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So a couple of years ago a retired couple moved in next door in our tiny cul de sac with their sports car collection. Enlarged the drive, built another car port and have just last week added a security camera as they are paranoid about them being nicked. This camera points directly at my kitchen diner and back garden. It’s so sensitive that if I walk across my kitchen I can here the motion sensor alarm going off. Opening the back door which we do a lot is like colditz as there is a spotlight attached!
To be honest I’m flabbergasted and disappointed that anyone would think this is ok. We have two teenage girls and they are now paranoid about walking around their own house. We have always had very good relations with these people and been chatty when out in the garden plus we even collaborated on upgrading our joint border together last year with nice fencing etc.
So obviously I’m going to go round and have a chat but wondered if anyone had any tips in case he simply says tough? They are quite selfish people and have no commitments no children retired etc and loaded as they won 5mill on the lottery a few years ago…..so lawyering up will be harder for me than them not that I really want to go that way…
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/domestic-cctv-systems/
If you don't have any luck put a large wind chime or similar on your property so the continual triggering of the camera obliges them to stop.
tiny cul de sac
5mill on the lottery
Eh?! Why don’t they buy somewhere without neighbours?
Eh?! Why don’t they buy somewhere without neighbours?
.....everybody needs good neighhh-bours?
Go and have chat.
Could you offer to let them fix the camera to some of your property so it's pointing away from you?
So obviously I’m going to go round and have a chat but wondered if anyone had any tips in case he simply says tough
He's old,you are young and fit,go full alpha on his ass,or ...sausages in lawn,naked dancing on your lawn(every night),take snaps of all the cars and leave them around the local pubs.*
* only joking,I am sure it will be fine.
😆 🤣
Get your own rather loud security camera and point it at there's; failing that just tell surveillance shouldn't include your property.
If you get your own camera then for added infuriation get the one that someone near us has got so every time a pigeon so much as twitches a feather nearby a loud American voice says "Hi you are currently being recorded".
(also just checking this isn't another obscure allegory about allotments and Israel or anything)
Drop a subject access request through their door twice a day?
Ultra bright security light pointing at the camera permanently switched on. I'll ask one of our neighbours which one they have...had to get blackout blind for Fazzini jnr jnr's room thanks to that.
sausages in lawn
Giant inflatable sausage to block camera view. 🤷🏼♂️ Alternatively, just get one of those torches they used in 'Inside Man' 😉
Stone bounced off the lawnmower, landed right on the light.
ooops. Sorry.
What a shame.
Tell em to shift it. All ours are angled down so pick up out property, nor aimed at someone's house next door. Or hiss them off with a mega watt LED security light.
Hi powered laser pointer
So obviously I’m going to go round and have a chat but wondered if anyone had any tips in case he simply says tough?
Curtains?
If it's a decent security camera you should be able to set zones where it will ignore anything out of the marked zone so you won't set it off.
Ask him if he's done that and adjust the light so it points down into their garden.
Other than that get some plants at the bottom of the garden that block the camera. Last resort is frozen sausages and lob then at the security light
More seriously,
Security lights and cameras should be angled down rather than across. I used to have one across the way from my bedroom that was a proper pain in the harris. On, off, on, off, etc all bloody night.
They're probably oblivious, I'd start the conversation with "you probably didn't know but..."
Sensible diplomatic answer incomming, brace yourselves!
If they were installed by a subcontractor of the company they purchased the cameras from, (presumanbly if they are retired they wouldn't have installed them themselves, in particular if they come with 'free instalation') it's entirely possible the installers didn't take much time to set them up and fine tune them properly and the neighbours may simply be unaware or think it doesnt bother you.
I think a polite conversation is probably in order!
Have you tried talking to them? My camera covers some of my neighbour's property but you have the option to black out any areas that aren't yours to record, which complies with the law. I discussed it with my neighbour and they didn't give a toss about the camera picking up their drive so I didn't bother adding any "do not record" zones.
Even if the motion sensor is triggered it's perfectly possible that the camera isn't recording.
And as a final thought, your primary objection to your neighbours seem to be that they have money as opposed to anything else.
@flaperon your final thought is just plain rude to be honest.
Also if you had bothered to actually read my post and a couple of the others you would see your points previously covered.
The motion sensor is very loud and intrusive. My wife is gardening at the moment and it’s going every few minutes. Unfortunately chap has gone out but I will be having a word when he gets back.
we are veggie - will Linda Macartney’s finest do?
I mean, you did mention "sports car collection", "loaded", "5 mill", and "lottery", all in a post about a security camera.
we are veggie – will Linda Macartney’s finest do?
I think you may have to go full WMD and deploy the big guns - full size frozen vegan black pudding.
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That was context flaperon. Sports cars are expensive hence his need for security. Loaded and lottery as an explanation as to why I would be unlikely to succeed in court unless I wanted to throw money around.
whatever, I know me.
anyway wife has just been to the garden centre and a nice 10ft tall tree is both cheaper and more attractive than a lawyer so that is plan b
And as a final thought, your primary objection to your neighbours seem to be that they have money as opposed to anything else.
Crikey, where on earth did that come from?
Were you actually able to read the OP....
Couldn't you politely point out that the current situation is unacceptable to you and suggest the camera should be pointing at his carport not your house?
Don’t understand why the camera needs to point at your house. Whilst your wife is setting them off when gardening you should steal all the cars!
Are you any good with a drone (or at wearing a hoody) or at lobbing stuff from a hidden distance.
Simply make sure the sports car roofs are covered with a wet sticky bread/seed mix every night, the bits pecking next day should at least provide entertainment.
I think the audible motion sensor, that's going off when you are in your garden is un-acceptable. Shows no 'zones' are on.
I mean, you did mention “sports car collection”, “loaded”, “5 mill”, and “lottery”, all in a post about a security camera.
TBF there was also 'selfish' and 'no children'
Might have been, but if you are outside and can hear it (or inside) - OP mentioned his Mrs had been gardening.
Deffo needs a word and tell them how irritating it is,
We once had our security light not quite aligned right, and my neighbour mentioned it. I also fitted/made a 'visor' to make sure no light spilled from the top of the reflector. I double check where the light shadow falls now so it's well within our land.
3 pages, a warning and a half hearted flounce
Also
a retired couple
sports car collection
no children
Easy there tiger, I'd be asking said elderly gent down to the pub and making myself a firm friend/new Dad.
Has the OP spoken to his neighbours yet?
No not yet. He was out all day yesterday, we were out all day today and tbh it’s Easter Sunday so not the day for a (possible) confrontation.
I’ll pop round tomorrow and yes it goes off when we walk around our kitchen.
I suspect they will be very apologetic once they know it goes off when you are in your house. It needs to be angled up the driveway to catch anyone. Side on (I assume) is useless with a cap and hoodie. They also need to review (with you) what it can see of your house if they don't know how to angle them. Easy job if you can get them to let you see the output (bear in mind they are older and can't climb a ladder to re-angle a camera).
We have a camera in our back garden..had a fair few break ins in the street so I fitted one.
My camera is setup with a "trigger area" that means only movement in my garden will actually set it off. The very side of the image does capture my neighbours garden but them moving in that area won't set it off. I also have it set to work at specific times, basically during the night.
You can have these cameras without inconveniencing neighbours. Might be that they just need education on how to set it up properly