Neighbors
When you move to a new neighborhood, your neighbors can either make your time in your new home great, or they can make your time in your new home miserable. Bad neighbors can make your life miserable. They can be loud, intrusive, nosy, or constant complainers. A man named Oliver Lynch learned about bad neighbors when the house beside his sold.
Oliver Lynch
Oliver Lynch is a 79-year-old man who lives in Osceola, Florida. He had been living in his home for 25 years, and he loved his neighborhood and his home. His neighbors were all friendly people, and everyone got along. Things were great until his neighbor sold their home, and somebody new moved in. It was then that Oliver’s life at home changed for the worse. Being 79-years-old, Oliver was never looking for war; however, he wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of him.
Cinder Blocks
It all started shortly after Oliver’s new neighbor moved into the neighborhood. He came home one day and discovered a long row of cinder blocks lined up and down the middle of his driveway. At first, Oliver thought it was just a joke. He went to see his neighbor
Furious
Oliver was furious. If this was actually the man’s property, what was he going to do with a few feet of concrete? Oliver decided to handle the problem, so he went out to the driveway to move the cinder blocks himself. When he tried, he discovered that his new neighbor had cemented the cinder blocks together and also to the ground. When Oliver discovered this, he realized that he would need to take drastic steps to fix the problem. The cinder blocks were unsightly and cut right into his driveway. This was not okay.
Looking For Proof
Since Oliver couldn’t talk sense into his neighbor, he decided to get the proof that he needed to show his neighbor that half of the driveway wasn’t his. He eventually found records detailing the fact that his property included two adjacent 12-foot driveways. He was sure that he had the proof to make his neighbor realize that the driveway was not his property, and he would move the cinder blocks. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for his neighbor. He realized that he might need to either hire a surveyor or take his neighbor to court.
Trying To Reason
Oliver believed that taking his neighbor to court was a drastic step, so he tried to reason with him. The neighbor told Oliver that he was a pastor and a God-fearing man. Oliver says that what his neighbor was doing wasn’t very Christian-like at all. He was furious and realized that reasoning with this man was not going to work.
Local Media
Oliver reached out to the local media to see if they would be willing to do a story on the struggles that he was facing with his new neighbor. They came out to talk to Oliver first. After, the reporter tried to get in touch with the neighbor, but they couldn’t. When the story ran, Oliver’s neighbor came out looking really bad. Many of the people in town agreed with Oliver that the neighbor’s behavior wasn’t consistent with his religious beliefs.
Peace Talks
When Oliver’s neighbor refused to budge, he contacted WFTV again. He gave them an update regarding his neighbor. Finally, after speaking to the media again, Oliver made some progress. His neighbor was willing to talk to him without being a bully. Oliver explained his situation and let him know that according to the Osceola records, the property was his. He told the neighbor that the cinder blocks looked silly, and he just didn’t want them there.
Moving the Cinder Blocks
Oliver’s neighbor finally agreed to move the cinder blocks. It took a while, but Oliver was finally able to get through to him. In the end, Oliver says that the man wasn’t really a jerk; it was more of a misunderstanding. Finally, the two men are able to get along, and when the public heard that the two men were finally on good terms, they were thrilled.
Friends
Oliver says that today, he and his neighbor get along great. He wishes that they would have had this friendship from the beginning, but he is glad that they finally got to this point. Best of all, the cinder blocks are now gone, and Oliver has his whole driveway back. Oliver says that in the end, he had to be forgiving. Had he held a grudge against his neighbor, it would have made living in the neighborhood that he loved so much, miserable. This old man’s neighbor blocks his driveway with cinder blocks so he teaches him a brutal lesson that eventually was effective.
