Alex Carson
Neighbors
The people who live near you can make living in your home wonderful, or it can make living there a nightmare. If you have great neighbors, you will feel safe in your home. You might even have friends next door. If your neighbors are a nightmare, it can make you miserable. If they are bad enough, you might be tempted to move.
Osceola, Florida
When a man moved into a neighborhood in Osceola, Florida, nobody thought much about it at first. It wasn’t long before the man’s actions began to affect the people in the neighborhood, including an elderly man named Oliver Lynch.
Oliver Lynch
Oliver is a 79-year-old man who had been living in the Florida neighborhood for over 25 years. He loved his home, and he got along well with his neighbors. One thing that people in the community knew about Oliver was that even though he was elderly, you couldn’t push him around. He may have been a quiet man, but if necessary, he would stand up for himself. He always said that there was one thing that he hated and it was being bullied. He says that he won’t be the one to start problems with others, but he won’t sit by and let people take advantage of him.
The Trouble Begins
At first, the new landowner seemed fine. When Oliver got home one day, he noticed that there was a long row of cinder blocks lined up in the middle of his driveway. Oliver was confused by this, so he went to talk to his neighbor. The neighbor claimed that Oliver’s driveway was on his land. As far as Oliver was concerned, it was his driveway, and he was going to get it back. This old man’s neighbor blocked his driveway with cinder blocks so he taught him a cruel lesson.
Things Got Worse
The next day, Oliver realized that things were worse than he ever expected. His new neighbor had cemented the cinder blocks onto the driveway. Even if Oliver wanted to move them, he couldn’t. If he tried to remove the cinder blocks, it would do severe damage to his driveway. Oliver knew that he couldn’t take this lying down and he had to take more drastic measures.
Disbelief
Oliver felt an even amount of anger and disbelief. He couldn’t believe that someone would go this far over a few yards of concrete. He thought that it was strange that something like this was happening in his neighborhood since nobody on his block had any issues with one another up until now. He didn’t even know what his neighbor was planning to do with the few extra yards.
Looking For Proof
Obviously, there was no way to reason with his crazy neighbor, so he decided to get some proof that it was his driveway and not his neighbor’s. After going to the town and checking the surveyor’s records, he discovered that he was entitled to two 12-foot driveways. Now, Oliver had the proof that he needed.
A Hypocrite
After Oliver checked the surveyor’s report, he starting thinking about his new neighbor. The neighbor claimed to be a minister and a God-fearing man. Oliver didn’t believe that what he was doing was very Christian-like. He said that a true man of God wouldn’t do something so unreasonable to their neighbor. Oliver began to wonder who this man was. He was preaching “love thy neighbor” to his congregation while trying to bully an elderly man when he got home. It didn’t seem right, and Oliver called his neighbor a hypocrite.
Getting Help
When Oliver realized that the town wasn’t going to do anything about the situation, he went to the local media. They agreed to do a story and Oliver explained on-air, everything that had happened. They tried to get his neighbor’s side of the story, but they ignored the station’s calls and messages. When the story aired, the support for Oliver was overwhelming. People all over town felt for Oliver and what he was going through. Unfortunately, the neighbor didn’t budge and nothing changed. Oliver decided to call the media again. This time, Oliver made some progress. He finally talked to his neighbor and showed them the proof that the land was his. The neighbor apologized and said that it was just a big misunderstanding.
A Hopeful Future
When Oliver and his neighbor were finally able to settle their dispute, Oliver finally had hope for his future in the neighborhood. He wished that things didn’t have to go as far as they did, but ultimately, things were figured out. After speaking to his neighbor a few times, he realized that he really wasn’t a bad guy.
