I Caught My Neighbor Stealing From Me and Confronted Him—But Now He’s Threatening Me

Dealing with neighbors can sometimes be challenging, especially when boundaries are crossed. While many disputes start small, they can quickly grow into something more serious when respect and communication break down. One Reddit user recently shared a surprising story that highlights just how tricky these situations can become.

He wrote:

I came home a few times last week to find an extension lead running from my neighbor’s garage into the socket on the back of my house. I unplugged it the first time, figured it was an honest mistake.

Then I caught him doing it again. I had a quiet word, saying, “Mate, that’s my power you’re using, it’s on MY meter!” He just laughed it off and said, “C’mon, man. It’s only pennies!”

He did it again while I was out, so I’ve now installed a lockable cover over the socket. This morning, I froze when I found a note through my letterbox saying: since I’ve “blocked the community socket”, he’ll need to charge his e-bike inside my house when it rains, and asked me to leave my back gate unlocked for him for that on Saturday.

I’m not trying to cause a war here, I even offered to go halves on getting a sparky to fit an outdoor socket on his own wall and he refused. Now I hear he’s telling other neighbors I’m being tight. Have I gone over the top by locking it, or is he just being unbelievably rude? This is just mad!

Other Redditors joined in with their advice and tips for the OP, leaving comments such as:

• You could add a switch to that outdoor socket, so it has no electricity unless you flip a switch on. Then you can tell him he blew the circuit. © Slalom44 / Reddit

• Take the lock off, apologize to the neighbor, let him have one day charging, then kill the breaker. If he says anything, you have no idea what he’s talking about, and it was working fine the last time you tried it. If you really want to take the piss out of him, go inside to find a lamp or something and turn the breaker back on. Go outside to prove that it’s working and keep commenting how weird it is.
  Let him plug his bike in and see that it’s charging. Wait for him to leave and kill the breaker again. If he keeps at it, suggest there’s something wrong with the bike, and he should have it looked at — or get a real bike without a motor. © dlc741 / Reddit

• Be sure to tell all the neighbors exactly what he did. And tell all the neighbors that they are free to offer their outlets for him to charge his devices. © Effective-Several / Reddit
  

• Might be fun to open the socket and disconnect it internally. Then it looks fine, he plugs in...but nothing happens. His bike is dead the next day. © ImprovementFar5054 / Reddit

• To really mess up that neighbor, install a shut-off switch for that outlet inside your house. Then take off the outside lock and watch him freak when his bike doesn’t charge. © at-the-crook / Reddit

• I’m all for having an electrician determine if that outdoor outlet has its own breaker. Then the homeowner can just leave it off. My neighbor has one, and she only uses it to plug in a vacuum to clean out her car. © ExpertYou4643 / Reddit

Often, it’s the small moments that uncover the deepest truths. A slight shift, an offhand remark, or even a silent pause can change everything. Not long ago, a Bright Side reader told us about an experience like this—one that completely transformed how she viewed her marriage.