Long-Term Goals
Greg never imagined his new pool would become so popular. It was something he had always hoped to build for himself and his family.
After saving up enough money, he vowed to take his family swimming this summer.
He had no idea, however, that everyone in the neighborhood would also enjoy a wonderful summer in his brand-new pool.
Success
A renovation was desperately needed when Greg and Jeanne Miller moved into an old Sacramento neighborhood.
Despite the fact that it wasn’t much, they really wanted one thing. Their savings had eventually accumulated to the point where they could start building a pool.
The cost, however, would be much more than just money.
Nosy Neighbors
Their nieces and nephews were great, even though they didn’t have any children of their own.
They were soaking up the sun in their backyard one day when they noticed some heads peeking over the fence.
Their neighbor Sandra and her kids stopped by with a question for Greg and Jeanne.
For The Kids
A mom begged the couple for their new pool to be opened to her children and some of the neighborhood kids as well.
Because it was the school holidays and she didn’t want her kids getting into trouble, she suggested they go to someone’s backyard so they would be safe.
Greg, however, was not convinced.
Disapproval
It took Jeanne a lot of convincing to convince Greg to agree to the proposal.
In any case, they were fond of children, and nothing would make them happier than for some children to have a good time.
Greg called everyone to the pool after they agreed to set some ground rules. Using someone else’s property requires following the rules. He needed them to know this.
Conditional
It was Greg’s pleasure to have the children and their parents use the pool at any time, but there was one rule they had to follow.
The children were allowed to swim as much as they liked, but dogs were not allowed. The pool’s lining was still fragile, and the paws of a dog could tear it.
Greg specifically requested this. In spite of the fact that Greg and Jeanne were happy that their pool attracted so many kids, did they manage to stick to the rules?
The Only Rule
Greg and Jeanne listened to the sounds of laughter and happiness filling the air as the children played in the pool.
Then they heard something else, and Greg’s blood began to boil.
His greatest fears came true when he rushed over to the window. The children had broken the only rule.
Betrayal
A neighborhood kid and his large and energetic German Shepherd dog snuck into Greg’s backyard.
In the pool, the dog was playing rough with other kids in the water and scratching the pool liner with its sharp claws.
After explicitly stating the “no dogs” rule, Greg became infuriated. It puzzled him as to why the kids ignored his request and brought a dog into his pool. The time had come for him to act.
Consequences
In an attempt to stop the kids from playing with the dog, Greg stormed out of the house and marched toward the pool. A boy admitted that the dog belonged to his family when Greg asked the kids whose it was.
It was Greg who sternly reprimanded them for disrespecting his property and expressed his disappointment.
Their dog had to leave immediately, and he wouldn’t allow them to use his pool if they didn’t follow the rules.
What Goes Up Comes Down
Despite the kids’ best efforts, the dog left the pool with a whimper of disappointment. Feeling frustrated and upset, Greg watched the kids leave his property.
He noticed the ripped lining in the pool as he looked into it. His pool was now in need of repairs, and that’s exactly why he didn’t want any dogs in it.
To ensure that his pool would remain for the enjoyment of his family, he discovered he had to find a solution.
Time To Reclaim What Was Theirs
He knew what he needed to do. Although Greg and Jeanne enjoyed having the children over, they couldn’t allow something so expensive to go to ruin.
Seeing those scratches in his pool reminded him of how careless people, especially children, could be.
And he needed to stop that before he ended up paying more than he could afford.
No More Mr. Nice Guy
The neighbors had unfortunately taken advantage of their kindness for far too long, and he was going to put an end to it.
He didn’t care if this caused a rift between them.
This amount of disrespect. The amount of money he would have to fork out to fix his pool. It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t worth the amount he’d have to spend on repairs.
The Repair Guy
Early the next morning, the pool repair guy came out to inspect the damages, and what he found left Greg speechless.
That dog’s paws caused astronomical damage.
This fix wouldn’t come cheap, and Greg expected that. What he didn’t expect was that the amount he needed to pay for the repair would be so high.
No Other Choice
With a heavy heart, Greg forked out the money and watched the repair guy fix the pool. It took two whole days for them to drain out all the water and patch the scratches.
And it took an additional three hours to have it filled back up.
Unfortunately, it ended up costing far more than Greg could afford. And that made him realize just how big of a mistake he had made.
