Livermore Couple Sued For $100K By Neighbors Over Holiday Lights: Reports

LIVERMORE, CA — A Livermore couple is being sued for $100,000 by their Camelia Drive neighbors, who claim that their holiday light display is causing them “severe emotional distress,” according to reports from KRON4 and NBC Bay Area.

In a civil lawsuit, the neighbors claim that the decorations, which include wind chimes, gingerbread inflatables, and twinkly lights, “constitute a significant interference with Plaintiffs’ comfortable enjoyment of life and property,” according to a report in KRON4.

Patch reached out to the Hays family for further comment.

The suit claims that the bright lights prevent them from sleeping, and the wind chimes create “loud and disturbing” noises that can exceed 70 decibels. A Livermore noise ordinance prohibits “loud, unnecessary, unnatural, unusual or habitual noises which are prolonged, unusual and unnatural in their time, place and use,” though it does not set a particular decibel limit.

In addition to $100,000, the plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial, according to KRON4.

James Hays disputed these claims to KRON4 and NBC, arguing that the chimes are drowned out by the wind, and blinds or curtains would help with the light. He also told KRON4 that the neighbors filed the suit before speaking to him and his wife.

According to court filings reviewed by NBC, conflict began in 2022 when the Hays’ extended their concrete driveway, and it crossed one to three inches onto their neighbors’ property. Hays said he later removed the encroaching concrete, but relations deteriorated to the point that he sought a civil harassment restraining order against his neighbor, which was ultimately dismissed.

The complaint further alleges that the Hays built a 10-foot fence that exceeds Livermore’s six-foot height limit. Hays told NBC that the fence was installed for privacy.

The Hays have already spent more than $80,000 in legal fees, according to NBC. Despite that, he told outlets he wants to keep the decorations up. “We’re doing it not just for ourselves, but for our community. Seeing the excitement on kids’ faces … reminded us why we decorate our home. We refuse to let intimidation and hostility take away the happiness that these traditions bring to our community,” he told KRON4.

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