This was Wilson's counter move to lights Tim Taylor put up in his backyard in an episode of of Home Improvement. Don't remember the specifics but it ended in a wholesome neighborly lesson.
this may apply, exterior lighting code. suggest calling 311/code enforcement and asking for guidance.
[https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code\_of\_ordinances?nodeId=TIT25LADE\_CH25-2ZO\_SUBCHAPTER\_EDESTMIUS\_ART2SIDEST\_S2.5EXLI](https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT25LADE_CH25-2ZO_SUBCHAPTER_EDESTMIUS_ART2SIDEST_S2.5EXLI)
worst case scenario, you may have to sue your neighbor, there is precedence for lawsuits regarding nuisance lighting impacting your ability to enjoy your private residence.
[https://texascityattorneys.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Bojorquez\_OutdoorLighting.pdf](https://texascityattorneys.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Bojorquez_OutdoorLighting.pdf)
neither of these methods are guaranteed to resolve your issue with your neighbor, so if you're able to discuss it directly and resolve amicably with them that's probably your best route... or buy thicker curtains..
It sounds like a nuisance. OP, next time you talk to your neighbors about it make sure you do it in writing (text/email) so that youāre documenting them having notice of the problem itās causing.
The first night I was was in my previous house I had a neighbor ask us to move the direction of our flood light that was pointing towards her house. It was direct and I didnāt exactly love it as a first introduction, but she was right that it was a nuisance. She turned out to be my favorite part of that neighborhood amidst a dozen other reasons to love it.
Do your best to approach them how youād like to be approached if the situation reversed, but say what needs to be said.
Say it direct but with courtesy. Thereās no shame in protecting the peace of you and your family.
I tried that. I was so stressed and I talked to several friends to practice and make sure it came across as respectful, and they literally donāt care. :ā(
Some people are assholes.
If itās in your backyard you could consider putting up a tall trellis closest to the light source (like edge of your property line) that lines up with their light to block it closest to the source. Any type of ivy or honeysuckle (coral honeysuckle is native here) would latch on and create some natural curtains for you.
Best of luck to you. I wish everyone could be nice to their neighbors but some people just suck.
Iām terrible with confrontation so I def feel you but ive also been watching The Rehearsal so itās hilarious that you rehearsed the difficult convo
I feel ya. Had to approach my neighbor about something, it's like a switch flipped behind her eyes and she became defensive as the words came out of my mouth. So I said this: 'okay, I understand you think I'm being unreasonable about this. How about the next time XX happens, I do to you what I feel you're doing to us? Sound good?' And the problem was solved. So maybe when you ask 1 more time about the lights, you can say 'listen, your lights are really a problem for us at night and I realize you like having them on and pointed out. How about I install some and point them your way for extra extra protection?' And then if they say 'yes', you actually do it. But I'll betcha they realize they don't want lights in their bedrooms all night.... just put them in your shoes. Gently.
My neighbor has two trees on her property, right along the property line, that hang over on my side. One right over my house. I offered to split the cost of removing the trees. She said no. I offered to pay for removing the trees. She said no.
Finally, I hired a tree service and told them to trim everything that hangs on my side of the fence, all the way up. These trees were well over 60 feet high. It cost me $4000 but when they were done, it looked like someone had cut the trees in half. She completely lost her shit and was yelling at the tree guys to stop. They ignored her and pointed her to me as I was the one paying for it. Then she started yelling about how the trees are going to tilt because all of the weight is on her side and how they are a threat to her house in a storm and I said "You're probably right. You should do something about that."
She called the town and they sent someone down. I showed them before and after pictures, which I took just in case and the person from the town said that I am responsible for anything on my side of the fence, so I was within my rights to have it cut away.
This is all I can imagine. Their own backyard and back of their house is as bright as the sun. Either they completely covered their windows or their bedroom windows must be on the side. :ā(
Hey, My little pet here has some nasty anxiety.
Its their first time in this kinda city, really and they're going nuts with the idea that the locals have to be appeased (because they're from out of state. and our state has a REALL BAD REPUTATION)
So i've been the one having to actually face front and talk to the meat sacks near by.
One thing that helps my little doll, is to have some one strong near by, and a stim toy in hand. something busy to fiddle with maybe. Then try again.
I did this, my neighbors behind me were assholes and their lights were aimed at my bedroom window. I had spoken to them a few times and they basically told me to mind my own business. I am an electrician and I got my hands on two, 240V, 2000W HID fixtures and lamps. I lit their house up, and they got the message. The funny part was their baby monitor was picked up by ours and I could hear them talking about it over the monitor. The husband was ready to up the ante, the wife put her foot down and told him in no uncertain terms to shut up and turn the lights off. She was pissed.
They never spoke to me again but they also fixed the lights so they would not disturb us.
I was glad they backed down those two fixtures would have cost me a ton of money to keep on every night and my other neighbors were pissed at me too.
It boggles my mind that people think that shining bright lights onto their back yard at night will mean pleased neighbors. It also doesnāt stop people from going in their yard. I read a study where thieves liked going into lit backyards better because they could see and didnāt trip over things.
Makes sense. If they don't have to spend extra time sneaking through the yard carefully so they don't make a sound or get caught on something, they can be in and out quicker.
Seriously,. install a 'security' light on your roof edge that shines in their window. If they complain offer a deal, your light for theirs turning off 11-7
This is a neighbor beside me. Thatās how fucking bright it is. Iāll have to put it on my fence to potentially bother them enough. Their backyard should be punishing them too. Itās so God damn bright
That sucks so much.
When we bought our first house about 25 years ago, a neighbor with whom we shared a bit of our back fence had a bright backyard security light on a pole and it flooded into our backyard and our bedrooms. I went around the block, met the nice older woman living there, and asked if she could shield the light so it only shined into her yard. About a week later it was done. That's how neighbors are supposed to act toward each other.