Confronting The Neighbor
After his pool was fixed, Greg confronted his neighbor. He told her about the kids breaking the rules and the damage they caused.
She had no sympathy at all, and even though Greg didn’t want to be reimbursed, she didn’t even offer to.
It was yet another thing that made him realize that sharing his pool was a mistake.
Thinking It Through
That night, Greg thought about everything that had happened. He warned his neighbor and her children to stay away from his pool.
But Greg had a nagging feeling that this was far from the end.
And he was right. That scratch was just the beginning of the horrors the pool would bring. It was a lesson Greg would learn soon enough.
An Unexpected Vacation
A few weeks after the incident, Greg had to leave town for a couple of days.
He didn’t think anything of it since he hadn’t had any pool problems since he spoke to his neighbor.
Little did he know that something was going on behind his back. His neighbors weren’t as innocent as they appeared to be. (fleshbot.com)
When The Cat’s Away
What Greg didn’t know was that his neighbors had been taking full advantage of his absence ever since he had that talk with them.
They would keep an eye out for his car, and as soon as he was out of sight, they snuck in.
At first, they were being very careful. It made sense since they didn’t want to get caught. But this time, they became careless.
Getting Back Home
When Greg got home on Sunday night, he realized that something wasn’t right. The edge of the pool was wet, and the pool toys were out of place.
It was almost as if someone else had used it a few hours earlier.
That really irritated Greg, but it was nowhere near as bad as what he felt the next day.
A Shocking Sight
Greg went to check his pool early the next morning, and what he found had the blood boiling in his veins.
There was yet another scratch in his pool.
It was exactly the same place as the last, and from the look of things, Greg could tell that it was the same dog that had caused it.
Losing His Mind
Greg had had enough. Greg couldn’t believe that his boys hadn’t learned their lesson yet.
He knew he would have to find a way to get them back or, at the very least, stop it from happening again.
He’d have to think of a good plan and set it into motion. It was risky, but what other choice did he have?
Final Straw
The sight of the damage, along with the bill he had to pay the last time, had Greg seeing red.
He thought that the issue had been resolved, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
The children weren’t going to respect his pool, so he would have to make some drastic measures. But the neighborhood wouldn’t look so fondly on Greg after what he’d do.
Putting An End To It
The deep scratch meant that was the last straw for Greg.
He needed to put an end to this once and for all. If he didn’t, it would only get worse.
He knew that there was no amicable way to settle things. He was a fool to think that the neighborhood could share his pool and not wreck it. He didn’t care if he was the bad guy.
Step One
The first thing Greg did was confront his neighbor. She denied everything, as he expected her to.
But she had no idea she was playing right into his hands.
He had planned for this. He already knew what kind of neighbor she was, which meant there was no way to do this nicely. He’d have to be brutal in order to win.
The First Piece Of The Puzzle
Greg already had a plan, and her denial was the first piece of the puzzle.
Once he had that, he could proceed, and that was exactly what he did next.
He had laid out an ingenious plan that she would hopefully play right into. If she took the bait, then this would be the revenge of the ages. He just had to contact a few people.
Secret Plans
Greg went home and made a few phone calls as he began to set his plan in motion.
A few hours later, a huge truck was parked in front of Greg and Jeanne’s house.
He could barely contain his excitement for the plan to work in his favor. The truck was sure to catch his neighbor’s attention. But it wasn’t the only vehicle there.
Other Vehicles
The truck was accompanied by a few smaller vehicles. And pretty soon, Greg and Jeanne’s house was filled with workers.
But what were they doing?
He knew that he couldn’t keep his prying neighbor from seeing what he was doing, but that didn’t mean he had to tell her anything that didn’t involve her.
Spreading The Word
The neighbors whispered about what was happening at 23 Maple Lane.
Everything seemed hush-hush.
But Greg would soon make the big reveal soon enough, and it would leave more than a few neighbors unhappy. At this point, he didn’t care about putting their happiness first when they couldn’t look after his stuff.
More Than Just A Rift
He knew his plan was coming together nicely.
Between the neighbors spreading rumors and the constant building on his property, he stirred up quite the spectacle. But he didn’t care in the slightest.
What Greg had up his sleeve was something that his neighbors would never see coming. It would cause more than just a rift.
