Woman Asks If She's Wrong For Putting Up A 6 Foot Fence To Protect Her Property And Dog From Intellectually Disabled Neighbor

It wasn't long before he started entering her yard uninvited and knocking on her door constantly.

Stephanie

• Published in Interesting
• December 1, 2022

We all have the right to feel safe and comfortable in our own homes. And we should be able to secure our property in any way we see fit, as long as we're not harming others by doing so, right?

Well, one Reddit user recently discovered that things are not always quite so simple. The woman shared her situation with the Reddit community in the AITA (Am I The A**hole?) subreddit.

You see, she recently bought a new house that didn't have any fencing. So, when the Redditor moved in, she got a permit to build a 6ft fence around her home - the perfect height to keep her dog secure.

However, OP's elderly neighbors objected strongly to the new fence going up. So, the Redditor agreed to compromise and go with a 4ft fence, but she explained to her neighbors that her dog would absolutely be able to jump that and get into their yard.

That's when the elderly couple's intellectually disabled son became a factor. OP was friendly with the couple and their son, but it wasn't long before the son started entering her yard uninvited and knocking on her door constantly.

He even told a contractor that he had been looking in OP's windows! The Redditor explained that as a single female, that made her extremely uncomfortable, so she decided to go with the 6ft fence after all.

That shouldn't have been an issue, but OP says that ever since then the son screams at her when she drives into the street, and his parents keep calling the city on her for no reason. Keep scrolling to find out how people reacted.

The woman shared her story with the Reddit community in the AITA subreddit.

She agreed to compromise and go with a 4ft fence, but she explained to her neighbors that her dog would absolutely be able to jump that and get into their yard.

As a single female, that made her extremely uncomfortable, so she decided to go with the 6ft fence after all.

Now she's wondering, is she the a**hole?

Here's how people reacted.

"You have to be comfortable in your home."

"You should do whatever it takes to feel safe."

"You're being nice by not calling the cops over the abuse."

"They sound like they may have enabled him."

"Start a paper trail."

"You did what was needed to protect yourself."

"You did nothing wrong."

"You deserve to feel safe in the home you bought."

"You need to talk to your neighbors."

It's a violation of your private property!

"You need a lawyer."

"You need it for your dog."

"What happens to him when his parents pass?"

"Call the cops."

"Now you know why the house was for sale."

NTA!

"You have no obligation to deal with that situation."

"You have gone out of your way to be as nice as you possibly can."

"This could escalate into a bigger problem."

What's your take on this situation? Do you think the OP is in the wrong for putting up the 6ft fence, or is she well within her rights to do so?

Surely, the extra 2ft isn't that big of a deal? But then, life wouldn't be easy for the couple caring for their son in their old age.

As always, we would love to hear your opinions on this topic. You can share your thoughts with us in the comment section.

Stephanie