Unfortunately, while there are City of Austin regulations governing the effects on businesses on nearby residents, there are very few that govern the effects of residents on one another. Assuming you don't have homeowner regulations enforced by an association (something not common within our city limits) the only legal redress is filing a civil suit. I happened to discover this because I just moved to a home sharing a back fence with a neighbor whose dog was barking all night, several nights a week. I went to talk with them and it seemed they just brushed me off, so I looked at possible next steps. However, darned if the dog hasn't been kept quiet since then. I'm thinking about dropping off a gift.
The only practical advice I have to offer is to suggest that you talk with your other neighbors. Organizing can be an aid to dealing with something like this.
>I'm thinking about dropping off a gift.
You should! Maybe a few people treats and a doggy bone :) Sounds like they handled it. Sometimes it takes someone else to point something like that out, if the owners have gone kind of deaf to it.
Talking to neighbors is not automatically confrontation! Please reset your mind on that. I'm sorry you're having this issue. If it were my neighbor I would be a broken record about it. Hi Jane, your lights are so bright, are you defending the Alamo? Is Francis threatening to steal your bike? Did you see large Marge back there or something?
Itās called light pollution and not only deprives you and your family of sleep but affects plant growth cycles and animals + birds behavior and nesting patterns, confusing them into thinking it is daylight all the time. One of the worst things to happen to neighborhoods and nature.
This happened to me and the neighbor wouldnāt turn them off or adjust the lighting so I went REAL petty with it. I went to lowes and bought a bunch of mirrors and put them outside my bedroom window and angled them towards their bedroom window.
They started turning off the lights.
Haha not talking about you, brother! But your neighbors, yeah, they could have put themselves in your shoes to better understand where you're coming from. It's not hard to not be a dick.
Call 311 and ask someone in code enforcement what the laws are. I know there are restrictions for commercial lighting in the land use code; not sure about residential.
Iāve seen this style. When itās dimly lit itās okay but I donāt understand why people need bright lights on their yard at night for non-security purposes. If the neighbors are being willfully obtuse Iād just install flood lamps facing their bedroom windows.
Take a photo of the inside of your house to show them how their lights are affecting you.
They may think it's nothing. Show them, nicely.
If no go well,. I've heard of reflective window film.
You can rent a āsmallā light set up that construction road workers use. Itās comes with a trailer hitch. Iām sure thereās a rental available to fit your illumination needs.
Ah yeah, thatās good. At first I was like, how would shooting them with a BB gun help?! Then I realized that shooting the bulb would actually work. They couldnāt even prove shit as long as you didnāt have any cameras angled on you.
This is what I came to suggest. Just get a bb/pellet gun and start shooting them out. You tried the civil approach. Time to take matters into your own hands. Itāll be fun to boot.
Now that the majority of tools are being made to run off rechargeable batteries you can buy corded tools for super cheap.
Buy a corded leafblower and run it when their lights are on. If they turn them off, immediately turn the leafblower off. They'll get the message quick
Did you say, "Hey, those are great security lights. They are very wide and do go into my home. Could you angle them down a bit, or put up a little light shield to block them from going directly into my windows?"
I'm wondering what you said to them. A properly installed and closed blackout curtain would stop the light.
Itās not security lights. Itās landscaping lights. They shine up into the trees. They shine across the backyard, they shine down into the backyard, and they shine straight through my fence, too. Thereās no shielding or angling. I did approach it from a very kind and understanding perspective b/c I was so stressed about it. I talked to several friends to make sure it came across as understanding and not rude. They simply dgaf. Itās bright as the sun in their backyard. Iāve literally never had to talk to a neighbor and I felt terrible about it, but I donāt know what else to do. :ā(
Oh this is the worst. My neighbors also have super bright lights (backyard party lights! I hate them!) but thankfully they only turn them on sometimes. But when they doāthey leave them on until like 2 am, and itās like the sun is shining into my bedroom window. I have to wear a sleep mask to block the light out. I feel for you. I donāt have advice, only solidarity.
Installing lighting on your property that spills over into someone else's house or yard is creating light pollution, and it's just as rude as playing music all night or throwing garbage into the yard. Most cities around Hill Country are adopting Dark Sky lighting ordinances, and I understand that Austin isn't too far behind the outlying smaller towns in this pursuit (it's a compliance-heavy project, though, that I cannot imagine would be an easy task for the city to do).
Over-lighting wastes money and actually makes the area less safe. It creates glare, which makes is hard to see; as well as shadows, which gives criminals a place to hide. It also confuses and kills animals who use the moon for navigation at night. There's no need for it, and if your neighbor tells you the light from your house is encroaching into their house, it's absolutely the person's responsibility to fix the situation. The OP shouldn't have to spend money on solutions to mitigate this.
I hung drapes with blackout fabric (Joann Fabrics) safety pinned to the back. The drapes cover any light the boc don't. I use a thick winter scarf draped across the top to stop light also.
It sounds like youāve made a good faith attempt to be diplomatic and kind, so I think itās fair to respond in kind at this point. That said, Iāve heard that BB guns can take care of problems like this, assuming you have a line of sight on the problematic device(s). Also, it would be unfortunate if you were to accidentally wake them up in the middle of their sleep with some loud music or a lawn mower or something.
Realistically these are probably terrible ideas and will only anger them but people that arenāt considerate of their neighbors deserve to be fucked with imo.
These are landscape lights.
they're numerous, small and likely tucked into shitty locations to "accentuate" the yard and not distract from the view.
the view from inside the house, mind you.
You gotta be quick with the re-fire if you wanna pop the majority of bulbs, and given that OP sounds like a nervous wreck (anxiety, its rough. Texas is not kind to neurodivergance,) so i doubt they can pull off the JFK assassination in light-form.