Drastic Times
When he would feel bad for what he had done, he just thought about who had really caused this.
Even though Greg never wanted to go that far, he knew he had no other choice.
His neighbors were blatantly disrespecting him, and that was something he wouldn’t stand for. They did this to themselves for being spoiled by his kindness.
Teaching Them A Lesson
He would teach them a lesson the hard way, and if they chose not to learn from their mistakes, he would go even further.
He felt that he couldn’t be beaten.
He had already laid out several contingency plans. But what did he have up his sleeve? Nobody in the neighborhood could guess.
Vehicle 1
One of the smaller vehicles that arrived belonged to an IT company.
They had come to install a surveillance system. One of the key pieces in Greg’s plan.
Now that the first part was active, Greg called his neighbor into his backyard. They were standing right under the camera when he warned her about her children sneaking into his yard.
Anger
He could tell that the woman was infuriated by what he had done.
This, in Greg’s mind, was an admission of guilt; why else would she react that way?
Either way, it didn’t matter to Greg now that he had installed his cameras. He would know if they snuck into his pool and be able to show her the evidence. But how did she react?
Another Denial
Once again, his neighbor denied that her children were sneaking into Greg’s backyard.
She was completely unaware of the cameras that were installed. But that was exactly what Greg wanted.
When he had his evidence, she would be going down. He’d have to wait a while for that, though, but he’d be patient and play his cards right.
A Bit Of Calm
Greg knew that the kids wouldn’t immediately try to get into the pool now that it was fresh in his mind.
But knowing kids, he knew that they would try something sooner or later.
He decided that he had to lay a trap to incentivize his neighbors to try something. He thought of a brilliant idea that was sure to get them to slip up and make a mistake.
The First Attempt
A few days after the cameras were up and running, Greg decided to test his theory.
He told his neighbor that he and his wife were leaving town for a while and went on his way.
But the truth was that they weren’t leaving at all. They would just be driving around for a little while.
A Few Hours Later
When they returned a few hours later, Greg caught the kids in the act.
He didn’t even need his surveillance cameras to catch them, it was before his very eyes.
The neighborhood children and the dog were having fun in his pool, even though he made himself clear on more than one occasion.
Confrontation
Greg instantly confronted his neighbor, and her response left him floored.
“You can’t stop the children from using the pool,” she said.
Greg balled his hands into fists at what she had said. “The pool” was his pool and no one else had a right to use it without his permission. He saw in a blind rage but decided to play ball.
His Response
Greg knew what his neighbor said was false, but he didn’t care about that.
What he did care about were the constant repairs and the amount of money he had to pay because of them.
He handed his neighbor all the bills and informed her that yet another bill would be coming since the dog was in the pool once again.
Speechless
Greg’s neighbor looked at him with big eyes. It was clear that she didn’t know what to say, but her stubbornness refused to let her back down.
She pushed the invoices back into his hand and said, “You can’t force me to pay this.”
She called the kids and walked off, leaving Greg exactly where he wanted to be.
A Trap
As she waltzed into her house with her children, Greg couldn’t help but smile.
His poker face meant that she had played right into his hands. He wanted her to refuse to pay for the repairs.
That was because now he had one thing that she probably hadn’t even thought about. He had proof on his cameras for all to see.
Next Step
With all the evidence at hand, Greg went to his lawyer.
He never wanted things to go that far, but these people pushed him past his breaking point, and he couldn’t back down anymore.
Greg tried his best to resolve the issue peacefully. But they didn’t want to cooperate, and now they had to suffer the consequences of their actions.
Small Claims Court
A few weeks later, Greg was in small claims court, facing off against his neighbor.
He was grateful that she had stuck to her story of denying everything against her. He knew it wouldn’t end well for her.
She kept denying that her children snuck into his yard to use his pool and stated that the dog was never there.
Evidence
He couldn’t help but smile when she made these claims.
He stood up and gave the USB stick with the evidence on it. Her eyes went wide in disbelief.
But as soon as Greg produced the video evidence, there was no denying it anymore. It not only showed the children, but it also showed the dog.
Ruling
The judge ruled in Greg’s favor and ordered his neighbor to pay all the pool repair costs.
Greg was happy to get the money back, but he still wasn’t satisfied.
