Christmas can be a tough time for many people and with the cost of living crisis, it is a very expensive time of year. Some people save for months to be able to afford the festive season.
One upset neighbour has shared their distress after the person next door asked them for a large sum of money they can not afford, just days before Christmas. They took to social media to share their plight, after their neighbour asked them to cough up $6,000 (£4,690) to build a new fence.
The poster shared their story on Reddit, under the tag ‘Neighbours from Hell.’ Sharing their story, they said a new neighbour had built a large house next door, that they were yet to move into.
Their interaction was the occupant arriving at their door, informing the poster that he wanted to build a new fence. As the fence was in between the two properties, he wanted to split the cost, which came to $6,000 each.
They wrote: “Our properties are very long, so it’s a 96 metre fence. The existing fence is run down and not pretty to look at, so I understand, but he’s clearly very wealthy and my family is not.
“I looked at my legal options and I think, realistically, I could legally argue that I only need to contribute around $2k. The existing fence is sufficient for its purpose and upgrades are not covered under the 50/50 law.
“I would only need to split costs on the areas that do need repair or replacement. The thing which upsets me most is I met him once before in October following a severe storm.”
They added: “The bricks being used to build his house had blown over and destroyed part of the fence. Further up the back, his trampoline had blown over into our yard and damaged the fence.
“I helped him carry the trampoline back to his yard and said not to worry about any of it. These things happen. It’s fine. I couldn’t have been nicer about it.”
The neighbour expressed that they wanted to help with the costs of the fence, however they could not afford it. They then criticised the money request so close to Christmas, arguing that it felt “so rude and tone deaf”.
They concluded: “It’s frustrating that he hasn’t even moved in yet, and this is what he’s doing. I fear if I try to avoid paying half, even if I have the legal right to do so, I’ll risk creating a neighbour from hell.”
Other social media posters were quick to come to their aid and attempt to offer solutions. Many suggested that they seek legal advice, or consulted the local council.
Replying to some of the comments, the original poster shared that they legally had to contribute to the costs of the fence. However, if they found a cheaper alternative, that would also be an option.
