AITA (or I guess are we) for making a family that is tresspassing on my property uncomfortable?

Ah, summer—the season of sunshine, jet skis, and random strangers deciding that your private beach is actually theirs. While some people have no problem respecting boundaries, others seem to think that just because a beach exists, it’s automatically public domain.

That’s exactly the headache OP and his boyfriend dealt with when a boatload of uninvited guests ignored multiple requests to leave their private lakefront property. When calling the police proved useless, OP and his family took matters into their own hands—but their method of getting rid of the trespassers might have been a little unconventional. So, did they go too far, or was this just a creative way to enforce property rights?

‘AITA (or I guess are we) for making a family that is tresspassing on my property uncomfortable?’

Expert Analysis:

Can You Actually Own a Beach?

One of the biggest questions in this situation is whether beaches can even be private property. In many parts of the world, beaches are public spaces, but in the U.S., private beaches do exist—though laws vary by state. Typically, if a beach is on privately owned land, the owner has full rights to restrict access.

According to the National Sea Grant Law Center, trespassing on a private beach is no different than trespassing in someone’s backyard. If the landowner has clearly marked property lines, such as signs, fences, or cameras, then trespassers have no legal right to stay. Since OP’s property was clearly marked, their request for the group to leave was completely valid and enforceable.

Creative or Immature? Evaluating OP’s Response

While OP and his boyfriend were legally justified, the real debate lies in how they handled it. Instead of continuing to wait for the police, they deliberately annoyed the trespassers—blasting explicit music, making out, and playing drinking games. The goal? Make the experience so unbearable that the group would leave voluntarily.

Some might say this was immature, but according to Dr. Aaron Ben-Zeév, an expert in moral psychology, sometimes a tactical approach to confrontation is necessary. However, he warns that responding with excessive aggression or pettiness can sometimes escalate conflicts unnecessarily. In this case, OP’s non-violent but highly irritating strategy worked, but could it have backfired?

How Could OP Have Handled It Differently?

If OP wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict, they could have considered alternative approaches:

Investing in stronger deterrents – Adding a physical barrier, like a fence, could prevent future trespassing.
Filing an official trespassing complaint – Even if police response is slow, a formal complaint could make future violations easier to handle.
A more direct confrontation – Instead of resorting to annoyance tactics, OP could have calmly explained the legal consequences of trespassing.

What Reddit Had to Say: Were OP and His Boyfriend Justified?

Most Redditors firmly sided with OP, arguing that trespassers don’t get to dictate how property owners respond. The group ignored multiple polite requests, and OP’s method—while unconventional—was effective and harmless. Some users believed OP could have been more mature, but others pointed out that entitled behavior deserves a fitting response.

One of the biggest concerns was the slow police response—if law enforcement had arrived sooner, none of this would have been necessary. Instead, OP and his boyfriend were left to deal with the situation themselves, which led to their unique choice of action.