Homeowner distraught as thoughtless neighbor causes major issues: 'Would it be best to get the police involved?'

Have you ever had a neighbor who was not all that neighborly? 

That's what one frustrated Redditor was dealing with when they posted in r/neighborsfromhell asking for some advice about a house down the block. 

They explained how the neighbor in question has parked multiple cars on their property for years, covering a grassy strip beside the road. They recently asked them to move the cars so they could mow the lawn, but the neighbor did not oblige. 

On top of the parking dispute, they were worried that the neighbor's pool might be leaking some kind of liquid into their yard. 

"The top half of our backyard is moist and it prevents us from planting up there," they explained in the post. 

"My question is, how do I deal with this," they asked the group. "Would it be best to get the police involved in the parking matter?" 

While it can feel like dialing 911 is the only option, there are plenty of other steps to take.  

People in the comments encouraged the original poster to try communicating with the neighbor again. The issues have been going on for years, but it seems they only made one attempt to talk it out. 

An honest, good-faith conversation can usually get to a solution faster than anything. However, sometimes, that's not enough. Commenters suggested putting up a fence or heavy rocks in the grass to block parking, and if it came to it, taking legal action and towing. 

People also recommended getting someone from the local government to come check out the possible pool leakage. An official could maybe even resolve the parking dispute if the spot in question was technically in the public right-of-way. 

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Overall, trying more peaceful solutions before calling the police or personally escalating things is a good move. Positive relationships with your neighbors can be one of the best parts of living in a community. 

Plus, that friendliness can come in handy if you want to make smart, money-saving changes to your home, such as going solar or gardening with native plants. Neighbors have been known to give homeowners a hard time about these improvements, but getting to know them and working together can go a long way. 

"I'd get a survey, a temporary fence at least, no trespassing sign, and a camera pointed at the area," one commenter wrote about the original poster's situation.  

"Has anyone had the water dept out to look for an underground water pipe break? If not, I would start with this," another advised.

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