AITA For selling my appartment to someone my neighbour didn’t approve?

A person on Reddit recently vacated their apartment after selling it to an individual their neighbors disliked, and they are now contemplating whether they erred in their decision. The user and their significant other had a strong friendship with their neighbors Scott and Christy, enjoying good times and a close relationship within their building.

Upon selling her condo, she learned the purchaser was the mother of an unusual pair residing nearby, an unforeseen revelation after the deal was finalized. This perceived deception caused Scott and Christy to turn against her, expressing their disapproval through insults and ending their relationship.

Now that she’s moved into her new place, the user is experiencing some inner turmoil. She’s questioning whether she should have put in more effort to prevent the sale from going to someone her neighbors disliked. Her complete account is provided below.

‘ AITA For selling my appartment to someone my neighbour didn’t approve?’

I took up residence in an apartment complex more than four years prior. My significant other (32M) and myself (29F) became acquainted and cohabitated during the second year, and from that point forward, we cultivated a strong friendship with our neighbors Scott (40) and Christy (43).

We enjoyed spending time together, whether it was eating out, grabbing drinks, or letting our dogs socialize. Our friend group was fantastic and featured two other women from our apartment complex. Scott and Christy, who lived just across the hall, were always welcoming, so we frequently stopped by to say hello.

Our friendship continued smoothly for several years… that is, until my significant other and I sold our condo. Living at the end of our hallway was a peculiar couple—generally benign, though prone to boisterous disputes and a bit uncomfortable to be around.

We often saw him because he was employed at a nearby pub we visited regularly. For several months, my spouse and I had been unsuccessfully searching for a home. We felt pressured and were anxious to locate a new residence due to the required sale of our current apartment for familial purposes.

We ultimately discovered a residence that suited our needs and those of our dogs, all while staying within our financial constraints. We made an initial payment and started the procedure of selling our existing apartment. Following a string of insufficient proposals, we were presented with an offer exceeding our anticipated value during a vacation. Given that we were nearing the deadline to withdraw from the purchase of our new home, we were compelled to accept the offer without delay.

The purchaser was presented as someone “new to investing,” and they appeared to be our ideal choice. However, right before the cooling-off period ended, we learned that the buyer was, in fact, the mother of the strange pair who lived down the hall. This made us uncomfortable because we knew they weren’t popular among the other residents, but we were already contractually obligated to the sale.

My pals had even quipped, “I hope you’re not selling to those people,” but we believed we were compelled to do so. We celebrated the transaction with the other two women in our circle, and one of them, who resided in the building, was slightly irritated but completely comprehended our predicament and was glad for us. Scott and Christy joined us later, and when we informed them, they were enraged.

They referred to us as canines, declared they were finished with our relationship, and asserted that we had committed a fatal error. Although we attempted to clarify our circumstances—pointing out that foregoing the agreement would have resulted in the loss of our home—they disregarded our explanations and persisted in shouting.

After a week without communication, Scott and Christy dropped off a gift bag at our house. It contained dog-related kitchen sponges with “dirty dog” printed on the package, a bottle of wine (despite knowing we don’t consume alcohol), and a lollipop (which my significant other enjoys). The card included a message along the lines of “Thank you for being wonderful neighbors, and best of luck.”

It was unclear whether it was a genuine attempt to reconcile or simply another veiled insult. I am currently composing this message from our recently acquired residence, where we have been settled for more than a month. Besides a couple of uncomfortable, strained smiles exchanged in the corridor, we received no further correspondence from Scott and Christy.

Thankfully, the other two women have stayed in touch and remain wonderful friends. As much as I’m sad and hurt by everything that happened, I still feel weirdly guilty about giving them a “bad” neighbor. So, am I the a**hole?

Here’s how people reacted to the post:

ManchmalHumanistisch −  NTA. You’ve no obligations when selling your dwelling other than abiding by applicable laws regarding discrimination/etc. Neighbors desires likely could get you in trouble due to not being based on ‘legitimate’ reasons. It’s unfortunate you lost friends over this; hopefully you’ll find some new neighbors to make up for the lost ones!

Worth-Season3645 −  NTA….I do not know of anyone who screens who is buying their home. If your neighbors wanted to approve who would be moving in, they should have recommended your apartment to everyone they know.

Individual_Ad_9213 −  NTA. You sold your place; your neighbors do not have veto power beyond that of the HOA.

Outrageous-Ad-9635 −  NTA. You got an offer above your expected price and had to make a quick decision, but it was a no brainer. Of course you took it. Did Scott and Christy expect you to research everyone who made an offer and give them power of veto? Buying and selling property is about business and you made a business decision. Scott and Christy over reacted and need to grow up.

RemoteBroccoli −  NTA. And thank the lucky stars that these aren’t on the board of an HOA.

Lulu_42 −  NTA. I cannot imagine a huge decision like this ever being run by neighbors or friends. I understand their disappointment (I’m writing this from an apartment where I live next door to some real assholes) but that should have immediately been tempered by the knowledge that this was the only logical thing for you and your partner. If they had been serious, they could have offered to 1) buy it themselves or 2) make up any difference in sales price.

atealein −  NTA. You realized now that your “close friends” were only your “friends” while it was beneficial for them and otherwise are very eager to repeatedly disrespect you and ignore your struggles and issues. They are the bad neighbours. Not the new tenant.

FlanSwimming8607 −  NTA. Who knows the mother may be a great neighbor. They get No say in who you sell to. No explanation needed.

dart1126 −  NTA. Frankly even if you knew it was the mother of one of those people, so what? You have a right to sell your place, you would’ve lost your pending purchase if you didn’t, and what’s the difference?

That other pair already resides there, which isn’t your mistake or issue. Perhaps the mother’s being there will be beneficial, as the noisy disputes might cease. It’s uncertain. Neither you nor your supposed companions are aware, so why are they behaving as if you’ve utterly ruined their existences? Disregard them.

ContactNo7201 −  NTA but this is certainly another case of over sharing. You didn’t meet the mother for viewing or negotiation. You were told an investor. If you had just told your neighbour’s this information, there would have been no issue. Don’t over share information.

Was the seller justified in putting her interests first during the transaction, or was this unjust to those living nearby? How would you navigate a home sale if it could affect your acquaintances? Comment with your opinions below!