There’s a saying about good fences making good neighbors, but what happens when that fence is made of cinderblocks? What would be so awful about it, except for just being plain ugly? Well, the fence blocked one of the neighbors’ driveway, but things were about to change!
How many times haven’t your neighbors annoyed you? They were either hammering away in the middle of the night or blasting the music at inappropriate hours. But this neighbor did more than that…
A Friendly Neighborhood
Some of us are lucky to live in a great and friendly neighborhood, and so was Oliver Lynch. He was part of a peaceful Osceola neighborhood, from Florida.
But when a new guy moved into town, his days of peace would soon be put to an end. That was the least he was expecting after living there for 25 years.
Bullied
“I just hate to be bullied,” said Oliver calmly to the reporters after his story went viral. You’ll just have to see for yourselves how much he hates being bullied.
“I have a little fight left in me, and I hate to see somebody bulldoze over me,” Oliver said, and he was not going to accept what the new neighbor did.
An Old Man
Although Oliver was 79 years old at that time, he had known his community for the past 25 years, and was hoping he’d live his last days there, in peace.
But when the new neighbor came, his peace was gone. So, Oliver knew he had to stand up for himself, but things soon escalated!
Protecting Himself
The new neighbor was going to cross him, so Oliver knew he had to stand his ground. At first, he good and courteous with the new neighbor.
But when the cinderblocks appeared in his driveway, Oliver saw himself in need of some help. He was not going to back down because it wasn’t fair for him and for the other neighbors.
The New Neighbor
As the new neighbor moved in, Oliver saw that there was a row of cinderblocks right in the middle of his driveway. He was confused at first…
What were the cinderblocks doing there? It didn’t seem like the blocks were just placed there on the ground.
The Infamous Cinderblocks
When Oliver got closer to inspect the cinderblocks in the middle of his driveway, he couldn’t believe what this neighbor did.
That man had already cemented them to Oliver’s property! What was he thinking? Soon enough, Oliver would get his answer…
Things Got Worse
Right before placing the cinderblocks on Oliver’s driveway, the new neighbor looked like he was beginning the construction of a new house.
The neighbor had an empty plot, so he decided to build a house from the ground up. But things became suspicious when he placed those cinderblocks. Here’s what the rude neighbor claimed…
The Rude Neighbor Had Some Explaining to Do
The new neighbor said that part of the driveway belonged to him. As far as Oliver knew, he didn’t sell his driveway to anyone, so why was this neighbor claiming it as his own?
Oliver was very upset and things got even worse, when Oliver realized that the cinderblocks were cemented to his property!
He Needed Help
To remove the blocks without destroying his driveway, Oliver need a construction team. But why would he pay for something he didn’t ask for?
“What’s he going to do with these extra few yards of concrete?” asked Oliver in the interview. That’s when he concocted a plan that made his neighbor realize he messed with the wrong person!
Not Christian-Like
“He said he was a minister or something like that,” Oliver said, adding that the neighbor was a “God-fearing man. But I don’t think that’s very Christian-like.”
Well, reasoning didn’t help, so this man had to be taught a lesson. However, he didn’t know what Oliver had in mind for him!
Oliver Looked Through His Papers
Digging through his paperwork, Oliver found the deeds to the house. He had proof that the land included the driveway as well and that the neighbor was taking what wasn’t rightfully his.
As he read the papers, Oliver saw he was indeed entitled two 12-foot driveways. So he tried to reason with the neighbor. How did that go? Not well…
The Neighbor Was Stubborn
Oliver showed the neighbor his papers and tried to reason with him, but he couldn’t convince the man he was taking part of his property.
So if this ‘God-fearing man’ didn’t fear the law, the Oliver had to ask for assistance from his local government. But help came from an unexpected place.
It Would Take Time
Filing a complaint and getting solved would have taken way too long, so Oliver knew he had to also reach out to the local media.
The media thought Oliver’s story was controversial, so they agreed to run his story on TV. Meanwhile, the neighbor refused to answer the calls. But as soon as the story hit the airwaves, things changed!
The Public Was on Oliver’s Side
The news station helped Oliver with his case, and the public was on his side. Now, the neighbor was the villain of the story and people began questioning this “Christian-man’s” integrity.
Was this man a good person? By the looks of it, the answer was no. So what happened after Oliver’s story got on TV?
Again, on the News
Oliver didn’t get much help after the first time he gave an interview, but as the WFTV station covered his story once again, Oliver made some progress…
The neighbor sat down with Oliver and they talked about the driveway. Finally, things were going somewhere, but the neighbor was going to explain why he’s placed cinderblocks on Oliver’s property.
The Neighbor Finally Gave Up
After showing the neighbor the papers and getting the media involved, Oliver’s persistence finally paid off.
The neighbor did admit that he was mistaken to believe the driveway was his property and didn’t want to cause a scene.
A Misunderstanding
Apparently, the neighbor said it had all been a misunderstanding and that he didn’t want to have conflicts with Oliver.
Not many stories end like this, so it’s good to see that the two neighbors are now living peacefully and are willing to put this conflict behind them.
A Happy Outcome
The old neighbor was finally looking at a free driveway and he didn’t hold a grudge against the new neighbor.
They may never be best pals, but at least they’re not enemies, so it’s definitely a happy outcome after all.
Teaching All Of Us a Lesson
Although most of us would have cracked from the frustration of being right and still not getting justice, Oliver is an example to all of us.
What Oliver taught us all was a lesson in patience and forgiveness.
Stand Up For Yourself
Oliver is a gentleman and helped us learn that solving a problem while being cool will help us maintain our integrity.
Oliver also taught us to stand up for ourselves. It’s nice to see his problems were finally fixed.