This story played out on facebook, so it's much easier to edit that conversation than to rewrite the whole drama:
Okay,
long story: The weather was record-breakingly cold yesterday and the next door
neighbour, Mike, came over in the morning and said, "We have no water.
Something must have froze. I just had a guy from the city out and he said the
problem isn't with city equipment, it must be a pipe either in my house or in
my yard and that I'm responsible for fixing it. When I asked him what I'm
supposed to do for water until then, he said, 'Just tie into a neighbour'.
So…?"
I said, "Of course, do what you gotta do. You
can't not have water."
So, Mike hooked up a hose to our outdoor spigot and
turned the outdoor water cutoff back on and, I presumed, went to look into
getting his problem fixed. Dave was in NYC until last night, and when I
explained the deal to him over the phone, he agreed it had to be done, and when
he got home, he went to look at the hose. Mike had made a loose connection, so
there was water dripping and ice building up against our foundation. Dave fixed
that and then my brother came over. How dumb is Susie from next door that she
would go talk to MY brother and joke about all the free water they're getting?
Ha ha. So anyway, Dave and my brother (the mechanical supervisor at the
hospital -- the guy who makes sure the water, electricity, and whatnot is all
working right) check the pipes inside our house, and since they can't hear
water running past the cutoff, they're worried that the neighbours don't have a
tap open to prevent freezing. If that hose freezes, they figure the ice will
back up into our house until the pipe bursts at the cutoff: right above Dave's
irreplaceable Planet of the Apes collection.
Dave calls the neighbours and Susie says,
"Yes, we have a tap open, but don't worry about it, the city hooked us up
to you underground and nothing is going to freeze." Dave explains that,
no, the city didn't do anything and we don't want that hose to freeze. He asked
if the tap was running full out because he couldn't hear water running and she
said, "Don't worry. It's running." Now these people are cheap -- people
who would ask parents to pay half the cost of their kids attending her
daughter's birthday party -- and even though she joked about "free
water", I'm sure she doesn't want us asking for too much money when, after
all, "the city hooked them up to us".
So, Dave asked her to get Mike to call him when he
got home, and when he did, he told Dave that he didn't want to involve a
plumber. He figured the problem is a frozen pipe INSIDE his
house, so he pointed a space heater at it.
It's the next day, they won't
call a plumber, we don't know if they have their tap running full out, the risk
is entirely to us and OUR home, and as much as I don't want to be responsible
for a family having no water, I don't know how responsible I feel for these
guys. According to Susie, she wouldn't be surprised if this carried on
"until spring" when their yard can be dug up. People! Of course, I
can just unhook their hose any time I like…
Delight: Ya, hard place to
be....don't know what to tell ya. And what do you mean talking and laughing
about her "free water" to Ken? WTF is that, besides extremely
rude/ignorant and oh I don't know, I could think of a few choice words...But,
you're right, the risk is entirely yours and I am not sure that that is a
risk I would be willing to take for someone like this. Do they have another
neighbour on the other side of ye? Maybe they could help....And can you trust
them that they are being truthful and that they do have the water running as
they say they do? And have you called the city to
ask them if their story is true? And what does she mean the city hooked them up
to you underground? Do they have a clue? He didn't want to involve a
plumber because he doesn't want to pay one....man....people...I'm sorry, I
wouldn't be so nice...
Krista: Her daughter and Ella are friends, so she
probably thinks she has a more joking/casual relationship with Ken. Even with
him, though, she talked like she had no idea what was going on, insisting that
the city somehow tied them to us and, I'm SURE, she's thinking that they
won't have to pay us if the CITY made the connection. But it's just the hose --
that her HUSBAND -- hooked up. We're totally frozen here -- how could the city
access anything underground? There is a neighbour on the other side, but I'm
not against helping someone out: I just don't know what risk I'm willing to take. And
I'm sure the story about the city is true -- Mike came over yesterday in
a bit of a panic when the city worker left and said they wouldn't help him. I
just don't know how long we give them on this. It's not even really about the
money -- but the problem is theirs, the risk is ours, and they've got a space
heater going as their only solution. And WON'T call a plumber.
