AITA for not inviting someone to the community block party since people don’t like her and when she asked why I told her because she is considered j**k by the neighbors?
A Redditor shared a story about a neighborhood block party where they chose not to invite a new neighbor due to her unfriendly behavior toward local kids and families. When the neighbor confronted them about the lack of invitation, they explained that the community views her as difficult, leading to a tense exchange. Read the full story below to see if you think they made the right call.
‘ AITA for not inviting someone to the community block party since people don’t like her and when she asked why I told her because she is considered j**k by the neighbors?’
I live in a little neighborhood, a lot of kids and grandmas. The community is pretty nice besides one person. A new women moved in by the hill in the fall. She is right next to the park where people hang out. The problem is she is mental about her property.
She has a very big area and there is no line from the park to where her property is. If your ball goes over she will come out a tell you to get off her property.
The kids school bus stop is right there and like 40 kids get on in the morning. They all don’t fit on the sidewalk and will stand in the grass.
She put a sprinklers and soaked all the kids before school. They were not messing things up. In the winter she yelled at a group of kids having a snowball fight and they went over the line. It has happened so many time and it has happened when people were still technically in the park.
I wish she would just put up a fence since it would actually show where it begins. So basically no one in the neighborhood is fond of her. The kids don’t like her, the parents don’t, and even the old lady’s find her to be destroying the peace. We are suppose it have a block party in about two weeks and I organize it. This year I got a petition to not include her.
I also moved it so it would be on the other side of the park so no one would be anywhere near her property. I sent out invites to all the homes besides hers. She came up to me and asked why she didn’t get an invite. I told her because the neighborhood find her to be a j**k. She called me a j**k and I am morally conflicted. This comes out of the neighbors pockets, no how or city funding
Here’s what the community had to contribute:
CosmicChanges − NTA. You told her the truth when asked. Soaking kids with sprinklers is over the line of acceptable behavior. You could talk to the school or city about that.
whorfin2022 − I’m going with NTA, but I would take a different approach. I would let her know the specific things she has done to alienate her community neighbors, and that those actions have made the neighbors not want to party with her.
But still invite her, and let her know that she can apologize and begin to make changes to her behavior if she wants to be included. But I wouldn’t continue giving her that benefit if she declines to be neighborly and continues her hostile behavior towards the community.
ChaosInTheSkies − NTA. If you’re unpleasant and a j**k to your community, you can’t be surprised when they don’t invite you to the *community* block party. People are saying that everyone should stay out of her yard and yeah, sure. But installing sprinklers to spray a bunch of school students getting on the bus? That’s just an AH move.
bestneighbourever − As far as the kids waiting for the bus- even if she is miserable, it’s a good time to reinforce that the kids should not be on her property. I had a friend who lived basically on a school bus stop, and it’s a pain to have kids milling on your lawn. That the old owner didn’t mind is irrelevant.
The kids should move further down the sidewalk rather than on her lawn. They move somewhere when the sprinkler goes on, right? If there is not enough safe space then pics need to be taken and submitted to the school board with a request to move the stop.
Most of us have had to teach our kids such things, that at some point, that while a certain adult might seem miserable, technically they are correct that in this case none of them should stand on her lawn. As for the back of her property- I’m not sure about that.
I understand there is an invisible line, but I would likely direct the kids to play in such a way the ball won’t go on her property. Actually, my daughter does that at her house- the neighbours regularly tell her they do not mind when the ball goes in their yard, but my daughter is teaching them manners and courtesy by instructing them in the ways they can play while avoiding the ball going over there. She’s teaching basic social skills.
jinxdrain − She has the right to enjoy her property without people trespassing. 40 kids standing on her lawn is absolutely going to mess it up. It sounds like she gave plenty of verbal warnings for the kids to stay off her property. Fences cost money, maybe the neighborhood should pitch in to build one, or talk to your officials about fencing that side of the park. /hj
She does sound like she could chill out a bit. You know what might help?? Getting to know her neighbors better. If only there were some sort of event that promptes neighborhood bonding……. I’m torn between Y.T.A and E.S.H.
calicounderthesun − I have a bus stop in front of my house. The kids were awful. Dropping all their school stuff in the middle of my front lawn, running around on the driveway, my front and back porches, screaming (this is before 7am), running up to the window to scare my cats (going through my landscaping and flowers) and the boys roughhousing like tasmanian devils.
Throwing stuff at the house, snack wrappers, drink lids (litter) left, etc. Called the HOA, not their issue, called the school, they told me there is nothing they can do…I BEGGED them to move it. Nope, call the police, the school told me. Somehow a rumor got around that I was going to call the cops and those kids behaved after that.
I think the school told the parents that in the beginning of the school year. ( I had several conversations with the school) I never said that and would never do that unless there was a danger/threat against the kids. AND I would not turn the sprinklers on these kids. Although I have been tempted. I work from home so it was very disruptive. It’s better this year.
toadpuppy − YTA – you’re mad that she doesn’t want people trespassing on her property? That’s pretty e**itled behavior, don’t you think? “We don’t like her because she doesn’t want 40 kids in her yard at 6am” isn’t a great position to hold
Impossible-Abroad468 − It’s her property and she is e**itled to keeping people out of it. Kids standing there everyday will ruin the grass. She doesn’t need to and shouldn’t have to put up a fence for people to respect her property. With that said, if it’s a true block party that’s in the street then YTA. If it’s in your backyard/property then you can invite whoever you want.
OfAnOldRepublic − Do you think that alienating her by excluding her from the party is going to improve her relationship with the rest of the neighbors, or make it worse?
ejdjd − YTA – the moment something happens to one of those kids on her property, I can guarantee their parents will sue. I don’t blame her for not wanting people on her property. She should call the school district and have the bus stop location changed but until then…40+ kids in one small area will definitely “mess things up”.
Do you think it was fair to exclude the new neighbor from the block party, or should the community have tried to include her despite past issues? How would you approach a similar situation in your neighborhood? Share your thoughts below!
