5 nightmare neighbour stories from the Over60 community
The people you share your street with comes down to a bit of a lottery. You might end up with lovely, helpful, quiet next-door neighbours, or you might be stuck next to noisy, rude neighbours who make your life a living hell. Sadly, the latter is more common than you might expect. We asked the Over60 community to share their nightmare neighbour stories with us, and some of them have to be read to be believed.
1. Illegal backpackers
“I lived next door to an illegal backpackers’ unit. Noise all night was too much, council would do nothing and they started again after the police left. I did get revenge, as they left clothes on the balcony to dry, so I sprayed bleach on the clothes with a water pistol the on the day I moved out.” – Rob Thompson.
2. Dirty dog owner
“Our neighbour walked her dog over to our yard and made it do its business in our front lawn. She'd stand outside on the footpath until it was done, even chasing it back at times if the dog didn't do one. In the end, my husband had enough (we had two small children and no other lawn). He shovelled it up, stormed over to her house & threw it against her front screen door… two days in a row. The door opened outwards so she had it running down the screen and onto the mat every time she opened it. She never did walk her dog over again!” – Debbie Moore.
3. Grapes of wrath
“My cousin and her husband (the least offensive people ever) were being driven mad by hoons revving their car at all hours. One night, my cousin stuffed grapes up the offender’s exhaust pipe. The hoons gradually dismantled the engine trying to work out what was wrong with their car. Years later I'm still laughing!” – Margaret Wells.
4. Drama, drama, drama
“We had the husband trying to strangle the wife on the lawn. Police were called. They sold up and moved within a month. The wife was having an affair.” – Jane Beddows.
5. Abusive woman
“We've bought and sold in many suburbs and our worst neighbours lived next to our second home. She had a mental illness and wouldn't take her meds. She abused every one of us in the street. She attacked one neighbour with a pitchfork. She was banned from the local library and shops. She went to attack me in front of police in my own yard. She played her favourite Neil Diamond records full blast day and night. Eventually she moved, and we all stood in the street and clapped as they drove away. Unfortunately, she left some neighbours with a trauma they'll never get over.” – Jeannette Smallacombe.
Do you have a nightmare neighbour story? Share it with us in the comments below!