logo
A woman standing outside | Source: AmoMama
A woman standing outside | Source: AmoMama

My Neighbor Painted an Insult on My Lawn, So I Taught Him a Lesson He Won't Forget

Prenesa Naidoo
Sep 10, 2024
02:12 P.M.

Brian has spent over ten years living in peace and quiet in his neighborhood—until Tim moves in next door and becomes a constant nuisance. After their first disagreement, Tim retaliates by spray-painting an insult on Brian's lawn. But not one to be outdone, Brian decides to teach Tim a lesson...

Advertisement

I’ve lived in this quiet neighborhood for almost ten years. It's the kind of place where lawns are neat, people wave as they pass, children smile and laugh, and things stay peaceful—until Tim moved in next door.

A quiet neighborhood | Source: Midjourney

A quiet neighborhood | Source: Midjourney

At first, he seemed fine. Friendly enough. Tim introduced himself, we exchanged a few pleasantries, and I thought we'd get along just fine.

"I'm Tim," he said. "The wife and I just moved in. We enjoyed the city life for a while, but Opal decided that we needed a quiet place."

"I'm Brian," I said, genuinely interested in him. "I've lived here forever with my family. If you're looking for peace, you've come to the right place."

Advertisement
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

"I've always wanted a place where the neighbors and I could just sit back and have a barbecue and a beer," Tim laughed.

"I look forward to it!" I said, walking down the front porch with him. I was getting ready to do a grocery run.

Everything was fine, and over the next two weeks, I saw Tim often as he settled into his new home, carrying boxes.

A stack of boxes in a living room | Source: Midjourney

A stack of boxes in a living room | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

Then, one afternoon, he knocked on my door and asked if he could use my driveway while his was being repaved.

"The guys said that it would take about two days, three days at most. I can't leave the truck on the side of the road, it's a little too big."

"I'm sorry, bud," I said. "Kelsey and I have two cars, and the kids have their own. You know teenagers, they're always coming and going."

"Yeah, I get that, Brian, but it's just for a few days. No more."

A stern man | Source: Midjourney

A stern man | Source: Midjourney

"I'm sorry," I said. "It's nothing personal, Tim, it's just practical."

He huffed away from the door and stomped down the driveway.

Advertisement

I thought that I was fair with what I did: I was open and honest with Tim, and there shouldn't have been any hard feelings, right?

I was wrong.

A stern man | Source: Midjourney

A stern man | Source: Midjourney

The next morning, after I loaded the dishwasher, I was ready to get to work. I stepped outside, enjoying the morning sun for a few minutes before I saw Tim's truck parked halfway into my driveway, blocking me in.

"Is this guy serious?" I muttered under my breath.

The kids had to get to school, Kelsey would leave shortly too. I was already running late, and this guy’s actions had just made me mad. I mean, we had spoken about this. I had told him how I felt about it. And he still parked his car here?

Advertisement
A truck parked in a driveway | Source: Midjourney

A truck parked in a driveway | Source: Midjourney

I marched straight over to his door and knocked hard.

When Tim opened up, he was wearing pajamas and a nightgown.

"Tim, I told you about parking your truck in my driveway," I said.

He just shrugged.

"It's just for a few hours, man," he said. "It's not a big deal."

A man in his pajamas | Source: Midjourney

A man in his pajamas | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

"Move it, Tim. Now. We've all got places to be," I said.

I glared at him.

He sighed dramatically, but he moved the truck and hooted as I drove off.

I thought that would be the last time, but it wasn’t. Over the next week, he kept doing it. His truck, visiting friends’ vehicles, boxes, and lawn equipment. It didn't matter—he would just leave things in my driveway.

If there was space, good old Tim would use it.

A man sitting in his truck | Source: Midjourney

A man sitting in his truck | Source: Midjourney

Finally, I had enough.

"Don't fight with him, love," my wife, Kelsey, told me when we were having dinner, and I was complaining about Tim.

Advertisement

"But if nothing changes, he's just going to continue this behavior," I said, cutting into the roast chicken.

"Then call the homeowners' association, Brian. File a complaint. You know they won't let it go. They'll give him a warning, and that should be enough."

A roast chicken in a tray | Source: Midjourney

A roast chicken in a tray | Source: Midjourney

I nodded. That was the more diplomatic option.

But that's when things got ugly.

The next morning, I stepped outside to find bright orange spray paint scrawled across my lawn. In huge, bold letters, it read: SELFISH JERK.

I almost punched the wall when I saw it. My lawn, which I’d taken so much pride in, was ruined. And worse, the entire neighborhood could see it.

Advertisement
A message spray painted on a lawn | Source: AmoMama

A message spray painted on a lawn | Source: AmoMama

I took photos of the message, marched over to Tim's house, and pounded on his door. When he opened up, he was grinning like a kid who'd just pulled off the prank of the year.

"Do you really think this is funny?" I snapped, shoving my phone in his face.

"What are you going to do about it?" he laughed. "Call the cops over some paint?"

I clenched my fists, barely holding myself back. I hated when people took advantage of me.

An angry man | Source: Midjourney

An angry man | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

"You're going to regret this," I said, turning to leave before I did something I'd regret.

I drove straight to the police station.

I filed a police report, but there wasn't much they could do. Tim hadn’t damaged any property exactly, and the paint wasn’t permanent. The police could only document the incident. I needed a plan of my own, and soon enough, I had the perfect idea.

A man standing in a police station | Source: Midjourney

A man standing in a police station | Source: Midjourney

What Tim didn’t know was that my brother runs a landscaping company.

"I need your help, Andrew," I said, quickly telling him everything that had gone on.

My brother laughed for a few minutes.

