I love the drive-in theater. Among my fondest memories of growing up in rural Vermont were our eagerly anticipated drive-in trips. You could hang out in the pile of blankets in the back of the pickup truck and watch two movies. Back-to-back!
I’m a fan of drive-in theaters. So I’m all for the small business owners who operate them turning a decent profit. But one drive-in owner in Indiana crossed a line. A Redditor took to the “legal advice” forum to explain how.
“My grandparents own a house that borders a Drive-in movie theater.” Normally, these folks have to deal with the traffic, light, and noise at the edge of their backyard all weekend long. But there is one major benefit to being next to a drive-in. “They have a pool with a raised deck, and you get a perfectly clear view of one of the movie screens from it. So ever since the theater changed their sound to FM, it was always family tradition to have movie nights on Grandma and Grandpa’s deck, along with a bbq and the pool.”
That sounds like a fantastic way to get the grandkids to visit. No wonder it’s a longstanding tradition.
“This past weekend a few of us family members were over and we had our chairs out on the deck and grandpa had burgers on the grill. We were about ready to watch the movie when the owner of the drive-in came to the edge of the property line.” This wasn’t just a neighborly “Hello.” The owner then “Told us the movie was for paying customers only.”
As surprising as this announcement was the family’s response. “This left us quite perplexed and in order to avoid any confrontation, my grandparents cancelled movie night.”
The grandkid than asked the Legal Advice forum, “Does the Drive-in have any authority to tell us we can’t watch? It’s not like they’re losing any money by us viewing it, they put the sound over the free FM radio, and we aren’t tampering with any fences or trees that might be blocking the view.”
Can a drive-in theater tell you “which direction you point your eyeballs?”
The top comment put it succinctly. “You’re not using any kind of contraptions to get a better vantage point (like a gigantic ladder to peer over their fence, or what-have-you), then I’m not too sure they have any say in which direction you point your eyeballs or what radio station you tune your radio into.”
The drive-in owner could try arguing that the high pool deck is just such a “contraption.”
But as the deck is necessary for the above-ground pool, they’d have a tough legal battle. In addition, it sounds like this tradition stood for a long time with no complaints.
Another comment added a great point. “Now if you were charging people to come watch you may have a problem but since you aren’t you’re fine.”
Others said that even charging might be OK. One commenter made an excellent comparison. “The multi-unit homes around Wrigley Field have been doing this for years watching Cubs games. Some even have bleachers built on their roofs.” Even the Cubs can’t make them stop.
Many folks pointed out that the theater owner could put up a fence on their own property. But aside from that, they had no real recourse. That said, if the grandparents want to maintain good neighborly relations–and avoid the owner investing in a fence–the issue might be worth a sit-down. Perhaps they could agree to buy some popcorn from the concession stand for their family movie nights. Or they might even agree on a “season pass” price, so family movie night by the pool can continue.