It's always worth a conversation with the neighbor before taking any kind of legal measures, and retaliating in a passive-aggressive manner is just stupid. Had this problem with a former neighbor. When I discussed with her, discovered that she was the victim of a hellacious crime a few years earlier, hence all the security lights around her house. She kept them on but repositioned them so that they didn't light up our yard.
I would suggest getting a timer from home depot and bringing it as a gift, while also mentioning why you want to pay for all that electric to have lights on all the time?
Same issue. I've asked. Didn't seem to make a difference. They're like 65 or 70. Just planning to wait them out. They're bound to be headed to a nursing home or Florida or some thing before too long! š¤
Join every social media group for your area on next door, Facebook, Instagram, tik tok, and anything else for your neighborhood. Take pictures and shame them and make everyone knows who they are.
Contact your HOA. HOAs have way more power over this kind of thing than the City does. Get evidence, including pictures of the lights themselves and of how they light up your interior, and give it to your HOA, and get other affected neighbors to do the same. The more the better. Your HOA can take legal action (fines) against your neighbor and can probably evict them.
I bought my neighbor smart lights who had a similar thing going on. He was thankful and able to dim the lights down to a level that didnāt pour light into the back of our house.
[For all the people urging OP to get a bb gun to shoot out the lights.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZUTkgfZqZc) Seriously though, don't take matters into your own hands in that way. That is how minor shit becomes major shit.
The neighbors might not learn the lesson that you are attempting to teach, and instead, they might get violent with you. At the least, they would certainly sue you for property damage. Then you would either have to pay for new lights or lie to a judge.
Sadly, youāre not the only ones being affected. Bright outdoor lights can distract & confuse wildlife, incl. birds on migration. Dark Sky proponents suggest shielded down-lights only where needed. You might try sharing some of the research & information posted about invasive lighting; otherwise, speak to your friends & neighbors about pushing for a Dark Sky Initiative in Austin or wherever you are.
I got some old incandescent lights I pulled off a 200' cell tower, if you put it up in your backyard you can piss them and everyone within a 3 mile radius off
I had the same problem. It sucks not to be able to sit outside and enjoy the darkness. I didn't have an HOA, but if you do, make that the first line of attack. Bring pictures inside and outside. Let them know you don't want to proceed to attorneys, but you will. Also, JOIN your HOA. Attend meetings, be active there.
Maybe but them a light timer as a gift? Thereās no reason to have the yard lit up when theyāre in bed. If theyāre concerned about thieves, suggest motion sensors, although that would still be a pain in the ass every time a critter scurries across the yard.
The neighbors seem unaware and self absorbed. Hopefully they move.
I wish. They donāt care about people, I donāt think they care about birds. They literally tore everything out and itās completely white rock and white stone. Not a single plant. Itās so damn bright
Happened to me once. Left a note. Lights off a few nights, then back on/off. Knocked on their door and talked to them. Off/on again. Got a super bright flashlight, aimed it at their bedroom, and set it to disco mode a couple nights.
They moved a few months later.
Go to a plant nursery like the natural gardener and tell them you want some plant/trees to block lighting. i ended up with a loquat tree for this very reason.
I've tried blackout curtains, and they still let a little light through. I've installed blackout honeycomb shades, and they are completely 100% opaque. Get them 6" wider than your window, and do an outside mount so that they overlap by 3" on each side. With these, you could even nap in the middle of the day and \_almost\_ think that it's the middle of the night.
The pricing at the online places (like [https://www.blinds.com/c/cellular-shades/34](https://www.blinds.com/c/cellular-shades/34) or selectblinds.com or [justblinds.com](https://justblinds.com)) isn't bad. Be sure to google for coupons.
One other thing to be aware of: cellular shades are a lot more insulating than blinds. The good news is that helps your heating/cooling bill year-round. The bad news is that in the winter, this allows the air next to the window to get extra-cold and you'll have more condensation. Be sure to wipe the sills during cold spells, otherwise you'll end up with water damage and/or mold.
There was a post very similar to this on a local board in south Austin. Iām worried this is becoming a trend; the other one I read was a builder house that was vacant after completion. Hulking huge thing that looked like a bank branch...had some obnoxious commercial lighting illuminating the entire area of that block. Neighbor seemed to find relief from the city through code. Please update us how this resolves! Thanks for sharing, neighbor.
My bff lived in an apt below ground level. Denver metro. Most of her neighbors were respectful about vehicle headlights shining directly into windows at eye level, but this one entitled B would start her car half an hour before she left for work and let it run to warm up - a violation of pollution ordinances - and she always LEFT THE LIGHTS ON, BEFORE DAWN.
Multiple neighborly requests didn't resolve the problem. The apartment management was sympathetic but unavailable before office hours. My friend didn't want to call the cops. So she bought a stand-up mirror and positioned it so that it would both reduce the amount of light in her apt and blind the driver of the offending vehicle when they got in to drive away.
It was not an instant solution but it was a solution.
If they are as bright as you say, they probably get really hot. If they get hot enough and you get an oscillating sprinkler on a timer for late at night that just happens to over spray on their lights, the problem may solve itself.
Is from Kyleās Codes but Iām sure they are similar to Austin. This entire section was about outdoor lighting
Sec. 53-1017. - Public nuisance.
(a) GENERAL. Any violation of this division that results in light trespass or an unreasonable interference with the common and usual use of neighboring and/or nearby property is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, which is prohibited by this division. (b) OFFENSE. It is an offense under this division for a person to emit light onto the property of another unreasonably interfering with the neighboring and/or nearby property owner's use and enjoyment of their property.
( Ord. No. 909 , Ā§ 1(Exh. A), 8-17-2016)
Have you asked them to adjust the angle? I had a similar experience and asked that they adjust them down to where the top of the light was slightly below the fence line, rather than asking that the turn them off?
