‘Help, my entire neighbourhood demands access to my pool’

A woman took to Reddit to complain about the entitled behavior of her neighbours. The previous owner of her house had a lenient policy that allowed anyone in the neighbourhood to use the pool freely.

However, the new homeowner and her partner preferred to maintain their privacy and did not wish to continue the open-door policy. Since moving into their new home in February, the couple had been keeping to themselves, gradually getting acquainted with the area.

But when the weather started to warm up, they were taken aback by the sudden influx of neighbours wearing swimsuits and carrying inflatable toys, eager to make use of the pool. Venting her frustration on Reddit, the woman expressed her surprise and discomfort with the situation.

She explained: “We thought we fit into the neighbourhood until our neighbours from three surrounding homes approached us about their expectations to access our pool for weekend and holiday pool parties.”

It turned out that the previous owner had allowed unrestricted access to the pool, with the gate always open and the neighbours even contributing to the pool’s maintenance. However, the new homeowner was not keen on continuing this arrangement.

“We value our privacy and don’t feel comfortable granting our neighbours access to our backyard whenever they want,” she asserted. Despite their repeated refusals, the neighbours persisted, offering to pay for maintenance and even trying to persuade them by repeatedly discussing the matter whenever they encountered one another outside.

Frustrated by the constant nagging, the woman firmly told her neighbours to stop discussing the pool and walked away. However, they continued to follow her, disregarding her boundaries. One persistent neighbour even questioned why she was against the idea, claiming to have asked nicely and offered to cover the maintenance costs. At this point, the woman had had enough and turned around, firmly asking them to leave her property and never follow her again.

“We have politely declined their requests multiple times. It’s exhausting to constantly deal with their nagging about the pool, as if it’s the only thing they want to connect with us about. We haven’t formed any real bond with them; all conversations revolve around the pool,” she explained. The situation escalated further when, during a recent gathering at her home, a neighbour appeared and commented on how nice it must be to be invited to enjoy the pool. The woman, frustrated by the intrusion, asked the neighbour to leave.

Commenting on her Reddit post, one user empathized with her, calling the neighbours entitled and persistent. They also highlighted the liability of having an open gate for unrestricted access, emphasising the potential dangers, such as the risk of a child drowning.

Another user expressed disbelief at the audacity of the neighbours, stating that their understanding or lack thereof was irrelevant. If they desired a pool so strongly, they should consider moving into a house with one.

A third user pointed out the significant liability involved in granting unrestricted access to the pool, sataing that the previous owner’s choice did not obligate the new homeowner to do the same. This sentiment resonated with many, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and prioritising personal safety.

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