Official Rules & Terms

Great Hills Holiday Lights Contest 2025 — administered by hosts Amy Johnston Harper and Nan Kirkpatrick.

These Official Rules govern the Great Hills Holiday Lights Contest 2025 (the “Contest”). They are provided for community planning purposes and should be reviewed by qualified Texas counsel before final publication.

1. Contest Hosts, Administrators & Community Sponsors

  • Contest Hosts/Administrators: Amy Johnston Harper (Compass Real Estate) & Nan Kirkpatrick (Abundance Home Mortgage LLC). Together they are longtime Great Hills residents organizing and administering the Contest.
  • Mailing Address: Pending confirmation – Great Hills neighborhood, Austin, TX 78759.
  • Contact: Amy.Harper@compass.com (512-826-2169) and nan@abundancehomemtg.com (512-970-8617).
  • Contest Website: holidaylights.amyatx.com and holidaylights.abundancehomemtg.com (collectively, the “Site”).
  • Community Sponsors: Local businesses who financially support prizes, signage, and community events in exchange for recognition. They do not administer the Contest, tally votes, or determine winners.
  • Governing Law & Venue: State of Texas, U.S.A. Venue for any permitted court action is Travis County, Texas (subject to the arbitration clause in Section 16).

Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.

2. Eligibility

  • Open only to legal residents whose nominated property sits inside the Great Hills neighborhood boundary in Austin, Texas, as determined by the Hosts’ geofenced boundary data. Participants must be 18 years of age or older as of the date of entry; minors ages 13–17 may participate only with prior written consent of a parent or legal guardian. Individuals under 13 may not enter, be nominated, or vote.
  • Housing types eligible: Single-family residences (including townhomes) located within the geofenced Contest boundary. Apartments, multi-family units, and commercial properties are ineligible unless the Hosts approve in writing. Each nominated property may appear only once per Contest.
  • Entrant must be the property owner or have the owner’s/HOA’s written permission to decorate, to be photographed/filmed, and to participate in the Contest.
  • Employees, contractors, and officers of the Hosts, judging/verification personnel, and members of their immediate households are not eligible to win prizes.
  • All participants agree to comply with applicable laws, ordinances, HOA rules, and safety codes, and to maintain safe premises for visitors and viewers.

3. Contest Periods (Central Time)

  • Entry (Nominations) Period: December 1, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CT to December 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Entries are accepted only while the Contest phase is “nominations.”
  • Public Voting — Nominations Round: December 1, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CT to December 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Votes cast during this phase determine the finalists.
  • Finals Voting Period: December 15, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. CT to December 19, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CT. During this phase, votes are limited to finalists only.
  • Winners Announcement: December 20, 2025 at a Great Hills neighborhood celebration (time to be announced) and on the Site and Hosts’ channels.

The Hosts may adjust any dates/times for weather, safety, technical outages, or other circumstances beyond their control (see Sections 14–15).

4. How to Enter (No Purchase Necessary)

  1. During the Entry Period, visit the Site and complete the online nomination form with:
    • name, email, and whether you live at the nominated address;
    • optional phone number (U.S. 10-digit format);
    • street address within the Great Hills boundary;
    • referral source (how you heard about the Contest);
    • optional photo upload (up to 10 MB) or allow the Hosts to substitute an available Street View image later.
  2. Submissions are subject to device-cookie checks, invisible hCaptcha challenges, a honeypot field, and a minimum form-completion time to deter bots.
  3. Entries are geocoded via Google Maps or OpenCage and must fall inside the Hosts’ configured boundary. Addresses outside the boundary are automatically rejected. Duplicate nominations of the same address or entries after the 50-property cap are blocked.
  4. Asset standards: uploaded photos must be original or properly licensed, family-friendly, and may not depict unsafe conduct.
  5. Map listing: the leaderboard and public map display the decorated property’s address, coordinates, and submitted or fallback imagery. Contact the Hosts before publishing if you require us to display only a general area instead of the exact street number.
  6. The Hosts may place an optional yard/window sign to identify participants. Yard signs are optional, and the Hosts will remove them within five days after winners are announced unless you opt out in writing.

