I Asked My Neighbor to Clean Up After She Used My BBQ — The Next Day She Stuck Rules for My Property on My Door and Demanded I Follow Them
After allowing Claire, her new neighbor, to use her barbecue, Camilla arrives home to find her backyard in ruins. Her neighbor insists Camilla abide by her standards when she requests basic decency. However, the consequences are much worse than anyone anticipated when Camilla posts the truth online. You have to learn certain lessons the hard way.
I assumed Claire, my new neighbor, was typical when she came here six months ago. Just a woman who would keep to herself and not cause too much trouble for the neighborhood.
She was in her 40s, lived with her 16-year-old son, Adam, and first gave off the impression that she was laid back. Even friendly. In addition to lending her a garden hose and ladder, I also allowed her to use our outdoor grill station while we were away.
I didn’t give it much thought. Just being a good neighbor, isn’t it?
False.
David, my husband, and I took the kids to see my parents one weekend.
“While your parents take over with Grandma and Grandpa duty,” David remarked, preparing food for the two-hour drive. “We can have a date night.”
I was ready to leave town for a bit, I had to admit. I simply needed a change of environment before I began to feel claustrophobic because I had been feeling restless.
We spent two days away.
And when did we return?
My God.
It appeared as though our backyard had withstood a frat house BBQ apocalypse.
The kids’ toys were strewn all over the place, my potted plants were upside down, and there were empty beer bottles all over the terrace. The deck was stained with grease. It appeared as though our once-beautiful grill station had just barely survived an explosion.
My eye twitched as I stood there and stared at the carnage.
I told myself to take deep breaths, Camilla. Perhaps there is a real reason behind this.
So I knocked on the next door. Claire said, appearing utterly unconcerned and still in her jammies.
“Oh, yeah,” she chuckled. It was Adam’s birthday celebration. You’re familiar with children? That’s simply what they do.
I blinked. I had the impression that my brain was ticking away.
Is that all children do? Was she angry? She saw the mess, didn’t she? What on earth?
“Claire, my backyard isn’t a public park. At least you could have cleaned up.
She shrugged and added, “Oh, don’t be so uptight, Camilla,” It’s only a minor mess. You’ll move past it. You and your husband can use a hose, surely? That will be resolved with a little water.
I had the option of throwing something at her.
Well, I’ll go on. Yes, of course.
I returned home and tried to think of what I should do. Either I’ll be reasonable, or I’ll be unpredictable and charge Claire.
“What’s that look on your face?” I entered the kitchen and David inquired. “Found the culprit?”
Adam’s birthday was being celebrated. That’s how he spent it, apparently.
“Isn’t he, like, sixteen?” While preparing me a cup of tea, David inquired.
I answered, “Something like that,” and picked up the biscuit jar. “Oh my god. underage alcohol consumption! The number of beer bottles is enormous.
David gave me a glance and chuckled.
“Every kid does it at least once, Cami,” he replied. However, you could use that as leverage, don’t you think? To frighten the child?”
I gave a nod.
However, I also want Claire to feel something. She assured me that I would get over it and that we could simply hose the mess down.
While I attempted to think of anything to do, we sipped our tea in silence.
Well, I thought, Cami. First, let’s try to be sensible.
I took out a notepad and jotted down three basic guidelines:
Anything you use should be cleaned and returned.
Be mindful of my property.
After your child has finished, clean up.
I went to Claire the following morning and gave it to her. I anticipated a responsible answer. However, I received just the opposite in return.
A list of her regulations was attached to my front door when I woke up the following morning.
It wasn’t a joke. Claire set the rules. For my land. My land.
As I read the note, I almost choked on my coffee.
Greetings, neighbors!
In order to maintain fairness and neighborliness, I have established a few basic guidelines:
To prevent any problems, kindly adhere to these.
Don’t grill after 7:00 p.m. I can’t sleep because of the scent.
When cooking, avoid using hot seasonings. My son dislikes the odor.
Please don’t enter the yard when I’m using the grill. I dislike having strangers watch me cook since it is distracting.
Before grilling, let me know so I know who is using it. Timetables are essential.
Your yard hose belongs to the community. I could need it to water my garden and wash my car.
Everyone can find patio furniture!
Mow my side of the lawn as well as yours. That way, it looks so much nicer.
If my son puts trash in your yard, please be understanding. Children will be children, and that’s okay!
I occasionally need more parking space. If I need to, I might use your driveway.
Additionally, don’t hesitate to talk to me about these regulations if you ever have any questions. But keep in mind that I am aware of what is best for our community!
A peaceful neighborhood is what I’m hoping for!
To make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, I read it twice.
This woman genuinely believed that she had just seized my backyard and turned it into her own domain. Then Olivia, my oldest child, rushed up with her phone.
She said, “Mom, you must see this.” She played a video for me.
Adam, Claire’s son, had been sharing films on TikTok.
from our own backyard!
He and his pals were seen in the videos laughing about using our place as if it were their own hangout. Then, on camera, they defaced the establishment.
Oh, oh.
I reached for my phone right away.
I went to my backyard and took a video of everything. The trash, the greasy grill, and the beer bottles that were still rolling around on the patio. Claire had pinned a crazy list of restrictions to my door, and I zoomed in on it.
I then shared it on social media.
What about the caption?
