Online commenters applauded a homeowner who said they recently got their "revenge" on a neighbor who reported them for a code violation.
Posting in Reddit's "Malicious Compliance" forum under the username u/Monteflash, the homeowner wrote: "So you want to make sure our shed is to code?" The post has garnered over 19,000 upvotes and more than 470 comments. You can read the full post here.
Bad Neighbors
In March 2022, LendingTree asked 1,537 people about their neighbors and found that a whopping 73 percent of them dislike at least one of their neighbors. Being loud, being "nosy" and having "weird vibes" were among the top reasons for this contempt.
"In today's hot housing market where prices are high and inventory is limited, the unfortunate reality is that some people might not have any other choice but to live near someone they don't like," Jacob Channel, LendingTree senior economic analyst, said in a release. "And while getting 'bad vibes' from a neighbor can certainly be annoying, dealing with them might be worth it if it means you have an affordable place to live."
Speaking to Men's Journal, New York-based Kathy Neily, who specializes in conflict resolution, said the best way to handle a neighborly dispute is to discuss the matter in person, on neutral ground.
"Keep it on the 'I,' as in 'I'm having a hard time sleeping with the volume of your music.' Starting sentences with 'you' feels like lecturing and puts people on the defensive,'" Neily said. "After you give your 'I' statement, stop, listen to what they have to say. The more you respectfully listen, the better chance you have of communicating your version of the scenario."
However, u/Monteflash and their spouse decided to take a different approach.
'Malicious Compliance'
"Our neighbor reported our old (but sturdy) shed to the city for being too large without a permit," u/Monteflash wrote at the beginning of their post. "[So an] inspector comes out, measures [and finds that] nope, the shed is well under the size limits and doesn't need a permit."
After speaking to the inspector, u/Monteflash and their husband learned a few things, the first being that they could actually build a "bigger and better" shed. Second, their neighbor used to work in their local planning department, meaning she likely knew their shed was up to code.
"[She] clearly was just trying to make trouble," u/Monteflash said.
They also learned that their neighbor's property had several issues, but they chose not to report her. Instead, they built a bigger shed.
"We rip down the shed, hoping [the] neighbor is smugly gloating to herself. We do nothing for three weeks, well except draw up plans, buy material, lay the foundation and line up a couple of construction friends to help. Then one Saturday our glorious big new shed goes up!" u/Monteflash exclaimed.
A few weeks later, their neighbor called for another inspection.
"Obviously the inspection [went] fine. Well except [for] those violations on [our] neighbor's property. That unpermitted open fire pit built right against the retaining wall & fence is a concern, we don't want it burning down our new shed," u/Monteflash concluded. "She's got a couple [of] guys out there right now jackhammering out concrete. I think I'll go offer them some cold drinks from the mini-fridge in the new shed."
Newsweek reached out to u/Monteflash for comment.
Redditors React
Redditors applauded u/Monteflash's form of revenge, calling the story "hilarious."
"Hilarious! Well played," u/FlattenInnterTube wrote.
"I love that you waited three weeks before building the new shed. Just enough time for her to feel smug!" u/sueelleker said.
"The patience with this is what makes it sooo good," u/Highplowp commented.
Redditor u/DrAgaricus added: "Hmm that revenge was served ice cold with a splash of lemon, I love it."
More Viral Posts
Last week, a woman went viral after sharing a photo of the stern note she received from a neighbor, asking her to stop walking barefoot around her apartment.
In July, Redditors applauded a woman who admitted she'd been an "a**hole" to her new neighbor.
And in April, a man divided online opinion after sharing how he dealt with a fence issue he'd had with his neighbor.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more