Delight: I
know your issue isn't about money...but I do wonder about their issue...you are
a cheap fix at the moment and yes, the one taking the risk...if you can trust
them then I guess you will have to take your chances...but what if something
happens and the hose freezes and backs up and your pipes
freeze....something bursts and oh what a mess....and then who is going to pay
for that, the neighbour? Doesn't sound like the type to be willing to do
so...Hope you have good insurance Poor ye...I wouldn't want to be in
your shoes. Sorry to hear it is miserable.
Darlene: I
would have unhooked the hose after I heard the first lie out of them and/or the
first "joke" about free water. These people sound like free-loading
menaces who don't care about the consequences for you, your home, or your bank
account that their actions may precipitate. UNHOOK today. For me it wouldn't be
so much of a money issue (glad to help those who need help) as it would a
character issue. Your neighbors don't seem to have any. It's not your problem
and it seems that your good deed is only enabling them to put off what has to
be done at a huge risk to you.
Krista: I
don't think she was lying, Darlene, so much as clueless. And for your
edification: here in Canada, we have things called "snow" and
"ice", and in the winter, we turn off the water to outdoor sources at
the "cutoff" because the risk of ice backing up into the pipes
and bursting is very real. I think I'm just looking for people to confirm that
I'm not the jerk in this situation because I like to think of myself as a good
neighbour, but this stretches the limit. How long do I give these people to
solve their issue before I decide it's not MY issue anymore? (And I appreciate
that the view from Texas is that that time has already passed, lol)
Darlene: I
think a week to ten days is sufficient time to call a plumber and have a repair
if all the parts are in stock, no unexpected/unavoidable delays are
experienced, etc. After that, I would tend to think that they weren't taking
care of their business and that I was being taken advantage of. The fact that
they haven't even called a plumber leads me to think that they are not doing
their best to resolve their problem. The bottom line is that you and Dave acted
in good faith (helping under the assumption that they would be addressing their
problem in an expedient manner) and they have not acted in kind. Oh, and I am
aware of the turning off the water thing. On the rare occasions here that we
have freezes, we are advised to do the same. I wasn't meaning to come down too
hard on your neighbor - to me, it sounded like a lie when they said they had
the water running, but you guys didn't hear it going through the pipes. I must
have misunderstood. Sometimes this typing things, comes across a bit harsher
than intended...
Cara: I'm with
my mom Krista, I'm not sure if I'd be as nice either. Just be careful if it does
get any colder.
Krista: I'd give them a week, for sure, Darlene if they
were in contact with us and telling us what they were doing. The whole vibe
Dave got on the phone with them, though, was, "Whatever, don't worry about
it". And they're CHEAP, so I don't know what will win out: leave the
tap running because it's on our water bill, or try to use as little as possible
in case we come after them. And, FYI, water here -- in the land with the most
freshwater in the world -- isn't cheap. We pay at least $100/month for water,
and with a tap running fullish-out, that could add up fast. (And I was just
teasing you with my edification about "ice" and "snow".)
And, ya, Cara -- they're making it hard to be nice. And it might be too soon to
nudge, but maaan, I just wish they would let us know they're working on
Delight: Ya, that is the part that would make me
kind of nervous...seems rather nonchalant about it all...don't worry...no
problem...ya, no problem for them, you've fixed it for them....
Krista: And
at least Susie didn't come ask to use our shower yesterday -- she apparently
waited until Laura went to work and then (because the kids were home on a
"cold day") went and asked Ella if she could come in and shower. Ken
wants to fumigate.
Delight: Are you serious? Manipulative much?
Krista: ^^That's it, Delight -- would you ever ask a child to use her
facilities when her parents weren't home? Especially if you know the Mom's
phone number and could call her for permission?
Cara: Never, if I was the parents I'd be having a
word with these people. Like what, the kids gonna say no?! And do they not have
family? I've had no water before and I wasn't asking neighbours I hardly know,
I'd be calling family and friends, just a thought. And I
tell them when your water bill comes you'll be requesting they pay a portion of
it. I mean seems like a cheap way of keeping water if they refuse to call a
plumber.
