There's nothing quite like a nosy neighbor who can't stay out of your business. Every move you make is carefully observed by their judging eye, as they build a case against your very existence.
While ignoring them can be the best move in many cases, sometimes, a neighbor is so out of pocket you cannot ignore them.
She wrote:
WIBTA for continuing to set off my car horn every time I see my neighbor take a picture of my car?
This whole thing is so dumb but I’m thinking that maybe I’m being too petty or something and I wanted to get other peoples' perspective on it. I (22f) have a cute little VW that my grandfather gave me when I got my license at 20.
I know that’s a little late but I had a fear of driving and just kept putting it off until I had no choice but to learn lol. To celebrate, granddad bought an 02 beetle from one of his friends and fixed it up for me. He runs an auto shop so we were able to get it painted my favorite color too which I’m really happy about.
It’s adorable and pink and I love it so much I’ll probably never sell it even when it doesn’t run anymore. No one has ever really had an issue with my car, the most I get is people telling me it’s cute. However, my neighbor totally hates it. She came over about a week after I moved in with my roommates and told me that my car was an eyesore and messed with the curb appeal of the neighborhood.
I said I was sorry she felt that way but I didn’t know what exactly she expected me to do about it. She asked that I park it in the garage, but I can’t do that because it’s a one-car garage and between the three people that live in this house, two of us drive.
The one that parks in the garage works from home, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to take that spot since they’d have to move their car out of the driveway every morning so I could go to work.
I thought that was the end of it, but then she sent a complaint to the HOA, and when that didn’t work she started posting on the neighborhood app making up reasons to get upset with “the loud college kids across the way”, and lately it’s just been her coming outside to take pictures of my car after I park it in the driveway.
Now when I catch her doing it, I press the key fob so the horn honks. The first few times it scared her, but now it just pisses her off enough to make her storm back in her house. I did it again today when I got home from work and saw her, and she ended up leaving a note in our mailbox saying that I was being childish and disruptive and she was going to report me for targeted harassment.
I’m not too worried about that last part lol but my roommates think that I have made it worse by honking the horn and that since she’s not really bothering me by taking pictures, I am being a little childish in my response.
GroundbreakingAd5056 wrote:
It’s an eyesore? Because it’s a color she doesn’t like? That’s so ridiculous. Personally, I’d start by calling the non-emergency police line and tell them you have someone that is constantly documenting when you are home by taking pictures of your car and posting them online.
You don’t know what their intent is, and you’re scared for yourself, property, and roommates. It’ll have the cops talking to her once and maybe she’ll stop. Also, NTA.
JSmellerM wrote:
NTA. But you should immediately report her for targeted harassment too. Don't wait for hers to go through because otherwise it may look like you really are harassing her.
Sooreghee wrote:
Lol @ the 'targeted harassment' claims. The woman is coming over to harass you and is getting her feathers ruffled with your harmless retaliation. She's also stalking you and slandering you online like what leg does this woman think she has to stand on? I'd report her to the HOA. Start making a record of when she comes and save copies of her posts. Get all the receipts.
jc236 wrote:
Lol NTA. She is harassing you though. Start taking pictures of her car. People like that have to be pushed into a confrontation or they will never stop. Treat her as you have been treated and start making complaints to the HOA. Once they find out you can be just as bad as they are it will stop. Sometimes petty is the only way to make someone understand.
PiccChicc wrote:
NTA. I have a neighbor with a hot pink bug with eyelashes. I hate pink too and the eyelashes are huge. You know what I do? Nothing. It's not my car and not my business and if it makes the owner happy, cool. Occasionally I see the car when traveling and i go 'Oh, it's our neighbor.'
That's it. This lady is being beyond rude and I would probably consider the other comments stating that you take this to the police. Even if they can't do anything, you've established yourself with them.
Clearly, OP is NTA, her neighbor is just a massive weirdo.