Neighbor Used His Grill and Called Him Selfish for Locking It Up — Homeowner Asks Is There Some 'Weird Unwritten Suburban Rule' About Sharing?

Most neighbors borrow sugar, maybe a leaf blower — not your brand-new backyard grill.

But according to one viral Reddit post in the r/EntitledPeople community, a suburban homeowner says his neighbor tried to roll his grill away like it was on loan from the neighborhood clubhouse. And when the rightful owner protested, the neighbor doubled down — not only calling him selfish, but accusing him of going against some imaginary suburban code of communal property.

"I figured it was for the community," the neighbor reportedly said, mid-theft, as he wheeled the grill down the driveway. "Everyone shares stuff like this around here."

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The stunned homeowner shared that the incident unfolded after using the grill just three times. It was on his property, behind a fence. "Well, you left it outside," the neighbor argued. "How were we supposed to know it wasn't for everyone?"

That logic didn't go over well online.

After confronting the would-be grill thief, the homeowner locked it in a shed. But things didn't end there. The neighbor began telling others that the homeowner was "selfish" and "not community-minded," which caused tension with other neighbors. That led the original poster to ask, "Am I missing something here? Like is this some weird unwritten suburban rule? Because now a couple other neighbors are being weird with me too."

The story lit up Reddit with thousands of upvotes and hundreds of replies, many calling the neighbor's behavior a blatant attempt to spin the situation before being labeled a thief. One top commenter wrote, "Pre-emptive strike to get his story out before he gets labelled as a thief."

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Another added, "No, this is not some unwritten suburban rule. Your neighbor is likely super nosey and keeps tabs on all the new stuff people in the neighborhood buy."

Several commenters suggested the neighbor had clearly been casing the yard and only made up the "community grill" story after getting caught. Some even advised installing cameras and keeping valuables out of view.

And the sass wasn't in short supply. One person joked, "Ask him if you can just barge into his backyard and rummage through his belongings to see if there's something you want to use."

Others shared similar horror stories — like neighbors wandering onto private property to "borrow" patio furniture, leaf blowers, or even entire outdoor dining sets.

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In neighborhoods like this, tensions can escalate quickly. One minute it's a misunderstanding; the next, it feels like the whole block's whispering about your shed. And while this grill grab may have been a bold one-off, it highlights how murky things can get when boundaries — physical and social — aren't respected.

How do you handle situations like this? There's no perfect answer. Calling the cops over a grill feels extreme, but letting it slide opens the door to more "borrowing." Sometimes, when neighbors get too comfortable helping themselves or spreading twisted versions of events, all you can do is lock the gate, keep your cool, and pick your battles. Because whether it's grills or gossip, this kind of drama tends to come with the joys of homeownership —unless you live in the woods with no neighbors.

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