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They say good fences make good neighbors, but what about a cinderblock fence that blocks your neighbor's driveway? That can't be good for anybody. Unfortunately, many of us know what it's like to have to deal with a bad neighbor. There are only so many times you can tell your neighbor to please stop hammering so loudly in the middle of the night before you totally lose your cool.
Some people have even had to move houses because they had a bad relationship with their neighbors. This man in Florida had to go through something totally unbelievable when his neighbor started encroaching on his property.
This Neighborhood Used To Be Conflict-Free
Oliver Lynch is an elderly man who lived in Osceola, Florida in a lovely, peaceful neighborhood. One day, a new guy moved into town. He bought the house right next to Oliver's.
This man decided to do something that would seriously affect Oliver and the rest of the people who lived in this community. One day, Oliver, being a good and courteous neighbor, decided to take action to protect himself and the people around him.
Oliver Is No Pushover
At the time that this story took place, Oliver Lynch was 79 years old. He had been living in Osceola, Florida for the past 25 years. He loved the community and his neighborhood, and he was hoping to live out the rest of his days in Osceola.
Even though Oliver was a polite and decent man, he wasn't the kind of guy who liked to be pushed around. Oliver always stood up for himself, even if that meant escalating certain situations.
Oliver Doesn't Let Other People Bully Him
Oliver is an elderly man, and he knows that people often think that they can take advantage of the elderly. He knew that he would have to stand his ground if anybody ever crossed him. Many people don't care about the struggles that older people face, so it was up to Oliver to advocate for himself.
In an interview with a local news station, Oliver said, "I just hate being bullied." Oliver doesn't tolerate bullying of any kind.
A New Addition To The Neighborhood
In that same interview, Oliver Lynch said, "I have a little fight left in me, and I hate to see somebody bulldoze over me." A lot of people may have ignored the problems that were happening in Osceola County, but not Oliver. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that the people in his neighborhood could live in peace.
When Oliver found out that a new neighbor was using an empty plot of land to build a home from the ground up, he was immediately suspicious.
When The Neighbor Took Things Too Far
One day, Oliver Lynch came home from work to discover that his new neighbor had lined up a row of cinderblocks down the middle of his driveway. At first, Lynch was just confused, but when he asked his neighbor about the cinderblocks, the man said that part of Lynch's driveway actually belonged to him.
Lynch was understandably very upset. He hadn't sold his driveway (or any piece of it) to anybody as far as he knew.
Things just kept getting worse. Read on to find out what this neighbor did next.
Those Cinderblocks Weren't Just Placed There
When Oliver took a closer look at his driveway, he realized that the cinderblocks weren't just placed onto the ground. They were actually cemented to his property. Lynch realized that he couldn't remove the blocks without a construction team.
If Oliver tried to move the blocks on his own, he could cause serious damage to his own driveway. He never expected to be facing a problem of this magnitude, so he decided to escalate the situation.
Oliver Was Very Confused
Oliver was totally baffled by the whole situation. He couldn't figure out why somebody would actually use cement to affix cinderblocks to his property without even asking first. What was this guy going to do with a few extra feet of concrete anyway?
Oliver wasn't used to things like this happening is his typically peaceful neighborhood. Normally, people talk about their problems before they take action and damage somebody else's personal property. All of Oliver's other neighbors were also very worried.
The Truth Of The Matter
Oliver knew that he had to find a way to prove to his neighbor and to everybody else that his property did, in fact, belong to him. He needed to dig through his paperwork to find the deed to his house so that he could provide evidence to the fact that the land his neighbor was trying to take was rightfully his.
Eventually, he found records that showed that he was entitled to two 12-foot driveways.
Not Very Neighborly Behavior
Lynch was also very disappointed in how hypocritical his new neighbor was being. In an interview, Oliver said, "he was a minister or something like that, [A] God-fearing man. But I don't think that's very Christian-like.”
Oliver couldn't believe that somebody who claimed to be a man of God would go so far as to damage somebody else's property without so much as a conversation. No good Christian, or good person of any faith, would behave like that.
