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Note from a viewer


dsz071

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I'm in a POA here which is essentially the same as a HOA. But, I'm on the board! I made sure of that so that if there were any issues, I could deal directly with them and at least get my two cents worth in. Our board is pretty flexible on everything. Not a lot of rules like some do or plants and junk like that. House colors sort of need to be similar to the neighborhood. No parking on the street unless its visitors or temporary type things. Certainly can't have junk out in the front yard or parking on the lawns. So even though I don't like HOA's or POA's, this one isn't near as bad as some are. These are upper class homes and there's even a few formal mansions in here as well.

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Well at least you got a kind note...I got a call from our friendly local Police Dept. Seems the music was too loud ( Cars across the street were playing their stereos too loud ) and they were afraid of driver distractions. 

They are blaming you for other people's car stereos?

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They are blaming you for other people's car stereos?

Yes, they CAN do that Tim.  

 

If they are visiting YOUR home to see YOUR display and you're transmitting the music, YOU can be held responsible for the loud music coming from THEIR vehicles!

 

It's just like where I live, we have security patrolling the neighborhood, if I have anyone parked in front, or near my home, watching MY display, they are considered to be MY visitors and therefore I am responsible for their conduct while they are on the property in my community.    

 

So if they turn their volume up to loud, then I just flip the switch on the transmitter to off to solve those issues for those that "crank it up" when visiting my display.  And when they leave, I'll turn the transmitter back on.   Security does inform them they must turn the music down and if they don't, I could get a "community violation" over it as well.   So unless Security has already gotten them to turn down the volume and they crank it back after Security drives off, then I'll just turn off the transmitter until they leave.  Got to keep the neighbors happy too you know.

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What you described is a HOA situation which is a different ball game altogether.

Sorry, NO HOA in my community.  So it's definitely NOT a HOA situation where I live.

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Sorry, NO HOA in my community.  So it's definitely NOT a HOA situation where I live.

 

Then who is paying for those security patrols?

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As I mentioned earlier, I'm on the board of directors for this POA here. In 2012, my first LOR year, I advised them, rather, I asked them if there would be any objections to a controlled Christmas display and there was none. I also told them up front, since no one knew about it yet, I doubted there would be any traffic issues that first year and in the years to come, I simply didn't know. One other person near here, has a very large home and LOR display that's well known. He's got a mile of cars lined up each night to see his show/display. So, 2012 came and went with some cars stopping to watch and listen to their radios. 2013 is now over and there were a few more cars but no traffic problems and I only heard one car's radio who dared to have their windows open in the cold out there.

 

Maybe its the music selection? The other home, he does more progressive songs whereas I do more traditional. I don't have the props he has such as Santa's sleigh, reindeer, nativity scene, the grinch and so on...all very, very nice (he's got money!) but if someone didn't like my display, hopefully I would take it constructively as opposed to negatively. However, there is a limit! If someone doesn't like something in my display or a particular song, I would invite them to please ignore the part they didn't like and move on and do their own display as they wish. In this country, we are free to do or express what we wish and no one will tell us any differently. If an HOA or POA doesn't like something, the rules can be changed by a vote of the board and if that doesn't work, then a petition of the home owners in the association, if the majority, will force the board to change the rules. Most HOA's are designed to protect the homeowner's investments in their property value and yes, some HOA's go way beyond the scope of the original intent.

Edited by dgrant
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Then who is paying for those security patrols?

I would guess that it comes out of the lot rent.  Park manager in our manufactured home community pays for the security patrol.  We can own the home, just not the property,  In time we either plan on moving the home to it's own piece of property or selling it and buying a regular house, but definitely MUST NOT have a HOA or any kind in the neighborhood!

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Oh the note didn't bother me at all (nor did I consider even for a nanosecond changing my display because of it).  It actually gave me a good chuckle.  He went on to say that if he did a display in honor of Satan, the city would surely shut him down.  If it had not been an anonymous letter, I would have told him that I would support his right to do a Satanic display if he sincerely wanted to and not just wanted to yank people's chains.  The First Amendment works for everyone...

Well I've heard some complaints that "Halloween displays" are honoring Satan too.  But I just ignore them.  ANd I was raised in the Christian churches, but no longer follow that path, and no, I'm not one of those evil Satan worshippers either.  But I am Wiccan and use a lot of Wiccan music in both my Halloween and Christmas Displays, but I also use a lot of Traditional Christmas {Christian} music as well.  Not sure if there is any such thing, but if there were "Atheist" specific songs, I'd put them in the mix too.

