It shouldn’t be hard to get along with your neighbor, but sometimes, it’s impossible… Especially if you have some pretty rude people to deal with! When one man moved to a small town in Florida, he wrongfully claimed the land as his own and learned why he shouldn’t have done that the hard way…
Neighbor Wars
It’s always wise to get to know your neighbor and get on good terms with them! Sometimes, it’s inevitable that a new neighbor will be standoffish or rude, but this neighbor took things to a whole new level as he was building his home.
Lifetime Neighbor
Oliver Lynch had been living in his Osceola, Florida home for 25 years. The 79-year-old was a pretty friendly guy, as neighbors have said, and wasn’t mean to anyone. He was enjoying his retirement years until a new neighbor bought the plot of land next to his home…
At First…
Normally, the only annoying thing about someone building next to your home would be the construction. Lynch wasn’t too bothered by that at first, and everything seemed normal.
Unwelcome Guest
One morning, Lynch woke up to something bizarre on his driveway. When he went to investigate, he was absolutely confused.
This Land Is My Land
Lynch strolled outside to take a look at what his neighbor did to his driveway. The neighbor had lined up a bunch of cinderblocks on his driveway, making it unusable… But that wasn’t all.
These Are Staying
Not only did the neighbor mark up his driveway with cinderblocks, but he also used cement to keep them there. Psycho much? So, Lynch tries to reason with his new neighbor, man to man…
No Such Luck
The neighbor simply states that Lynch’s driveway is on his land. Lynch, completely befuddled, claimed that it obviously wasn’t true. His home had been there for years, he wouldn’t have been able to build that driveway if it wasn’t his land…
Not Buying It
The new neighbor simply ignored his claims. This passive-aggressive attitude was not going to keep Lynch down. So, he had to work the system.
Not Giving Up So Easily
“I have little fight left in me, and I hate to see somebody bulldoze over me,†he told Channel 9
Finding Proof
Well, it was time to go into the towns records department. There, he found undeniable proof that his driveway was built on his land. And, he found something else…
Even More Space!
Lynch was able to build another 12-foot-wide driveway next to his already existing one. The document details that explicitly, as well as showing where the property lines are. Lynch assumed this would be enough to get his neighbor to remove the blocks…
No Dice
Once again, he tried speaking with his neighbor, who became aggressive and irritated at the prospect. “He said he was a minister or something like that,” the Lynch said. “[A] God-fearing man. But I don’t think that’s very Christian-like.” Lynch had the proof, but the neighbor didn’t care. This left Lynch with two things left to do…
Surveyor or Court?
Since they can’t settle this civilly, Lynch had two options. He could hire a surveyor or take his neighbor to court to settle this. Both of these things are time and money consuming… All because this grown man wanted to act like a child.
A Drastic Step
If this new neighbor wanted to act that way, then fine. Lynch was going to take a different approach… Going to the news.
A Special Report
The local media station decided to head out to the scene to get a good look at things. That’s when they realized they definitely had a story here…
Bringing It To Light
The news report showed us a pretty harrowing scene. It became obvious that this new neighbor was passive-aggressively bullying Lynch… But why?
Bullying An Elderly Man
After the news story aired, the local community was outraged. How could someone so passive-aggressively terrorize a total stranger? This guy was making himself look pretty bad…
Radio Silence
In fair reporting, it’s always important to get both sides of the story. Unfortunately, the neighbor ignored every attempt at contact with the news station. Oh well, his loss.
Didn’t Work
The attempts at communication failed, and the news story didn’t even work. Lynch was forced to go back to the news to talk about this situation some more and to hopefully get advice from people on what to do. Plus, he was warning others who may be put in this situation…
Another Story Goes Out
Everyone feels bad for 79-year-old Lynch. He deserves to enjoy his golden years, and yet he’s been spending his days fighting this unlawful blockage of his driveway!
Something Gets Through
Finally, he was able to get through to his neighbor. All of his attempts finally worked…
What’s The Problem?
Finally, the neighbor was convinced to talk with Lynch. This conversation was extremely enlightening…
Back To The Records
Lynch went and pulled out his records (yet again) to prove that the neighbor was unlawfully on his land. Plus, what was he doing to do with that extra space anyway? No one ever builds right up to their property line…
Petty Behavior
Lynch made sure to tell the plan about his petty behavior. It was extremely unneighborly to act in the way that he did. Plus, Lynch, along with many other community members, commented on his behavior in terms of his religion. Would a “God-fearing” man really act like this to a neighbor?
Disappointed Christians
“This is not Christian-like at all,” one commenter wrote. “You’re destroying what could have possibly been a great neighbor over a meaningless few feet of land.”
A Miscommunication?
Apparently, the neighbor believed everything to be a miscommunication. In fact, he said that he did not intend for things to get messy at all. Interesting coming from the guy who cemented cinderblocks to his neighbor’s driveway…
He Will Remove Them
After finally having a neighborly talk, the man was convinced to remove the cinderblocks. Thankfully, Lynch didn’t have to go through the horrific legal process and they were able to respectfully end this feud.
Anonymous Neighbor
Only the small-town locals know who the neighbor is. Luckily, his identity has been kept private… It was probably for the better, too, since many people were angry at the entire situation.
Angry Citizens
Many of the townsfolk did not like how Lynch was treated. “Way to make an impression on the neighbors. My thinking is that if this didn’t come up before you purchased the property, you are indeed being a bully to the elderly neighbor whose driveway was there before you.”
Glad It’s Over
Lynch, along with other townsfolk, are glad that the situation is over for the elderly man. “Happy things work out for this elderly man,” one commenter wrote. “He said he doesn’t have much fight left in him. So I’m happy the neighbor let him have his whole driveway back. Praying this issue is finally resolved so this man can live his life in peace.”