Krista: And I do understand that the husband thinks
his space heater solution might work and I'm willing to give him time to try
it, but when we can't get a straight answer about them running the tap full out
and Susie thinks that the city is involved (and that somehow equals free water?)
and they act kind of impatient on the phone with Dave -- and WE are the ones
with the power to just shut them off -- I just want to be in the loop. This
can't be a happy situation for them, but I'm feeling used, and am happy to see
that people here recognise that they are the weirdos here.
Delight: And
no Krista, I wouldn't...that is just a 'wow' in my world...holy...they come in
all flavours don't they?
Krista: I
assume that Susie had to go to work -- and her daughter and my niece are good
friends -- but I almost do wish she came and asked me instead of the kids who
were home alone (they're 10 and 12, so not babies, but that's just WEIRD to
me...) If there's only a 30, 40, 50 dollar difference on the water bill, I'd
just eat it to preserve peace. But if she's talking about spring thaw? What
does that save?
Cara: It's
weird to ask kids, period. And while not babies, also not your girls age where
they're old enough to know to say, you should really have to ask my parents
that. And it's great the kids are friends, but it sounds to me like these
people are taking full advantage and that's just wrong.
Delight: Spring
thaw my ass...if she would have said that to me I would have lol'd her.
Darlene: ^Could
not have said it better.
Krista: It IS
weird, isn't it Cara? Especially as it was her friend's mother, no way would
Ella have said no. And then there's a naked adult in your house while your
parents are out, lol. Creepy! She said spring thaw to both Ken and Dave and it
left them both a bit speechless. Obviously, it wouldn't go that far...
Cara: And
50-60$ is a 50% increase in your bill, while it may not worry you, that's a
huge difference. It's not necessarily about money, but ownership. If they can't
afford a Plumber, that's a fair price one a month for water, especially if you're
talking spring thaw.
Darlene: If
I were Ella's mom or dad, I'd have to take issue with that. Even if they were
my neighbors and even if our kids were friends, and even if it jeopardized all
of that. That request from an adult to a child was inappropriate, and I don't
think I could allow it to go ignored. I hope she at least brought her own towels,
toiletries, and razor. Tell your brother to toss everything. Don't know where
that soap bar or that bath scrunchie may have been, lol. Really though, not
kidding. With people that cheap and presumptuous, you never know!
Krista: These
people are pathologically cheap, Cara, and $50 buys a lot of peace in my books.
Kennedy used to babysit for them and Susie asked me one day, "Hey, since
high school students need 40 volunteer hours to graduate, I was wondering if
Kennedy would like to babysit my kids for free over March Break and I can
sign her volunteer form for her." I was fairly sickened, and even though
it wasn't true at the time, I told her we would be going away for March Break
-- and then I sent Kennedy to her grandparents so she couldn't be used like
that. If she was a single mother or something and NEEDED free babysitting,
okay, I'd watch them myself, but wealthy double-income people who want free
help does NOT equal volunteering. One time, she says over the fence to me,
"Hey, does Ella like Barbies?" I said, "Yeah, I guess." She
said, "Because we had a yard sale and the Barbies didn't sell..."
(and I'm thinking, "how do I tell her I don't want her to give me a bunch
of used Barbie stuff?") ...and she said, "...and you can have it for,
like, twenty bucks". Um, no thanks. I'm not going to war over the water
bill...if it's reasonable...
Delight: lololololo
Delight: no words
Darlene: After
reading that, I can tell you with a clear conscience, unhook.
Cara: Sounds to
me like these people are unreasonable. And I'm definitely with Darlene, I'd
unhook.
Krista: Exactly
Darlene! She has Laura's number, and if she thought their house was her only
choice, she could have called. Or she could have come here. Or she could have
just gone a day without a shower (and she's a no makeup, no fancy hairdo-type,
so it wasn't about fancying herself up)
Delight: Or gone
to the local Y, or gone to one of those gas stations that have showers...or
gone to the local pool...she had options...
Jennifer:
Jeff
says "...have no part in this!"
Krista: She DEFINITELY had options. Ken photoshopped a
picture of a drain with a lot of disgusting black hair stuck in it and sent
that around, so he got his own kind of revenge in the end, lol.
