A homeowner was shocked to find their neighbor had taken landscaping into her own hands, ripping up plants and swapping out garden materials while they were away and then claiming she made improvements.

The homeowner posted in the r/neighborsfromhell subreddit, explaining a lengthy back and forth with the neighbor, dubbed S, who had at one point been helpful. S had mowed the OP's lawn while their mower was broken but kept doing it after being asked not to, and she cut down flowers in the process.

Things came to a head when S began leaving letters and insisting they needed to switch their garden beds from mulch to gravel. S actually took it upon herself and replaced the mulch with gravel while the homeowner and their family was away, much to their surprise and dismay. 

S continued to leave letters and make complaints to the homeowners about their lawn and snow removal, driving the OP to call a non-emergency line. A police officer assured the poster that the behavior was inappropriate and spoke with the neighbor directly. 

While S may have thought she was helping, she certainly crossed boundaries by working on the OP's lawn and garden without permission. There are pros and cons to both mulch and gravel, but that's a decision the OP should have been allowed to make. 

Neighbors can cause problems by making impulsive or ill-informed decisions about their properties or even others', creating flooding issues and removing flowers that aren't even theirs. It's important to talk with your neighbors about landscaping plans and other green upgrades so you can work together to benefit everyone in the area with eco-friendly and aesthetically pleasing projects.

Commenters were just as shocked as the OP about S' actions.

"Get a restraining order. Continue to document everything and call the cops on the non-emergency line and make reports," one advised.

Another added: "Seriously, what she did is just unnecessary and sad, and it must have cost her money. I assume that she's put some plastic weed block under the white pebbles, and if she has, the water will puddle there rather than sink into the ground, which might kill the perennial and won't help the foundation."

What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores? Cheaper clothes 🤑 Trendier items 😎 Reduced environmental impact 🌎 I don't thrift 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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