Security camera next door

Hey guys,

Hoping for some advice on the following:

We self-manage an IP and had new tenants move in about 2 months ago. They have 2 old labradors who had a tough transition to the new home and would bark every morning from 5am and this upset the neighbours. Rather than approach them directly they pounded the fence when it happened and put letters in the mailbox complaining about the situation - this bit is not the issue.

The tenants put the dogs in the kennels for 2 weeks and are paying for a dog trainer to coach the dogs to adjust to the new home. They have also medicated the dogs to calm their anxiety as suggested by their vet. The dogs have been back at the house for 4 weeks and they have settled and there has been no barking - we know this as they told us, and we own the house next door and that tenant also told us they have been quiet (they also called us to complain initially).

During the time the dogs were in the kennels, the neighbour installed a wifi camera on their deck that is almost at eave level and points directly onto the back patio of our tenant and into their lounge room.

The tenants are distressed by this but are the loveliest and quietest couple who do not want to upset the neighbours. They called the police and they said there was nothing they could do as it was on private property.

Any suggestions as to how we might approach this situation?

Thank you

 

The tenants could probably get some legal advice on getting a court order to get that camera removed.

 

You say they're lovely but they sound like whingers to me. They've made it really difficult for your new tenants to move in and the dogs probably need psychoanalysis by now. If they just could've given them a few weeks to let the dogs settle in, everyone would be a lot happier. Now it'll be an uphill battle.
I would not encourage the whingers to dob on the new tenants - unless, of course, you enjoy that kind of thing.

 

I think you might have misread the OP there...

 

Oh yeah, you're right @Baker, I did misread. Apologies - the dog people are very nice. But the neighbour is intimidating them with a camera.
That is very weird behaviour.

 

The tenants or landlord should approach the neighbours and politely request that the CCTV be repositioned (or redirected) so as not to impinge on the privacy of the tenants.

I don't believe court action will be possible as neighbours could say camera lens angle is too narrow etc etc... (also a long process)

If the neighbours do not action after a polite request, then you need to fight fire with fire, eg:
Install a screen that directly blocks the camera view, or
Install a temporary floodlight that points directly at the camera, or
Install a camera looking directly at the neighbours , or
Use the CCTV as target practice with a slingshot or paint pellet (but outside the camera's viewing angle).

 

Start by asking the neighbours nicely to remove or change the angle of the camera. If they don't, is it easy to screen off?

 

Doesnt even need to be visible light. An IR floodlight pointed at the camera would do the trick. A laser diode maybe even would do permanent damage, but needs to be accurately pointed

 

Who needs CCTV when the neighbours have dogs?

 

It's a frequent topic online and the consensus is police cannot do anything because it's not illegal. However, someone online recon this may be different if someone in the yard is naked.

 

Spray adhesive will make the image very ...blurred

 

This is only partially correct - the police can't or won't do anything because it's almost never a criminal issue.

But often there are civil causes of action that someone can do about it.

 

One of the civil actions is mediation by a independent person. Why is the camera there ? Can the behaviours of concern be modified or stopped ? Can the camera be removed then? Most nutters will see that speaking will achieve more than throwing up a camera and ranting. The courts want mediation to avoid matters getting to the state when police are called and then matters end in violence, threats and property damage. Or worse.

 

Broomstick or something similar can change the angle of that camera in a few seconds, not advice, just a thought I had.

 

Well, cos i like dogs, i would increase the rent of the difficult ppl.

 

The neighbour has probably setup the camera to record the data for the 'journal' the council requires when taking barking dog complaints to the next escalation. You'll probably find the camera will be removed in 2-3 weeks once they've obtained evidence about the dog barking sufficient to further their complaint with council. Based this assumption off the previous actions re: them writing to the dog owners (note in letterbox etc), they've likely done this instead of talking direct so it is documented.

 

Yes - we’ve only got one side of the situation.

 

On the plus side, rangers are usually dog lovers too. The council tells the complainers to record it because most of them can't be bothered keeping records of what they want to complain about. What a Mindset!
I"m sure the dogs will continue to settle. But someone needs to remind the complainers that barking dogs are usually effectively protecting their families and neighbours. They really do.
I mean, dogs actually are allowed to bark, too.

 

There was a dog owner shot and killed by a neighbour a few years ago because some old dog doing his job.

 

Is this something a sit-down with coffee and a plate of muffins can't fix?