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Down here in the "Bible Belt" there's a lot of churches. My Halloween display is the lady of the house's thing, not mine but its got everything from the gravestones, inflatables, scary looking trees with lights on them, jumping spider(which is always the hit of the show!), ghosts and so on. Nothing too scary or whatever. Not a single complaint yet and we always get hundreds of children here. Lots of compliments.

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Sorry, could not handle a note like that. increase sequence schedule, 25 min show every 30 min just for the note writer. New to this, do the "PC" people cause a lot of issues with "Christmas" light shows, I know this thread is concerning that issue but are the religious complaints really that common? just wondering.

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I heard of one person who got an eMail from a visitor that basically called him a jerk because his website made it sound as if there were 'billions and billions' of lights but it was only on 2 houses.  Of course, the website had pictures, stats, etc and all of it was accurate (about 40K between the 2).

 

The person eMailed the visitor back that he would be happy to refund DOUBLE her admission charge if she would present her ticket stub or credit card receipt. 

 

Oh wait.  It was free.   :P

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@nam1956:  About religious complaints, No, they are not that common at all.    I have only had one complaint from a "religious" mother {she was Jewish} and she didn't even have the audacity to state it herself in person!   No, she sent her 8 year old girl down to tell me I shouldn't be doing Halloween light displays because they are inappropriate.

 

But it BACKFIRED on her mother, because the girl told me she loved the display and loved watching the lights dance to the music and to "IGNORE HER MAMA!"   ROFL

 

That and I'd say at least 99% of my neighbors all love the light displays I do here.

 

BTW: they still live in the same neighborhood, but they moved out of our area, and into another section {manufactured home park} so her mama wouldn't have to see the lights dancing to the music, but every year the little girl comes to watch the show and dance to the music with her friends.   She just doesn't tell her mama she comes to visit the display. B)  And her friends keep it her little secret too. :ph34r:;)

Edited by Orville
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I didn't send the note, but it represents my feelings towards blow ups also.  I think their beauty is in the eye of their owners.  ;)  And how in the world does one sequence a blow up?  

Very..........Very quickly

Edited by gmac
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I have 2 songs that in my opinion really emphasize the meaning of Christmas and if seems ironic that over the past 3 yrs I've noticed when those songs play usually 2-3 cars start up and leave.  IMO thats a good way to help clear the crowd :D

 

I haven't recieved any derogatory comments about them but I have recieved compliments about using them.

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I have 2 inflatables in my Halloween and 5 in my Christmas show.

 

I hacked 'em to disable the internal lights, and I use 10w RGB floods on each. They look awesome! You know how you can get really cool effects bouncing RGB floods off a house? It rocks on Inflatables as well!

 

Who doesn't like a 16 ft long Santa and Reindeer?

 

I haven't had a single bad remark about my inflatables, but I do recall several very enthusiastic positive remarks!

 

Everyone's show is different... that's what makes this "hobby" so cool... Infinite possibilities of variety!

 

To each his own... Enjoy!

 

tj

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@tj: I don't really hate inflatables, I'm just not all that fond of them. 

 

However, I did, and have seen a few I thought were pretty awesome and cool for Halloween this past year in 2013.   And I'm actually considering getting a couple for my 2014 Halloween Display this year.  

 

And like some, I'll hack into it, remove the light/s and control it/them from an LOR Channel and just let the fan run constantly keeping it/them inflated. 

 

I really do love the way some look when inflated, it's when they are lying "dead" in the yard that doesn't appeal to me at all.   So if I do happen to add some this year for Halloween, they'll be running 24/7 after the hack job. :).

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I have a HOA here were I live and we do not get along very well. I use to drive a company truck (mini-van) and the association paid me a visit and informed me that I could not park the van in the driveway because it had a company name on it. Did a little research and discovered like nearly all subdivisions we had sold the streets to the city and they now maintain them and the street lights. So I attended the next neighborhood meeting and informed the president that if they did not leave me alone I would be parking my mini-van in front of her house on the street and there was nothing they or the city could do about it since there was no ordinance against it. Haven't heard from the HOA since. 

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