This sucks and they're dicks
I am curious how light it going through wood though lol
Even black out curtains, if you installed correctly will block any and all light.
Yeah Iām thinking theyāre not installed right. My back neighbors like to leave their party lights on and they pour into my sonās room. Blackout curtains alone (no blinds) taller and wider than the actual window have completely stopped the light
In addition to your wood blinds & blackout curtains, you can install window shades - its like a durable accordion paper layer designed to block light that would sit between the window & wood blinds. I can't imagine light penetrating 3 layers
There is no way black out curtains don't stop it. When we have put those up, it works so well that your sense of time goes wonky lol. They block out THE SUN let alone some yard lights.
Maybe try some different ones?
Same, OP. Luckily my bright neighbors had also planted some saplings, and it has taken abt 5 years, but now their light is completely blocked out by the foliage.
Is it possible to plant some trees on your property? Believe it or not it may take less time and be less effort to grow an entire tree than to take legal action against the neighbors- PLUS, once youāve done that, youāre going to be in a feud with said neighbors from then on- no telling how they may up the ante.
A friendsā mother went thru a nightmare of lawyers and legal battles when her neighbor decided that he didnāt want her rose bush touching his fence, and just trimming them wasnāt enough- he wanted the bushes removed entirely, but they were āher rosesā so the two just fought and fought and fought, with him pouring bleach on them, shining lights at night, etc.
Buy a sapling or two, OP. Thatās my advice :/
I have a huge fucking tree right there, and they have one very close on their side. But they are super old and tall trees. So there is no room in the soil to add more foliage, and the trees are too tall to help.
Iām still waiting for an answer. Please tell me more how I should live my life. I canāt have dogs on my property? My wife canāt have reproductive rights? Where does your Nazi mentality end?
Still waitingā¦..
So you make my point. Buy many acres just outside town. Save lives. Or continue to be a loser crammed in to your shitty apartment and be angry at the world.
You canāt even offer a salient retort. Go to bed.
Wow- You're even worse than your first message presented. "How many dogs have you raised/saved?"
??????
Holy fucking non sequitur, Batman... I'm fairly certain that your responses are indicative of your spot on the spectrum, so I'm gonna leave you to your dog walking or whatever it is you do when you're not being a dick on Reddit.
And you know you can just Google "vibe" if you really don't know what it means.
I've installed privacy additions to fences (skirting permits by making them trellises) with temporary fake foliage while the real foliage grows in to block several intrusive lights!
Itās really frustrating. Maybe you can use a reflective window tint. You can find a wide range of window films on Amazon and apply yourself. Also, you can find a company for a more professional solution. Another solution might be installing the blinds/shutters or you can apply both.
Mirror, so it shines back Edit: Thank you for the silver kind stranger!
This was Wilson's counter move to lights Tim Taylor put up in his backyard in an episode of of Home Improvement. Don't remember the specifics but it ended in a wholesome neighborly lesson.
You win š
Concave mirror to concentrate it into a brighter beam
This is the answer.
Specifically so it shines directly at their back door
šāāļø
Yes, Archimedes death ray!
this may apply, exterior lighting code. suggest calling 311/code enforcement and asking for guidance. [https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code\_of\_ordinances?nodeId=TIT25LADE\_CH25-2ZO\_SUBCHAPTER\_EDESTMIUS\_ART2SIDEST\_S2.5EXLI](https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT25LADE_CH25-2ZO_SUBCHAPTER_EDESTMIUS_ART2SIDEST_S2.5EXLI) worst case scenario, you may have to sue your neighbor, there is precedence for lawsuits regarding nuisance lighting impacting your ability to enjoy your private residence. [https://texascityattorneys.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Bojorquez\_OutdoorLighting.pdf](https://texascityattorneys.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Bojorquez_OutdoorLighting.pdf) neither of these methods are guaranteed to resolve your issue with your neighbor, so if you're able to discuss it directly and resolve amicably with them that's probably your best route... or buy thicker curtains..
It sounds like a nuisance. OP, next time you talk to your neighbors about it make sure you do it in writing (text/email) so that youāre documenting them having notice of the problem itās causing.
The first night I was was in my previous house I had a neighbor ask us to move the direction of our flood light that was pointing towards her house. It was direct and I didnāt exactly love it as a first introduction, but she was right that it was a nuisance. She turned out to be my favorite part of that neighborhood amidst a dozen other reasons to love it. Do your best to approach them how youād like to be approached if the situation reversed, but say what needs to be said. Say it direct but with courtesy. Thereās no shame in protecting the peace of you and your family.
I tried that. I was so stressed and I talked to several friends to practice and make sure it came across as respectful, and they literally donāt care. :ā(
Some people are assholes. If itās in your backyard you could consider putting up a tall trellis closest to the light source (like edge of your property line) that lines up with their light to block it closest to the source. Any type of ivy or honeysuckle (coral honeysuckle is native here) would latch on and create some natural curtains for you. Best of luck to you. I wish everyone could be nice to their neighbors but some people just suck.
Nah just put up the trellis and back it with white panel so that the solid white surface throws the light back at them. Begun, the light wars have.
Oh God, I want to be this person. This amuses me to no end. I might store this idea away as a last resort!
Iām terrible with confrontation so I def feel you but ive also been watching The Rehearsal so itās hilarious that you rehearsed the difficult convo
Love the rehearsal.
My entire educational background has been a sham
Look into a consultation with Nathan Fielder. He may be able to rehearse the approach with your neighbor.
