Man Spends Two Weeks on His Halloween Display. Then His Neighbor Walks a Tour Group Into the Yard: 'That Wasn't Part of Our Agreement'

A homeowner who spent two weeks preparing his Halloween display switched off the decorations after his neighbor brought a tour group onto his property without permission.

"That wasn't part of our agreement," he told his neighbor, who later blamed him for disrupting the paid experience.

The homeowner shared the incident in a post on Reddit's r/AmITheJerk.

The Redditor explained that he spent two weeks decorating his yard with animatronics, a fog machine and special lighting effects. The display quickly became an attraction in the neighborhood.

His neighbor, who organized Halloween walking tours every October, asked if his group could stop by to see the decorations. The homeowner agreed, believing the visitors would admire the display from the sidewalk.

However, when the tour arrived, the group of around 20 people began taking pictures before the neighbor invited them into the yard. Some visitors posed beside the decorations, while others sat on the front step.

Seeing strangers on his property, the homeowner went outside to confront his neighbor. He explained that he had only agreed to let the group view the decorations from the sidewalk.

The neighbor reportedly said he advertised the stop as an interactive photo opportunity because that was part of the experience customers paid for. He then asked the homeowner to let the group finish taking pictures.

Instead, the Redditor switched off the decorations, ending the display's role in the tour. His neighbor was upset, arguing that the disruption could lead to bad reviews or refund requests from customers.

The homeowner later acknowledged that turning everything off without warning might have been dramatic. However, he maintained that his neighbor should have asked before offering visitors access to private property.

Many commenters sided with the homeowner, arguing that his neighbor had crossed a boundary by allowing strangers into his yard without permission.

Some also suggested that the neighbor should have offered him a share of the tour's earnings.

One commenter questioned the neighbor's decision to use the yard as part of the tour.

"NTA. And he should have included you with payment, if he wanted to use YOUR yard to make money. Good for you, OP, for ending the show. Neighbor was not satisfied his own yard, had to infiltrate your yard too, and charge others for the pleasure, too!" the user wrote.

Another commenter highlighted a possible risk of the situation.

"There's liability issues if someone is injured on your property. Best to keep folks in the sidewalk," the user wrote.

A third commenter shared their reaction to the homeowner's decision.

"NTJ, I would have done the exact same thing. He is advertising and receiving payments for something illegal (trespassing on your property). He should have discussed with you first and even paid you for people trampling your grass," the user wrote.