Lending to Neighbors
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:05 pm
A few years back we had a bouncy-house for my son. Shortly after he was born they were all the rave. Buying one wasn't much more expensive than renting one. If you plan on using it multiple times buying was actually cheaper than renting.
Bouncy-houses were the ball-pit of my son's age.
A neighbor asked if he and his wife could borrow ours for their son's birthday. We lent them the house and the blower. Days go by after their son's birthday and I messaged my neighbor asking when he planned on bringing back the bouncy-house. He tells me "oh, I left it by your back patio door earlier in the week". Between his dropping it off and my asking "what's up" it had rained a couple of days that week. The motor on the blower was messed up and every inch of fabric of the bouncy-house was soaked.
More recently:
A neighbor borrowed my portable battery to jump start her car. This was during the exceptionally cold stretch of days that we had in WI (that lasted exceptionally long). A week goes by and another friend asked to borrow the battery to jump start. I dawned on me that my neighbor had the battery for a week. I message her asking for it back and she says, "No problem, just remember to bring it back to my house."
Just remember to bring my battery back to her house?
Ooookay. Didn't want to make too big of an issue of it if she still hadn't used it. So, I had my son run it back to her house.... a few days ago. I messaged her again, "any chance you're done with that battery yet?".
Turns out she was going to use it to just keep jump starting her car, because the thing need more jump startin'. All in all she's a nice neighbor. I'll wait a few more days before I press the issue that I need it back.
Any of you have uncomfortable, unfortunate, frustration-inducing moments of 'neighborly lending'?
Bouncy-houses were the ball-pit of my son's age.
A neighbor asked if he and his wife could borrow ours for their son's birthday. We lent them the house and the blower. Days go by after their son's birthday and I messaged my neighbor asking when he planned on bringing back the bouncy-house. He tells me "oh, I left it by your back patio door earlier in the week". Between his dropping it off and my asking "what's up" it had rained a couple of days that week. The motor on the blower was messed up and every inch of fabric of the bouncy-house was soaked.
More recently:
A neighbor borrowed my portable battery to jump start her car. This was during the exceptionally cold stretch of days that we had in WI (that lasted exceptionally long). A week goes by and another friend asked to borrow the battery to jump start. I dawned on me that my neighbor had the battery for a week. I message her asking for it back and she says, "No problem, just remember to bring it back to my house."
Just remember to bring my battery back to her house?
Ooookay. Didn't want to make too big of an issue of it if she still hadn't used it. So, I had my son run it back to her house.... a few days ago. I messaged her again, "any chance you're done with that battery yet?".
Turns out she was going to use it to just keep jump starting her car, because the thing need more jump startin'. All in all she's a nice neighbor. I'll wait a few more days before I press the issue that I need it back.
Any of you have uncomfortable, unfortunate, frustration-inducing moments of 'neighborly lending'?