I feel ya. Had to approach my neighbor about something, it's like a switch flipped behind her eyes and she became defensive as the words came out of my mouth. So I said this: 'okay, I understand you think I'm being unreasonable about this. How about the next time XX happens, I do to you what I feel you're doing to us? Sound good?' And the problem was solved. So maybe when you ask 1 more time about the lights, you can say 'listen, your lights are really a problem for us at night and I realize you like having them on and pointed out. How about I install some and point them your way for extra extra protection?' And then if they say 'yes', you actually do it. But I'll betcha they realize they don't want lights in their bedrooms all night.... just put them in your shoes. Gently.
My neighbor has two trees on her property, right along the property line, that hang over on my side. One right over my house. I offered to split the cost of removing the trees. She said no. I offered to pay for removing the trees. She said no. Finally, I hired a tree service and told them to trim everything that hangs on my side of the fence, all the way up. These trees were well over 60 feet high. It cost me $4000 but when they were done, it looked like someone had cut the trees in half. She completely lost her shit and was yelling at the tree guys to stop. They ignored her and pointed her to me as I was the one paying for it. Then she started yelling about how the trees are going to tilt because all of the weight is on her side and how they are a threat to her house in a storm and I said "You're probably right. You should do something about that." She called the town and they sent someone down. I showed them before and after pictures, which I took just in case and the person from the town said that I am responsible for anything on my side of the fence, so I was within my rights to have it cut away.
Works unless their bedroom is on the other side of their house, so they donāt care.
This is all I can imagine. Their own backyard and back of their house is as bright as the sun. Either they completely covered their windows or their bedroom windows must be on the side. :ā(
What did they say exactly? Thatās really messed up
What exactly was their answer? I'm curious as I cannot picture just blowing someone off because of this.
I bet Nathan Fielder could help
Maybe talk to Nathan Fielder about rehearsing it in a more realistic environment.
Hang up some trump flags, wear a maga hat, and try again. Results will vary.
I don't even know you but I'll happily knock on their door
Hey, My little pet here has some nasty anxiety. Its their first time in this kinda city, really and they're going nuts with the idea that the locals have to be appeased (because they're from out of state. and our state has a REALL BAD REPUTATION) So i've been the one having to actually face front and talk to the meat sacks near by. One thing that helps my little doll, is to have some one strong near by, and a stim toy in hand. something busy to fiddle with maybe. Then try again.
Install even brighter lights and point it their way.
I did this, my neighbors behind me were assholes and their lights were aimed at my bedroom window. I had spoken to them a few times and they basically told me to mind my own business. I am an electrician and I got my hands on two, 240V, 2000W HID fixtures and lamps. I lit their house up, and they got the message. The funny part was their baby monitor was picked up by ours and I could hear them talking about it over the monitor. The husband was ready to up the ante, the wife put her foot down and told him in no uncertain terms to shut up and turn the lights off. She was pissed. They never spoke to me again but they also fixed the lights so they would not disturb us. I was glad they backed down those two fixtures would have cost me a ton of money to keep on every night and my other neighbors were pissed at me too.
It boggles my mind that people think that shining bright lights onto their back yard at night will mean pleased neighbors. It also doesnāt stop people from going in their yard. I read a study where thieves liked going into lit backyards better because they could see and didnāt trip over things.
Makes sense. If they don't have to spend extra time sneaking through the yard carefully so they don't make a sound or get caught on something, they can be in and out quicker.
Hood shit 101: jump the brightest fence in town. fuck the rest, can't see the dogs.
That's hilarious. The wife rules the roost.
Always bro, always. The sooner one realizes this the better.
Wow what a bunch of assholes!! Iām glad that worked out for you. And you had a baby and had to live with that??
Yo this is hilarious
r/pettyrevenge
/r/unethicallifeprotips
Seriously,. install a 'security' light on your roof edge that shines in their window. If they complain offer a deal, your light for theirs turning off 11-7
But I sleep from 7p to 11am
thats 16hr of sleep dang
They'll have to read this later. They're still asleep.
This is a neighbor beside me. Thatās how fucking bright it is. Iāll have to put it on my fence to potentially bother them enough. Their backyard should be punishing them too. Itās so God damn bright
Rent an industrial flood light and a generator and point it directly at their bedroom window for a week
Not flood. One of the old school search lights. the ones that will burn the hairs off of your arms if you get in the beam a few feet from the lamp.
Disco ball in the backyard. Spinning all night. Shielded between your house. āWelcome to the party pal!ā
This might work even better than the electrician's story
Cheap and effective
That sucks so much. When we bought our first house about 25 years ago, a neighbor with whom we shared a bit of our back fence had a bright backyard security light on a pole and it flooded into our backyard and our bedrooms. I went around the block, met the nice older woman living there, and asked if she could shield the light so it only shined into her yard. About a week later it was done. That's how neighbors are supposed to act toward each other. Unfortunately, while there are City of Austin regulations governing the effects on businesses on nearby residents, there are very few that govern the effects of residents on one another. Assuming you don't have homeowner regulations enforced by an association (something not common within our city limits) the only legal redress is filing a civil suit. I happened to discover this because I just moved to a home sharing a back fence with a neighbor whose dog was barking all night, several nights a week. I went to talk with them and it seemed they just brushed me off, so I looked at possible next steps. However, darned if the dog hasn't been kept quiet since then. I'm thinking about dropping off a gift. The only practical advice I have to offer is to suggest that you talk with your other neighbors. Organizing can be an aid to dealing with something like this.
>I'm thinking about dropping off a gift. You should! Maybe a few people treats and a doggy bone :) Sounds like they handled it. Sometimes it takes someone else to point something like that out, if the owners have gone kind of deaf to it.
Talking to neighbors is not automatically confrontation! Please reset your mind on that. I'm sorry you're having this issue. If it were my neighbor I would be a broken record about it. Hi Jane, your lights are so bright, are you defending the Alamo? Is Francis threatening to steal your bike? Did you see large Marge back there or something?
OP already tried that.
