North Carolina Dad Neil Heuer Sued His HOA Over His 60,000-Light Holiday Show and Plans to Move Once His Daughter Graduates

Neil Heuer, a semiretired tech entrepreneur in Waxhaw, North Carolina, filed a lawsuit against his homeowners association in early October 2026 after a hearing found him in violation over the holiday light shows he builds at his home each year. Heuer and his wife, Stephanie, say they plan to leave their neighborhood once their youngest daughter, now a high school sophomore, graduates, and that the next house will not be in an HOA community. The dispute was reported on Nov. 13 by Realtor.com in a story syndicated on Yahoo News.

A 60,000-Light Show in a Fly-In Neighborhood

The Heuers live in Aero Plantation, a community of private roads, a private airstrip, tennis courts and an equestrian center. Heuer has run Halloween and Christmas displays at the family’s home for five years, according to the Realtor.com report. The shows use more than 60,000 lights, animatronic figures and music, and Heuer estimates he has spent more than $70,000 on them.

He says the displays started with his interest in technology and with how much his children enjoyed them. A year ago, Queen City News in Charlotte reported that the show ran nightly until 10 p.m., with more than 60,000 LED lights set to a playlist of 15 Christmas songs. Heuer told the station the average visitor stays about three minutes and that the show draws around four cars a night.

What the HOA Hearing Decided

In an August letter, the association’s attorney, Benjamin Karb, told Heuer that inviting members of the public into the subdivision was a nuisance and a violation of the HOA’s declaration. In September, the board held a hearing on a list of complaints: exterior lighting, the size of a sign, traffic and guest limits, and architectural alterations.

The outcome was split. A Sept. 15 letter from Karb said the board found no violation on visitor traffic at that time. Heuer was found in violation for the lighting and for the size of a sign that read “SHERIFF HIRED BY THE HOA – NOT US,” which he says was meant to tell visitors that off-duty deputies patrolling the neighborhood work for the association. The board could not settle the parking question or whether the exterior of the house had been architecturally altered.

The Lawsuit in Union County

Heuer filed suit in Union Superior Court in early October. He alleges the HOA exceeded its authority, failed to follow proper notice and hearing procedures, and enforced restrictions that were never formally adopted in the bylaws. The case is ongoing. HOA president David Arno confirmed the filing in an emailed statement to Realtor.com that read, “Mr. Heuer filed a lawsuit against the Association,” and said the board would not comment further.

North Carolina’s rules for these fights are spelled out in state law. The state’s Planned Community Act lets an association adopt rules and impose reasonable fines, but only after notice and an opportunity to be heard. Under section 47F-3-107.1, a hearing must give the owner notice of the charge, a chance to present evidence and notice of the decision, and, when the declaration does not set its own procedure, fines are limited to $100 per violation. Some provisions of the act also reach older communities, so which ones apply to a given neighborhood depends on its documents. Superior Court is where North Carolina’s civil disputes over more than $25,000 are heard.

New Parking Rules and a January Vote

Heuer disputes that the lights are the heart of it, and argues the fight is really about the golf course and the newsletter. The association has not responded to that publicly beyond urging members to vote on the proposed changes. Heuer told Realtor.com it began two years ago, when he objected to using HOA reserve funds for a golf course “rejuvenation” proposed by the board’s vice president. He then wrote an anonymous newsletter critical of the board and says the association turned against him after he was identified as the author. At this year’s annual meeting, he says, the golf course upkeep estimate was revised from about $8,000 to about $16,000, and neighbors told him to sit down when he raised the difference.

The association has since sent notice of new parking rules. They say owners are “held directly responsible for any traffic, stopping, or parking” caused by activities they sponsor or permit, even if they do not know each visitor. Two proposed bylaw amendments would set standards for attractions that bring in many non-residents and for flashing, strobing or high-intensity exterior lighting. Members are scheduled to vote at the end of January. Under the state act, amending a declaration generally takes approval from at least 67% of an association’s votes, unless the declaration sets a higher bar.

Why the Family Plans to Move

The community is not gated, and the association owns and maintains its roads. Heuer has said the shows began because his children enjoyed them.

Heuer plans to hold a full display again this year and says the proposed amendments will not apply this year. He emailed neighbors urging them not to add more rules, saying the community does not need them. He describes the shows as his hobby and says they make him happy.

The Heuers bought their five-bedroom, roughly 8,000-square-foot home on 2.36 acres six years ago. They plan to leave Aero Plantation after their youngest daughter graduates, Heuer said, and he does not intend to buy in another HOA community. Last winter, he had told Queen City News that he was considering moving the show to a bigger location.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: “Mt. Horeb House Christmas Lights Display – panoramio” by Corey Coyle is licensed under CC BY 3.0.