When holiday lights go too far, too long

Two years ago, Jill Jenkins saw plenty of plastic Santas, reindeer and icicle lights outside Aurora homes -- even though it was spring.

Some people, apparently, were in no hurry to pack up their holiday decor from the year before.

That irritated Jenkins.

"It just looked like nobody cared in the neighborhood," she said. "When you send signals like that, that's when bad people come in."

In response to concerns such as hers, Aurora early last year created a law regulating the duration of seasonal displays.

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Stragglers who don't remove decorations within 60 days after the holiday -- or who put them up more than 60 days before -- could be fined at least $50.

Since then, city leaders say, they're seeing fewer year-round Christmas displays.

Though the Aurora law received some criticism -- and laughter -- the state's second-largest city is hardly the only one with such rules. Mount Prospect, Elgin and La Grange are just a sampling of town with similar codes.

Others, including Naperville, Arlington Heights and West Chicago, follow National Electrical Code standards, which allow temporary lights -- including holiday ones -- to be on display for no more than 90 days.

But enforcement levels and fines vary. Many communities send out an inspector only after receiving a complaint. Others tell inspectors to be on the lookout for leftover displays, starting near late March.

In Aurora, a diverse city of about 180,000, the law has been "very effective," said Mark Anderson, assistant director of the Department of Neighborhood Standards.

So far this year, 658 courtesy reminders have been sent and 108 tickets issued.

After receiving a complaint, usually from a neighbor, the city will send a notice to the offender, telling him to remove the decorations within 16 days.

Most do.

The ones who don't are fined $50. And if they don't pay up, the matter could go to a collection agency, Anderson said.

When the Aurora law was first introduced, it made national news. An MSNBC host declared the Aurora City Council the worst people of the day during his "Worse, Worser, Worst" segment. Jay Leno declared it discrimination against "white-trash Americans."

But it's not a joke to Anderson. While it's clearly no life-or-death matter, he said, having lights out all year can be a safety issue because they often can't withstand the elements.

Decorating experts agree.

"More than likely, when you go to plug them in the next year, they're not going to work," said Brad Finkle, author of a holiday decorating book. "It doesn't take that long to take them down."

Of course, most people don't need to be told that.

And it only takes a warning for the vast majority of stragglers before they, too, take them down, city leaders say.

But there are some who, for whatever reason, really just want to keep them up.

Some Mount Prospect residents have told village inspectors their Christmas displays actually were intended for the Fourth of July.

"We've heard that from several people," said Bob Roels, the village's environmental health manager.

Others just feel city leaders shouldn't intrude.

"They feel the city doesn't have a right to tell them to take them down," said John Fincham, West Chicago's assistant community development director. "Sometimes they get their nose a little out of joint."

Leaders will explain the code's reasoning. But if people want to keep arguing the point, eventually, "They'll be doing it in front of a judge," he said.

Though it's rare, violators have been ticketed in both Mount Prospect, which has a 60-day window, and West Chicago, with a 90-day allowance.

Fines vary, with some as low as $50, in Mount Prospect, and others as high as $500 a day, in Naperville.

Schaumburg doesn't regulate decorations, but leaders get some complaints each year about leftover displays, said code enforcement supervisor Debbie Parran.

"(Neighbors) might not like it, but it's their right to have them up if they want," she said.

Some people also will call their city hall to complain about the content of displays.

A few times, Aurora leaders have heard concerns about tacky or tasteless displays, mostly around Halloween.

"We do not have a standard for that," Anderson said.

Last winter, Mount Prospect got a handful of complaints about a dog display outside a gas station.

Some visitors, it turned out, thought the dogs were real and wanted them brought inside.

"They were concerned about the abuse of puppies," Roels said. "We were amused. You didn't have to look too hard to see they were mechanical."

These, however, don't come close to what may be the tackiest holiday display of all: As a joke, a Michigan woman a few years ago hung a dummy from the roof by one foot with a string of lights.

After police were bombarded with 911 calls, they told her to take it down.

It's not just towns that regulate decorations. Many people, particularly in newer areas, follow homeowners' association codes, which can be stricter than city laws.

For example, Christmas decor can be out only between Dec. 1 and Jan. 10 for residents in the Oakhurst Community Association on Aurora's far east side.

Some associations ban inflatables or certain types of lighting, said Rhonda Sitterly, property manager for Baum Property Services in Aurora.

Violators can be fined, and the fines, if not paid, stay on their accounts and could hurt them when they try to sell their home.

"When you live in an association, you know there are rules and there are consequences if you don't follow them," Sitterly said.

Jill Jenkins, for one, feels a lot of people are following the Aurora law. Since it went into effect, she said, she's noticed fewer year-round displays.

"I'm really glad they did it," she said. "Some people don't get a clue. This law certainly is working."