Homeowner frustrated by neighbor's repeated thoughtless actions: 'It's a safety issue'

Having neighbors can be a blessing or a challenge, depending on how respectful they are of others' properties and public spaces. 

One Reddit user in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit shared their frustration with a neighbor who didn't seem to care how they affected public spaces. 

They posted a photo of a gate that opened outward so that the doors were in the middle of a sidewalk and wrote, "Neighbor has the sidewalk permanently blocked."

The situation was more than mildly infuriating, and others offered possible solutions.

"Are you in the U.S.? If so, it's a safety issue and an ADA issue. Contact authorities," one user wrote.

Another person commented, "Where I live, the law would be on your side."

Neighbors such as this one, who don't take into account how items or actions affect others, can be a problem, not only for people in the neighborhood but also for those passing through.

The gate blocking the sidewalk poses a safety hazard for those walking on the sidewalk, especially if they are not able to move the gate to get by it, which forces them into the road to get around it.

Unfortunately, difficult neighbors can act as a barrier to homeowners looking to keep their neighborhoods safe. They can also often prove a challenge to homeowners who want to use climate-friendly home solutions to reduce the amount of pollution they create. Homeowners associations are notorious for fighting solar panel installations and native plant yards, for instance. 

While the simplest possible solution is to talk with a neighbor engaging in thoughtless or bad behavior, sometimes the only answer involves filing a complaint with authorities who have the power to solve the issue once and for all.

This method will likely get you better results, too, unlike the method one Redditor suggested when they said, "Chain them closed and toss a key over for the owner."

Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden? Yes 💯 Only if it impacts your neighbors 🏘️ Depends on what you're growing 🌼 Heck no 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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