'AITA for kicking a family out of our condominium pool?' 'RESIDENTS ONLY.'

"AITA for kicking a family out of our condominium pool just because they don't live here?"

I was enjoying my coffee poolside at our condominium on a Sunday morning. A mother and her two kids arrived who were clearly not residents because they drove up with all of their pool stuff in their car and changed into their bathing suits in the bathroom. A resident would just walk here (the association isn't that big) and would have changed in their unit.

It's been almost 100 degrees for a week. The kids jumped in the pool and started splashing around having a great time. Yeah, they were noisy but they were just being kids. I started thinking about what if all the kids from the surrounding apartment buildings (that don't have pools) started using our pool.

Was ITA for pointing out the sign that said "RESIDENTS ONLY" and making them leave? After all, they weren't really harming anything. The kids were so disappointed that I made them leave that they started crying. It has been so hot that I'm sure being in the pool was a great relief.

On the other hand, we pay for the pool, plus if they got injured they would sue the condo association. If word got out that anyone can swim in our pool, anyone would. And before you go there, everyone involved in this story is same race.

Here's what people had to say about this one:

wesmorgan1 said:

NTA, but, in the future, you probably want to inform property management and let them handle it. You aren't paid to be the Pool Police, and one never knows how folks are going to react to such things.

BewildredDragon said:

Um, sorry everyone but I have to say NTA. I have a home in an HOA Community and we do NOT need a lawsuit because some non-residents were hurt at the pool they weren't supposed to be at in the first place.

I'm sorry OP, that you were put in that position but I would strongly encourage you to advise your management to place a locked gate, they are just asking for trouble without one.

deefop said:

NTA. It's private property, not a community pool. This is legally and fundamentally no different than a family showing up in my backyard to use my pool. Well, if I had a pool. Although I really would recommend letting the condo association/HOA handle it in the future, because there's no need for you to risk a confrontation over someone else's property.

AshnZan said:

NTA. I dealt with this a lot when I was babysitting my niece. The more often people get away with doing this the more entitled they feel to continue doing it. And then they invite friends, and more friends, and pretty soon the people who live there can’t even get a spot at the pool.

Management and residents have to stop this kind of thing right away and be very clear that it’s not allowed. I would definitely speak to the management and ask them to maybe post something or to at least give residence a number to contact if there is an issue.

EarlyBirdWithAWorm said:

NTA, besides the obvious they don't live there and therefore are not paying via fees for the upkeep and privileges of using the pool, there could be insurance implications by allowing them to stay. What if one of them slipped on the pool deck and cracked open their skull?

Meemster_Me said:

NTA, rules are rules. When I lived at an apartment that had a nice pool, people would come in off the streets and sneak in with other people who opened the gates. Before you know it the whole pool was completely overrun.

Consistent-Tax9850 said:

NTA. If you had a house with a pool in the backyard and they helped themselves to it would you have any question over the propriety of throwing them out? Fractional ownership doesn't make the condo any less your home.