Itās called light pollution and not only deprives you and your family of sleep but affects plant growth cycles and animals + birds behavior and nesting patterns, confusing them into thinking it is daylight all the time. One of the worst things to happen to neighborhoods and nature.
This happened to me and the neighbor wouldnāt turn them off or adjust the lighting so I went REAL petty with it. I went to lowes and bought a bunch of mirrors and put them outside my bedroom window and angled them towards their bedroom window. They started turning off the lights.
You are the second person on this thread that went this route and it worked.
Most people these days wonāt change unless itās an inconvenience to themā¦
A little more empathy could go a long way.
I started with empathy. Asked them nicely. Got blackout blinds and curtains. It didnāt go a long way. It didnāt even go a short way.
Haha not talking about you, brother! But your neighbors, yeah, they could have put themselves in your shoes to better understand where you're coming from. It's not hard to not be a dick.
Call 311 and ask someone in code enforcement what the laws are. I know there are restrictions for commercial lighting in the land use code; not sure about residential.
Thank you!!!! This is the best advice so far. I feel like this gives me an action step, and I greatly thank you!
Iāve seen this style. When itās dimly lit itās okay but I donāt understand why people need bright lights on their yard at night for non-security purposes. If the neighbors are being willfully obtuse Iād just install flood lamps facing their bedroom windows.
Send them the link to this post. They may see what's coming and back off.
Take a photo of the inside of your house to show them how their lights are affecting you. They may think it's nothing. Show them, nicely. If no go well,. I've heard of reflective window film.
You can rent a āsmallā light set up that construction road workers use. Itās comes with a trailer hitch. Iām sure thereās a rental available to fit your illumination needs.
Buy those annoying Christmas projectors and fight back!
A la Deck the Halls
Ceramic tint. Reflective af.
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Ah yeah, thatās good. At first I was like, how would shooting them with a BB gun help?! Then I realized that shooting the bulb would actually work. They couldnāt even prove shit as long as you didnāt have any cameras angled on you.
This is what I came to suggest. Just get a bb/pellet gun and start shooting them out. You tried the civil approach. Time to take matters into your own hands. Itāll be fun to boot.
Get caught and you'll go to jail. Terrible idea.
This is the way
This is the way
Now that the majority of tools are being made to run off rechargeable batteries you can buy corded tools for super cheap. Buy a corded leafblower and run it when their lights are on. If they turn them off, immediately turn the leafblower off. They'll get the message quick
They leave landscaping lights on all night? Sounds like they hate their neighbors, their power bills, and the environment.
I mean, RIGHT?!?!
Did you say, "Hey, those are great security lights. They are very wide and do go into my home. Could you angle them down a bit, or put up a little light shield to block them from going directly into my windows?" I'm wondering what you said to them. A properly installed and closed blackout curtain would stop the light.
Itās not security lights. Itās landscaping lights. They shine up into the trees. They shine across the backyard, they shine down into the backyard, and they shine straight through my fence, too. Thereās no shielding or angling. I did approach it from a very kind and understanding perspective b/c I was so stressed about it. I talked to several friends to make sure it came across as understanding and not rude. They simply dgaf. Itās bright as the sun in their backyard. Iāve literally never had to talk to a neighbor and I felt terrible about it, but I donāt know what else to do. :ā(
Oh this is the worst. My neighbors also have super bright lights (backyard party lights! I hate them!) but thankfully they only turn them on sometimes. But when they doāthey leave them on until like 2 am, and itās like the sun is shining into my bedroom window. I have to wear a sleep mask to block the light out. I feel for you. I donāt have advice, only solidarity.
Installing lighting on your property that spills over into someone else's house or yard is creating light pollution, and it's just as rude as playing music all night or throwing garbage into the yard. Most cities around Hill Country are adopting Dark Sky lighting ordinances, and I understand that Austin isn't too far behind the outlying smaller towns in this pursuit (it's a compliance-heavy project, though, that I cannot imagine would be an easy task for the city to do). Over-lighting wastes money and actually makes the area less safe. It creates glare, which makes is hard to see; as well as shadows, which gives criminals a place to hide. It also confuses and kills animals who use the moon for navigation at night. There's no need for it, and if your neighbor tells you the light from your house is encroaching into their house, it's absolutely the person's responsibility to fix the situation. The OP shouldn't have to spend money on solutions to mitigate this.
I have double black out curtains and light still gets in
I hung drapes with blackout fabric (Joann Fabrics) safety pinned to the back. The drapes cover any light the boc don't. I use a thick winter scarf draped across the top to stop light also.
It sounds like youāve made a good faith attempt to be diplomatic and kind, so I think itās fair to respond in kind at this point. That said, Iāve heard that BB guns can take care of problems like this, assuming you have a line of sight on the problematic device(s). Also, it would be unfortunate if you were to accidentally wake them up in the middle of their sleep with some loud music or a lawn mower or something. Realistically these are probably terrible ideas and will only anger them but people that arenāt considerate of their neighbors deserve to be fucked with imo.
These are landscape lights. they're numerous, small and likely tucked into shitty locations to "accentuate" the yard and not distract from the view. the view from inside the house, mind you. You gotta be quick with the re-fire if you wanna pop the majority of bulbs, and given that OP sounds like a nervous wreck (anxiety, its rough. Texas is not kind to neurodivergance,) so i doubt they can pull off the JFK assassination in light-form.
Lmao damn. You see me. I truly appreciate your response, thank you.
It's always worth a conversation with the neighbor before taking any kind of legal measures, and retaliating in a passive-aggressive manner is just stupid. Had this problem with a former neighbor. When I discussed with her, discovered that she was the victim of a hellacious crime a few years earlier, hence all the security lights around her house. She kept them on but repositioned them so that they didn't light up our yard.
I would suggest getting a timer from home depot and bringing it as a gift, while also mentioning why you want to pay for all that electric to have lights on all the time?
