One Redditor recently shared their story of potential water theft that resulted in the mysterious usage of 12,000 gallons of water.
Posted in the r/legaladvice subreddit, the original poster explained that their grandmother owns a house but doesn't currently live in it due to health reasons. The grandmother's next-door neighbor has tried multiple shady tactics to try to seize the property, including lying about being a member of the HOA and Ameritek in a notarized letter.
The OP said, "As of today, I was told the property used 12,000 gallons of water in December. No one lives at the property, it has no pool, I've been there and nothing is running. [The neighbor], however, has a pool whose dimensions would approximate that."
Unfortunately, there are no cameras installed at the home, and there's no other way to prove how 12,000 gallons of water were somehow used at the unoccupied property. The OP asked the group, "Any thoughts?"
Many commented with suggestions and also pointed out that stealing water is a crime and should be taken seriously.
And 12,000 gallons of water mysteriously disappearing is also terrible for the environment. At a time when many areas are experiencing severe droughts and extreme weather events, water should be used responsibly.
Homeowners across the country have been seeking climate-friendly solutions for water and energy usage, including switching to natural lawns and electrifying their homes. Difficult neighbors can get in the way of these changes, but many have found ways to move forward.
When in a confrontation over home updates, it can be helpful to explain how the neighbor could benefit from the change or how it's better for the environment. For example, a lot of people are unaware that if others around them have solar panels, it could help them during an extreme weather event.
Some of your neighbors might also not be aware that your new native plant garden aids pollinators, which in turn protect our food supply.
When all else fails, seeking legal advice and reporting harmful behavior — like water theft — to local authorities, and then informing your offending neighbor of those actions, can often solve the dispute.
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Definitely 💯 Other Redditors had additional advice for the OP. One user said, "Stealing 12,000 gallons of water is theft. Now you may not be able to prove it, but you can probably prove the misrepresentation."
Another user wrote, "I would post no trespass signs and invest in cameras."
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