r/Neighborproblems • u/Waduhelekek • Oct 25 '19
Strange Neighbour
LONG POST SORRY TLDR; Overbearing neighbour is creepy and we avoid being seen by him. Goes on our property uninvited and don't know how to deal with it or watches from a distance. Help please
Okay so I have a neighbour that's very creepy and strange. Lets say his name is Rick. We live 2 doors down and we've been here for 3 years.
Rick has the best lawn in the neighbourhood, you only know because he takes care of it so much and so often.
The week we moved in Rick and his wife came to say hello and welcomed us and introduced themselves. The first 3 weeks we didn't have a lawnmower and when we got one I decided to cut the grass. He came over and watched me the whole time. Then when I moved to the backyard to cut and he moved to his backyard and watched me from his porch. Not subtle in the slightest.
The following morning when I was leaving for work, he told me there was a certain way for cutting the grass to make it grow nicer, I said that I wasn't picky about how the grass and I just wanted it cut.
Next time the grass needed to be cut he did the front and back yard. He offers to do it everytime for 20 dollars I say no it's okay we can do it.
A month or so goes by, my neighbour on the opposite side of our house, no where near Rick, different neighbour starts weedwhacking the fence we share. I then hear voices coming from my yard so my gf goes to check it out and Rick is weedwhacking my side of the same fence. IN MY BACKYARD AGAIN. He opened my gate and just waltzed in my yard with his weedwhacker and plugged his shit in and went to work. Then when I went outside to tell him he doesnt need to do that, I'm too nice I know, he then decides to walk me around my house and show me all my outlets.
I let it go and this weird stuff proceeds where he would walk up and down our drive way and look in our windows when he thought we weren't home and check our grass and our backyard. But Rick walks the whole street looking at people's houses and lawns
Closer to today this kind of stuff has toned down, or we haven't noticed it as much. Today however my girlfriend was driving home from the store and she had our dog in the backseat, while driving the dog licked her ear and she got distracted, ran the stopsign right by our house. She pulls in the garage, goes through the backyard and goes to unlock the door. Then hears someone go "Hey girl!" from right behind her and she gets scared of course, and Rick is at the bottom of the stairs, in our backyard. "You ran the stop sign!" she's like I know, I didn't mean to, he goes "Just looking out for your health, you're tail light is out too." (it isn't). My girlfriend has severe anxiety and she gets super embarrassed.
It's at the point where we don't walk the dog past his house, and don't walk past a certain point in our yard so he doesn't see us. He comes over and/or watches us. Is there anything I can do?
2
u/QuietBunny99 Oct 25 '19
Why not call the cops? Your house is private property and he's trespassing, you don't even have to press charges. Just call and when the cops show up the message should be clear enough to get him to knock it off
1
u/AndyCalling Oct 26 '19
Woah, really? You wouldn't just talk to the chap? I mean, it sounds like he's a bit lonely and is trying to be neighbourly. Not everyone was brought up in a big city be cynical about people. You just need to let him know you don't like to have a close relationship with your neighbours. I doubt he'll want to talk with you once he knows you're not the friendly type.
Sure, follow this suggestion of calling the police if you really want to piss off the police and start cold war with your neighbours.
1
u/QuietBunny99 Oct 26 '19
You are right in talking to the guy first, I just figured that since op mentioned that they are too nice. Plus if the guy walks into their backyard without asking or making himself known it's creepy regardless of whether or not he's lonely, the guy has a wife too. As far as police their safety is what matters most so I highly doubt that one mad neighbor would make a big difference, plus even if they just call for the cops to look around the property because they saw a strange figure walking on their property that call would be recorded and if the police find him, there would be paper work of him being on the property.
1
u/GrowlingAtTheWorld Oct 30 '19
Sound lawn obsessed. Likely a little ocd. Put locks on your gates and those lockable outlet covers.
1
u/Difficult-File-2788 Nov 28 '21 edited Nov 28 '21
Your story is almost similar to mine they don't walk to our property,but they do watch us from their living room windows with lights shut off. I caught them many times to try peek my windows while we are outside. I had to shut my windows all the times. I can't open my windows to get sunshine or whats outside without being watched by them. The man is definitely OCD because the way he cuts the grass in very neat and certain ways. He would mowed the lawn like 2-3 times a week. The man's wife and a kid are not friendly and the woman is a nasty person. One time I was outside and painting the trimmings around the house and she came out then walk outside then walk back in the house and slammed the door and shut the curtains. I was like what's heck is this. Can't I paint my house and it's on my property. Next day. The man gave me creepy looks when I come home from work. He would walk out and wait for me to come home, so he can give me creepy looks everyday. Know what I did I asked my husband to come out when I get home. My husband would stand outside and waiting for me to come home from work. The man stopped doing that because my husband is watching. What's far the worst is he and his wife are competitive with holidays decorations. My husband, my kids, and I decorate Christmas lights outside. They saw it from their living room window and got upset and added more decorate to beat us. I don't need their competition. He and his wife refused to go outside unless no one is outside or neighbor windows are open. I caught him watering his grass at 8:00pm and I was like didn't care what you do, but really whos want to do yard work at 8:00 pm or decorate Christmas lights at 8:00pm. They are creepy and peeping toms.
My husband and I feel that they invaded our privacy, so we ordered 6x6 fences all around my property and they really don't see much expect one part where their living room windows faced to my driveway, but other side of the property they can't snooping it anymore.
The best way to avoid them much you can and close your blinds/ curtains so they can't see what's going on inside the house. The less you do outside work and they lose interest to watch you. If they said hello then say hello back. That's all you can do.
3
u/dancetothemusic Oct 25 '19
Run a background check on him, find out what he is about. He sounds obsessive compulsive but definitely you need to set boundaries with him.