Homeowner outraged as neglectful neighbor creates serious hazard: 'They literally hide when we knock on their door'

Homeowner outraged as neglectful neighbor creates serious hazard: 'They literally hide when we knock on their door'

Craig Gerard

Sat, January 3, 2026 at 6:00 AM UTC

2 min read

Homeowner outraged as neglectful neighbor creates serious hazard: 'They literally hide when we knock on their door' — Photo Credit: iStock

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Dealing with unruly or disrespectful neighbors can be frustrating in any capacity. But it can be even more irritating when it's affecting your shared environment.

One person dealing with such an issue took to the subreddit r/BadNeighbors to ask for advice.

In the post titled "Bamboo and Rusty Nails," the poster explained that their neighbor has a fence that is falling onto their property.

Instead of fixing or removing the fence, they put up a second fence and ignored the problem. In addition, they planted bamboo on the property line, which is weighing down both fences, causing further deterioration. Rusty nails and planks of wood are now in their backyard, where their dogs play.

"We tried talking to them but they literally hide when we knock on their door," they said.

Unfortunately, frustrating incidents like this are not uncommon among neighbors. For instance, another Redditor took to the site to complain about their neighbor, who was encouraging stray cats to congregate on their property. And a common complaint occurs when one neighbor plants an invasive plant that overtakes surrounding gardens.

Of course, the best way to deal with neighbor issues is communication. A tough conversation can prevent a simple misunderstanding from escalating into something more.

If the disagreement is related to the environment, talking about the climate and the issues we all face together can be helpful. And of course, if need be, taking local action in your community can help change rules and regulations to protect all living things.

Commenters on the original post shared in the neighbor's frustration.

One advised, "Code enforcement — your city or township has a department and a guy that handles that, usually it's listed on local website."

Another added, "First, the bamboo is going to be a problem… get a property survey done to mark the actual boundaries."

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