[Palladino]

I have awesome neighbours on both sides (and across the lane) who never complain about my Halloween set up, the noise and strobes on the big night and if I 'borrow' their tree limbs that border our properties to string lights.

In fact, one neighbour recently chopped back a tree that bordered my yard in the back corner. Apparently the tree was rotting and he was worried it could fall on my garage. I was so disappointed because it changes the whole character of that part of the yard. It used to make that area dark and spooky. I even describe it as 'the graveyard' when I talking about my yard to family and friends even on non-Halloween related things like cutting grass. I also used that tree to hang up fabric to block out his yard which is piled (neatly) with lumber and other sundries. I told him he impacted negatively on my Halloween setup and he apologized! We both laughed about it but not many neighbours would understand much less apologize. (I'm still disappointed because now I'm severely Haunting challenged in that corner).

It occurred to me that some of you may have to cope with less than enthusiastic neighbours or even downright nasty ones. Or are you lucky like me?

 

[aero4ever]

Haven't had any issues with my neighbors and some of them even come over Halloween to visit. Couldn't imagine having a neighbor who was nasty about it. I'd probably have to make a zombie that bared a striking resemblance to them .

 

[wensteve]

Friends with one side (he even lets us take over his front yard as we have too much stuff to keep it all on our side) Foes with neighbor across the street but that is because he shovels the snow off his lawn every year into the street and that my friend annoys the hell out of me

 

[whynotgrl666]

I just want to say that while I have had no problems in the new space since I don't decorate out doors ...I have had more problems with neighbors when I was a homeowner than you would even believe. My ex- husband had to carry me thrashing indoors once during a conflict with a neighbor.

 

[His and Hearse]

Mostly friends over the years. One even joined in so we had a two yard superhaunt.

Only people that ever disliked were uber-religious types that thought anything Halloween related equaled Satan.

 

[Oak Lane Cemetery]

My neighbor across the street came home from work as I was setting up my graveyard last year, which was double the size of the previous year. She laughed and jokingly yelled over"Really?!...Seriously?!" lol. Wonder what the reaction will be this year with it doubling again with the addition of the cornfield, scarecrow, nearly double the number of tombstones and boarded up windows. lmao

 

[dane82]

I told him he impacted negatively on my Halloween setup and he apologized!

please tell me you were joking when you told him that...

 

[DavyKnoles]

Our neighbors were awesome last year. They had a family Halloween party, and when they saw what we were doing, everyone came over to join in the carnage! It was a totally good time.

 

[Madame Leota]

Never had a problem or a negative comment, at least not to my face. Most have said something nice at one time or another. Up until last year, we had a retired lady across the street that could be counted on to keep a watchful eye on all my props for me (and everything else in the neighborhood ) and report back whenever she thought anyone was thinking of getting too close. We miss her!
A new family moved in right after Halloween last year so they haven't been around for it yet. We'll see how they react, but I don't expect any problems.

 

[theworstwitch]

No one has been negative about my decor, scary sounds CD and red lights, but NO ONE on our block, not one single house! decorates or leaves a light on and answers the door! So it's kind of lame, but we are definetly the stand out house!

 

[boo who?]

My closest neighbor is directly across the road. We are the only houses and the end of a dead end.

They've never been a problem, but I think they were happier before my house started to attract a lot of TOTs. I know they are frugal people and they probably don't appreciate having 100-200+ TOTs when they used to get only 15-25.

 

[kakugori]

We are (I think) having a positive influence on the neighborhood, at least in terms of people handing out candy. Our new neighbors last year thought it was awesome, though they were overwhelmed at the number of people and ran out of candy way early. New neighbors across the way this year, so I don't know. One really awesome neighbor across the street lets us borrow his trailer to haul stuff out of storage, though I don't think he's into Halloween but just a nice guy in general. Next door, well, we don't talk about next door because that's real life scary rather than Halloween scary - nobody is going to TOT over there, not for sugar-based candy anyway.

Expanding this to not just our direct neighbors, the old city mortuary is a block over and those guys are hard at work on their setup. So I do have some competition

 

[LairMistress]

Friends so far with the ones on either side.

