Homeowner moves into new house and suspected his neighbor was allegedly siphoning water. What he allegedly did next ‘ruined’ his neighbor

One homeowner says their first months in a capital city turned into a water feud. In a post shared to r/ProRevenge, u/TheMusicFella claimed a next-door neighbor had likely been siphoning from their supply for years, according to Reddit. Shutting off the mains reportedly left the man’s building without power or water.

The homeowner said they bought the property from family friends who had been away for nearly three years. The previous owners had reportedly left mid-renovation, with the place secured by nothing more than a padlock. After clearing a random bike out of the garage, the homeowner said things settled down once a gate and a sign went up.

Trouble apparently began when the water pressure dropped in the shower while the pump next door ran. The man, an older landlord, reportedly rents out two floors of his three-story house. He had been vocal about disliking the sale, and feuds like this can escalate quickly, as one woman’s furious tirade against noisy neighbors showed.

The homeowner thinks the neighbor’s pump was quietly pulling from their pipes

According to the homeowner, as public water pressure is often too weak to reach rooftop tanks, a pump is standard in these buildings. The homeowner said the bills had seemed suspiciously high for years, even while the house sat empty. They reportedly waited for the neighbor’s pump to stop before turning on their own taps, and the pressure was perfect.

The homeowner concluded the neighbor was likely siphoning water to save money. Water is reportedly cheap in the country. However, the homeowner said the idea of an entitled neighbor helping himself still grated, and they wanted to teach him a lesson without confronting him or breaking any laws.

The homeowner said they waited until the pump kicked on, then shut off their own water at the mains. As a ball valve in the rooftop tank signals the pump to run whenever the water level is low, the pump would keep running if no water came in. The goal, they admitted, was to burn out the pump.

The plan apparently went further than intended. However, the homeowner said they did not realize the building still had 90s-era wiring that did not meet modern standards. The pump appears to have drawn too much power while running constantly, reportedly frying the fuses and damaging the wiring throughout the building.

By 3 AM, the homeowner said, tenants could be heard shouting at the landlord over losing power and water. According to the homeowner, as both services are classed as essential in the homeowner’s country, both tenants reportedly filed complaints with the police. The landlord, who is responsible for maintaining the wiring and water supply, was reportedly fined $500.

He also reportedly had to refund both security deposits, and both tenants have since left, with one moving out two days after the outage. With those tenants as his only income, the homeowner said he can no longer afford to stay and is expected to move in with his daughter on Sunday.

When the landlord came to the gate to ask whether the water had been turned off, the homeowner said they blamed a new pipe leak and a pending plumber visit. He reportedly said, “oh okay” and walked away. Other tenants have tried louder revenge, like one who looped a Rebecca Black song through a shared wall.