He was deeply upset with his neighbor. He wanted to talk to her about the letter she had written for him, but she was nowhere to be found.
How could she just disappear like that? It was when he visited a local Facebook group that he found an explanation behind her disappearance.
Johnny West
Johnny West was an 18-year-old man who worked 16-hour shifts as a security guard. When his best friend told him he would be coming home for the Fourth of July, he asked his boss to let him have that day off.
His boss agreed, and Johnny started to prepare for the holiday. But, little did he know, he would soon regret taking this day off.
The Day Of
Johnny and his best friend decided to spend the Fourth of July together at his house. The two friends bought some fireworks but failed to notice that the yard was extremely dry that day.
They lit a sparkler and caused a massive fire.
Fire
As soon as the spark hit Johnny's fence, the whole thing went up in flames. The two men tried to control the fire with a hose, but it spread so quickly that they couldn't stop it.
Soon, the firefighters arrived and managed to get the fire under control. Johnny felt terrible about the damage he had done. Would his neighbors forgive him?
The Note
The next day, Johnny returned home from work and was ready to go to bed. He still felt terrible about what happened.
But when he approached his front porch, he saw a hand-written note with his name on it.
Quotes
In the latter, Johnny found two quotes: one for $6,000 to replace the burnt lawn and another for $4,000 to cover the cost of a new fence.
Johny couldn't believe what he was reading. He didn't have that kind of money. So, he showed the note to his mom and asked her for help.
Con Artist
“Son, don’t you give that con artist a single dime,” his mother said before making a phone call.
She called a contractor friend. Johnny's mother was confident the neighbor's lawn had been in terrible condition for years before the fire happened.
A Suggestion
The neighbor's quote called for trimmed hedges, a mahogany fence, flowers, and a fresh lawn! Johnny's mother knew someone who could do it all for just $2,000.
But before Johnny could suggest it to his neighbor, things turned even uglier.
Hawaii Trip
It turns out that Patricia had borrowed money for a trip to Hawaii and was bragging about it in a community group on Facebook. She was sure that Johnny would accept the bill.
Johnny watched her contractors install a pond and flowers in her yard while his evil neighbor was having the time of her life in Hawaii. Then, something arrived in the mail for Johnny.
At The Court
It was court papers for $10,300. But fortunately, Johnny now had incriminating evidence that would help him win the case.
He arrived at the court in the morning with his lawyer and smiled at Patricia. He handed the judge an envelope with a few photos inside.
Evidence
On the night of the fire, he had taken a few selfies with his friend. In the background was Patricia's lawn which was in terrible condition.
Johnny and his friend had been drinking the night of the accident, so they'd totally forgotten about these photos.
Out Of Your Mind
“Ma’am,” the judge said. “With all due respect, you’re out of your mind.” The judge ruled that Johnny only had to pay $1,200 for the fence.
"I will also deduct from this his lawyer fees of $800," she continued. But that wasn't all.
In Trouble
In the end, Johnny only had to pay $400 for the fence, and his neighbor was now totally broke after her Hawaii trip.
The contractors she had hired were also looking for their money.
Moving Away
Patricia had no other choice but to sell her house to pay her debts. She then moved to another house, far away from Johnny and his mother.
But what about Johnny?
Happy Ending
Johnny paid $400 for the fence and donated $150 to the Red Cross Home Fire Relief Fund.
He can now sleep soundly again.