After acquiring a large, somewhat damaged wingback rocking chair at an estate sale, the user was confronted by a neighbor named Carol, who immediately expressed intense interest in the chair, claiming she needed it for her grandchildren. Despite the user stating they bought it for their own future children and that it required significant work, Carol aggressively offered money, argued the user didn’t need it, and then complained to the user’s husband that the user was being a “nasty neighbor” and needed to be “straightened out.” This confrontation leaves the user questioning if their firm refusal and request for the neighbor to leave were inappropriate reactions.
I honestly have no words. I (27) just bought my house in july 2024. We have learned that most of the neighbors are all old as hell.( 60s +) and are very nosey and onery that young families are moving into the neighborhood in recent years.
They will just walk up to you and tell you this.
I have been shopping thrift and estate sales to furnish this cute house. This morning, I came home from an estate sale with a BEAUTIFUL wingbacked rocking chair. (It needs to be reuplostered as the leather that was on it is in terrible condition and the previous owner started pulling it off.
)
Im unloading it from the bed of my truck when neighbor , Carol, sticks her giraffe neck over the fence and starts squawking about how beautiful it is . I said thanks i got it at an estate sale for $10!
This triggered the parasites in her brain and she, i shit you not, teleported over to the truck. She starts going off about how much she needs a chair to rock her grandkids to sleep in and how much she would appreciate it if it was hers.
I told her I got it for my future babies to be rocked to sleep in and that it still needs lots of work before it can be used. Mind you this chair is large and she is very small.
This is when she starts offering me money ($15 because ” its more than what you paid for it”) then telling me i dont need it because i dont have kids yet and her grandkids are only little for so long.
After firmly telling her i wasnt interested in selling it, she offered me $20.
I was standing in the bed of the truck looking down at her on the driveway and said “No, Carol im really not interested in selling this. Please go home.” And pointed to her side of the fence.
Apparently this was shouting at her and being aggressive.
She ran home and later in the day her husband said something to my husband as he was getting home from a game. Telling him i was being a “nasty neighbor” and that my husband needs to “straighten me out.”
Are my neighbors nuts? Was I an Ass? Also, if perhaps their house accidentally burns down, it for sure wasnt me.
Conclusion
The original poster (OP) is in a difficult position, having recently moved into a neighborhood where older residents seem predisposed to interfere with the lives of younger ones. The central conflict arises from the OP’s desire to set a clear boundary regarding their personal property versus the neighbor’s expectation that the OP should yield a desirable item based on the neighbor’s perceived needs and seniority.
The key question for consideration is whether the OP’s firm refusal and directive for the neighbor to leave the property constituted an overreaction or if the neighbor’s persistent demands and subsequent complaint to the OP’s spouse were an extreme overstep of acceptable neighborly behavior. Where should the line be drawn regarding unsolicited demands for personal property?
Here’s how people reacted:
Since you already perceive them as nosy you telling them information (what you paid for the chair or what you plan to use it for) is affirmation to them, that they are not too nosy. It’s a wrong interpretation, but you worked towards it, however small your contribution was. Also they might read an attack point into your information and try and proceed to convince you.
Also if you hadn’t told them that information, then you could have said, that since you like the chair very much and need it for yourself (also the exact projected purpose of the chair is something I would not have told, because another affirmation that they can’t be too nosy if you’re feeding them information. Also an attack point to try and convince you to
Some of the neighbors were clearly bothered by the change with energy on our street. Both active and passive criticisms. The most opinionated and particular happened to be our immediate neighbor that was very particular about their yard. Kids were not allowed to step foot on their lawn if they lost a soccer ball.
2 years went by, and the neighborhood has gotten better. Patience has grown, some of the older folks have sold and moved on. Give it time.
With the neighbor, can’t say much on the situation other than provide grace where possible.
OR
You could just enjoy being known as a ‘nasty neighbour’ so this pesky biatch leaves you alone forever – which is also a WIN
I’ve lived in this situation, and the best thing to do is to stand your ground, just as you did. No mercy. If they sense any weakness, they will attack.
Your husband needs to get on the same page. He should have told the dude that he already “straightens you out” every night, but he would be real happy to increase his efforts as you are thinking about having a child. Then turn around and walk away.
No mercy!!
Next time offer to buy her house for like 10k, “it’s more than you paid for it, and I’m only young for so long ”
From now on, everything you bring in the house is “a priceless family heirloom, I could never think of selling” even if its in the box unassembled from a box store.
From your husband to hers “my wife has her own mind, thanks, I’m her husband not her master(or wvr word works for you)”
I used to get people knocking trying to buy my property. I tell them 2 million and I’ll be out at the end of the month. They always want to argue value, while I explain the world’s value, isn’t what I value my things at.
Okay, now I’ll go back and finish reading.
And one bit of advice, enjoy & appreciate your younger years. No matter how hard I try to not be old, I’m still getting old and it sucks!
I snot-laughed while sipping my water and it went up my noise. I didn’t see that one coming. 😂😂👏
Pictured the Fairy Godmother on Shrek 2 (I think, it’s 2).
Sounds like the classic children’s book “The Lion, The Witch, and the Audacity of this Bish.”
(Apparently AITAH doesn’t allow the B word? Lol.)
I’d be like Sure. You can have it, the delivery fee is $1,000.
“No, Carol, $10 is what I paid for it. To sell it to you, I’ll need $2 million. Cash. And one of your thumbs.”
Keep the chair away from the windows!
Make sure your locks work!
Make sure your cameras work!
Tell her your personal shopper rates begin at $80/h, plus expenses