Imagine relaxing in your backyard, sipping a drink, and soaking in your hot tub—except you haven’t been the one using it. That’s exactly what happened to me when I found out my neighbors had been sneaking into my hot tub for a year behind my back.
Tom and I used to love our weekend hot tub sessions. But when work got crazy, we stopped using it as much. One day, our neighbor Lisa mentioned the loud parties coming from our backyard. The only problem? We hadn’t been home.
That’s when we set a trap. We installed a hidden camera and pretended to leave town. The footage revealed everything—Jim and his family were the culprits! They’d been letting themselves in, blasting music, and treating our hot tub like their personal vacation spot.
We weren’t about to let that slide. Tom locked the gate remotely, and I added a special (harmless) dye to the water. The next time they broke in, their skin turned green, and they freaked out. When we confronted them, Jim tried to play innocent—until we showed him the video proof.
But the real shock came later. Other neighbors shared stories of Jim borrowing things without asking and even renting out their homes to strangers. We reported him, and he eventually moved away.
Now, our hot tub is truly ours again, and our neighborhood is stronger than ever. Sometimes, standing up for yourself leads to bigger changes than you’d expect.
What would you have done if you were in my shoes?