5. Finalists, Voting Rounds & Determining Winners

  1. Nominations Round: During the Entry Period, the Site displays all eligible entries with running vote totals. Community members may register once and cast one vote per property; duplicate votes by the same verified email address are ignored.
  2. Finalists: After nominations close, the five (5) entries with the highest valid vote counts automatically advance to the finals (ties broken at the Hosts’ discretion, e.g., earliest nomination timestamp or additional review).
  3. Finals Voting: During finals, the Site displays only the finalists. Each verified email address may cast a single final-round vote total across all finalists, enforced by database constraints. Final-round votes reset to zero before finals begin.
  4. Winners: After finals close and anti-fraud review is complete, Grand, Second, and Third Place prizes are awarded to the finalists with the three highest final vote totals. The Hosts may also recognize honorable mentions at their discretion.

6. Anti-Fraud & Verification Measures

The Hosts use layered safeguards to keep voting fair:

  • hCaptcha challenge-response tokens, honeypot fields, and minimum submission times block automated entries/votes.
  • Registration requires name, email, and a valid U.S. 10-digit phone number; disposable email domains are rejected.
  • Phone numbers are normalized to digits; invalid numbers fail validation.
  • Each browser/device receives a signed identifier plus secure cookies. Rate limits cap entry submissions (20/minute), voter sign-ups (10/5 minutes), and votes (50/24 hours per IP+device). Optional minimum account age or per-vote cooldowns may apply.
  • Votes record email, IP address, and device identifiers; repeated votes for the same property are ignored. Final-round votes are limited to one per email overall.
  • The Hosts monitor for sudden spikes and may pause, audit, discount, or void suspicious votes; leaderboard counts remain unofficial until audits are complete.
  • The Hosts may require email verification via magic-link confirmation before allowing voting, depending on production configuration.
  • Attempts to circumvent safeguards (bots, scripts, VPN farms, paid voting, harassment, or manipulation) may result in disqualification of the entrant and/or voter.

7. Prizes & Approximate Retail Values (ARV)

  • Grand Prize: $1,000 USD.
  • Second Place: $500 USD.
  • Third Place: $250 USD.

General Prize Terms

  • Winners are determined by final-round verified vote totals after the Hosts’ audits. Ties may be broken by earliest nomination timestamp, additional review, or a random drawing at the Hosts’ discretion.
  • Prizes are non-transferable and may not be substituted, except the Hosts may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if advertised prizes become unavailable.
  • The Hosts will distribute prizes via check or electronic payment, coordinated directly with each verified winner within approximately 30 days of final verification. Winners are solely responsible for any associated fees.
  • Taxes: U.S. winners receiving cumulative prizes of $600 or more must complete IRS Form W-9; the Hosts may issue the required IRS Form 1099. Failure to timely provide tax forms may result in forfeiture.

8. Winner Notification & Claiming

The Hosts will notify potential winners using the email and/or phone submitted with the entry. Potential winners must respond and complete required paperwork (including eligibility and tax forms) within five (5) business days unless the notice specifies a different deadline. If a potential winner cannot be reached, fails to respond within the stated timeframe, or is disqualified, the Hosts may award the prize to the next highest-ranked finalist or choose an alternate method, subject to timing and feasibility. The Hosts may conduct additional verification (e.g., photo proof, site visit, or utility bill) to confirm eligibility and property location.

9. Odds

Odds of being named a finalist depend on the number and quality of eligible entries and votes received during nominations. Odds of winning a prize in finals depend on the number of finalists and valid votes cast during the finals voting period.

10. Conduct, Safety & Community Standards

  • Decorations must be installed and operated safely, following manufacturer instructions, electrical codes, HOA/landlord policies, and local ordinances. Manage cords, inflatables, and traffic to avoid hazards.
  • Avoid excessive noise or lighting that disrupts neighbors, and follow any posted curfews or traffic guidance. Entrants are responsible for visitor safety on and around their property.
  • The Hosts may disqualify displays that are unsafe, unlawful, hateful, harassing, or substantially non-compliant with these standards.

11. Intellectual Property & Publicity

  • Entrants retain ownership of their submitted photos, videos, and descriptions. By entering, you grant the Hosts and their affiliates a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license to use, modify (e.g., crop, color-correct), publish, and display your entry assets, name, likeness, and city for Contest administration, promotion, winner announcements, community sponsor recaps, and future holiday programming in any media now known or later developed.
  • Entrant warrants they have all rights necessary for the submitted content and that it does not infringe any third-party rights.
  • Except where prohibited, entry constitutes permission for the Hosts to use winners’ names, likenesses, and entry imagery for promotional purposes without additional compensation.
  • Social media platforms (Meta, Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, YouTube, Google, etc.) do not sponsor or endorse this Contest.

