Absentee neighbors new street lights

[linrick1]

Across and up the road a bit from our house is a camp that in the ten years we have lived here has remained unused and virtually unmaintained. It is an eyesore and does nothing but diminish the value and enjoyment of our own property. They have always had two, yes two, streetlights on their property, with one of them less than 100 feet from our bedroom window. They were older fixtures, not too bright and after a chat with a line crew they blacked out the side of the light that was shining on our house and all was good. That was ten years ago. Two months ago while I was at work the town replaced the fixtures with newer, much brighter high efficiency units and I came home to what looked to be a night game at Fenway - you could read a book by the light entering through our bedroom window....I was not pleased. So I made a shade out of an old plant container that blocked our half of the lamp, stuck it on with some two sided tape and all was good. That was until last week when I came home and the shade was gone....whole place lit up again. I could tell by the tracks in the snow that it had to have been line crew so I called down to the light plant to see why they had removed the shade and what I could do about these nuisance lights. Here is where I start to get really bent out of shape.....turns out the old plant manger had retired in July and had been replaced by this young politician in the making named Michael. I ask him what we can do about the situation and he tells me that the neighbors can have as many lights as they want, accused me of vandalizing the light fixtures, trespassing, in his opinion the lights were not too bright and I should get some light blocking window shades, he was not concerned with the fact the camp was virtually abandoned and advised me that I would be subject to a lawsuit should anyone be injured on the property.
It's not just the light in the bedroom window, its the fact that these lights are so bright that they diminish our ability to see the stars, the moon reflecting off the pond, the silhouette of the trees........all the stuff you live in the woods for and I resent the fact that I apparently have no recourse other than to plant a bunch of arborvitaes and deal with the light pollution. Michael will be of no help, he is of the newer generation that fills in forms and check the little boxes and regurgitates the laws and regulations - and as he told me several times, he doesn't look at stars out his bedroom window.

 

[mikim]

I had a light like that ... next door ...nobody lived there. I can't imagine how - but evidently some hunter accidentally shot the darn thing out.....hmmmm....New neighbors moved in - but they love the night stars as much as I do - so no light.

 

[Thomas]

Why didn't you talk to owner first before taking action?

 

[oldballs]

I with you on the issue. But don't have an answer. I've considered shooting out some such intrusions, but never did. Most of my neighbors live here without lights, or fences for that matter. It seems like the more trashy the place the more lights and bad dogs appear.

 

[davesl708]

In my town empty property must be maintained the same as inhabited property. Research your local laws. Have a talk with the owner of the property and ask them to have the lights removed or press for then to have to pay to fix up the place. Pocket books talk loudest.

 

[dusty3030]

22 rifle, poker face and perseverance

 

[dave1949]

It's a property rights and pollution issue. Many areas are or have adopted light pollution ordinances. Michael is probably only concerned with the monthly revenue, and ultimately it's the owner of the camp and yard lights that is impinging on your property rights.

Actually, given the emerging research on light pollution and its environmental impact, I wouldn't even say the owner has the absolute right to light up his own property as he wishes, let alone your property.

A light pollution ordinance in your town is the ultimate resolution. If you have Town Meeting local government, talk to the Selectmen and get the details on creating an ordinance, and getting it on the meeting warrant for a vote. I think the general consensus and knowledge about light pollution is moving in a helpful direction.

All of that takes time of course. Short of talking to the owner to get the light(s) turned off, I don't have any lawful suggestions.

 

[linrick1]

Why didn't you talk to owner first before taking action?

Hi Thomas. The owners of this property reside in New Jersey and are here so infrequently that I have been unable to discuss this with them directly. I have spoken with the only other neighbor also affected by these lights and who has lived here for longer than I have. He has talked to the owner regarding the lights, as well as the condition of the property, on several occasions over the course of many years and has been dismissed out of hand, being told that the lights were required for "security", and that the condition of their property was none of his concern.

 

[dave1949]

Hi Thomas. The owners of this property reside in New Jersey and are here so infrequently that I have been unable to discuss this with them directly. I have spoken with the only other neighbor also affected by these lights and who has lived here for longer than I have. He has talked to the owner regarding the lights, as well as the condition of the property, on several occasions over the course of many years and has been dismissed out of hand, being told that the lights were required for "security", and that the condition of their property was none of his concern.

Not a very nice neighbor.

 

[meos1]

In my town empty property must be maintained the same as inhabited property. Research your local laws. Have a talk with the owner of the property and ask them to have the lights removed or press for then to have to pay to fix up the place. Pocket books talk loudest.

That sounds like a prudent course of action. The arbovitae sound good as well. Good fences, make good neighbors.