If OP aid a single female I'd say that's why they've chosen to try and steal her garden, they expect her to roll over and not complain. My mother's old NDN tried that many, many years ago. He wanted to build a wall between the two front gardens, but on my mother's side of the boundary, not his, which would have made his garden look that wee bit bigger. My mother did stand up to him and put up her own wall to match her side not his, but for some reason had it built a few inches into out boundary. Never understood that, mind.
OP! I hope you're ok tonight. I really hope you have company. I can't wait to see what the morrow holds!