Resident slammed with 'petty' note after neighbour is caught smoking in building

One man and his family have been unwittingly dragged into a "petty" note-slinging match between over an issue that wasn't even their doing. It's not unusual to have a bit of a disagreement with those next door – and this seems to be more common in flats where everyone's living in closer quarters and more likely to get irked by things like noise.

The best bet is usually to have an honest conversation with your neighbour if something's bothering you, aiming for a compromise that keeps the peace so you can all carry on living close together without being at each other's throats. However, others prefer to go down a much more passive aggressive route.

Not all neighbours are intent on keeping things friendly – some prefer to leave "petty" notes instead, airing their grievances in the communal areas of their block.

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Taking to , the man shared how two of his fellow residents have been lobbing snarky messages at each other by sticking them up on a window in the shared hallway – and somehow, he's been roped into the drama.

He posted snaps of the notes online, detailing how the neighbours have fallen out because one of them insists on puffing away inside their flat. The initial note pinned up demanded the smoker to "stop smoking" in the "smoke-free apartment", complaining about the smell.

Firing back, the accused smoker scribbled a retort suggesting the complainer should "move" if they can't stand the stench, and then had a pop at them for making the place reek just as much with their .

They vented: "Maybe you should move! Plus, your dogs stink up the whole building as well. We pay rent here, too, and should have the right to do what we like."

In a fierce comeback, the original complainer retorted: "You lost that right when you signed the lease to a non-smoking complex. Maybe you should have read the lease! So please stop."

But there's a twist in this tale of neighbourly spat – the man who posted on Reddit is the only person in the building who owns dogs, meaning his neighbour had assumed he was the one who left the original note.

Taking a stand and clarifying his innocence, he posted his own message: "Hi, dog owners here. We are not involved in this."

To add to the confusion, he added alongside the photo evidence that the premises don't actually enforce a no-smoking rule, meaning the original rude note was unnecessary in the first place.

He shared: "Saw this note this morning and thought it was funny that we were the assumed note-leavers in the building. There's been a constant note war going on for a year now, where notes have been put up asking people to stop smoking in their apartments.

"Of course, these don't deter the smokers, and the complex doesn't have a no-smoking policy. We are the only dog owners and know this is what apartment living is like with the smoking. This is our response to being dragged into this fight."

Social media users couldn't hide their amusement over the petulant note exchange, with several admitting they were tempted to leap into the fray just to toss in a "so random" comment that would baffle everyone involved.

One commenter confessed: "I love reading apartment drama like this, I'm so nosy."

Another was enthused about joining in, saying: "I would want to join the conversation too. But I would post something so random to throw everyone off."

The original poster popped back later to provide an update, noting that the contentious notes had been removed. He also clarified that while residents can smoke inside their own flats and on patios, puffing away in any communal areas is a no-no.