A man turned to Reddit to share his story of how he and his partner were recently sued by their landlord for removing the beautiful lawn they put in, per the landlord’s request.
Making the Most of Their Home
OP is a 27-year-old male who resides with his boyfriend, Tanner, aged 28, in a house that they have called home for five years.
The dwelling was their first joint residence, and while it was not the most attractive or spacious option, it was the only one they could afford.
Surrounded by Buildings
The house resembles a shipping container in shape and size, with surrounding buildings towering over it on three sides, while a parking lot for the neighboring homes and a busy road lie on the remaining side.
Virtually No Backyard
The backyard is essentially a narrow strip of land the length of the house, bordered by a shed that houses a stacked washer/dryer, as well as the privacy fences of the neighboring properties.
Access to the laundry shed and yard is only possible by exiting through the front door, walking around the house, and traversing the parking lot, as there is no backdoor.
They Made All the Updates to the Home
OP had a very accommodating original landlord who was receptive to their desire to make improvements to the house they lived in.
They engaged in several upgrades such as painting, refinishing cabinets, and tiling the bathroom.
Enjoying Their Efforts
OP also constructed raised garden beds in the backyard, installed a small pond and bird fountain, and incorporated other landscaping features to create an oasis-like atmosphere.
The couple enjoyed spending time outdoors and even had an outdoor table and chairs where they could enjoy a cup of tea in the morning.
Here Comes the New Landlord
Following the sale of the house, the lease of the property that OP and Tanner resided in was transferred to the new owner, Ray.
As they had plans to purchase their own home, they intended to remain in the rented property until the end of the lease.
But Ray started to harass them almost immediately, frequently bringing up issues that were beyond their control, such as the positioning of their neighbors’ cars in the parking lot.
Trying to Get Them to Leave
On one occasion, Ray even showed up at their front door at 8:30 pm on a Friday when they had friends over for dinner and board games.
Ray asked “Are you going to wind up the party anytime soon, boys? Because people are going to get the wrong idea, you know.”
Despite their efforts to accommodate Ray’s requests, the continuous harassment became unbearable, and OP felt as though he was being monitored at all times.
The Last Straw
OP’s breaking point was reached when a technician arrived to repair the washing machine in the shed, and R spotted their outdoor furniture in the backyard.
Later that day, the couple received an email from R in all caps, demanding that they “REMOVE ALL MODIFICATIONS OF THE YARD” and reiterating that “NO PATIO FURNITURE IS PERMITTED.”
It was worth noting that the furniture was not even visible from the road.
You Get What You Ask For…
After receiving a demand from the new landlord to remove all personal modifications made to the yard since their move-in date, OP confirmed the request via email.
The response was a firm “YES. REMOVE IMMEDIATELY AT THE SOONEST CONVENIENCE.”
Undoing All the Hard Work
Despite being in the final month of the lease, OP took R’s demand to heart and reverted the yard to a dirt strip out of spite, removing everything they had added including the raised beds, plants, and an empty pond.
He Took Them to Court!
The landlord was enraged and even threatened to sue for the destruction of property, keeping the security deposit and taking the couple to small claims court over the issue.
However, OP had taken pictures of the original yard and had the email instruction from Ray, proving that the yard had been reverted as per the request.
The judge saw through Ray’s accusations and ruled in favor of OP, awarding the couple their full security deposit.
He Was Totally Justified!
Reddit users praised OP’s response and stated it was justified. One user wrote that Ray seemed to have control issues and was clearly trying to do something just to “show” that they are in charge.
The Reddit community was very happy to hear that the couple got their full security deposit back and hoped that Ray would have a hard time trying to make the yard look beautiful again.
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The post Their Landlord Sued Them for Removing a Lawn They Put In and Lost. He Was Mad! first appeared on Career Step Up.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Cast Of Thousands. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit