Not-So-Friendly Neighbors
Friendly neighbors seem hard to come across nowadays, especially those that remain friendly. Too often, neighbors have warm introductions but become more like enemies as time goes on. This was the case for Kristopher Hess, who had a pretty bad run-in with his neighbor.
Not So Friendly Neighbors
The Cause of the Case
The neighbor had known he had done wrong, and he had admitted it. However, it didn’t seem very fair that his neighbor decided to go on the hunt for blood. That’s when he typed her name in the search bar and found some interesting pictures.
The Cause Of The Case
Who Is the Neighbor?
Kristopher Hess was an 18-year-old working as a security guard who had fallen into a tiresome routine. He worked 16-hour shifts and returned home each day at eight AM. He was living a very lonely life of just working until one day when he got a phone call.
Who Is The Neighbor?
The Phone Call
Kristopher received a call from a childhood friend telling him that he was going to be in town over Independence Day weekend. Kristopher was beyond excited to hear the news and even took time off of work to spend quality time with his friend.
The Phone Call
The Weekend
Kristopher had intentions of spending the weekend with a few beers and snacks while catching up with his friend. However, Mark had other ideas about how they should be spending the 4th of July weekend. He decided that the best way to celebrate was with some fireworks.
The Weekend
Getting the Resources
Kristopher first checked to see that his dad wasn’t home before grabbing the last of his savings to buy fireworks. When they got home, the men laid all of the fireworks out on the floor. Their collection included Roman Candles, Cakes, Bottle Rockets, and Sparklers.
Getting The Resources
Setting the Plan
The boys gleamed at their purchases with excitement. That’s when Kristopher got an idea that was incredibly ill-fated. He thought that it would be a good idea to play around with some sparklers because it wasn’t dark yet. However, trouble soon followed while in the backyard.
Setting The Plan
A Massive Mistake
Kristopher put his plan in action by lighting the first sparkler. The boys then decided to start waving the sparklers around and draw patterns in the air. It was a care-free time for Mark and Kristopher as they relived their childhood memories.
A Massive Mistake
A Fire
While waving the sparklers around, a small spark fell off and made contact with the ground. Before the boys knew it, a fire had erupted and quickly became an alarming sight. The fire was spreading closer and closer towards the neighbor’s yard.
A Fire
Identifying an Opportunity
The fire grew too much that it was uncontrollable. Due to this, Kristopher called 911 while Mark made an attempt to extinguish the flames. That’s when the neighboring fence caught alight. Their neighbor, Patricia, ran out and was incredibly understanding about the situation.
Identifying An Opportunity
A Terrible Surprise
Kristopher returned back to work after a not-so-relaxing break. After another tiring day at work, all he wanted to do when he returned home was take to his bed and call it a night. However, he came back home to find a very terrible surprise.
A Terrible Surprise
Expensive Mistakes
Once Kristopher returned home, he found two quotes from his next-door neighbor. One of the quotes was for the cost to replace the fence, which totaled $4,000. The second quote totaled $6,000 and was the cost to replace the lawn that had been damaged in the fire.
Expensive Mistakes
An Aspiring Con Artist
After inspecting the quotes further, Kristopher and his father noticed that the quotes were made on Microsoft Word and didn’t have any logos. In addition to these quotes, the neighbor also included a very rude note stating that Kristopher needed to pay for her water bill for three months.
An Aspiring Con Artist
Working It Out by Themselves
Kristopher reached out to one of his contractor friends about the quotes he received. After speaking to his friend, he understood that the costs had been blown up tremendously. He then got professionals to come out and prepare an estimate. That’s when things got really ugly.
Working It Out By Themselves
Cops Were Called
Kristopher met with the contractor to inspect the lawn. However, as soon as they arrived at the property, Patricia ran out and stated that he didn’t have permission to get an estimate on the fence. After this, Patricia called the cops.
Cops Were Called
Unimpressed
After this big ordeal, Kristopher finally got an estimate of $1,200 to replace the fence. In addition to this, he also got a quote to re-seed the lawn. This would ultimately cost $800. Copies of these estimates were given to Patricia, who was less impressed.
Unimpressed
Enough is Enough
Kristopher had just returned home from a 16-hour shift when his neighbor came knocking on his door and demanded to speak to him. He politely told her that now wasn’t the right time and that he needed to sleep. This was when she went on to call him lazy.
Enough Is Enough
His Offer
At this point, Kristopher was on the verge of losing it. He told her that she could either accept the $2000 or get nothing. She remained quiet for a while before finally accepting the offer and agree to meet at the notary the next morning.
His Offer
No-Show
Kristopher woke up the next day and began preparing to meet Patricia. He brought along the money and the contract he had drawn up. He waited for more than three hours, but she never arrived. She later demanded the full amount over text.
No Show
Patiently Waiting
After receiving that message, Kristopher watched his neighbor’s yard become an oasis. It was equipped with a small pond, flowers, and new Sod, along with other features. She had been planning to make such remodels and was waiting for an opportunity like this.
