Why Aussies are outraged by this seemingly inconspicuous photo of a garden in a Perth suburb
A photo from an Australian suburban garden, which appears to show a Perth resident stealing water from his elderly neighbor, has sparked outrage online.
The photo, shared to Reddit on Wednesday, shows the side of a house with a hose reaching over a high fence into the adjacent property.
The Redditor said it was their parents’ house and that they had just returned from abroad.
“So I caught my elderly parents’ neighbors stealing from my parents,” the man claimed.
“They went on vacation for a few weeks visiting family in the old country and came back to a water bill of over $300. Well, now we know why.
“I caught the neighbor red-handed, I guess she thought they weren’t back yet.”
The photo appears to show that the neighbors have connected their hose to an adjacent property
The Redditor added that the neighbor gave the excuse that she was “testing” because she saw a nearby builder doing the same thing.
“I asked the builder and he said he used water from another house that was just built.”
They said the neighbor became unresponsive when they asked her what exactly she was testing and why she hadn’t asked.
‘What can my parents do? They are retirees and this is a lot of money for them.”
Commentators were outraged as many labeled the act “theft, plain and simple.”
“Look how green all their trees and shrubs are…water costs a fortune,” said one.
“Stand up for your parents now or the neighbors will think they’re being soft and try again or something else,” said another.
“I’m furious on behalf of your parents,” a third added.
Redditors urged the homeowner to report it after they were hit with a huge water bill
A recent employee of WA Water Corp advised that the correct procedure was to file a police report and then send an email to Water Corp with the case number, photo and details of her parents’ overseas travel.
They said it would then simply be for the charges to be dropped.
Others pointed out that it appears the neighbor has gained access to their property and that there are inexpensive products available that can turn off the taps.
The Redditor said her parents were hesitant to “escalate” the issue, but they would do something on their behalf because they felt they didn’t have to foot the bill.