bad for the neighborhood???

[justsusan]

This morning we found a note on our driveway.  Someone had written, "no christmas lights in June-bad for the neighborhood!!!!!!!"

Now, we have a 300 foot driveway to our house which sits behind the house in front, on a wooded lot.  It cannot be seen easily from the street at all (we never get any trick or treaters, and the pizza guys can never find us.)  Two years ago after seeing garden lights on houses in the city, in California, and at restaurants everywhere, we decided to solve our lighting problem by putting up white garden lights on our house and trees up by our house.  It looks so pretty, and lights it up nicely.  At Christmas we put up colored lights and turn off the white ones, and after christmas we took down the colored ones and turned the white ones back on.

I love my pretty white garden lights and I am annoyed at the cowardice of someone leaving an anonymous note.  I dont understand who would do it, the only three houses who can see our yard all deny having done it.  

Here is my question:IS it somehow bad for the neighborhood if people think my house has white christmas lights in front, and should I care?  I cant afford to install landscape lighting.  I thought it was trendy.  

Your thoughts???

[flowerfunleah]

Neighbors are so freaking annoying, aren't they?

My best advice is to ignore them. It's not BAD for the neighborhood. What's BAD for the neighborhood is nosey nancy's with nothing better to do than critisize.

[EsmeVincent]

do you have a HOA? if you do then I would check the guidelines and or speak to the pres about the lights....if not then I wouldn't worry about it.  I have white 'christmas' lights up on the back of my house that we use in the summer when we swim at night.  I like the look of pretty white twinkly(sp?) lights so that wouldn't bother me.  If they were the colored ones then I would think it would be weird but it wouldn't bother me cause really its not my yard so its not my say.

[amysezsmile]

I doubt we live in the same area (I'm in Canada) but here, if emergency personnel cannot find your home in in an emergency (barring a house engulfed in flames lol they could find that) you can be fined to hindering their efforts.  Your property address must be visible. So, put your house number over a strand of your garden lights and tell people it's to make sure police, fire, ambulance can find you in an emergency

[flowrsgalore]

Sounds passive aggressive to me.  This person may have some issues.  I might take a walk around the neighborhood at night & just see how visible they really are.  Or maybe if you really like em then hey, no need to worry about it.

[KenneMaw]

Totally agree with teh majority here - ignore the note.  Believe me, I know it is difficult to do, but let it all go.  We do not have an HOA, but that doesn't prevent some neighbors from being difficult and bothersome.   there is a difference between Christmas lights and what I call 'twinkle' lights that people use in teh summer months.  I love them.  One house near us has them above their drive, crisscrossing and it looks great!  Like you, they are in the back of a wooded lot and the lights makes their home very welcoming and easy to find :-)  Keep shining!!

[Mrs.Kubalabuku]

Sounds like someone needs to mind their own business.  It IS trendy where I live atm.  White Christmas lights are cheap and simple for a quick fix lighting issue.  I've seen them used at weddings, BBQs, graduation parties, birthdays, and for every day!

And you said you are using garden lights, not Xmas lights, so I don't see what the big deal is.

I suppose you could go about this in a few different ways.

Ignore the note.  If they are such a coward they have to leave a note, then I doubt they'll pursue anything further.  If you are not part of a homeowners association then they can't do anything legally, anyways.
Put up a cute sign in the yard that says "They are garden lights, ty for the concern."
Go all out, bust out the fake Xmas tree with full trim, buy some of those crazy inflatable snowmen, Santas, etc, and leave it all up until  Xmas, at

at which point you put up your Halloween decorations.

[JSVDP]

I LOVE garden lights. I think they add to the back yard and give enough light when you are outside at night. I think whoever put the note on your door is just one of those kind of people who have their panties in a twist and need something to complain about.

[kelliehelvie]

not tacky!

[Kiki7808]

its your house so you can do what your want.. the only way you cant is if you have a HOA which has rules against it but you would get a letter from them about it, so im assuming you dont. if you like it keep it, they can turn there heads in the other direction if it bother them so much. 

[ZsMommy]

Quoting GlockMom:

It might be "trendy" but trendy doesn't mean it doesn't look tacky.

I wouldn't call it tacky-this is Boathouse row in Philadelphia (below)-and the houses look beautiful at night

To each their own- But it's white lights (considered classy)-not beer bottle winchchimes for pete's sake.