AITA for suing my neighbor after their kid trespassed and fell into my koi pond?

A 22-year-old man takes pride in his professionally designed koi pond, complete with expensive fish and a fenced yard clearly marked with “No Trespassing” signs.

When his neighbor’s son (8M) climbed over the fence, fell into the pond, and caused damage leading to the death of several prized koi, the neighbor demanded he pay for the child’s medical bills, calling the pond an “attractive nuisance.” Refusing to pay, he filed a lawsuit against her for over $5,000 in damages. Now, he’s wondering if he went too far. Read the full story below.

‘ AITA for suing my neighbor after their kid trespassed and fell into my koi pond?’

I (22M) have a koi pond in my backyard. It’s not just any koi pond—it’s a full-blown, professionally designed Japanese garden with a bridge, waterfalls, and koi that cost more than my car (I’m talking $1,000 for a single fish). Maintaining this pond is my pride and joy. I’ve put years into this hobby, and my yard is securely fenced with “No Trespassing” signs everywhere.

Enter my neighbor, “Karen” (fake name, but fitting). Karen has a son, let’s call him Timmy (8M), who is notorious for wandering into other people’s yards uninvited. I’ve talked to Karen multiple times about this, but she just brushes it off with, “Kids will be kids.”

Last week, while I was out running errands, I got a frantic call from Karen. Apparently, Timmy *climbed over my fence* to “feed the fish” (even though I have explicitly told him to stay out). In doing so, he slipped, fell into the pond, and destroyed part of my carefully maintained ecosystem.

Several of my prized koi died due to stress, and the filtration system was damaged because of the debris Timmy kicked in. Luckily, Timmy wasn’t seriously hurt—just a few scrapes—but Karen has been *demanding* I pay for his medical bills. She claims my pond is an “attractive nuisance” and that I should’ve had a cover or something to prevent kids from falling in.

I argued that (1) it’s a private, fenced property, and (2) her son had no business being there in the first place. When I refused to pay, Karen lost it and started badmouthing me to the whole neighborhood, calling me “heartless” and a “terrible person.” I’ve since filed a lawsuit against her for the cost of the koi, the damage to my filtration system, and repairs to my pond—over $5,000 in total.

Some of my friends think I’m taking it too far, saying, “He’s just a kid.” But others agree that Karen should’ve been watching him better. So, Reddit, AITA for suing my neighbor after her kid trespassed and destroyed my koi pond?

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

TarzanKitty −  NTA. Mom needs to supervise her son better.

Krescentia −  NTA. Not at all. You received damages on your private property due to a trespasser. Your koi pond is gated behind fencing, that is “something preventing kids from falling in.” Absolutely hold this person accountable (the mother). She seems very spoiled/entitled and needs a reality check.

enchylatta −  NTA – I’d sue her for damages and add on emtional damages because of the loss of your emotional support fish.

iamuniversol −  NTA. She’s an irresponsible parent and should not be allowing her 8 year old to trespass into others yards with supervision. You should absolutely be suing her for the damages to your property. She’s insane to demand you pay for her son’s medical bills, it was her duty to protect her child.

MirabellaSky −  NTA. “Kids will be kids” doesn’t excuse causing thousands of dollars in damages. It’s important to set consequences early on, or Timmy might think this behavior can slide anywhere.

Effective-Mongoose57 −  NTA. Do not pay these medical bills and get a lawyer. I’d also investigate if your pond meets any further requirements to be fenced even more securely. Do not allow this woman any kind of leeway. Her kid is trespassing.

Follow up question, just because I’m curious about the system. If the debris from the kid killed a bunch of you fish, what happens when there is a bad storm? Or is this not an issue.

bipocevicter −  What kind of trust fund did you get to be a 22 year old homeowner with an effete water attraction

Intrepid_Potential60 −  This is some fun made up nonsense, but made up nonsense it is.

Glittering-Design973 −  This is a fake karma grab, account is 3 days old. And the two comments made seem very “AI.” And I find it hard to believe a 22 year old has property like that and enough money to build a lavish koi pond 😂 but waiting for that update with a picture haha.

Chance_Vegetable_780 −  Fake post?

Do you think the homeowner is justified in suing for damages, or should he have handled the situation differently because of the child’s age? Who do you think bears the responsibility in this case? Share your thoughts below!