. Because yes it is a liability and if one of the children get injured, then the landlord can be sued.
wowgamertbc said:
NTA! Why hasn't a fence/barrier been put up to keep them off the property? Put up signs trespassers will be arrested and call the police and let them deal with it. But unless they're is some kind of barrier not even the police can do much except give them warnings as the property is not being properly protected.
DTH1998 said:
Nta but you asked for it when you and your parents didn’t just mind your own business.
OkeyCroaky said:
NTA. At the end of the day it isn't their property and it's their place as parents to watch their kids and enforce the rules. Yes, kids will sometimes just do what they want but if she's just sitting on her porch watching it all unfold with not a care in the world about it? Then it was definitely due for her to get called out.
TryingToBeLevel said:
YTA - Sound like you're from a family of narcs. Who cares about the landlord. It's not your property, it's not your liability, it's not your problem. If you pay rent on the lot and have an issue, talk to the landlord. They can put up a fence. It's the landlords job to manage their own property.
NoInstruction623 said:
NTA. Repeated trespass, ignored warnings, property damage risk, liability risk... you’re justified.
jcooli09 said:
YTA for calling the police about the plant, and anything that arises from that is your fault