Neighbor blocks Airbnb's view of historic home, 'AITA for damaging someone's income?'
Airbnbs and the cost of buying a home have been the subjects of tense debates lately...
When a conflicted homeowner consulted Reddit's "Am I the A%#hole" about an issue with their neighbor, people were there to help.
"AITA for blocking an Airbnb's view of my home?"
I've already posted this asking for legal advice but thought I'd ask for moral advice too.
Last year we bought a historical property, with a fair size chunk of land. The previous owners had ran it as a small hotel but couldn't keep up with the pace at their age anymore.
We turned the property back into a private residence. A main country road runs right by the longest edge of the unfenced garden so we decided to plant hedges for privacy and to block off access in case my nephews visit and play football etc.
There is a small "gardener's cottage" right at the edge of this line, which was sold separately when we bought our home. We made sure to keep any bushes between us and them on our side of the property line.
We were unaware that the elderly couple had sold the cottage to a relative of theirs and that he had planned to turn it into an Airbnb.
We only know this now as after a summer of growth the owner had finally noticed the small "hedge" and realized what we'd done.
He, and the couple, have sent official looking letters stating we are impeding their reasonable enjoyment of the property as they had planned to market the cottage as part of the property with "views of a historical landmark" and once our hedge is full height that view will be greatly diminished if not almost entirely gone.
So AITA for potentially damaging someone's income by planting these hedges?
Here's what the jury of internet strangers had to say about this one:
lunarNex said:
You don't want to live next to an Airbnb anyway. I'd do anything possible to discourage it.
xanneonomousx said:
NTA. Unless they plan on paying your for your landscaping and upkeep of the “historical property” that you own. Marketing their property as being able to look at yours 24/7 sets you up to have your privacy violated.
They know they don’t have any legal leg to stand on or they would have gone that route instead of sending you fake letters, which could be illegal depending on context.
IamIrene said:
"I have a RIGHT to your property for my viewing pleasure!!" LOL, yeah...that's not how it works. You're are NTA.
Beginning-Spring-599 said:
NTA, nip this in the bud, get a lawyer and have them send a official letter to them to not harass you. This is your private property now and they have no say on what you do with it.
fuzzy_mic said:
NTA - Their plan was to make money by having people look at you in your private home. That is not "reasonable enjoyment."
gilthedog said:
Are they paying you a fee to use your house a tourist attraction?