Delight: Consensus is in my friend...have we cleared your
conscience yet???..lolol
Krista: Ah, Jenn,
but I know you and Jeff would help a neighbour. And they do have kids -- it's
not their fault their parents are cheapo whackjobs. I like
the consensus though. It's now noon of the second day and I would have expected
them to get in touch. That's all it would take to make me happy.
Julia: Plumber
is only option - a pipe freeze can turn into more. Winter isn't over yet!
Jason: I'm a firm
believer in being self-reliant. You helped them out enough that they should've
had the problem fixed by now. Turn the water off and disconnect the hose to let
your hydrant drain so it doesn't freeze and split. Let them take over their own
water needs from this point.
Krista: I
wish these neighbours were as sensible as you Julia. Still no word from them
today.
Darlene: Listen
to Jason...
Krista: I
know you're right Jason. The point of this post was to make sure that I
wouldn't be the bigger jerk if that's what we end up doing. I can't imagine
what's going through their minds right now...talking about this being the
situation til spring?
Jason: You mind
passing that thought on to my wife, Darlene?
Krista: Darlene
-- that might be the first time anyone's said that. You don't know what you
say, hahahahahaha.
Kyler: I
only friended Krista so I could read phrases like "Dave's apes". Just
saying.
Krista: Stick
around little brother, that's all I talk about anymore.
Jason: If they
were acting responsibly, I'd let it go for a bit more, but I'm not sure you
realize how big the risk is to you. I'm not sure how your hydrant is plumbed in
your foundation, but it could get very expensive, even if you don't have any
flooding, should it freeze and split. They sell big jugs of water at the
grocery store to get them through.
Darlene: Again,
at the risk of befriending the "village idiot" (and I mean that in a
very nice way, as nice as something like that can sound, but again, I need the
back story!) I agree with Jason. This is one of those situations where you have
to protect your home and your family, and sometimes that trumps niceties and
appearances.
Krista: Hahahaha,
have I told you today how much I love you Tex? I never said he's the village
idiot...
Jason: You're
too Canadian, Krista!
Krista: That's
the root of it Jason! We came from people who needed to stick together to
survive the winters. If they needed extra blankets or dried venison, I'd give
them all they want. But wanting to keep a hose hooked up to my house at the
risk of our foundation? It feels like it crosses the line.
Darlene: IT
CROSSES THE LINE. Your feelings are absolutely correct. I respect you wanting
to do the right thing and the struggle you're having with this, but these
people are not doing their part, and that's a risk you can't take for someone
not willing to meet you halfway.
Jason: Just go
over there and bitch slap them with your left mukluk...
Krista: But then
my left foot would be cold...
Darlene: Hahaha
- I'm liking Jason more and more. Of course I'll talk to your wife. =DD
Jason: Put it
back on when you're done... Jeez, I didn't send you over there to lend them
that too!
Krista: Oh,
here's another cheapo example: A couple of summers ago, Dave was cleaning the
empty beer cases out of the basement. Maybe 25, 30 cases of empties. He hauled
them up to the garage, and in the time it took him to pull my Escape out of the
driveway and back it back in and open the liftgate, Susie comes over and says,
"Dave, were you taking those empties back?" He said he was and she
said, "You know that Linda's ringette has a bottle drive every November,
right? Do you think that she could have them?" Dave looked at the stacks
of cases and thought, "you gotta be kidding", but said sure. And THEN
she said, "You know I park in my garage. Do you think we could store the
bottles here until November?" Hahahahahaha. What a piece of work! Dave said
"nope", and when she sent her son (maybe 11 at the time) over to get
them, Dave ended up carrying them all over there in the end.
Darlene: Unbelievable!
It's warm
in Texas, but not for long. A "cold front" is coming in tonight with
warnings of ice and a hard freeze. Wonder if I can tie into my neighbor's water
line until it passes?
Jason: Only if they are Canadians and willing to
also lend you one warm mukluk.
Krista: I need to
leave. Don't talk about me when I'm gone.
Jason: Darlene, did
you hear how Krista is going to screw over her nice neighbours?