Even though he could see that his neighbor had learned her lesson, he wasn’t sure how long it would last. And he wasn’t willing to go through all this again.
Drastic Measures
After much contemplation, Greg decided to install a tall fence around his backyard to keep the neighborhood kids out.
He also put up a sign that clearly stated that the pool was for private use only and that trespassers would be prosecuted.
He hoped it would work, but would that really be the case? Or would they persist?
Opinions
Greg knew that his decision would affect the relationship he had with his neighbors.
It would make him unpopular, and some might even start disliking him.
It was a risk that he knew he had to take. Otherwise, he would be stepped on by his neighbor, and that wasn’t right. He imagined her taking advantage constantly, and that made him furious.
Self Defence
He felt a fire in his belly, the community might hate him after this.
But he was determined to protect his property and his investment.
And he couldn’t let that bad feeling that was lingering in his heart affect him. If it did, he would just be giving in to them and their needs. He couldn’t lose to this woman, he had to look out for himself and his wife.
Backlash from Neighbors
As expected, Greg’s decision to put up a fence and restrict access to his pool didn’t sit well with some of his neighbors, especially not the one next door.
The entitlement came from every corner of the neighborhood.
It seemed that no one supported the decision that Greg had made to his own property.
Disappointment
Some of the kids and their parents were disappointed and angry, and there was some tension in the neighborhood.
But what else could he do? If they didn’t want to take responsibility, he couldn’t trust them with his property.
The saddest thing was that one rotten family had ruined it for the entire neighborhood.
Standing Tall
Greg had a few unpleasant confrontations with his neighbors, who accused him of being unwelcoming and selfish.’
Some even said he was being “un-American,” whatever that meant.
He let the comments roll off his back. Comments and confrontations like that wouldn’t make him suddenly change his ideals.
Thinking Of Fixing Things
The comments were harsh, However, he stood firm in his decision, knowing that he had to protect his property and his family’s enjoyment of the pool.
But that didn’t mean he wanted to keep fighting with everyone around him.
He wanted the neighborhood he loved back, and it was in his hands to fix things.
A Beneficial Agreement
After a while of thinking things through and talking it out with his wife, Greg came up with a solution.
He couldn’t believe he was going to give the neighbor a second chance, but it was the only way to make amends.
It was mostly his wife wanting there to be no conflict, but he did want the community back.
Supervision
When the kids were supervised, and the dog wasn’t around, everything was fine.
Could he use that to his advantage?
After speaking to one of his neighbors, his mind was made up. The solution was simple yet perfect. He managed to find a compromise that everyone would hopefully be happy with. But was it enough?
Once A Month
Greg decided to open his home to all his neighbors on a monthly basis.
That way, the kids could have the fun they were missing out on, and he could start repairing his relationship with his neighbors.
But having kids in his pool wasn’t the only part of Greg’s plan. The kids didn’t make up the neighborhood. The neighbors did.
A Community Thing
So Greg decided that the monthly opening of his backyard would be a community thing. It would be a massive barbecue that would involve everyone in the neighborhood.
The kids could have fun in the pool while the adults discussed what was going on in the area.
And while doing that, they could ensure that nobody’s property got damaged.
Respecting Boundaries
Over time, Greg’s neighbors began to understand and respect his boundaries. They realized that Greg wasn’t just being an unreasonable old man.
He simply wanted to keep his pool in good shape so everyone around him could enjoy it without any disruptions.
He just wanted his rules to be obeyed because he was tired of constantly repairing the thing.
Building Fences
Some of the kids and their parents even apologized for not following the rules earlier and thanked Greg for allowing them to use the pool once more.
They even promised to respect his property going forward.
But some weren’t so willing to understand his point of view, and it seemed like that relationship could no longer be mended.
Win-Win
Even though Greg tried to keep everyone happy, he couldn’t get his next-door neighbor to look past the court case.
He understood that it had cost her thousands of dollars, but she couldn’t understand that her dog caused the burden.
But one day, as the community gathered, everything changed. She approached him, and the two of them had a very serious conversation.
Common Ground
Once Greg explained his side of the story, his neighbor apologized.
She stated that she had no idea that her son had brought the dog over and that she would’ve disciplined him if she did.
That, however, wasn’t what bothered Greg. It was her lack of responsibility that forced him to take action. He just wanted her to understand that.