12. Privacy Notice (Summary)

  • The Hosts collect the information you submit (name, email, phone, address, referral source, ownership status, photos) plus technical data (IP address, device/cookie identifiers, captcha tokens, vote logs) to administer the Contest, verify eligibility, prevent fraud, map entries, contact participants, and deliver prizes.
  • Data may be shared with trusted vendors supporting Contest operations, including mapping/geocoding providers (Google Maps and/or OpenCage), cloud storage (S3-compatible services such as Cloudflare R2), email/SMS or webhook services, analytics/logging, and anti-fraud tools (including hCaptcha).
  • Personal data is stored in secure databases with access controls; the Hosts do not sell personal data.
  • Optional marketing opt-ins (if offered) are voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time by contacting the Hosts.
  • Individuals under 13 should not submit personal data; if discovered, the Hosts will delete such information.
  • For full details, including how to exercise privacy rights, review the Site’s Privacy Policy.

13. Technology, Availability & Force Majeure

  • Contest participation requires reliable internet access, modern browsers, cookies, and scripts. Some in-app browsers block the secure cookies needed for voting; the Hosts are not responsible for device, carrier, browser, or platform limitations.
  • The Hosts are not liable for service outages or issues caused by weather, power/internet failures, third-party platforms, or other events beyond their reasonable control. The Hosts may delay, modify, or cancel portions of the Contest if such events occur.

14. Release of Liability; Assumption of Risk; Indemnity

By participating, entrants release and hold harmless the Hosts, administrators, vendors, affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from any liability for injury, illness, damage, or loss arising from participation, decorating activities, visitors to the property, or prize acceptance/use, except where prohibited or resulting from the Hosts’ willful misconduct. Entrants acknowledge holiday decorating and increased traffic involve inherent risks and accept full responsibility. Entrants agree to indemnify Released Parties against third-party claims arising from entrant’s acts or submissions.

15. Right to Modify, Suspend, or Cancel

The Hosts may disqualify entries for rule violations or disruptive behavior. The Hosts may modify, suspend, or cancel the Contest (or any portion) if fraud, technical failures, force majeure, or any factor impairs the Contest’s integrity or proper functioning, as determined in their sole discretion. If cancelled, the Hosts may select winners from eligible, non-suspect entries received before the action or take other equitable measures.

16. Disputes; Binding Arbitration; Class Action Waiver

Any dispute or claim arising out of or relating to this Contest or these Rules shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules and governed by the Federal Arbitration Act. The seat of arbitration is Travis County, Texas. Proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis; class, consolidated, or representative actions are not permitted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Hosts may seek injunctive relief or protection of intellectual property/confidential information in a court of competent jurisdiction.

17. General Conditions

  • No purchase necessary; a purchase or payment does not increase chances of winning.
  • If any provision of these Rules is found invalid, the remainder remains in effect.
  • Headings are for convenience only.
  • These Official Rules constitute the entire agreement between the Hosts and participants regarding the Contest and supersede prior communications.

18. Winners List / Official Rules Requests

After winners are confirmed, the Hosts will post a winners list on the Site for at least 30 days. To request a copy of the winners list or these Official Rules, email Amy.Harper@compass.com and nan@abundancehomemtg.com with subject line “Great Hills Holiday Lights Contest — Winners List” within 60 days after the Winners Announcement Date.

19. Sponsor & Partner Disclosures

Prizes may be supported by community sponsors. Sponsors do not control vote counts or winner selection unless explicitly stated. Any sponsor-provided gift cards or products are subject to the issuer’s standard terms. Social media platforms are not affiliated with or responsible for the Contest.

20. Abbreviated Rules (for quick reference)

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to eligible residents within the Great Hills boundary who are 18+ (minors 13–17 with parent/guardian consent). Enter at holidaylights.amyatx.com or holidaylights.abundancehomemtg.com by December 14, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Nominations voting runs December 1–14, 2025; finals voting runs December 15–19, 2025 (all CT). Prizes: $1,000 Grand, $500 Second, $250 Third. Void where prohibited. Contest Hosts/Administrators: Amy Johnston Harper & Nan Kirkpatrick (Great Hills, Austin, TX 78759). Contact: Amy.Harper@compass.com or nan@abundancehomemtg.com.

Last updated: October 10, 2025 (00:00 CT)