If I live near a school that installed bright lights that glare into my yard/house, what is my legal recourse?
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If I live near a school that installed bright lights that glare into my yard/house, what is my legal recourse?
The Village Hall says that the school is not their jurisdiction. Even if the school is a governmental agency, can they still cause light pollution on my property? There are no shields on the lights and many trees that buffered our property were cut down and not replaced. The lights will be used every single day until 9 pm during the week and 10 pm on week-ends. Is there any way the current ordinance for exterior lighting causing light pollution could be enforced?
Asked on March 25, 2011 under Real Estate Law, New York
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
You must contact the jurisdiction in which those lights are and bring a complaint forward to the zoning or planning board asking that those lights be dimmed or they pay for the light issues they are causing to your property. You can also talk to your representatives about the matter and see if they can contact their representatives in the adjacent jurisdiction to discuss solutions. The other route is to obtain a land use attorney to file a lawsuit in civil court regarding this matter or to enter into negotiations with this school to resolve it before the lawsuit is filed. There just may an ordinance they are violating when the lights interfere with your quiet peace and enjoyment of your property; it may even be considered a nuisance in your town.
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