Patiently Waiting
Digging Up Dirt
Kristopher had admitted that he had done wrong and was willing to pay the right price to fix it. However, he was driven to other measures when she wanted more money. That’s when he searched to find incriminating photos on a Facebook page.
Digging Up Dirt
The Pictures
Patricia had used her savings for remodeling to go to Hawaii for a vacation. Kristopher became aware of this when he found her bragging about such a thing on a neighborhood Facebook group. That’s where he saw her sipping cocktails at an expensive hotel.
The Pictures
Getting Served
Four months after the fire had taken place and all the remodeling had been conducted, Kristopher got served papers to attend court for more than $10,000. While in court, Kristopher laid out everything that he had against the entire ordeal.
Getting Served
Getting Her Day in Court
After seeing all of the evidence, the judge immediately sided with Kristopher and told her that she was out of her mind. Kristopher had offered her more than what she was entitled to. The amount owed to her was actually $1200, and the judge deducted Kristopher’s lawyer fees from it.
Getting Her Day In Court
The End Result
After all, was settled, Patricia took a massive financial loss. It’s unclear how much her Hawaii trip cost, but she was suffering from a large amount of debt. She had to sell her house and move to a smaller one to try and recover her financials.
The End Result
His Lesson
Since the unfolding of this entire ordeal, Kristopher doesn’t use fireworks. However, it’s not just that a fire was started from using fireworks, but he also realized that someone could have gotten hurt. It was a good thing that he took responsibility.
His Lesson
More Bad Neighbors
Now, Kristopher’s bad neighbor story is possibly one of the worst and rarest cases. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other bad neighbor stories being created each day. Here are some other stories that people have shared about their neighbors on Reddit.
More Bad Neighbors
Another Court Case
One person reported that their neighbor took her to court. Why did she do that? Well, the neighbor decided to sue because the writer’s dog growled at her. This growling apparently caused the neighbor emotional stress worth $24,000.
Another Court Case
A Parking Spot
Some neighbors can just be plain inconsiderate. This was the case for this poor guy who pays $125 a month for a parking spot, only for his neighbor to take up part of the space. How would this make you feel? We don’t think we would be too pleased.
A Parking Spot
Take Out Your Trash
This is yet another case of a neighbor being inconsiderate to the rest of those living nearby. This user took to Reddit to explain what was occurring in their building. It seems a neighbor sends his trash down the elevator when there are easily accessible trash chutes and dumpsters.
Take Out Your Trash
Wake Up Calls
Some neighbors are just peculiar, and one user’s experience proves it. She had a neighbor that made it a constant habit to bang on the surrounding walls at six AM to wake people up. She would generally shout that there was too much noise.
Wake Up Calls
Locked Doors
A user took to Reddit to describe the discomfort she felt when encountering her neighbor. He had asked her why she locked her doors when she was inside. That’s when she asked him how she knew about that, which he replied that he tried to open the door on multiple occasions.
Locked Doors
Throwing Soup
One user’s neighbors made a habit of throwing soup out of their window. They live on the 16thfloor, and throwing this soup would result in all the below apartment’s windows being covered in the soup. Moreover, these neighbors won’t open the door when the user came to complain.
Throwing Soup
Bad Smells
Some people are just lazy. This one neighbor is the perfect example of that. The photo captured shows you just how sluggish the neighbor is. The fence is on its last leg, trying to stop all that built-up trashing from moving into the opposing house’s lawn.
Bad Smells
No Time During the Day
Many neighbors don’t have much to do during the day and fill most of these days, trying to disturb other neighbors. One way that does this is by complaining about the most ridiculous things, such as a trash can being on the curb for the whole day.
No Time During The Day
Noisy Neighbors
Why are noisy neighbors so common to come across? It’s okay to throw a small get-together on a Friday night, but the music should probably be turned off, or the volume turned down at least after midnight. However, this never seems to happen.
Noisy Neighbors
Be a Better Neighbor
Sometimes returning the acts of a bad neighbor isn’t always the answer, and replacing these acts with kindness wins. Not to mention, just being nice and neighborly to those living close by can make your living situation more pleasurable.
Be A Better Neighbor
Be Considerate of Noise Levels
Nobody is asking you to be a quiet, little mouse. However, there are certain basic rules you should follow to be considerate of the noise levels within a living space. Noise acceptability is dependent on where you live. Apartments and houses are going to have different noise acceptability levels.
Be Considerate Of Noise Levels
The Golden Rule
Following the golden rule of being a good neighbor can put you in the good books of those who you live close to. Observe and respect the personal space of your neighbor, don’t be the neighborhood gossip, and go solve issues with your neighbors directly.
The Golden Rule
Curb Appeal
Being a good neighbor entails that you should maintain the exterior of your house, along with your lawn. This maintenance should be done to the same level as the rest of the neighborhood you’re situated in. Doing this sets a good image in the minds of your neighbors.
Curb Appeal
