One evening, Elton vented to his wife, Maris. She suggested filing a formal complaint with the homeowners’ association, and Elton agreed. But before he could act, things escalated.
The next morning, Elton found his carefully maintained lawn defaced with large, bright letters spray-painted across the grass. Furious, he confronted Gideon, who simply smirked. Elton went to the police, but because the paint wasn’t permanent, all they could do was make a record of the incident.
That’s when Elton called his brother Thane, who owned a landscaping company. Thane had an idea. Over the weekend, his crew replaced the damaged lawn with fresh sod. Then, they installed a harmless but brightly colored chalk-based dye in Elton’s sprinkler system—safe for people and pets but impossible to miss.
The next morning, Elton waited with his coffee as Gideon walked his dog past the house. Right on cue, the sprinklers came on, covering both Gideon and his dog in a vivid blue spray. The look on Gideon’s face was unforgettable.
Later that day, still tinted blue, Gideon stormed over. “What was that?” he demanded. Elton leaned on the doorframe and said calmly, “Just watering my lawn.” Gideon walked away without another word.
From that day forward, Gideon stopped parking in Elton’s driveway—and peace returned to the neighborhood.
Sometimes, the best way to deal with bad neighbors is a little creativity.