Homeowner claims a neighbor kept stealing gas from their mower can, so they filled it with something very different and waited

A homeowner recently shared a story about allegedly catching a neighbor stealing fuel from their backyard, according to a Reddit post by u/MarchCompetitive6235 in r/ProRevenge. This person noticed their five-gallon gas can was empty every time they went to mow the lawn, even though their mower only needed a small amount of fuel. The homeowner reportedly grew suspicious because the math didn’t add up.

According to the homeowner, they set up a webcam on a laptop using motion-detection software to see what was happening. Apparently, this was back before cheap security cameras were common, so they had to get creative. The footage reportedly caught the neighbor walking into the backyard and taking the gas can just five minutes after the homeowner left.

According to the homeowner, the neighbor would pour the gas into his own car and mower before returning the empty gas can. The homeowner reportedly came up with a plan to teach the neighbor a lesson. For an entire week, they allegedly filled the gas can with urine instead of fuel.

The neighbor apparently never noticed what was really in that gas can

The liquid still supposedly smelled enough like gas to fool someone who was not paying close attention, the homeowner claimed. They reportedly left the gas can on the back patio and made a big show of packing bags and checking the fluids in their car. According to the homeowner, they wanted to make sure the neighbor believed they were heading out on a trip.

The homeowner left the house but returned about an hour later, reportedly feigning car trouble. They said they saw the neighbor in his front yard pulling the rope on his lawnmower with such force that it looked like he was about to have a stroke. The neighbor reportedly turned bright red and cursed.

According to the homeowner, later, the neighbor got into his car and drove away. However, the vehicle allegedly broke down just a couple blocks up the road. The homeowner checked the gas can on the patio and found it was empty.

The homeowner claimed the neighbor was difficult and had done many other bad things. As the neighbor had reportedly let slip that he had active arrest warrants in the next county over, the homeowner decided to take further action. They claimed they got the neighbor arrested by applying for a sheriff ride-along program in the neighbor’s name.

The story drew plenty of reactions from others who heard about the situation. One person called the ride-along twist genius, while another described the whole thing as golden. Some people thought the homeowner went easy on the neighbor, and one commenter suggested adding fine abrasive powder to the trap.

Neighbor disputes have produced plenty of viral posts, including one tenant’s apparent revenge on noisy neighbors that involved looping a pop song through a shared wall. However, not every clash ends with the neighbor in trouble.