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It’s not hard to tell when someone values convenience over courtesy.
For one homeowner, the proof came every morning at 5 a.m. when he had to move his neighbor’s rolling basketball hoop just to leave for work.
And when the neighbor refused to do anything about it, that small daily struggle turned into a much bigger fight.
Read on for the full story.
I live on a slight hill in a quiet cul-de-sac.
My neighbor keeps a portable basketball hoop near the curb by our shared boundary.
It’s starting to impact this homeowner’s daily routine.
Overnight the base creeps downhill and ends up straddling my driveway apron. More than once I had to stop in the dark before work and move it just to get out.
No damage has happened, but it feels unsafe and irritating at 5 a.m.
The neighbor was immediately dismissive of his concerns.
I politely asked them several times to weigh the base or park it fully on their side. They said it was for the neighborhood kids and promised to refill the base.
Nothing changed over the next few weeks despite the conversations.
So the homeowner decided to do something about it himself.
I decided to try a simple visual fix that would not cost anyone money.
I measured our property line and drew a thin chalk mark across the apron with a small “keep clear” note. When the hoop drifted over the line, I would gently roll it back a couple of feet. I did not lock it, tip it, hide it, or block anyone from playing.
But the neighbor wasn’t a fan.
Neighbor doesn’t seem happy about it and accused me of being petty and territorial.
The apron is my driveway. I just only want to avoid being trapped before dawn.
Yet the neighbor refuses to collaborate on any kind of solution.
I even offered to buy a sandbag or wheel chock to keep the base in place.
They refused the offer and IDK why, but it is the best thing we can do to have a win-win situation.
I get that seeing a line can feel fussy and that kids might feel watched.
AITA?
Sounds like he gave this neighbor every opportunity to compromise, and when he wouldn’t, he had to take matters into his own hands.
What did Reddit think?
If anything, this homeowner handled the intrusion better than many others would have.
For many people, it’s out of sight, out of mind. So you just have to find a way to put the issue in their sight.
If it were up to this commenter, they would do this.
Why not just claim the basketball hoop as their own at this point?
Some neighbors just never learn the error of their ways.
Apparently respecting his driveway was too much to ask.
If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.