You can't choose your family, and you can only sort-of choose your neighbors. Sometimes you find the perfect home and just have to deal with whoever happens to live next door. One homeowner is facing hazardous conditions in their yard after a neighbor decided to try digging a pool, only to leave a gaping hole instead.

In a post on a Reddit community focused on complaining about bad neighbors, one person shared a series of images showing their yard slowly collapsing due to a neighbor's reckless choice. The first photo shows a box covering a hole in the lower portion of the fence so their cat doesn't escape, and at first, it doesn't seem so bad. The subsequent photos, however, show a different story.

Two additional photos show what is happening on the other side of the fence. Viewers can see a yard covered in gravel and plastic sheeting with the back edge clearly succumbing to some sort of mudslide. There are a couple of propped-up boards that may have been an attempt to curb the erosion, but appear quite futile. They wrote about the ordeal, saying, "My garden is disappearing... My area was hit with some heavy rain after a long dry period. My garden caved in slightly at the back… I'm so worried about going into that part of my garden."

Unfortunately, problem neighbors can cause all kinds of issues and make it especially challenging to make eco-friendly choices. There have been horror stories of neighbors chopping or damaging trees, spraying pesticides, and even mowing pollinator gardens. Hostility between neighbors can occasionally lead to legal action.

Folks in communities with HOAs have had to contend with not just problem neighbors but problem neighborhood oversight. Luckily, the folks on Reddit are there anytime you need to vent, commiserate or seek advice.

The commenters on this post were no different, chiming in with empathy and lots of ideas for how to move forward.

"Call your local code enforcement office. … They got permission to build a pool, not dig a hole and then stop and impact the neighbors," suggested one person.

Someone else recommended a slightly more measured approach, saying, "Talk to him again first. Then you can call code if he's not willing to rectify. He is at fault here even if he had a permit for a pool."

Another Redditor gave some thoughts for once the hole issue has been resolved, writing, "Make sure the fence is rebuilt along accurate property lines so you don't lose any more garden space."

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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