Neighbors… you either love them or can’t stand them, but they sure can be a real mixed bag. Sometimes, they’re like the best friends you didn’t know you needed, sharing sugar, watching your pets and lending a hand with that pesky lawnmower. But then there’s the other kind, the ones who think your life is their business, your yard is theirs too, or better yet, your security cameras are their security cameras.
One Redditor found herself on the receiving end of one such “neighborly” request that’s just too good, and might we add ridiculous, not to share.
More info: Reddit
Neighbor demands homeowner change the angle to her newly installed security cameras so they cover his house too, threatens to run to the HOA when refused
Image credits: fabrikasimf / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The woman tells her neighbor to buy his own cameras, but the penny-pinching man demands access to her camera and gets angry when she refuses
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Bride1234109
The woman refuses to move her security cameras to cover her neighbor’s house too, he throws a fit and runs to the HOA, but they side with the woman
The OP, (original poster) just got her hands on some top-of-the-line outdoor cameras. You know, the kind that would make even the most experienced of porch pirates think twice. Inspired by her aunt’s setup, she figured it was high time to upgrade her own home security.
Everything was going smoothly and the cameras were positioned just right, capturing her property from all the right angles. She was all set for some peace of mind… until the neighbor showed up.
Now, let’s be real – some neighbors can ask for pretty strange things. Need to borrow a lawnmower? Sure, why not. Want to throw a party in my driveway? Umm, maybe not. But this one? He’s in a league of his own. After seeing the OP’s fancy new camera setup, this guy actually had the nerve to ask if she could adjust the angles a bit. Not so she could get a better view of her property—oh no, that would be too normal.
He wanted her to point the cameras at his house too. Yes, you read that right—he thought it’d be nice of her if she could just monitor his place for him. Because what’s a little extra security among neighbors, right?
At first, the OP was convinced this was some kind of joke. But no, the guy was serious. He even suggested she share access to the camera feed, so they could both keep an eye on things. How thoughtful! Because nothing says neighborly trust like sharing surveillance footage, right?
But our OP wasn’t about to play along with this ridiculous request. She politely told him that if he was so concerned about his house, maybe he should consider getting his own cameras. Makes sense, right?
Apparently not to this neighbor. Instead of just taking the hint, he turned into a toddler and threw a tantrum over the entire thing. And because every unneighborly drama needs a good villain, this guy even threatened to report the OP to the HOA (homeowner’s association) if she didn’t give in to his “reasonable” request.
Image credits: Curtis Adams / Pexels (not the actual photo)
You’d think that might be the end of it, but no, our entitled neighbor actually followed through on his threat and called up the HOA, hoping they’d force the OP to be his personal security service, but the HOA wasn’t having any of it. They basically told him to take a hike, reminding him that the OP was within her rights to focus her cameras on her own property.
Plus, the HOA even informed the OP that limiting the view of her cameras to other properties was actually advised.
But this guy just couldn’t let it go. After the HOA shut him down, he decided to quit the neighborhood watch in a huff. That’s right, he took his toys and went home, declaring that he didn’t feel like the neighbors were “truly looking out for each other.” Guess he’ll have to watch his own back now.
Meanwhile, the OP is probably just sitting back, enjoying her newly secured home, and maybe chuckling every time she checks the footage and doesn’t see her entitled neighbor.
Dealing with entitled neighbors can sometimes be a real test of patience - they'll keep pushing and pushing until they hit a hard "no." Some folks genuinely believe the world revolves around them, expecting everyone else to jump through hoops just to keep them satisfied.
To find out the best ways of dealing with entitled neighbors, Bored Panda reached out to Professor Peter T. Coleman, PhD, the director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University.
He told us that establishing, communicating and firmly enforcing clear boundaries early on, when dealing with unreasonable neighbors, is the way to go. Coleman also recommends documenting everything and keeping a record of each interaction (including dates, times, and details of conversations or incidents). This trick could come in handy in case the situation escalates.
We wanted to know what triggers entitled behavior. Professor Coleman told us that insecurity and low self-esteem, narcissistic tendencies and learned behaviors are amongst the most common triggers for entitled behavior.
We asked Professor Coleman how someone can refuse unreasonable demands without escalating the situation and creating conflict. Coleman recommends using empathy and offering alternatives, while still being firm and concise.
“Acknowledge their feelings while maintaining your position. ‘I understand this is important to you, but I'm not able to accommodate your request.’ Suggest other options or compromises that might partially address their concerns without giving in to unreasonable demands. Avoid over-explaining or apologizing excessively,” Coleman suggests.
Image credits: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
In addition to this, we reached out to the OP, who kindly agreed to provide an update on the current situation. She told us that her contact with this neighbor has always been limited to “hello” and “goodbye” but he does speak to some of the other neighbors. She mentioned that their neighborhood is a quiet place and she has never had any issues with anyone else.
We asked the OP if her neighbor has caused any trouble for other people too. “Some other neighbors have said that they’ve had small problems with him about other stuff, but not about cameras. More like mad that people parked in front of his house. He thinks he owns the street in front of his house,” the OP explained.
We wanted to know if the OP has talked to her neighbor since the incident and she told us that he hasn’t tried to contact her after quitting the neighborhood watch and he’s just been ignoring all the other neighbors ever since.
What did you think of this story? Share your thoughts and weirdest demands you’ve ever received from your neighbors in the comment section.
Netizens side with the homeowner, saying in some places, it’s even illegal to point your cameras at someone else’s property
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
