So let’s talk about crazy neighbors. We’ve all had them at one point – or, in our case, more than a few. I sometimes wonder if there’s an invisible sign over our heads that reads: “Crazies, please talk to us daily & about EVERYTHING, even TMI!”
First off, what is it with people dumping their deepest, darkest secrets on someone they literally just met? Is that really how you make friends?
The “Kids Everywhere” Neighbors
Our first real “crazy neighbor” was a young couple with four kids living behind us in a falling-apart mobile home. Their kids roamed freely, even on a busy highway with semis – one neighbor had to rescue them from traffic. The mother thanked her with mild annoyance…towards the lady who just saved her kids.
These kids were brats. They wandered into our yard, grabbed toys, and even played on our swing set unattended. One of them was a toddler by the way. I babysat them a few times, but the last time I never got paid and they never brought food for their kids.
The “Crush on My Husband” Neighbor
A completely different neighbor had a huge crush on my husband and didn’t hide it at all. Her boyfriend was good friends with my husband through work. I had just met her before she moved in, but the way she acted around my husband was…uncomfortably obvious.
Crying Over Cheating and Wild Boundaries
Other neighbors brought me into very strange situations – like crying over husbands who cheated while away for weeks at a time for work, yet locking themselves in for two days after the spouse returned because they “missed each other so much.” And I’m supposed to act like nothing is wrong when I see him?
We also had rude kids with zero boundaries. Toddlers would pitch all-day fits and act like little tyrants while I tried to homeschool my own children. And when I enforced discipline, I was the “bad person.”
The Partying Neighbors
Not long before we moved, a new set of neighbors were downright rude. They threw blasting parties three or four nights a week. Their guests would even park in our yard. One night, I confronted them politely about the music while my kids slept, and they said, “Oh, sorry, yeah sure!” – only to blast it again minutes later.
The situation escalated to the point of them setting up a drum set next to a bedroom window. My husband tried talking to them several times, and the cops were called occasionally, by us and multiple neighbors, but nothing worked. We eventually moved, thankfully. My mom, who lives there now, still has to deal with their behavior.
The Absolute Craziest Neighbors
And then there were the absolute craziest neighbors – squatters who moved into a house that had recently become vacant after the original owner passed. They didn’t clean, kept all the hoarder’s leftover stuff, brought in two greyhounds and a bunch of cats that treated the house like a litter box, and had a toddler with autism who mostly gibbered instead of talking.
The woman was loud, obnoxious, and had zero filter around my kids, even after being asked to tone it down. The boyfriend was just super weird. I can’t put my finger on it.
Drama and TMI followed constantly. Arguments would erupt, and she would come over bawling, spilling secrets about the boyfriend being gay, wanting to be a woman, and more. According to her, they tried to move into another house nearby by paying a guy for a key – only to find it was that neighbor’s son’s out-of-state house. Cue more tears. They eventually moved out of state, and I still wonder about that little girl.
Quiet (Mostly) Wins
Thankfully, our current neighbors are quiet, mostly keeping to themselves, though one is the definition of grumpy. We try to avoid drama wherever possible.
We have had a few really great neighbors too – even hosted neighborhood bonfires – but I’ll never miss the crazy ones.
Have you ever had a neighbor so wild it made you question reality? I’d love to hear your stories!
Photo by Michael Tuszynski
Daily Deals from a Nerd Mom 
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