Calif. Neighbors Feud Over Christmas Display

[kwillia]

For six years, Alan and Bonnie Aerts transformed their Silicon Valley home into a Christmas wonderland, complete with surfing Santa, jumbo candy canes and a carol-singing chorus of mannequins.

Visitors loved it. Last year, after NBC's "Weekend Today" featured the $150,000 display of custom-designed props, more than 1,500 cars prowled the Aertses' cul-de-sac in this upscale San Jose suburb each night.

This year, though, the merry menagerie stayed indoors. Instead, on the manicured lawn outside the couple's Tudor mansion stands a single tiding: a 10-foot-tall Grinch with green fuzz, rotting teeth, and beet-red eyeballs.

The Aertses erected the smirking giant to protest the couple across the street — 16-year residents Le and Susan Nguyen, who initiated complaints to city officials that the display was turning the quiet neighborhood into a Disneyesque nightmare.

Alan Aerts, who makes sure the Grinch's spindly finger points directly to the Nguyens' house, says the complaints killed the exhibit. They also violated the Christmas spirit, he said.

"When I grew up, people decorated everything — it was wonderful to be a kid," said the 48-year-old soft drink distributor and philanthropist. "If you can't even put up a display these days, what kind of people have we become?"

'Tis the season...

 

[vraiblonde]

'Tis the season...

Yes 'tis. I wish those people lived in my neighborhood. I'd TP the house of any neighbors that complained.

 

[crabcake]

Yes 'tis. I wish those people lived in my neighborhood. I'd TP the house of any neighbors that complained.

c'mon ... make their suffering long and pricey ... shoot bb's at their windows so the heat slowly leaks out ... running up their energy bills.

 

[Triggerfish]

The display may be nice to visit but living there.......1,500 cars through a cul de sac.....

 

[vraiblonde]

The display may be nice to visit but living there.......1,500 cars through a cul de sac.....

It's only once a year. I just think something else could have been worked out rather than get a court order to make them take their decorations down. A smart person would have set up a pizza, hot dog and cold drink stand and made a killing. Set up porta-potties and charge for their use.

I like to make lemonade. :shrug:

 

[Triggerfish]

just think something else could have been worked out rather than get a court order to make them take their decorations down
I like to make lemonade. :shrug:

Yes, I hate how some people go straight to a court order instead of trying to work it out. In a way though both parties I think are at fault at least a little. IMHO

 

[RoseRed]

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