loved the story and the answer.
had a similar problem when i moved to a new neigborhood and the neighbor pounded on our door early one saturday morning to tell us we needed to take our empty can back UP to our house!
sometimes you just can't win
passive agressive is one thing i really have a BIG problem with also...but in the long run with neighbors and others in life....you kinda have to laugh and think: i know what you're up to!
and somehow it doesn't bother you so much and you actually can turn the situations around and i have found that i can grow and even THEY can and do, (whether they want to or not

)
anyway...great story!