Neighbour's CCTV Pointing to My House - What Else Can I do?

TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 10:43

Dear OzBargainners,

Here is yet another neighbour from [insert your choice a terrible word here] situation.

Our neighbour from [insert your choice of a terrible word here] has installed fixed cameras that, I feel, points onto my property where they can see through my large windows and into my living areas.

The idea of having a chat with this neighbour is unlikely to reach any meaningful or workable result so,

A quick google of this situation suggests that there are very few legal remedies, other than walking around the house nude for the said neighbour to see and forcing the neighbour to point their cameras away from my property.

Rather than my active crusade to go nude, I am thinking of a 24/7 passive protest by plastering my wall with large offensive (yet lawful) posters etc so they can see it all the time. Nobody else in the neighbourhood is able to see my windows unless they climb into my property or if they are flying a drone overhead and zooming in - so the public is definitely safe from any visual pollution that I cause.

If the neighbour complains, it is only proof that this person is using the CCTV to surveillance my property.

Apart from the above. Any other things I could do to annoy the neighbour's video footage of my property and me? :D

Home & Garden Security Camera

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 08/03/2022 - 10:45
    +174

    Mount a laser on your house pointing directly at their camera. Solved.

    • dust on 08/03/2022 - 11:19
      +33

      Ideally high powered enough to destroy the camera.

      • Poor Ass on 09/03/2022 - 10:44
        +4

        like the galick gun move?

        • nobro25 on 11/03/2022 - 11:59

          Laser Beam Canon more like.

          • chriskq on 11/03/2022 - 14:47

            @nobro25: umm in Quake it's called a rail gun thank you

      • macrocephalic on 09/03/2022 - 10:46
        +1

        It doesn't even need to be very high power. I've seen footage of cameras being ruined while filming at dance clubs where there were lasers going.

        • cooni on 09/03/2022 - 23:11
          +8

          Those are quite high powered lasers…

      • payless69 on 09/03/2022 - 19:15
        +1

        Tou need something like a tattoo remover. Good also for side income.

    • GordonD on 08/03/2022 - 16:10
      +12

      I like the idea of a laser that points directly at the camera. It doesn't have to damage the camera, that would almost certainly be illegal, just bright enough to make the image it produces useless.

      • cuteseal on 09/03/2022 - 14:51
        +7

        Yeah or just a high beam LED light which would wash out the image.
        Damaging the cameras would not be a good idea as OP would be opening up themselves to be sued.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2022 - 10:18
      +8

      Or just put something up outside of your house (but still on your property) that is high enough to block the camera's view.

    • 42 on 09/03/2022 - 12:39

      Was about to suggest something like this but less intense like a mirror that reflects light into the camera lens

    • blurn on 09/03/2022 - 16:45

      in the movie inside man, the robbers use infrared lights to blind the cameras. Unsure if that works in reality tho.

      • SteveD on 10/03/2022 - 12:29
        +2

        @blurn:It will work only in the night as the camera relies on IR wavelength to capture video/image. If you counter back with same or higher wavelength in the IR spectrum you will wash out the image. But in day light it is like an ashtray on a motorbike, basically useless.

    • GordonD on 09/03/2022 - 20:52
      -5

      Wonder if there's anyone from the Chinese Embassy who reads OzBargain. If there is he'll be pointing out this thread to his boss and laughing and saying "see, OzBargainers say it OK for us to point laser at them when those Aussies fly over our ships and point their surveillance planes cameras at us, so it must be OK!"

      • Forfiet on 10/03/2022 - 09:17

        I think these are more 'aggressive' than what ozbargain is suggesting….
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazzler_(weapon)

      • RatBargain on 10/03/2022 - 13:48

        LOL fair

  • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2022 - 10:45
    +25

    Install your own cctv pointing into his property

    • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 11:13
      +26

      Thanks, I don't want to look at their property though.

      • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2022 - 12:03
        +12

        you don't have to actually look at the property, but if he thinks you are spying on him like he is spying on you, it might piss him off like he has pissed you off and you would have some leverage to get him to point his cameras elsewhere. maybe fake cameras?

        • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2022 - 13:09
          +31

          just make sure you install fake wiring too, as he will be able to check the footage and see if you didn't install any wiring lol

      • AndyC1 on 08/03/2022 - 14:01
        +2

        Get a dummy CCTV camera and some cable so it looks real. Allot cheaper than real ones.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/03/2022 - 12:26
        +1

        Honestly 99% of the time they probably don’t want to look at you either. I have a camera pointed out my window for security (we had a number of incidents of damage). It has a great feature of being able to select portions of the image to black out (privacy zones) and not show notifications for which is great at making sure I don’t see something I don’t want to and don’t get notifications about movement somewhere irrelevant.

        I have no idea what the intentions are of this person nor where the camera is actually pointed though.

  • holdenmg on 08/03/2022 - 10:53
    +9

    Some window tinting allows light in and you to see out but hampers people looking in.

