If there is one thing that people can understand is revenge. When someone has done you wrong, and then you make them pay for it it’s a universally agreed thing, that it’s allowed, as long as the punishment fits the crime. On the other hand, if the opposite happens, someone tries to get revenge for something you haven’t done, then it is them that are in the wrong. The story we are going to share with you today is the second kind of story. An innocent and lovely couple feels the wrath of someone that they hadn’t even met.
The Young Couple
We begin our story with Thomas Entwistle. A music teacher that had just found the love of his life. Rebekah was everything that Thomas had been looking for. She was funny, smart, and most importantly, they shared the same passion for music. She was a music teacher as well. When their paths crossed while teaching in the same high school, Cupid did his magic.
A Marriage
They quickly fell in love and to the surprise of everyone, they decided to get married pretty soon after they had met. Their parents advised them against such a hasty decision but they did it anyway. They had a nice small wedding consisting of close friends and family. Everything was going great and the wedding was a success. What was left now was for them to start fulfilling their common dreams. They couldn’t expect that their dreams would turn into nightmares.
A Common Dream
What they both wanted since they were young kids, was to live somewhere closer to nature. They wanted to escape the stress-inducing cities and go somewhere to enjoy a calm and peaceful lifestyle. So, they started looking for a house. Day in day out, they would look at advertisements and contact real estate agencies. One day, they finally found it.
A Beautiful House
A beautiful house close to nature, that they could feel was meant to be theirs. It was as secluded as they wanted, but close to the city as well, so they didn’t have to go too far away if they wanted to do something. They inspected the house and everything looked in order. After a bit of thinking, they decided to buy the house. They would soon come to regret their decision.
Obstacles
The first obstacle they had to overcome was making the down payment for the house. Of course, it was a lot of money that they would need to gather if they wanted the house, but they had no other choice. Both Rebekah and Thomas started giving private lessons to make the money they needed. Thankfully, the money they made combined with their savings were enough. Pretty soon, the house was theirs.
Honeymoon Time
They had worked hard to earn the money for the down payment for the mortgage and they were both exhausted and in desperate need of a break. A few weeks after they had moved into their new house, they decided it was time to go for their honeymoon. Both of them had started to feel at home in this house, but they couldn’t resist the temptation of going to an exotic place for a few days. And so they did.
Everything Ready
After some planning, their trip was all set. They were going to the Dominican Republic. They both loved the idea of spending 11 days in an exotic destination, so they decided that this small island nation was a fitting destination. They packed their things and said goodbye to their precious house. They had no idea that when they would return, everything would be different.
Enjoying Their Vacations
They flew to Santo Domingo and stayed in the city for a couple of days. They experienced the local cuisine and culture. Everything was so different from what they were used to. They were having the time of their lives, swimming in the crystal clear beaches. Back at home, something was happening that was going to change their lives.
Time To Go Back
After the 11 days had passed, they had to go back. They were really sad that they had to leave their little paradise, but at least the thought that they were going back to their beautiful house gave them some comfort. Soon they would be back in their backyard, with its amazing view and feeling of comfort. Unfortunately, comfort and views were something that they weren’t going to find when they returned home.
Arriving At The House
After the long journey home, they took a cab from the airport to their house. They were both exhausted and filled with unforgettable memories. They were looking forward to getting back to their house and taking a long nap. The taxi pulled over outside of the address that the couple gave him. In the beginning, the couple thought that there has been a mistake. This wasn’t how they remembered the place. After a bit of looking around. They realized what happened.
Something Is Wrong
Their house was still there, but there was a huge fence in front of it. “How could this be?” they wondered. They never wanted a fence built around their house. They never hired a construction crew to do it. Especially a fence like the one that they were seeing right in front of them. There were many problems with it.
Why Is There A Fence
When they tried to find where the fence ends so they can enter the house, they were shocked to find out, that there was no point of entry. The only way that they could enter the house, was to climb over the wooden wall. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. There should be some logical explanation for this story. At least that’s what they thought.
The View Is Gone
After they entered the house, they realized that the amazing view that their house had, was gone. You couldn’t see anything but the fence if you were on the first floor of the house. “This was our dream home and now it’s turned into a nightmare – it feels like we’re imprisoned in our own house,” Thomas claimed. They wanted to get to the bottom of this and quickly.
No Answers
They called their real estate agent to try to get some answers. In the beginning, all they got was ignorance. Everyone was pretending that they had no idea why there might be a fence around their house. But after a bit of asking and pushing, they got to the bottom of the problem. The couple had been lied to by the agency. What they found out made them both furious.