Not so much with the one across the street, who tried to run me and my 2 yr old over in the crosswalk with his huge truck, because he couldn't wait to turn onto the street when we weren't even halfway across. Unfortunately, he's the one with kids who will ToT.

Those are the only occupied houses in a two block range (small blocks). Then we have some apartments, and a zig zag street with more families (and one decorated yard over there so far!).

I'm not sure if either neighbor alongside us is going to appreciate increased ToT traffic if we generate above average numbers. This is our introductory year, so next year we'll all have it figured out a little bit better.

I've warned both of them that we do a lot for Halloween, but I don't think it will hit them till they see it. That's one reason that I'm considering decorating earlier than the 30th; gives them a bit more notice to buy more candy to keep up.

 

[crazy xmas]

I would have to say friends they let me spill over into their yards now the only thing I need to work on is using the garage for storage lol

 

[jdubbya]

Friends all the way around. A couple in their late 70's allows us to use their driveway as an exit route each year. They love to watch out the windows as we get some good scares in. The neighbor on the other side tells us he knows how much fun we're having by how loud the screams are!

 

[pumpkinpie]

Mostly friends, all our neighbors are super friendly and never complain about anything...except one house We always invite all the neighbors to our party including the house right beside me. Everyone understands that we have an age limit on our parties and are happy to get babysitters for their younger kids (one year we even had a sitter available at one of the neighbors houses...but my one neighbor (who had wanted to come till the little one wasn't allowed, said "if my kid can't come than I can't come") she has complained ever since...she will not come to the parties, won't let her kid TOT at my house...nothing...and we used to b friends

It's so weird how something like me not wanting little kids here would put such a bee in her bonnet. Still I have my parties without a care, i still invite them to be nice. I don't worry about noise or traffic...she and everyone else have parties so so can I. Actually I just grin and chuckle every time I see her peek through her blinds lol

 

[OHS]

My neighbors are cool too, they don't have any problem with my haunt yard, althought I think I bother them with the TOT, neither they nor other neighbors around decorate their yards, so I attract Treat-or-treaters to my house AND to my neighbors callin their doors...hehehehe...so they just say "sorry, we don't have any candies"...but I like when people came to see my little haunt, and children call their parents, "Ey dad, look there!! Wow! Cool and they say, can I take a pic?...wow, I feel very good with that hehehe....BTW, my haunt is not nothing with your masterpieces!!!...That's awesome!*

 

[Lisaloo]

We've never received any negative comments from neighbors, but we've got some new folks next door this year. I'm always a little nervous when new people move into the neighborhood. The couple diagonally across the street always have out some blow molds and decorations and one year even had a chainsaw to scare the other kids with. Our neighbors directly across the street are never home on Halloween night, as they have five kids who they take trick or treating somewhere else but always stop in at our house first, usually before we're done setting up, but they always seem to love it. Both sets of next door neighbors are older couples with no small children.

 

[Sflcowboy78]

There are a few houses on our block that decorate, the neighbour's kids across the street are relly into Halloween. I have offered that if they like any of the stuff I have I would be willing to teach them how to build it. Our nextdoor neighbours are really cool, although they do not decorate they have offered me use of their yard for when my display gets to big for ours.

 

[Forum User]

Such an on point topic for myself:

We just moved to a quite and I mean quite country road with houses here and there. We overlook the city vs. being in the heart of it where we were. Before we had around 700 trick or treaters go through our haunted yard but now we have the only kids on the street. I will be putting my haunt up come Oct 7 and most neighbors dont even know its coming. A couple do know we are bringing Halloween and are excited to see "Life" back in the neighborhood. We are the "newbies" up there and everyone else is in late 60s and 80s. We are the first house to sell in this area since 1978. According to one of the neighbors who is excited for our Halloween coming there have not been Trick or Treaters for 9 years on that street. Well I am a member of many organizations and Facebook groups where people are making it a priority to visit the haunt so "If I built it they will come" I hope 9 years of no TOTS can be shook off and the spirit can be alive once more.

Gameplan: My wife and I have created TOT baskets for all the neighbors which include Candy to hand out and a bowl as a warning and welcoming of what to come. If they chose not to hand it out that is fine just eat it and Happy Halloween If they tell me they are not Halloween fans all I will say is well you are going to love our Christmas