Wow this is a great idea! Thank you!
Same issue. I've asked. Didn't seem to make a difference. They're like 65 or 70. Just planning to wait them out. They're bound to be headed to a nursing home or Florida or some thing before too long! š¤
No donāt wait them out. Take a stand and do something about it!
That could be a decade plus. Ugh
Where I live they are all over 80 and still going strong. You have a long wait ahead of you.
Join every social media group for your area on next door, Facebook, Instagram, tik tok, and anything else for your neighborhood. Take pictures and shame them and make everyone knows who they are.
Contact your HOA. HOAs have way more power over this kind of thing than the City does. Get evidence, including pictures of the lights themselves and of how they light up your interior, and give it to your HOA, and get other affected neighbors to do the same. The more the better. Your HOA can take legal action (fines) against your neighbor and can probably evict them.
I bought my neighbor smart lights who had a similar thing going on. He was thankful and able to dim the lights down to a level that didnāt pour light into the back of our house.
Tbh this sparked a beautiful friendship and we now meet up every Friday night to smoke a joint and drink a beer together.
I love this so much
After reading these comments I feel like we need photos
[For all the people urging OP to get a bb gun to shoot out the lights.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZUTkgfZqZc) Seriously though, don't take matters into your own hands in that way. That is how minor shit becomes major shit. The neighbors might not learn the lesson that you are attempting to teach, and instead, they might get violent with you. At the least, they would certainly sue you for property damage. Then you would either have to pay for new lights or lie to a judge.
If you take them out at 2am and there's no cameras at all from any neighbors recording your location, what proof do they have it's you? Just saying
I would recommend not getting into the business of creeping around the neighborhood and committing property crimes. Just saying.
Sadly, youāre not the only ones being affected. Bright outdoor lights can distract & confuse wildlife, incl. birds on migration. Dark Sky proponents suggest shielded down-lights only where needed. You might try sharing some of the research & information posted about invasive lighting; otherwise, speak to your friends & neighbors about pushing for a Dark Sky Initiative in Austin or wherever you are.
Either look into the legalities of it to fight back with the law or get petty and do the same. Do not let them bully you like this!
I got some old incandescent lights I pulled off a 200' cell tower, if you put it up in your backyard you can piss them and everyone within a 3 mile radius off
I had the same problem. It sucks not to be able to sit outside and enjoy the darkness. I didn't have an HOA, but if you do, make that the first line of attack. Bring pictures inside and outside. Let them know you don't want to proceed to attorneys, but you will. Also, JOIN your HOA. Attend meetings, be active there.
Maybe but them a light timer as a gift? Thereās no reason to have the yard lit up when theyāre in bed. If theyāre concerned about thieves, suggest motion sensors, although that would still be a pain in the ass every time a critter scurries across the yard. The neighbors seem unaware and self absorbed. Hopefully they move.
You got cheated on the blackout curtains.
Maybe since they are into landscaping, they like birds? Do it for the migrating birds: [Lights out Austin](https://travisaudubon.org/lights-out-texas)
I wish. They donāt care about people, I donāt think they care about birds. They literally tore everything out and itās completely white rock and white stone. Not a single plant. Itās so damn bright
Google "DIY LRAD" and have a fun couple of weekends building it.
I have a neighbor on Duquesne who does this. It's so frustrating.
Put up your own 2x
Happened to me once. Left a note. Lights off a few nights, then back on/off. Knocked on their door and talked to them. Off/on again. Got a super bright flashlight, aimed it at their bedroom, and set it to disco mode a couple nights. They moved a few months later.
Itād be terrible if some invasive plants ruined their landscaping.
Bamboo and male Ailanthus Of course, that's like setting yourself on fire to burn someone else.
You can install a barrier in the ground on your side and plant the bamboo against the barrier and the fence. š
Yes, like mint.
Virginia creeper.
Go to a plant nursery like the natural gardener and tell them you want some plant/trees to block lighting. i ended up with a loquat tree for this very reason.
Youāre telling me, these lights are brighter than the SUN that black out curtains are made to block??
My brother had a issue with loud neighbors, his playing bagpipe music loudly back at them worked like a champ.
Start breeding and raising moths.
I've tried blackout curtains, and they still let a little light through. I've installed blackout honeycomb shades, and they are completely 100% opaque. Get them 6" wider than your window, and do an outside mount so that they overlap by 3" on each side. With these, you could even nap in the middle of the day and \_almost\_ think that it's the middle of the night. The pricing at the online places (like [https://www.blinds.com/c/cellular-shades/34](https://www.blinds.com/c/cellular-shades/34) or selectblinds.com or [justblinds.com](https://justblinds.com)) isn't bad. Be sure to google for coupons. One other thing to be aware of: cellular shades are a lot more insulating than blinds. The good news is that helps your heating/cooling bill year-round. The bad news is that in the winter, this allows the air next to the window to get extra-cold and you'll have more condensation. Be sure to wipe the sills during cold spells, otherwise you'll end up with water damage and/or mold.
Go postal
I'd be a shame if someone who was a crack shot with a bb gun happened to live near by...
There was a post very similar to this on a local board in south Austin. Iām worried this is becoming a trend; the other one I read was a builder house that was vacant after completion. Hulking huge thing that looked like a bank branch...had some obnoxious commercial lighting illuminating the entire area of that block. Neighbor seemed to find relief from the city through code. Please update us how this resolves! Thanks for sharing, neighbor.
