Rural Wisconsin neighbor installs ‘dusk to dawn’ outdoor lights, causing major light pollution to another resident's home, and refuses to compromise with motion sensor lights: ‘It takes away the ability to enjoy nighttime’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Oct 25, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

Most people who live in rural areas live there because they enjoy the slow life, access to nature, and peaceful surroundings. The city life is not for everybody, and rural America is the answer for those who prefer to hear crickets and birds instead of cars honking and police sirens. To each their own. Some city folk who have the means to do so end up purchasing second homes in more country-centric areas of the world so they can have a slice of the quiet life without sacrificing the hustle and bustle of their urban environments. What does this do for rural locals? Well, like in the story below, second homeowners start thinking they can just waltz right into small towns and make of it what they want, even if it means disrupting their fellow neighbors. When the neighbor in this next story installs exceptionally bright lights that they never turn off, a fellow resident asks them if they can compromise so their light isn't flooding into the resident's yard. What happens next? No response.

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  • "I explained that the light will negatively impact their local neighbors daily lives, deter wildlife..."
    via BĀBI (Unsplash)

  • "Advice Needed: Neighbors installed a dusk to dawn light that lights up our backyard"

    We live in a rural area of northern WI that is also a popular tourist destination.
    via tacklebox18

  • With entitled neighbors, you have to understand that they don't exist on the same moral landscape as others. Empathy is only a word, and your best interest doesn't exist in their minds. So, when the neighbor has a chance to make things right with the resident, all the resident gets back is crickets. And no, not the good kind that comes with living in rural Wisconsin.

  • With this tourism comes many second home owners and that's what happened when the house next to ours went up for sale last summer.
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  • While the area is rural, we live in one of the more typical neighborhoods with houses about 25-30 feet apart and woods behind all the houses.
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  • Our neighborhood is home to a lot of wildlife and we frequently see animals like deer, foxes, rabbits, and more running through or playing in our backyard.
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  • Also, despite the streetlights, our backyards are also prime spots to enjoy campfires in the dark and check out the night sky.
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  • night sky with stars
    via Unsplash+ Community (Unsplash+)
  • We even see the northern lights when they reach down this far. I guess all this is to say that while we live in a neighborhood it still feels rural enough to not have the "in town" vibe to it.
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  • Here's where my trouble is, like I said before the people who bought the house next to us use it as a second home and have a primary home about 2.5 hours away.
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  • We've had some speed bumps along the way since they purchased it but I've done my best to try to meet them in the middle and be a decent neighbor.
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  • I even called them when someone ran over their mailbox to let them know right away.
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  • Now they've installed a very bright dusk to dawn light in their backyard as a, I think, deterrent for break-ins, I'm truly not sure.
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  • But the thing is that light also lights up our yard and the woods behind our house.
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  • It also isn't truly dusk til dawn as it looks to be on constantly. I reached out and tried to talk to them.
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  • I explained that the light will negatively impact their local neighbors daily lives, deter wildlife and it takes away the ability to enjoy nighttime in the Northwoods.
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  • brown deer in the woods
    via Oliver Augustijn (Unsplash)
  • I also noted that our neighborhood and town. are incredibly safe. The last time I remember a house being broken into here was about 10-15 years ago and that was recent high school grads stealing tvs and gaming consoles.
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  • Ultimately I asked if the neighbor would consider motion sensor lights or a security system instead of the constant light but she did not respond after that.
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  • Our town has no lighting ordinances but I think it might be worth bringing up to the board and seeing if it gains traction.
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  • I know it may sound trivial but this is something that would change how we use our home on a daily basis.
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  • So fellow homeowners, any advice? At this point I'm accepting polite and petty, just nothing that will get the cops called.
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  • Thanks in advance.
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  • MichelleEllyn To add to everyone else's advice, get pictures of the light and how much it intrudes on your property at night. Sometimes people will think that their neighbors are overreacting or petty, but don't really understand the impact their light is having.
    via MichelleEllyn
  • That_Ol_Cat Got a friend with a drone? An overhead picture showing the extent of the unwanted illumination will really make the point with both your neighbor and those who write and enforce town ordinances. If I ever have a second home, I'm definitely making friends with neighbors who are there on a permanent basis. Additional friendly eyes on my property is a good thing. And you're a good neighbor for letting them know about the mailbox.
    via That_Ol_Cat
  • Various-Pitch-118 My otherwise nice neighbors are jerks about their light. I eventually drew the blinds, installed and stained glass on the window I couldn't cover, and I don't look over there ever. They could be running around on fire in the street and I likely would not know. Liking some of the ideas here more, though, particularly the drone one.
    via Various-Pitch-118
  • SmileFirstThenSpeak If you're going to go to the board, get a good feel for how the rest of the neighbors feel. If they agree with you (and I suspect they will), join together to speak with the board.
    via SmileFirstThenSpeak
  • Useless890 I live in a rural area myself. I don't understand people who move into the country, then light it up like the city they just left. I can't enjoy a meteor shower because of all the lights. Security is one thing, but you don't have to light up your place like a used car lot to deter thieves.
    via Useless890
  • Additional-Simple858 I'd try one polite written request and if she ignores it, bring it up with the local board. Meanwhile, maybe some tall bushes or a privacy screen could block the light without causing drama.
    via Additional-Simple858
  • tacklebox18 We installed a privacy fence this summer when they cut down 17 trees that acted as a privacy screen and property line marker between our houses. The fence is at the maximum height of 6 feet and unfortunately the light is mounted several feet higher than the fence.
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  • vroomvroom450 17 trees????? I would not be as patient as you are being.
    via vroomvroom450
  • tacklebox18 Trust me, if you saw the before and after photos you'd be stunned. The trees were a mix of 40-50 foot spruce and pine trees and now it's just wide open except for the privacy fence we built to separate our entire backyard from the view of the street and their garage. I really am trying to be respectful of their rights as homeowners while still trying to prevent them fully jacking up our, and our other neighbors, day to day lives for their weekend retreat.
    via tacklebox18

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