AIBU to keep our lights up despite neighbour complaining?

[AutumnLighting]

We moved into our house just before Christmas last year. We are one of 6 houses on a lane in an u shape and our house is directly opposite one of the other houses. All of the houses are set back so we are not close to the houses opposite.

When we moved in last year, we put up lights on our house and in two of our trees at the front of our house as well as 2 nutcrackers and a Christmas wreath on the door. Nothing garish, just white lights. Every time we saw the neighbours opposite they would comment on the lights and decorations. They said things like that’s is a lot of lights, did you leave any in the shop for anyone else, we certainly can’t miss you etc. We took the lights down in January.

This is now our first autumn in the house and my husband has put up some lights along the front of the house, a garland around the front door and a wreath on the door. We went out for the evening and have come home to a note from the neighbour opposite which said she doesn’t like the lights, none of the past neighbours have ever put them up and that the lights will give her migraines like the ones we put up at Christmas did. She would like us to remove the lights.

How do we respond to this? My husband thinks we just ignore it but I said she will talk to us when we see her if we don’t go over and talk to her about it. He said he’ll tell her not to look at the lights. What would you say? We obviously plan to put the lights up for Christmas again this year so that isn’t going to go down well either.

We know she has moaned about other things to some of the other neighbours like their grandchildren playing outside on their bikes so she seems to be a moaner.

You might want to read the thread.

Please report them. Their racist behaviour can’t go unchecked.

The ultimate insult.

The warm autumn lights sound lovely.

Considering all the other complaints they’ve made - whether you’re allowed to drive forwards off your drive, a cat you don’t own, whether you’re allowed visitors at night - it’s not about the lights. They’ve taken against you for their own reasons that seem to be race related. How horrible. I’d not be taking the lights down. I’d drive out whatever direction suits me and the Christmas lights would go up albeit not flashing.

Your neighbours are horrible and it’s good you have support from the others who live there. I’d also seriously consider reporting to the police. It needs to be.

God this is awful. I’m sorry this has happened to you.

I have lived through racist neighbours and it was horrible and you are right to think you need to protect your children from this. Our neighbours escalated things beyond our wildest imagination. We didn’t retaliate even slightly once. It would not have mattered one jot what we did or did not do, they would have continued.

What a horrible update @AutumnLighting

Just knew that this would escalate because it was note through the door to turning up to your home so early in the morning.

I think you're right to report it to the police.

Thank goodness the other neighbours are sympathetic and helpful. Take care 💐

Six properties in a cul de sac. If they've lived there a long time and other properties have changed hands so they've lost old neighbours. I think I see the problem. We've a neighbour who've lived in our cul de sac for a couple of decades at least. A lot of the original owners have died. Now we get on okay with them, but the wife gets very agitated by anything that the newbies do to their homes. It's a bit bizarre. But they really miss the good ol' days. Husband has had a stroke which is bloody hard for her. A couple of neighbours have been helping them out.

The racism thing is part of the changes they're obsessed with. The lights, a wandering cat more signs of a mental issue.

A lady in the bungalow well below us asked us to stop playing the piano at midnight. We don't have a piano . But she could hear it and was very distressed.

Why would you not just read the thread?

Outrageous behaviour, I am so sorry OP. It definitely needs to be logged.

Try reading OP's recent update.

OK sorry. I missed that bit. Apologies.

Too much like hard work.

Not reading op's updates as a minimum doesn't help anything either.

Mental issue. No, no, no.

They are racist cunts. Stop with the excuses. Every time there is a thread like this someone suggests dementia. Usually the person suggesting it has a posting history that shows racist tendencies. I can’t be arsed to check yours. But just stop.

After reading that, you should have told them to fuck off from your property and called the police for them harassing you in your own home.

Seems that other neighbour was right in that these wankers do nothing but complain.

Seriously, I would get more lights and ones that spell out "Look at my lights you clown".

What horrible nasty neighbours they are.

I did read most of the thread but when it comes to some frankly juvenile replies like getting certain statues etc, then I discontinue reading that junior school playground stuff..

You can just read the OPs updates on any thread.

Maybe read the whole thread before jumping in with both feet?

OP, please log this with the police even if you tell them you don't want to take it further this time. This will show there has been 'previous' if you need to escalate with the police.
There's no need to go tit for tat or deliberately antagonise so I'd say keep your lights as they are and the Christmas ones too. Whether you use the flash setting on the Christmas ones is up to you but please don't ignore this.

Disgusting racist twats. Fuck them. I hope all your neighbours join in with the lights and turn your street into the Blackpool Illuminations.

Hope your husband is okay.

OP I have just read your posts. Wow, what petty racists. Let them stew in their unhappy lives surrounded by people who dare not to be white 🙄

Is it worth logging with 101? That racist comment is awful.

I mean, I find lights etc tacky but it’s no excuse for this nonsense.

Seen the update and yes, you need to report them to the police. I appreciate that your DH has experienced worse/all his life, but unless you stand up to these bigots it just escalates or they go on to do and say worse to others. If you have camera footage, honestly, I would use it. If yo don’t have it already, I would also consider a Ring camera system. Not only useful as a deterrent but it offers proof that you do NOT have all night visitors or a cat etc should they ever go down that route. They sound batshit, tbh, as well as racist.

YABU. Put them up at Christmas.

Absolutely report the racist slur. You are absolutely right that you need to teach your children to stand up for themselves in that regard.

And it will teach those nasty people that there are consequences to how they speak to you.

Please report them, they sound unhinged as well as being racist.