Rural man annoying neighbors, piling up citations for bright lights used to ward off aliens

A rural Pennsylvania man who has adorned his house with spotlights to prevent aliens from abducting him is drawing the ire of neighbors, who say the excessive lights are annoying and are hurting property values, Joe Pinchot reports for The Herald, a Community Newspaper Holdings paper in Sharon, Pa. Hermitage homeowner Arthur Brown, 78, "who some refer to to as 'the alien light guy on Virginia Road,' has posted spotlights around his house for years. Brown also has wrapped part of his house in foil." (Herald photo by Cory Byknish: Arthur Brown's house)

Neighbor Nancy Raich, who said she hasn't had to turn on an outside light in years, said she has to keep her shutters closed at night to keep out the lights, Pinchot writes. Raich, who has been trying to sell her home, told Pinchot, "I’ve had a lot of nice couples come and look at my house. You can’t get a second look until that’s cleaned up.”

Brown, whose lights have caused him to the be a frequent victim of vandals, has ignored citations from local enforcement and skipped court dates, Pinchot writes. "In its latest effort, the city has used zoning regulations to prosecute Brown. An enforcement notice in February said Brown 'has several spotlights located throughout his property which are directing objectionable direct and reflected glare on adjoining properties.' When Brown didn't respond to the letter, the city cited him." When he failed to appear at a hearing he was found guilty and fined $500 plus court costs. A district judge said that if he "did not 'extinguish' the lights, he would be fined $500 a day. He now owes more than $20,000, the city said." (Best Places map: Hermitage, Pa.)