Instead of arguing again, I decided to protect my balcony. I checked the building rules, bought a clear lightweight panel, and installed it completely inside my own space. The following morning, Greg tossed another tea bag over the railing. It struck the panel, slid into a tray beneath it, and stopped neatly in front of me. When Greg leaned over asking what it was, I smiled and answered, “My tea bag catcher.” His silence told me the message had landed.

The peace lasted only hours. That evening another tea bag appeared, this time deliberately missing the barrier and landing inside one of my flowerpots. From that moment I stopped believing the behavior was careless. I photographed every incident, recorded dates and times, and saved receipts for the stained towel and damaged cushion. I wasn’t preparing for revenge. I was simply collecting the truth in case someone finally needed to see it.

Everything changed when Greg demanded I remove the panel. Mrs. Alvarez overheard him saying he would simply throw the tea bags farther and offered to support me. At the residents’ meeting I presented my photographs, timeline, receipts, and even the dried tea bags themselves. The building manager confirmed Greg had violated balcony rules, issued a formal warning, and postponed his request for additional balcony screening. Greg’s excuses disappeared once another neighbor confirmed exactly what he had said.

After the warning, the tea bags stopped completely. A few days later, a delivery driver asked me to accept one of Greg’s packages, something I had always done without hesitation. This time I politely refused. I realized being a good neighbor never meant accepting disrespect simply to avoid conflict. Greg and I still greet each other in the hallway, and I would help during a genuine emergency, but healthy boundaries finally replaced silent tolerance. My balcony is clean again, and so is my peace of mind.