LAST July 8, 2023, Twitter user Jhoanna Lynn Cruz posted as to how her neighbors left three towels on her metal fence, alongside a large clump of leaves.

“I spent 92, 000 on that metal fence,” Cruz, a professor, said sadly on her post. 

The next day, Cruz followed it up as she clarified that she actually spent 200, 000 PHP in total on her fence, and was only able to have it done using money she earned after being given the UP Artist Award. 

Mixed responses from netizens

Though Cruz complained to the group chat about her subdivision and even worries that maybe it’s her neighbors that are mad at her for posting about it. She’s also explained that she doesn’t want to talk to her neighbors directly because she’s more of an introvert.

Netizens were quick to support her in her actions. 

“Keep the towels po, I’m sure they will knock [on] your door looking for their stuff,” Twitter user Clar Tanganco suggested.

“Siguro better to talk to them also. Hindi naman sa madamot, but it was built for a purpose, and that purpose is def not a sampayan.” 

Twitter user CryptoKarenSy even recommended that Cruz take the towels and gabi leaves for herself, or even charge her neighbors for storing their items for them. 

Many were also quick to share their own experiences of nosy neighbors doing similar acts: hanging up ripped-up plastic bags and dirty blankets, wires, wood, and many other things that have no business ending up on the property of others. 

Despite this positivity though, there have also been others who’ve called Cruz out for her actions. 

“Next time, spend that 92L on a ‘Not a Laundry Line’ sign,” One tweet reads. 

“Guess you’re the villain for not sharing your ‘public’ amenity.” 

Another states: “I don’t know why you can’t just talk to your neighbors and be civil with them over this.”

Trying to be a pacifist, one user says to just understand her neighbors for the time being and to just ask them nicely next time not to leave anything out on her face.

Are they in the wrong? 

Twitter user Chester B. Tan writes that the actions of Cruz’s neighbors could be considered encroachment, which is defined in this case as the intrusion of a person’s territory. 

Others also feel that the actions of the neighbors may be considered trespassing given that the items were found on Cruz’s exclusive property, and that the neighbors should either be reported to the barangay or be fined for their actions.

Many believe that since Cruz is the one that paid for the fence, and it’s within her property line, her neighbors should have asked for her consent and are in the wrong since she never gave that to them. 

Regardless of the mixed responses or even the pleas of others to take legal action against her neighbors, Cruz simply wants to move on from this whole debacle – as long as she doesn’t find anything else hanging on her fence in the months to come.

She even tweeted a TikTok video of her with her family, with a caption that read: “4K followers na po tayo dahil sa sinampay! Thank you so much for your support.” 

Regardless of whether you’re on Cruz’s side or the neighbor’s, one lesson to be learned from this exchange is something that people have been taught since the beginning of time: that there’s no harm in asking before doing something, especially when it’s hanging your dirty towels on someone’s very expensive fence.