Disgruntled neighbors

[mitch09]

I received my first negative letter in the mail today after three years of having an animated light show. It was addressed anonymously from a neighbor. I am not sure what to do with it, or even how to take it.
A little background first. I live in a small rural town of about 10,000 people. My house is in a residential neighborhood(golf course community) on the edge of a cul-de-sac. The neighborhood is packed with kids. Out of the 11 house nearest me 9 of them have kids. The only two without are retired couples that live on the golf course(across the street) that both just recently built their houses, within the last year and a half. I have a good hunch that the letter came from one of them.
Now, about the show. In my first year I had about 50 cars total visit over the three weeks I ran the show. There were no houses across the street or in the cul-de-sac, just empty lots. No issues with any neighbors on my side of the street. In fact, they both wanted to be included in the show.
Last year my lights were featured in our local newspaper and I had probably 50 cars a night for the week leading up to Christmas. Not too bad. I can have 8-10 cars at a time watch the show without causing a traffic issue. I did get a couple new neighbors last year in the cul-de-sac and one across the street. The one across the cul-de-sac never vocalized a complaint, but he did put out cones on the edges of his driveway. When I saw this I added one of the DementedElf voice overs about being courteous to the neighbors into my show. I also went to his house and apologized for the inconvenience, told him about the voice over and wished him a Merry Christmas.
This year, the show went live on December 11. I now have neighbors directly across the street(two houses) and they seem, when conversing with them to not mind the lights and even enjoy them. A steady 4/5 cars throughout the duration of the show sometimes reaching 9 or 10 at a time through the week. I then did a Tribute sequence to the Seahawks for the weekend and the Seattle news aired it. The week leading up to Christmas I had at least 100 cars a night. Sunday before Christmas, traffic was so heavy I cut the show down from 10 minutes to under 7 minutes with the neighbor announcement included so that it was running every two songs. 4 songs total. The people always moved for neighbors coming and going whenever I was watching.
I don't know what else I can do aside from shortening the show and having the show end nightly at 9:00 instead of 9:30 on week nights. The letter's biggest complaint was the noise of big diesel trucks (think farm community) Idling in front if their house and headlights into their window as cars turn in the cul-de-sac. I guess I could do a custom voice over to ask people to turn off their cars. But I am worried about next year as CaptainMurdoch also lives at the very  end of my street and will have a show as well.
Any suggestions?

Ryan

[kernal]

Tell the cars to operate on running lights.   Better for their enjoyment anyway! 

[mitch09]

Tell the cars to operate on running lights.   Better for their enjoyment anyway!

Most of them do. It is also in the voice over.

[kernal]

Wow.  I could say all kinds of things but that would make me just like them, so i wont!  One thing i am considering for 2014 is doing a show that is say....  20 minutes long and start it every half hour. We live on a cul de sac too, but all my neighbors are cool with it and like you want to be a part of the show too.  But we only have 8 house (4 each side).  So makes for tight knit...  sorry to hear you have scrooges for neighbors!

[mitch09]

Wow.  I could say all kinds of things but that would make me just like them, so i wont!  One thing i am considering for 2014 is doing a show that is say....  20 minutes long and start it every half hour. We live on a cul de sac too, but all my neighbors are cool with it and like you want to be a part of the show too.  But we only have 8 house (4 each side).  So makes for tight knit...  sorry to hear you have scrooges for neighbors!

Thanks kernal.  I am just more upset that they won't come talk to me. The letter made it sound like there are several neighbors that don't like it and they don't want to  say anything.
"Ryan, you have placed your neighbors in a really difficult position. We don't feel like confronting you and perhaps others don't want to either, so we say "hey, no worries, Ryan". To be honest it would be uncomfortable, and somewhat embarrassing to talk with you."

[kernal]

Yeah that does suck.  Do they say anything to Cptn Murdoch?

[mms]

With the passive-aggressive nature of the letter, I would have New Year's, MLK, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, all family member's birthdays, Labor Day, Halloween, Veteran's Day, Columbus Day, Earth Day, and any other "holiday" light shows.  RGB lights are so useful...   

That said, being the bigger person is never the easy thing to do.  I would find out what the real issue is and try to resolve it.  Sounds like you've been pro-active with voiceovers and show times.  Some things are beyond your control - what kind a car someone drives or the condition of their exhaust system.  There was another instance of a disgruntled neighbor mentioned on another board.  The neighbor shined a spot light in the guy's window.  So the next day, he bought a 6-pack and went across the street and talked to the guy.  Come to find out, there was a light that was shining just right on the neighbor's window that it was annoying to the neighbor when he was in his recliner.  The light show owner re-positioned the element, no more annoying light, happy neighbor.

It's a delicate situation for sure!

[taybrynn]

Are you playing music outdoors, or just using an FM transmitter?  What hours are your running?  Get on the HOA board.

[mitch09]

With the passive-aggressive nature of the letter, I would have New Year's, MLK, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, all family member's birthdays, Labor Day, Halloween, Veteran's Day, Columbus Day, Earth Day, and any other "holiday" light shows.  RGB lights are so useful...   

That said, being the bigger person is never the easy thing to do.  I would find out what the real issue is and try to resolve it.  Sounds like you've been pro-active with voiceovers and show times.  Some things are beyond your control - what kind a car someone drives or the condition of their exhaust system.  There was another instance of a disgruntled neighbor mentioned on another board.  The neighbor shined a spot light in the guy's window.  So the next day, he bought a 6-pack and went across the street and talked to the guy.  Come to find out, there was a light that was shining just right on the neighbor's window that it was annoying to the neighbor when he was in his recliner.  The light show owner re-positioned the element, no more annoying light, happy neighbor.

