'AITA for telling my neighbor she can’t have my side of the garden? The landlord isn't helping.'

"AITAH for telling my neighbor she can’t have my side of the garden?"

My partner and I live in a multi-family home with 4 separate units. We have a large backyard with a two-sided garden. Of note, my partner and I are the newest tenants to the house. Last year, my partner wanted to grow vegetables in the garden. He talked with the one other neighbor who uses the garden. The other neighbor told him that she wanted a specific side, so my partner took the other side.

We, my partner and I spent a lot of money on new fresh soil, plant food, everything. Spent countless hours tilling and making it great for growing. We did a great job. Our neighbor did not do such a great job. She did not buy fresh soil and nutrients like we did. She was constantly blaming her lack of growth and our success on the amount of sunlight. They are literally a foot apart.

There is no difference in the sunlight. Fast forward to this year and we see her setting up on our side of the garden. We approached her and said that we did not agree that she can just claim our side, as we put so much time and money into it already.

Not to mention the fact that she was the one who decided what side she wanted to begin with. We got into a big argument. Landlord thinks we should alternate sides every year as a resolution. We disagree. AITA?

The internet was quick to share their opinions.

Hobbz- wrote:

NTA. Explain to the landlord what you invested in your half and how neighbor is basically trying to steal from you. Unless neighbor is going to pay, she needs to stay in her section.

I imagine landlord is getting an earful from neighbor and doesn't want to deal with the drama. See if you can find a way to remove the drama from landlord while standing your ground.

OP responded:

We decided that we’re taking our soil and transferring it to various other planters that we’re going to use to decorate the outside of our section of the house. The other neighbor can have both sides of the garden.

Foolsfollyunltd wrote:

NTA. Explain to your landlord one more time, while researching small claims court. If not resolved then let them know you are prepared to go to court.

OP responded:

I really don’t want it to go to court. Realistically we spent about $400-$500 on the soil and other nutrients. Not to mention the time and effort. I don’t feel that’s worth small claims court.

I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing when the landlord didn’t support us when we told her about how much we put into it. She just kept saying that it’s something you have to do every year, as if last year’s efforts are irrelevant.

caslad66 wrote:

If she says that it's something you have to do every year then she needs to explain why she hasn't done it this year.

OP responded:

The landlord essentially implied that there was already soil there from when it was build 4 years ago. I couldn’t understand why that mattered, considering that soil was complete junk at this point.

Luxodad wrote:

"Landlord thinks we should alternate sides every year as a resolution."

Ask the landlord who will pay for the materials and labour you put into your half. It seems that if you alternate, you will do all the work and spend all that money to improve both sides, while the neighbour harvests the benefits.

roxywalker wrote:

Hard pass. As a gardener myself I would absolutely not give over my side of what I have already nurtured and cultivated. She has a lot of nerve just moving in on a space that she thinks will yield her a better result when in fact, it won’t because the issue is her lack of effort.

If you yield to her demands, you will be starting from scratch with a parcel that will be more work for you because you will have to basically fix what she did didn’t bother to do. I’d tell them both that you are grandfathered in and garden plots need to remain with who claimed them the season before.

FairyFartDaydreams wrote:

NTA. Tell the landlord when she pays you for all the soil amendments then she can switch but you have poured too much money into the side you are using.

fairyhalf-breed80 wrote:

She wants to switch every year? Okay. Plant grass seed in the plot and use buckets and totes to plant in. That side doesn't get enough sun, right? So you had to put them in raised beds so they'd get light. Stop contributing money to a plot that can be taken away. Keep all your effort in your containers.

Maybe when she sees you're not "fixing" her side and still getting a great harvest, that she's the problem. The grass seed and weight from the totes will make that side a pain to get back to plantable when it's hers again.

OP responded:

I love your ideas. Unfortunately we’re nowhere near St. Louis. Closer to Boston here.

Agoraphobe961 wrote:

NTA. Pull up your dirt and get the moveable planter beds (Wayfair has some galvanized ones for like $50) so the garden stays yours no matter what side of the yard you’re on and if you inevitably move out.

Ichornet wrote:

NTA. The woman is being entitled and pushy. No way would I agree to alternate since she chose the side she wanted. Not your fault she didn’t put the time and money into her side.

Jovon35 wrote:

NTAH. If they're going to force you to switch sides I would take out all of the soil on the side you're currently in and switch the soil from her side into your bed and vice versa. Or she can reimburse you for the cost of soil nutrients and everything else that you put into your garden.

She absolutely does not get to benefit from your time, hard work, and money that you spent on the soil and nutrients. I know how difficult it would be to switch everything from one side to the other from personal experience but there's no way I would allow her to benefit from my work after being shady and underhanded.

Puzzleheaded_Gear622 wrote:

Your landlord's a dick for allowing that to happen because it shouldn't be that way. That's your labor and fertilizer and soil on the side of the garden she wants now. I take all that topsoil and put it on my side and she can do the same as you had to do last year. Or if you really want to be Petty you can salt her garden area.