You can be a very accommodating neighbor, a helpful colleague, or a reliable friend, and somehow, you’ll end up getting taken advantage of.
On Reddit, a man vented out a story where he ended up being a villain.
What started as a well-meaning act became an unwanted beacon of entitlement, which he learned the hard way.
The story began when he moved into a small neighborhood with his fiancé.
From the get-go, the small neighborhood seemed fine.
He also noted that there was an abundance of kids around the ages of 9 or 10.
When they found that they were pregnant, the couple decided to get a pool.
Little did they know that this would start a neighborhood war against them.
They decided to get a pool.
“I had an above-ground pool put in last year and the neighborhood kids were very happy,” he said in his post.
And being good neighbors, he decided to let the kids enjoy their amenities but of course, he imposed some ground rules.
“I told them no dogs were allowed in the pool as the lining was fragile and could break.” He shared.
It seems like a good deal.
After all, the kids can use the pool for free. Or at least, the man said he didn’t charge an entrance fee.
Then, everything turned on its head when they got back from a trip.
“This year, I opened the pool and the kids used it while we were away.” He said in his post, “When we got back, I noticed the water level was low and tried to refill it.”
Upon investigation, he saw a “good-sized tear” on one side of the pool but nonetheless, he got it fixed.
The kids came back the next day.
They asked him if they could use the pool. But remembering the tear he fixed and the fact that the kids also brought their Labrador retriever with them, the man refused and told them the pool was closed.
When he came back one day, he saw his neighbors arguing with his fiancé.
Then, with an unbelievable turn of events, the neighbors accused them of making their kids sad because he disallowed them to use his pool.
He explained what happened but instead of understanding, the neighbors demanded he reopened the pool.
Commenters were quick to defend his actions.
One of them even cited the “attractive nuisance” law and told the man not to allow the kids on his property ever again.
They said that given how their neighbors reacted, they will definitely pin the liability on him if things happen to the kids.
“NTA and this whole scenario is an insurance nightmare. Never never NEVER let anyone use your pool, especially when you’re not home.” One commenter also warned, “All it will take will be one kid drowning and your lovely house and your lovely life will be gone. Tell them no one uses the pool anymore period, then install cameras and a pool cover.”