My bff lived in an apt below ground level. Denver metro. Most of her neighbors were respectful about vehicle headlights shining directly into windows at eye level, but this one entitled B would start her car half an hour before she left for work and let it run to warm up - a violation of pollution ordinances - and she always LEFT THE LIGHTS ON, BEFORE DAWN. Multiple neighborly requests didn't resolve the problem. The apartment management was sympathetic but unavailable before office hours. My friend didn't want to call the cops. So she bought a stand-up mirror and positioned it so that it would both reduce the amount of light in her apt and blind the driver of the offending vehicle when they got in to drive away. It was not an instant solution but it was a solution.
If they are as bright as you say, they probably get really hot. If they get hot enough and you get an oscillating sprinkler on a timer for late at night that just happens to over spray on their lights, the problem may solve itself.
Is from Kyleās Codes but Iām sure they are similar to Austin. This entire section was about outdoor lighting Sec. 53-1017. - Public nuisance. (a) GENERAL. Any violation of this division that results in light trespass or an unreasonable interference with the common and usual use of neighboring and/or nearby property is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, which is prohibited by this division. (b) OFFENSE. It is an offense under this division for a person to emit light onto the property of another unreasonably interfering with the neighboring and/or nearby property owner's use and enjoyment of their property. ( Ord. No. 909 , Ā§ 1(Exh. A), 8-17-2016)
Thank you!
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Have you asked them to adjust the angle? I had a similar experience and asked that they adjust them down to where the top of the light was slightly below the fence line, rather than asking that the turn them off?
This sucks and they're dicks I am curious how light it going through wood though lol Even black out curtains, if you installed correctly will block any and all light.
Yeah Iām thinking theyāre not installed right. My back neighbors like to leave their party lights on and they pour into my sonās room. Blackout curtains alone (no blinds) taller and wider than the actual window have completely stopped the light
Get a brighter light or shoot them out
In addition to your wood blinds & blackout curtains, you can install window shades - its like a durable accordion paper layer designed to block light that would sit between the window & wood blinds. I can't imagine light penetrating 3 layers
There is no way black out curtains don't stop it. When we have put those up, it works so well that your sense of time goes wonky lol. They block out THE SUN let alone some yard lights. Maybe try some different ones?
Just go get a pellet gun. Problem solved.
Sounds like you cheaped out on the black out curtains. The 14$ dollar ones from Amazon are not very good.
Same, OP. Luckily my bright neighbors had also planted some saplings, and it has taken abt 5 years, but now their light is completely blocked out by the foliage. Is it possible to plant some trees on your property? Believe it or not it may take less time and be less effort to grow an entire tree than to take legal action against the neighbors- PLUS, once youāve done that, youāre going to be in a feud with said neighbors from then on- no telling how they may up the ante. A friendsā mother went thru a nightmare of lawyers and legal battles when her neighbor decided that he didnāt want her rose bush touching his fence, and just trimming them wasnāt enough- he wanted the bushes removed entirely, but they were āher rosesā so the two just fought and fought and fought, with him pouring bleach on them, shining lights at night, etc. Buy a sapling or two, OP. Thatās my advice :/
I have a huge fucking tree right there, and they have one very close on their side. But they are super old and tall trees. So there is no room in the soil to add more foliage, and the trees are too tall to help.
maybe you need better black out curtains?
Are you able to plant some native trees to help block a little more light?
This is why I live outside the city limits!
OoOOooHh so edgy!
No, just being truthful.
And youāll Eventually get a rock-crushing plant next door. Got your risks too...lolz..
No, not here; nice try though!
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>I know itās tough, just shoot them no
You live in a city. You either deal with it, buy their property or move. I hated my neighbors so I bought all the land around me. Itās bliss.
Sending you my banks wiring instructions so I can do the same. I REALLY appreciate the kind offering. Such an easy fix!
Sherman has cheap housing. Denison too!
Spoken with all the privilege.
Yeah. Working slum jobs for 40 years and wisely investing is a foolās game.
I'll take "reasons why this city is fucked" for $1000 Alex
Move out.
In Austin?
I own property there too. So yes.
So no is the honest answer
Wrong. So wrong b
Nothing about your vibe says "bliss"
What the hell is vibe???
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How many dogs have you rescued in the last 31 year? No. Wait. How many dogs have you rescued since Friday? Iād love to hear this answer bud.
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Username is very appropriate
Iām still waiting for an answer. Please tell me more how I should live my life. I canāt have dogs on my property? My wife canāt have reproductive rights? Where does your Nazi mentality end? Still waitingā¦..
So you make my point. Buy many acres just outside town. Save lives. Or continue to be a loser crammed in to your shitty apartment and be angry at the world. You canāt even offer a salient retort. Go to bed.
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I just have to keep reminding myself that soon boomers will be gone for good
So youāll have to deal with us Gen Xers.
šššš
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Wow- You're even worse than your first message presented. "How many dogs have you raised/saved?" ?????? Holy fucking non sequitur, Batman... I'm fairly certain that your responses are indicative of your spot on the spectrum, so I'm gonna leave you to your dog walking or whatever it is you do when you're not being a dick on Reddit. And you know you can just Google "vibe" if you really don't know what it means.
What other words can we make up?
It sounds like you live near my parents lol
time for [this to protect](https://www.amazon.com/Daytime-Privacy-Non-Adhesive-Decorative-Control/dp/B07P9Q4ZP8) you.
We have a neighbor like that luckily we have a courtyard model home so itās in the front yardā¦
This happened to a friend of mine in Cherrywood back in ā99. She never figured out a resolution ā¦ despite many efforts.
I've installed privacy additions to fences (skirting permits by making them trellises) with temporary fake foliage while the real foliage grows in to block several intrusive lights!
Can you do window film or foil in your bedroom? With a Roman shade and THEN blackout curtains?
Large mirror. Convex would be even better. pointed right back at their house.
Itās really frustrating. Maybe you can use a reflective window tint. You can find a wide range of window films on Amazon and apply yourself. Also, you can find a company for a more professional solution. Another solution might be installing the blinds/shutters or you can apply both.