Oliver Asked For Help
Oliver tried reasoning with his neighbor, but the man was having none of it. Lynch felt that he had no other option but to reach out to his local government for assistance. He hoped that the county would give him the support that he needed.
He knew it was going to be difficult to get this neighbor to leave his property alone, and he knew that he was going to need backup if anything was going to change.
Oliver got some help from an unexpected source...
When The Media Gets Involved
It was taking the county a bit too much time to respond to Oliver's complaints, so Oliver reached out to the local media. The media decided that Oliver's story would be interesting to a lot of people, so they decided to run a story about the conflict between Oliver and his new neighbor.
The local news station tried to get in contact with Oliver's neighbor, but he refused to answer their calls or be involved in the story.
When The Story Hit The Airwaves
Because this neighbor refused to comment on the situation, he had no control over how the media was going to portray him. As you can imagine, the news station didn't paint Oliver's neighbor in a very flattering light.
Now that the news station had made the public aware of the situation going on in Oliver's front yard, people from all over the area were outraged. The public started to question this neighbor's faith and integrity.
What Were His Motivations?
Everybody was in agreement that this neighbor was being cruel and unfair. He was making the entire neighborhood look bad. Nobody in Osceola County could figure out why somebody would go out of their way to be so disrespectful to another person's property.
Even if this neighbor truly believed that some of Oliver's property actually belonged to him, wouldn't he at least have the courtesy to have a discussion with Oliver first? What would motivate a person to be so callous?
Oliver Contacted The Media Once Again
Before his story made the local news, Oliver was feeling alone in his struggle. Even though there were still cinderblocks on his driveway, Oliver felt better knowing that there were other people on his side.
Even after all of the public pressure, this neighbor wouldn't remove the cinderblocks. Oliver felt like he had no other choice but to reach out to the local WFTV station once again. If it worked the first time, maybe it could work even better the second time.
Read on to find out if Oliver ever made any progress.
The Other Side Of The Story
Eventually, Oliver's neighbor decided that it was time to sit down and have a talk with the man on the other side of the driveway. It felt like this conversation was a long time coming for Oliver.
So far, the public had only heard Oliver's side of the story, but pretty soon, they were going to get to hear why this man thought he had the right to line up cinderblocks on somebody else's property.
Keep reading to find out what the neighbor said.
Finally, The Beginning Of A Resolution
Oliver sat down with his new neighbor and showed him all of the documents that he had collected. The records showed that the property and the driveway were indeed his. Apparently, Oliver's plan to get the media involved worked because, after some discussion, the neighbor finally agreed to remove the cinderblocks from Oliver's driveway.
Oliver was persistent and patient and in the end, his resilience really paid off. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself in an appropriate and gentlemanly way.
It Was All A Big Misunderstanding
A while later, Oliver told the public that his neighbor actually admitted that he was at fault and that he never intended to cause a scene. He especially never wanted to give Osceola County a bad name.
The whole incident was just one big unfortunate misunderstanding. Hopefully, there are no more misunderstandings in this man's future. Oliver had been through so much, but he was glad to finally be able to put this conflict behind him.
Justice Was Served
All of Oliver's other neighbors were so happy to hear that this new neighbor was removing the cinderblocks from Oliver's driveway. They knew that the neighbor was in the wrong all along and they were glad to see that Oliver's persistence had paid off. They were also happy to know that their neighborhood was once again conflict-free.
They weren't used to their town being in the media for negative reasons and they were happy that Oliver and his neighbor were able to resolve their differences.
Literally Mending Fences
It would have been easy for Oliver to hold a grudge against this neighbor who had put him through so much stress and trouble, but Oliver knew that he would be living next to this guy for the foreseeable future. He decided that it was better to let bygones be bygones.
Oliver and this new neighbor may never be best friends, but they're certainly not enemies, which is a definitely good thing for everybody involved.
