Furious Neighbors Criticize Woman For Not Letting Their Kids Use Her Private Pool

Jul 05, 2022

Moving into your dream home can be incredibly exciting. It’s a place to call your own and make plenty of memories for the rest of your life. All in all, this experience is typically a positive one for new homeowners, but unfortunately was not the full case for one 32-year-old woman and her wife.

The woman went to Reddit in May 2022 to explain how she and her wife always rented in the past, but they had finally purchased their very own home. On top of that, it’s a home that they both adore and hope to stay in for the rest of their lives. It has some great amenities, including a pool.

While everything seemed to be perfect for this happy couple and their new home, they've run into one recurring problem: their next-door neighbors’ kids keep coming over to use their pool without their permission. They've even gone so far as to hop the fence to use the pool. The women have spoken with the parents about this, but the parents figured that it wouldn’t be an issue since their kids used the pool when the last owner lived there.

The woman and her wife have continued to tell the children that they can’t use the pool without permission, only to receive dirty looks and stares from their enraged parents. She has taken other measures to try to prevent the kids from using the pool, but nothing seems to have worked. So, the woman turned to Reddit users for advice on eradicating the issue.

Starting off her Reddit post, the original poster (OP) said, “I’m a 32-year-old woman and my wife, who is a 33-year-old woman, and I finally bought our own home instead of renting.” She explained how it took a lot of hard work to pull off, and they’re extremely happy with what they hope will be their forever home. However, there was one problem.

“The issue is our next door neighbors,” OP said. “I keep finding their kids using our pool having hopped our fence and I keep getting them to leave.” OP and her wife spoke with the parents about the ongoing problem, but their parents said the last owners — an elderly couple — used to let the kids use the pool in exchange for cleaning, so the children have gotten used to just using the pool whenever they want.

“I told them that was fine when it was the last neighbor, but it’s something my wife and I are not comfortable with as we don’t know them well enough plus if the kids were hurt we’d feel awful about it,” OP explained. “They insisted their kids wouldn’t get hurt and asked if it’d be OK if the kids used it whenever we weren’t as they’re ‘just kids’ and spoke about how it’s getting hotter now.”

Frustrated with the situation, OP suggested that the parents just get their own pool since their kids seem to want one so badly. On top of that, she had also expressed that she wasn’t “comfortable” with the kids using her pool. Unfortunately, this only created more issues. 

“Ever since then I’ve had to chase the kids away a couple more times and their parents are constantly sending me dirty looks whenever they see me,” OP explained. “I’ve since posted a sign stating it’s a private pool and can only be used with permission.”

This was an issue that didn’t seem to be going away overnight, so OP turned to Redditors to ask for their help. Although some people pointed out that OP could be a little more lenient with the pool rules, the majority of Reddit users agreed that OP was right to stand her ground, considering how many potential risks could come into play.

One user commented, “You know those parents would sue you into the next century if the kids got so much as a scrape.” Another user said: “You pool, your property, your privacy, your liability, your decision. The arrangements they may have had with the previous owners are totally irrelevant.”

Others pointed out that OP should consider installing cameras and even a gate to prevent people from going into the pool. One person explained: “You need to have your pool totally fenced off with a locking gate. I would also report the kids to the police as trespassing if only to put the parents on notice.”

Another person added, “Tell them if you find their kids in your pool again you are going to file a trespassing (report) against them with the police. They are not entitled to use your pool whenever they want plain and simple and yes I would also be worried that if something bad did happen they would blame you so it’s just not worth (it) for you. The arrangement they had with the prior neighbor does not automatically transfer to you.”

Do you think this woman is right to forbid the neighbors’ kids from using her pool without permission? Or should she be more lenient? Let us know, and feel free to send this to your family and friends.