For 10 years, his favorite hobby was reporting neighbors over every little code violation — until he needed one of them to co-sign a $15,000 loan

Sages have pronounced, "What you sow is what you reap." People who cultivate a negative reputation in society are less likely to reap positive consequences in the long run. An individual (u/reddit_jail_june2005) experienced just that when they saw their annoying neighbor, who walked around with an inflated ego, beg almost everyone to co-sign a $15,000 loan for a trip to Disneyland. The post, shared on June 28, has received over 2,000 upvotes on Reddit. 

A taste of karma

The author talked about a nosy neighbor who loved patrolling the neighborhood, sticking their nose in everyone’s business, and reporting their activities and minor violations to the city. This man next door, they said, was the “poster child of terrible neighbors." For the past 10 years or more, the author and his family had avoided any social interaction with him.

But that changed a week ago, when the neighbor approached the author's wife, requesting to co-sign a $15,000 loan. He said he needed money to take his kids on a trip to Disneyland. "He said that times are tough and it may be the only chance they had to get away and make memories for their family," they said. When the author found out, they went to their neighbor's house and refused to co-sign for him. The man got angry and slapped the door in the author's face. "Apparently, he is now going around to other neighbors and asking them. He's got one hell of a set of brass ones," they shared. 

A risky favor

A 2019 survey by Bankrate found that one in five Americans co-signed a financial product for someone they know, and for 45%, it ended with negative results. While 18% said they lost money, 20% said it affected their credit score. Bankrate industry analyst Ted Rossman also warned people against borrowing or co-signing loans. “All too often, these situations end poorly. It’s okay to say no — perhaps offer to help in a different way,” Rossman said. “In your mind, assume it’s a gift and that you won’t get paid back,” he added. Now, think from the author's point of view. Their neighbor already had a negative reputation, and helping such a man felt riskier. 

'He's a nutter'

Meanwhile, reacting to the Reddit post, u/Existing_hall_8237 said, “$15,000 to Disney World is nuts. I spent $15,000 for my whole family for three weeks in Japan, which included trips to Japan Disneyland and DisneySea.” u/Creative-Isopod-8357 said, "He probably honestly believes he's very good friends with all of you and that you all truly appreciate his 'tips' about city violations. He's so convinced that you are such good friends that he can't imagine you wouldn't be willing to cosign." Similarly, u/mehitabel_4724 wrote, "The chances of him defaulting on that loan seem high. There are lots of ways to have fun as a family that don’t involve a $15,000 trip to Disney."

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