A Lesson In Forgiveness
This story made headlines because people wanted to see how this old man would deal with conflict in his own front yard. Oliver taught us all that it's best to stay calm, cool, and collected in the face of a misunderstanding. He taught us that it's important to stand up for yourself, but it's also important to maintain your integrity.
The greatest lesson is probably one about forgiveness. Holding a grudge is only harmful to yourself.
Keep reading to see what one man did that made him the envy of the neighborhood.
This Man Made Everyone Jealous Just By Digging A Hole In His Yard
This is Wayne. He's the average-sized man standing in that giant hole in the ground. All of Wayne's neighbors could see him digging in his backyard, and they wondered why he felt the need to dig such a big hole. They thought that maybe he was installing a pool, but they quickly realized that the hole wasn't for a pool at all.
Neighbors quickly took notice once Wayne brought a 20-foot shipping container onto his lawn.
You Don't Need A Shipping Container To Build A Pool
Neighbors realized that Wayne wasn't building a pool when he purchased a 20-foot shipping container and brought it into his backyard. They knew that a shipping container wasn't involved in pool construction.
Wayne was able to find a shipping container that had already been used, which means that he got it for a lower price than if he had purchased a totally new shipping container. Any DIYer knows that it's important to keep overhead costs low.
Sealing Everything Up
After buying the shipping container and bringing it to his home, Wayne made sure to completely seal the container shut. He didn't want any moisture getting in or out. Instead of using the giant double doors on the container, he installed a swinging door on the container's shorter wall.
He made sure that the door swung inwards and not outwards. This was very important for Wayne's project. You'll understand once you see what the project looks like now.
Bringing In The Big Guns
Wayne's plan was to lower his container into the hole that he dug. He knew that he didn't want to make the huge mistake of digging a hole that was too small for the container, so he made sure to make the hole at least two feet deeper than the height of the container.
He also left about two feet of space on all sides of where the container would be placed, and extra room around where the door would swing out.
Getting The Container Into The Hole
After the hole was complete, Wayne rented a crane so he could get the container into the hole safely. Wayne is a DIY kind of guy, but he knew he would need some heavy machinery to complete this project. He didn't just want to have a bunch of his friends try to move this giant container without any help.
Now that the container was safely transferred into the hole, the real work began. Wayne had so much planned for this shipping container.
A Royal Entrance
If you haven't guessed it by now, Wayne was making an underground bunker. Naturally, when you're making an underground bunker, you need to have a way to get inside it. Wayne made his royal entrance out of a bunch of freshly poured concrete steps.
He needed to make sure that people could safely and efficiently travel underground to the door he had spent so much time crafting. These steps definitely got the job done. Wayne was proud of the progress he was making.
Read on to see what essential part of the bunker Wayne had to build next.
A Beam To Lend A Little Support
Everybody needs a little support every now and again, especially underground bunkers. Wayne installed these two I-beams to ensure his bunker was as stable as possible. Wayne knew that the ground his bunker was standing on could easily shift and move with time. These beams were there to keep everything still for years and years.
These beams also acted as support beams for some more features that Wayne was planning to add to the exterior of the bunker.
A Roof Over His Head (And Under His Feet)
Those support beams that Wayne installed also acted as support beams for the bunker's roof. Wayne was building an underground roof for his bunker that needed to be strong enough to support the weight of a lot of soil, plus any people who might be walking around on top of that soil.
In this photo, you can see Wayne and his friend hard at work making sure the roof that they're building is going to stand the test of time.
An Even Grander Entrance
We already saw the concrete steps that led to the door of the bunker, but Wayne wanted to add some pizzaz to his creation. Once the roof was set up and secure, Wayne got to work installing a frame around the entrance to make it look a bit more inviting.
He left an opening from the roof and set up some rebar to help keep everything supported. This step tied the exterior of the bunker together with the interior.
Making Sure The Structure Is Secure
Wayne wanted to make sure that his bunker was totally safe for everybody to use and enjoy. Not only did he make sure that his bunker was safe and secure in the ground, but he also made sure that everything was up to code.