Advertisement

"I've got you sorted, brother," he said. "We've got a new dye that will make sprinklers fun!"

A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

I had no idea what he was talking about, but he was the best in the business, and I knew that he would fix my lawn and still try to teach Tim a lesson or two.

That weekend, Andrew came over with his crew and all the equipment that they needed. We spent the entire day ripping up my front lawn, digging out the ruined grass, and laying down new, flawless sod.

But that wasn’t the best part. Andrew finally explained what he meant about the dye.

A perfect lawn | Source: Midjourney

A perfect lawn | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

"It's a harmless chalk-based dye," he said. "We developed it for a project at one of the schools. It was an installation that involved lights and sprinklers and patterns. I won't get into the entire thing, but it will teach this guy a lesson."

I laughed with my brother, thinking about Tim's reaction to the new sprinkler system.

Come Sunday morning, as I had expected, Tim was out walking his dog right past my house. I stood outside on the porch, my coffee in hand, ready to watch the show.

A man walking his dog | Source: Midjourney

A man walking his dog | Source: Midjourney

Right on schedule, Tim and his dog were blasted with bright blue water, soaking them both from head to toe.

The look on his face was absolutely priceless. He took off running, dripping with blue dye, cursing under his breath. I would have felt bad, but the dye was harmless and would wash out easily. But the joy was that he was humiliated in front of the entire neighborhood.

Advertisement

Later that day, Tim stormed over, blue stains all over his clothes.

A man with blue stained clothes | Source: Midjourney

A man with blue stained clothes | Source: Midjourney

"What the hell, man?" he yelled at me.

I leaned against my doorframe, crossing my arms.

"What are you going to do, Tim? Call the cops over some water?"

He stared at me, speechless, then turned and walked away without another word.

Since then, he hasn’t parked in my driveway or pulled any stunts. But honestly, I’m just waiting for him to do something else. I'll just continue to teach him a lesson.

A man standing outside his house | Source: Midjourney

A man standing outside his house | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here's another one for you |

I Came Home to See My Furniture Put up for Grabs — My Ex-husband's Petty Revenge Backfired Spectacularly

When Gina and her husband, Brendan, decide to split up, she takes a moment away from the drama by staying with her parents for a weekend. But when she returns, she finds all her belongings scattered across the lawn. With luck on her side, Gina finds a priceless item belonging to her ex-husband. Read on as she gets her revenge...

After Brendan, my husband, and I decided to split, he turned into a completely different person overnight. The man I once knew, the one I shared years of my life with, had vanished altogether.

In his place stood someone bitter and spiteful.

A couple arguing | Source: Midjourney

A couple arguing | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

"You're complaining about how I behave? About how I speak?" Brendan shouted.

"I'm just saying that you need to calm down when you're talking to me. Screaming won't make your point come across better," I said, holding my head.

"Oh, please, Gina," he bellowed louder. "You made me this way! All of your ridiculous demands and constant whining. Please, just go live your life."

An angry man | Source: Midjourney

An angry man | Source: Midjourney

And so I did.

But as the divorce was in process, Brendan and I tried to sort out our things, ready to make a clean break.

"Just let me pack these things up, Gina," Brendan said one day as he was going through my bookshelf.

Advertisement

"You'll just take my things with you," I countered. "I have to settle my own things first."

"Suit yourself," he said.

An angry woman standing in front of a bookshelf | Source: Midjourney

An angry woman standing in front of a bookshelf | Source: Midjourney

But things only got uglier. And the emotional rollercoaster had me in a constant state of nausea and uneasiness. So, I decided that I would spend the weekend at my parents' house to clear my head.

"Yeah, run away to your parents," Brendan said snidely as I packed an overnight bag.

"They're better than you," I said, walking out the door.

An angry woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

An angry woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

And honestly? It was the right call.

Read the full story here.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Related posts

Entitled Neighbor's Guests Always Parked in My Driveway – I Bet They Didn't Like My Revenge

July 18, 2024

Neighbor Dumped Gravel on My Pristine Lawn While I Was on Vacation – So I Unleashed the Ultimate Revenge

August 12, 2024

My Husband Mocked My Postpartum Body at His Corporate Party - The Next Day, His Boss Made Him Regret It

May 21, 2024

Rich Man Kicks Poor Woman Out of His Son's Birthday, Life Teaches Him a Brutal Lesson — Story of the Day

June 12, 2024

Kid Screams Every Time He Sees Old Family Photo until Mom Looks at It Closer – Story of the Day

August 06, 2024

Entitled Neighbor Buried My Pond – I Showed Him Why You Don’t Cross an Older Woman

July 24, 2024

The Lady Next Door Demanded That I Upgrade My Car So I Don't Embarrass the Neighborhood – Karma Hit Her before I Could

August 26, 2024

My HOA President Fined Me for My Lawn – I Gave Him a Reason to Keep Looking

September 10, 2024

I Found Out That My Daughter-in-law Sends Her Kids to Visit Me as a Punishment — So I Talked Them Into My Plan

June 21, 2024

My Husband and His Mistress Kicked Me out of the House — I Thought I Lost Everything until His Grandfather Called

September 10, 2024

Rich Man Left by His Parents in Orphanage 57 Years Ago Finds Them in Nursing Home – Story of the Day

June 17, 2024

For Years My Neighbor Comes Home for 15 Minutes in the Middle of the Day — I Finally Dared to Take a Peek

September 02, 2024

Someone Opened My Attic Door Every Day – I Found a Note: 'Come to the Attic at Midnight. ALONE,' My Heart Sank

August 15, 2024

On Their 50th Anniversary, Husband Comes Home & Sees That His Wife Has Put All His Belongings Out on the Street

October 01, 2024