How I Fought To Save My Elaborate Halloween Display From One, Disgruntled Neighbor

The Craigslist ad was just three words: Free Halloween decorations. That was all Nate Taylor, 49, a part-time DJ and stay-at-home dad in Traverse City, MI, needed. He met the woman giving away a holiday collection spanning 20 years.“Really, ma’am? You want us to take this?” he asked. She was downsizing due to a recent divorced, so the answer was a resounding yes. It took Taylor three trips in his truck to transport the animatronics and other decorations back home. He then set to work making a plan to display as much as possible in front of his Cape Cod-style home with a 40-foot-wide yard near Kid’s Creek Park.Getting startedMost of the decor wasn’t really weatherproof, so Taylor had to construct a makeshift tarp, anchored by a sizable branch of a big tree in the yard.He was so proud of what he had though, in 2017, he invited passersby and neighbors to enjoy the display—and he had a decent turnout. Being located close to Munson Medical, the city’s biggest hospital, many visitors who stopped by had family members in the hospital. As the display leaned more toward whimsical, not scary, it was a welcomed respite. “I’m not into blood and gore or jump scares,” Taylor says.Inspired, the n...