This shelter was constructed using only the best materials and techniques, and it could even function as a bomb shelter if need be. Now all that's left to find out is what Wayne was planning on using this bunker for.
Ventilation Is Very Important
It was crucial for Wayne to install a sump pump around his bunker so that water could be filtered through the soil. It was also very important for Wayne to install air vents so that people could access fresh air while they were hiding out underground. Wayne made sure to install two 12-inch air vents in the front and back of the bunker.
Clearly Wayne was actually planning on spending time underground in this bunker, but what for?
Concrete Secures The Whole Structure
With the support beams in place, the bunker wasn't going anywhere, but Wayne wanted to make sure that everything was super secure. That's why he poured concrete all around the exterior of the bunker in the hole that he dug. He encased the entire bunker in concrete, including the roof.
Wayne had spent so long making sure this project came together perfectly and he didn't want inclement weather or a winter thaw jeopardizing all of his hard work.
A Really Thick Layer Of Concrete
Wayne wasn't playing around with that concrete. He wasn't satisfied with a thin concrete wall— he wanted this structure to be blast-proof. He had put so much time and effort into it and he wanted to make sure that it would last a really long time.
Wayne laid six inches of concrete on top of his bunker which ensured that no amount of rain, wind, sleet, snow, or hail could do any damage to this thing. Now it was time to get to work on the interior.
Blocks Upon Blocks Upon Blocks
After all of the concrete had dried, Wayne got to work placing even more cinderblocks around the entryway of the bunker. He wanted the entryway to stand out and really be protected.
The entryway is the only part of the bunker that really needs to stand up to the elements. The door is going to be exposed to lots of harsh weather over the years, so a few extra cinderblocks can really go a long way.
Read on to see what the inside of the bunker looks like.
Strong Foundations Make A Strong Bunker
Once all of the cinderblocks were in place and the concrete had dried, Wayne was able to take out the support beams that once helped secure the roof. Now that everything was set and stable, those support beams were no longer needed.
All of the work that Wayne had put into this bunker was paying off. The structure was stable and totally safe. The entryway was not at risk of collapsing at all. Wayne was happy with his success.
Final Landscaping Touches
All of that digging had left Wayne with a pile of dirt in his back yard. Wayne used some high-end soil to fill in the space around the bunker. He spread out all of that dirt and sprinkled it with grass seed so that pretty soon, the bunker will just blend in with the rest of the lawn.
In addition to grass, Wayne is going to add some plants and flowers around the bunker to really make it look inviting.
A Fully Stocked Wine Cellar
While this bunker could be used as a bomb shelter, it doesn't appear that we're expecting any bomb threats any time soon. Wayne built this bunker to be used as a wine cellar. Wine is best stored underground, and the cool atmosphere will help properly preserved wine and help it stay delicious for generations to come.
It's best to only store red wine underground. White wine doesn't need to be stored in a cellar. There's even more to this bunker than meets the eye, though.
You Haven't Seen Everything Yet
Wayne doesn't just use this bunker as a wine cellar. As you can see from the back, there is plenty of room for storage in this underground space. This could be a great place to store Christmas decorations from January to November.
Wayne also stores some essential supplies down here, just in case there is a natural disaster and he and his family have to take shelter in the bunker while a big storm passes through.
You Can Built This Bunker Yourself
Wayne was able to create this bunker all on his own without too much money or help. Yeah, he needed some big machines, but if you work in construction or you know somebody who does, you could build a bunker like this one in your own backyard.
Wayne shared his plans for the bunker and his step by step bunker-making instructions so that people all over the world can create their own underground shelters and storage areas.
Wayne's Top Tips
Wayne also shared some tips for anybody who is actually thinking about making their own bunker in their own backyard. Wayne suggests adding handrails along the stairs for extra security. This is an excellent idea, especially for when those stairs get slippery in the winter.
He also said that it's a good idea to build an overhang for the entrance so that water doesn't collect by the door and then freeze in the cold winter months.