The Farmer's Revenge
The agency never informed the couple that the property that they bought was in a land dispute with the owner of the farm surrounding it. David Preece was the name of the guy that was behind the fencing of their house. Since the land dispute wasn’t resolved, David decided to take revenge on the unsuspecting couple. He must have been observing their movements and once he found out that they left, he got to work. Things were getting worst for the couple.
Pressure Builds
Instead of enjoying their time as newlyweds, the whole issue was putting a lot of pressure on their relationship. They wanted to resolve the story fast, but because of legal reasons, they couldn’t take down the fence. They had to stay trapped in their own house until they got the green light from the local authorities that they can disassemble the fence. Unfortunately, that was too much for Rebekah.
Trapped
She couldn’t handle the feeling of being trapped in her own house, so she decided to move out and go to her parent’s house until this story is resolved. She said that she was feeling like crying, every time she saw the fence surrounding her house. Instead of getting emotionally bullied by some random farmer, she decided to do what is best for her mental health. Thomas was a different story.
Thomas Fights Back
Thomas stayed behind, determined to fight back against the injustice that was done to them. The first person he thought of consulting, naturally, was his lawyer. He asked what he could do. The lawyer took some time to study their case carefully. After a bit of digging around, he came back with an answer that devasted both Rebekah and Thomas.
His Legal Options
The first part was good. It was within his legal right to destroy the fence. This meant that they could hire someone to destroy it without any fear of legal consequences, but that wouldn’t have done much. Since the farmer had every right to build it back again. This second part was making the situation seem hopeless. They didn’t want to destroy the fence, just for the farmer to rebuild it again.
Search For Help
Thomas was determined to get back to normality no matter what it would cost him, so he stayed in the house, and started making phone calls, asking for help. He was contacting anyone that might have an idea of how to escape this nightmare. He would have lost all hope if someone didn’t answer his plea. Thankfully, somebody did.
Somebody Answers
The person that gave him some hope, was the local councilwoman Sylvia Liddle. When Sylvia heard about the case of the couple, she couldn’t help her self but sympathize with them. She had to do something to help. That’s what she got into the local council. She wanted to create some positive impact. First, she asked to see the fence with her own eyes.
Sylvia Gets To Work
Once she saw the fence, she was shocked. She couldn’t believe that the farmer would do something like that to a couple that he doesn’t even know. She told Thomas to contact Permisson Homes, to ask for their help. Permisson Homes refused, saying that the land the house was build wasn’t actually owned by the owners of the house. Sylvia wasn’t going to give up that easily.
Some Light At The End Of The Tunnel
She was using her position to pressure the local authorities to take a look at the situation. Even if it took a long time, she was determined to help the young couple. After a lot of phone calls and many meetings with the local authorities, she managed to get their attention and she arranged for an investigation of the fence around the couple's home.
Waiting Patiently
After the investigator saw the fence, he took notes and told Thomas and Sylvia, that he was going to take a look at the file of the land dispute and get back to them. Thomas was starting to get his hopes up, but he knew not to expect much. He had been disappointed one too many times with this whole story. He was just waiting patiently for the call of the investigator. When the call came, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Thomas Can Finally Breathe
He was told that the fence was illegal since it was built in the property owned by Permisson Homes. Thomas almost fainted upon hearing the news. That meant, that they had every legal right to take down the wall. With the backing of the local authorities, they didn’t have to be afraid of the farmer doing anything to them, since it was completely within their right to take the fence down.
The Fence Goes Down
Quickly they hired a crew to take down this fence that was destroying their lives. The satisfaction they felt when the fence was finally going down couldn’t be described. Sylvia was there with them to observe the destruction of the fence. She was proud of the work she had done and the couple was indebted to her for all her help.
The Internet’s Reaction
Thomas and Rebekah shared their story online, and it grabbed the attention of the public. It turns out, that many people have had similar experiences. Maybe not specifically with someone building a fence around their house, but land disputes are always a pain. The legal procedures are always long. There is a reason Franz Kafka wrote The Trial.
A Lot Of Support
Similar stories were posted under the couple’s post, with strangers offering them moral support and advice. What is more important, was that many other people shared similar stories with them. This made them feel less alone in this absurd situation. Even the smallest amount of support was more than what they had from the state until Sylvia stepped in.
Sylvia Is Satisfied
“I’m delighted for this young couple who have been so distressed,” Sylvia Liddle commented. A spokesperson of the Persimmon Homes said “Our staff has taken down the fence after consultation with council planning officials,”. All seemed to be in order after the fence was taken down. The couple had their view back. But not only that.
The Couple Gets Their Life Back
They had their life back. After weeks of being forced to live in a house where you feel trapped, they could finally breathe freely. Without thinking that the farmer might keep messing with their life forever. After this incident, life has been smooth sailing for the young couple.