Darlene: Yes,
indeed. Her reputation as un-neighborly has traveled all the way to Texas.
Jason: *un-neighboUrly
Cara: Not gonna
lie, at this point I'm Just here for comments
Krista: It's
really sad, Jason, how Darlene can't spell. I think her head exploded the first
time I typed "manoeuver".
Darlene: ^I
thought she had misspelled manure... @Jason, funny how you capitalized the U. I
ALWAYS do that when I'm chatting privately with Krista so that she knows the U
is just for her. Didn't do it here because I didn't realiSe anyone would get
it. Sorry for that un-neighboUrly offenCe.
Delight: And
thanks guys, that was a good morning news report on Krista's neighboUrs; and I
enjoyed reading all of your comments. Alas, I am, like Cara, just here for the
comments. I am glad ye all agreed with me so I didn't have to come in and set
anyone straight
Krista: Mallory told me that it makes me an
attention suck to post my problems on facebook and it makes it worse when I
keep prolonging the thread (and hopefully it makes it better that I'm not
making a new thread?), but Dave talked to the neighbour yesterday. When
Mike said that he agreed that they would probably need a plumber and would
look into it "early next week", Dave said, "To tell you the
truth, I couldn't sleep last night, worrying about my pipes freezing. It'll be
warm enough tonight that everything should be fine, but it's going back down
Sunday night, and whether you have your problem fixed by then or not, I need to
turn off that hose". Mike just shrugged and said, "I guess you're
going to do what you're going to do" -- like as though he has had no
control in this whole situation and Dave is just one more problem that's out of
his hands. No, "Thanks so much for your help so far" or "I
totally understand your concern" just "Whatever". It's going to
be -26 tonight, it will be three full working days that they've been hooked up
to us, and with them not really trying to fix their problem, we don't feel bad
about the decision. On a side note, if they really have had a tap going full
out for all this time, that's about how long it took us to fill our pool the
first time, and that cost us 4 or 500 dollars -- way to save yourselves a buck,
cheapos.
Susan: wow.....this
whole thing just sucks, glad you guys are unhooking them though. You're kinder
than I would have been.
Krista: I
know you have a squishy center of your own Suzie-Q. I hate thinking of them
without water but YOU know how cold it is here. I'm just happy to have a
deadline (and if they were to come over and say that they have a plumber coming
tomorrow morning, I'd be back on the helping train and risk another night of
being connected to them).
Delight: I guess
you're going to do what you're going to do? And the guilt trip begins...lol
...Not - Thanks, I understand...I don't blame you..You've been great...Really
appreciated the help...NeighboUrs - highly overrated...
That's the gist of the facebook conversation (which I have edited down from 14 to 5 pages -- wow -- mostly by deleting the least interesting off-topic and repeated comments). And I guess I touched a nerve since that is the longest single-thread conversation -- attracting the most unique commenters -- on my facebook wall. In the end, Dave went out on Sunday afternoon, as the weather was getting colder, to check on the hose and discovered that Mike must have come over and unhooked himself while we were briefly out. Dave lost it! The faucet was full of frozen water, and with the water cutoff still turned on in the basement, that's exactly how our pipes could have burst if he hadn't caught it. Dave used a heat gun to defrost the faucet, drained the line, and re-winterised. Honestly, Mike must be just totally clueless, not necessarily malicious, for him to end the ordeal this way; I remain convinced that he never appreciated that we were taking on a risk for them. Mike came over Monday night with a thank you card and a $25 LCBO gift card, and I'm sure he thinks we're all happy neighbours again. As I told my mother today on the phone, we're happy not to have gone to war and we can just go back to benign indifference.
More
examples of their cheapness:
When
they first moved in and Susie learned that I'm a stay-at-home Mom, she sighed
wistfully and said, "I wish I could stay home with my kids (who were 2 and
3). Every dollar I make goes to day care but Mike says I have to work so I can
make a maximum lifetime CPP contribution."
If she had wanted to stay home with them, that would only have made a maximum 6 year contribution difference,
and I bet that's not a future difference of $10/month.