It's a delicate situation for sure!

I tried approaching the suspected neighbor last year and wasn't greeted very warmly. I will try again during the off season.  . Another issue in the letter is that they are  "usually asleep at 9:45". I could turn the show off at 9:30 but they already stated incorrectly that the show runs until 10:00 every night. Some fuzzy math maybe.

Are you playing music outdoors, or just using an FM transmitter?  What hours are your running?  Get on the HOA board.

No music outdoors, FM only. Hours of operation are 4:30-9:30 Sunday-Thursday and until 10:00 Fri and Sat.
So far no real issues with the HOA. Spent some time looking through the CCRs and don't find anything about lights. Although I'm guessing next year it may go to the HOA via the neighbor.

[duane.mosley]

that sucks! your new neighbors should have done some better research on the neighbor hood before they signed on the line. my neighbors love it and I run my show until 10pm. I have a new neighbor that wasn't here last year and I don't think he cares for it but his wife and kids love it so he is stuck! lol  your never going to make everyone happy, I don't care what you do. so my thoughts are do what you are doing, if your in an hoa then your hands could be tied but if not, oh well. follow all city ordinances and you should be fine. the only thing I see you might have a problem with is the traffic, if your show starts causing a traffic issue, and the neighbors push the issue with the city, you might have trouble. good luck!

[taybrynn]

Some of my new neighbors actually found the house because they were WATCHING the lightshow!  I didn't get any commission 

My HOA was very supportive also and they even ran carriage rides from the clubhouse down the street every year.  Now the former board president is very in to Christmas lights himself.  I served on the board myself for 3+ years a couple years back.

If they really want to  work something out, they need to talk to you face to face.  Otherwise, they need to get used to it and be tolerant that what your doing is for the entire community and not everyone has to like it.  Do I like all the dogs in the neighborhood who bark 24x7 when left outside?  No.  Do I ask them to remove their dogs?  Nope.  Which is really worse?

[mitch09]

If they really want to  work something out, they need to talk to you face to face.  Otherwise, they need to get used to it and be tolerant that what your doing is for the entire community and not everyone has to like it.  Do I like all the dogs in the neighborhood who bark 24x7 when left outside?  No.  Do I ask them to remove their dogs?  Nope.  Which is really worse?

I hear you. I didn't complain to them when I couldn't get out of my driveway at least once a week due to construction traffic for 6 months while their house was being built. 

[CaptainMurdoch]

I wasn't able to get much put up this year since my wife was pregnant with and just had our third child so I haven't had many people stop at my house and the ones that have only stay for a minute or so max since I don't have music.

Our HOA is a bit weak IMHO with violations in several places I've noticed but I don't think I found anything in the regs about lights either.  Most houses on our street have some form of lights but nothing that attracts visitors except Ryan's house (and hopefully mine next year).  I'm at the opposite end of the street about 10 houses down in a straight section of the road.

One other question I have related to this topic is how can you deal with traffic flow.  At Ryan's location it's probably best to go around the cul-de-sac and watch from the opposite side of the street on the way out but this does have the negative side that people are parked in front of the neighbors houses to wait in line and watch.  There are also the occasional people who will pull up and park right in front of his house and block other's views who waited in line to get te best view.

Regarding getting people to turn off their lights and engines while waiting or watching, what methods have people found to be most effective other than voiceovers at the beginning or intermixed in the show?  I suggested putting some signs in the (receptive) neighbors yards to catch more eyes, but if some people don't notice a Tune To sign, would they notice these?  Ryan also mentions it on his Facebook page and I thought a map with driving/parking notes on it might be good there to catch some more eyes.

Ryan's show is great, I've seen several people sit through it twice to get a better view.  There are also the people it's hard to do anything about who block others views or honk their horns or yell out their window when their view is blocked.  On Christmas Eve when I walked down with my father-in-law to show him the lights,  I saw one person who junped the line abd then double parked in front of another car to watch the show.  Those kind ruin it for others but there isn't much you can do about them even if you are outside constantly.

[tbone321]

You have to understand that you are affecting their lives as well.  While many can overlook it for a while, especially when it is for something that they care about.  I think that you may have spoiled the milk however when you did your tribute to the Seahawks.  Once the spirit of the situation is lost, peoples patients with the situation goes with it. If they lose the spirit of your show then it changes from a celebration of the season into a someone having a damn party every day of the week and invading my privacy.  I'm not saying that this is what happened but it is something to look into.

[mitch09]

You have to understand that you are affecting their lives as well.  While many can overlook it for a while, especially when it is for something that they care about.  I think that you may have spoiled the milk however when you did your tribute to the Seahawks.  Once the spirit of the situation is lost, peoples patients with the situation goes with it. If they lose the spirit of your show then it changes from a celebration of the season into a someone having a damn party every day of the week and invading my privacy.  I'm not saying that this is what happened but it is something to look into.

I agree with you about the Seahawks Tribute. Probably not my best decision. But it didn't run every night. Just through the weekend of the game. After the weekend it went immediately back to Christmas Only.
However, I have several hundred local people that thank me every year for making their holiday so enjoyable. I also don't think 9:30 is too late. I have two young children under 7 and neighbors on both sides of me do as well. I have a very good relationship with both and they both thanked me for considering the kids and shutting the show down by 9:30.
As home owners we deal with a little bit of this and a little bit of that from all our neighbors, but we do it because we are neighborly and gracious people. I am only really asking for a three-week piece of time.