I’m glad my neighbor and her child have more fun in my backyard than I do! Look at the guidelines she provided me!
The video was shared like wildfire and received five million views in just three days.
Comments poured in:
I’m sorry. Her regulations? For YOUR home?
No, erect a barrier as soon as possible. These folks are crazy.
What kind of game is she playing?
Tell me that your neighbor is entitled without actually mentioning it.
Then someone volunteered.
One man in the comments claimed to be an expert in chain-link fence construction. My backyard was more tightly secured than Fort Knox by the end of the week.
There were none left:
Unfortunately, my son needed a place to hang out with his buddies.
Camilla, I simply needed to quickly wash my car.
Claire wasn’t receiving access to my place, so it’s a shame if she wanted it. And she saw the fence right away.
With a wooden spoon in her hand, she rushed over and banged on my door.
She yelled, “You’re violating my rules!” “Goddammit!”
I gave a charming smile.
“What’s with the spoon?” I inquired. “What have you been baking?”
She gave me a look that suggested I was angry.
“I said that you’re breaking my rules, Camilla!”
I said, “Oh, sorry,” with a tone of phony innocence. “I just thought since we had different house rules, it was best we keep things separate.”
She lost her temper.
I grinned as I took a drink of my coffee.
Overnight, my water bill got better. All of a sudden, Claire was unable to use my hose. There was no more free parking for her, therefore my driveway remained empty.
Then…
Around dinnertime two days later, someone knocked on the door.
Not Claire.
Adam.
The 16-year-old appeared utterly depressed.
A mumbled “Ma’am, please,” “Please… you’re ruining my life.”
I said, “What do you mean?”
He moaned, “Those videos that you made,”. “You’re the reason I’m having problems at school now! I initially believed that it was cool and that no one would notice. But after a while, people recognized me. They won’t let me move on from it now.
Oh, so he was upset because he had exposed himself?
I cocked my head.
“Oh, that sounds rough, buddy,” I replied. However, you are aware that acts have repercussions. Do you realize that all you needed to do was tidy up after yourself? The place did not need to be trashed. I didn’t mind if you used it. I didn’t mind if you brought your pals over. However, what you did…”
Silently, “Yes, I do understand,” he murmured.
“Okay,” I replied. “I’ll take the videos down. However, keep in mind that you should never claim someone else’s property as your own. Don’t abuse a favorable situation.
He gave a nod and turned to leave.
The neighborhood’s gentle buzz sounded almost… tranquil, and the night air was cooler than normal.
I went outside and pulled my robe tighter around me as I made my way to the garbage cans. My yard was bathed in a bright yellow glow when the motion sensor turned on.
I noticed her at that point.
Claire.
She had a cigarette hanging between her fingers as she leaned on the side of her house.
Her hair looked disheveled and unbrushed, and her shoulders were hunched inward. She didn’t resemble the arrogant, conceited woman who had tacked her absurd regulations to my door.
I briefly thought about ignoring her.
Then she leaned her head in my direction and let out a slow exhale.
“You win,” she said in a raspy voice.
My question was, “Excuse me?”
After taking another suck from her cigarette, she chuckled to herself.
Saying, “You heard me, Camilla,” she held the cigarette aloft. “You prevailed. Well done. You ought to check out the comments made about me.
I gazed at her, attempting to interpret her voice. It wasn’t a joke. Not that it was angry. It was simply… worn out.
defeated.
Dusting off my hands, I tossed the trash into the bin.
“Not really sure what you mean, Claire,” I replied. “I didn’t realize this was a competition.”
She laughed.
She whispered, “Oh, come on, Camilla,” “We are both aware of this. You went nuclear because you didn’t like the way I handled things. For heaven’s sake, you put my child in the middle. His life was ruined by you.
I folded my arms.
The statement, “Adam ruined his own life,” was my objective. He was not coerced into hosting a party in my yard by me. He didn’t have to post videos boasting about it because of me. Furthermore, I most definitely did not make you pretend that my backyard belonged to you.
She didn’t protest, but her nostrils flared.
For once.
She let out another breath and looked out at the street that had grown black.
“Do you know how hard it is to raise a teenage boy alone?”
I blinked slowly. That was… surprising.
I said nothing.
She shook her head and laughed without amusement.
“Adam doesn’t have a dad,” she stated. “Never did. We have been the only ones. And I made an effort to provide him with a wonderful existence. However, she shrugged. “After all, kids are kids. He made a foolish error.
I squinted.
“Claire, this wasn’t just a stupid mistake.”
She didn’t respond. She simply took a slow drag once again.
“You know,” I remarked in a composed yet forceful tone. “I could have taken things a lot further.”
She took notice of that. She jerked her head in my direction.
“What?”
“Really, Claire. You provided me with guidelines for my own home. You let your child to use my land as a playground. Additionally, you laughed in my face when I requested basic respect.
She merely gazed at me.
“I could have filed a lawsuit. I had the option to file charges. I had the option to call the police. I had sufficient evidence. However, I didn’t. Claire, I’m not a bad person. Simply put, I dislike being trodden over.
She seemed small for the first time since I’d known her. She flicked the ash from her cigarette and turned aside.
“Yeah,” she said in a whisper. “I get that now.”
I paused to observe her, allowing the moment to pass between us.
I then gave a nod.
“Good.”