One
time Susie came to the door and said that she was painting and the stores were
closed and she wondered if we had any painter's tape. Dave said sure and gave
her a brand new roll of whatever the good stuff is. A week later, she gave him
back a roll of dollar store tape -- which he threw out -- and I'm sure she
thought that was a fair deal.
One
Halloween, Susie told me that Linda wanted to be a witch and the only nice
costume they could find needed to be altered for her at the mall. When she
realised that I had made my kids' costumes myself, she said, "Oh my God, I
wish I knew that. I could have just brought it here and saved myself 12
bucks."
When
they first moved in (and despite there
being a bylaw against it) they installed an enormous double-decker clothesline
in their back yard. Dave hates the look of it, but since I can't imagine
arguing against the environmental benefits of it, I convinced him to live and
let live. It wasn't until years later that it filtered back to us that the
neighbour on the other side of them screamed at Susie about not wanting to see
their underthings from her back yard -- I hadn't even been conscious of the
fact that there are never any unmentionables hung up on that line, but I suppose
I would have noticed if there were.
As
alluded to above, on Linda's last birthday, Susie told Laura that they wanted
to invite Ella to go into Toronto with them to see a live production of Wicked, but only if they were willing to
pay half the price of the ticket. When I asked Ken if they would still feel
obligated to buy Linda a present, he said, "Of course. It's not her fault
that her parents are like that." (And, weeks and weeks before the actual
performance, Susie contacted Laura to point out that they had already bought
the tickets and she could pay them any time.)
I have also already mentioned that Kennedy babysat for them when she was in grade 9. I asked her if she remembered any other examples of extreme cheapness and she recalled that their dishwasher broke down and they didn't replace it for two weeks, and over that time, they expected Kennedy to wash their dishes for them, even the pots and plates from their dinner the night before (I don't know if this story demonstrates cheapness per se, but it does illustrate their view of Kennedy as "the help"). More to the point, on the few afternoons when Kennedy had a school-related activity and I would watch the kids, Kennedy would not be paid for those days; as though my time was a freebie for them.
I have also already mentioned that Kennedy babysat for them when she was in grade 9. I asked her if she remembered any other examples of extreme cheapness and she recalled that their dishwasher broke down and they didn't replace it for two weeks, and over that time, they expected Kennedy to wash their dishes for them, even the pots and plates from their dinner the night before (I don't know if this story demonstrates cheapness per se, but it does illustrate their view of Kennedy as "the help"). More to the point, on the few afternoons when Kennedy had a school-related activity and I would watch the kids, Kennedy would not be paid for those days; as though my time was a freebie for them.
And a
story that fills me with delicious schadenfreude:
About
a year ago, Laura was getting fed up with the politics at her job and decided
to start looking for a new one. Susie mentioned to her that it was a tough
climate for job-seeking accountants out there: Mike had been given a four week
notice of lay off and couldn't find many good job postings. Laura said,
"Oh, I'll be sure to pass on anything I find." And Susie replied with
a laugh, "Oh, I doubt you'd be looking at the same jobs. Mike is a
CMA."
As
they met over the next few weeks, Laura mentioned that she was in the final
group of applicants for a job that she was excited about and Susie said that
Mike had an exciting lead, too.
A
couple of weeks later, Laura told Susie that she had been hired by WM, and
Susie smiled and congratulated her. And then, although it takes months, it eventually filters back to Laura that she
got the job that Mike had been excited about. Now, of course she didn't gloat about
it -- Laura only wanted a change of scenery whereas Mike was facing unemployment
-- but there's a karmic correctness in Laura (who worked incredibly hard to get her
CGA) being chosen over someone whose wife sneeringly said, "Oh, I doubt
you'll be looking at the same jobs."
And
that's the thing: Susie is basically a user and Mike is a robotic numbers-guy; this
situation wasn't malicious but the danger to us was the same no matter their
intent. For all I know, there's another facebook page out there where Dave and I were painted as the monsters, for while this story is 100% truthful, the perspective is my own.
And now it's over and we can continue to wave and smile like neighbours do; the deep freeze will pass.
And now it's over and we can continue to wave and smile like neighbours do; the deep freeze will pass.