    • legs on 09/03/2022 - 00:24
      +4

      This was my thought too. I have a special tint on 2 of my windows that basically makes the windows one-way. You can see from inside out, but not outside in, during the day and isn't a dark tint so doesn't hamper light getting in.

      At night time though if you have lights on in the house it has the reverse effect, you can't see outside but outside could definitely see in. Not a problem at night though as you can just close the blinds.

      • edy4eva on 09/03/2022 - 23:48
        +1

        Double up on the tint, both sides of the glass

  • GG57 on 08/03/2022 - 10:55
    +12

    I suppose some may feel it disconcerting, but I don't actually care if my neighbour can see me or not. I don't go out of my way to stay away from their view, and don't change my behaviours or actions because they may be watching.
    Sounds like OP doesn't have a good relationship with their neighbour anyway. If it were me, I would just ignore it.

    • iNeed2Pee on 08/03/2022 - 11:03
      +1

      I actually agree:) Hey look, we have common ground hahaha!

    • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 11:11

      You are correct, there is no relationship with this neighbour.

      If there is the chance this neighbour is watching, then I would like to give them a nice private show.

      • GG57 on 08/03/2022 - 11:13
        +2

        Why?
        Why poke the bear?

        • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 11:15
          +3

          Maybe because the bear has already provoked me/us in multiple/other ways over the last few years.

      • squidz on 10/03/2022 - 11:57

        P.. show?

    • cashless on 08/03/2022 - 11:12
      +1

      Might be live-streaming globally - that wouldn't be nice

      • GG57 on 08/03/2022 - 11:14

        What would OP be doing that '…wouldn't be nice…"?

        • cashless on 08/03/2022 - 11:17

          Better ask OP that

    • Miss B on 08/03/2022 - 23:55
      +3

      What about when you accidentally kill someone? I know this happens a lot, because I've seen it on TV. Then you'll need to break into their house and delete the footage. Much easier if there's no footage to begin with.

      • Miss B on 08/03/2022 - 23:57
        +1

        Actually pretending to kill someone could be fun. Film it from a different angle and say you were making a movie.

        • May4th on 09/03/2022 - 15:35
          +2

          Or actually kill someone and pretend you did it as a joke knowing the camera is there. Cameraception

    • macrocephalic on 09/03/2022 - 10:47
      +1

      I guess it depends. I don't walk around naked in front of windows that neighbours could see through, but I probably wouldn't be concerned about a security camera - as I know I rarely look at my security cameras so I assume other people don't spend time looking at theirs either.

      • ProlapsedHeinous on 09/03/2022 - 23:20

        I have mine permanently displayed on a monitor on my desk. if anyone is wandering around where they shouldn't be, It captures my attention. otherwise whats the point?

        • macrocephalic on 10/03/2022 - 14:15

          My external one records people, and every month or so I go through and delete the old stuff. My internal ones are only for checking on the status of the house (pets and kids).

  • popsiee on 08/03/2022 - 10:57
    +8

    Chuck a brown eye at it .

    • Surtr on 08/03/2022 - 22:45
      +1

      poopsiee

  • Fergy1987 on 08/03/2022 - 11:04
    +6

    Give them a show

  • cashless on 08/03/2022 - 11:07
    +3

    Very powerful spotlights trained on fixed camera (or laser as MS paint suggested).
    Essentially you need to take that camera out of action.
    Alternatively get a nice big fat-ass camera and point it right back at the neighbour
    "I'm watching you, watching me…."

  • Hardlyworkin on 08/03/2022 - 11:08
    +20

    Plant some bamboo or similar fast growing tree/plant

    • macrocephalic on 09/03/2022 - 10:49

      One of my in-laws did that. Then the bamboo leaves started falling onto the neighbour's side of the fence and it became a council complaint which had to go to arbitration.

      • BreezyPalms on 09/03/2022 - 21:03

        Bamboo is a good option - also has the added bonus of blocking sun to them (depending on orientation)

        I did this to block out the view of my neighbours ugly new house

      • chriskq on 11/03/2022 - 14:50

        what was the result - councils are obsessed with any tree so surely there was no recourse?

  • SBOB on 08/03/2022 - 11:14
    +4

    Any other things I could do to annoy the neighbour's video footage of my property and me? :D

    have you thought to ask them to confirm whether their cameras view actually does or does not provide the view you think it does?
    sometimes hard to tell just eye-balling a cameras line of site

    • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 11:25

      I would rather avoid talking to this neighbour, besides they would deny it anyway and it appears to be legal for them to do what they're doing.

      Putting up large offensive posters can only affect this one neighbour, assuming the camera does view my property.

      It has little consequence for me as its not my primary place of residence.

      • SBOB on 08/03/2022 - 11:28
        +7

        well, chances are they wouldnt be able to see through windows during the day
        point a large IR light array in their direction at night time would likely blind the camera

      • Batapotamus on 09/03/2022 - 08:48

        Yes…but would your "Large Offensive Posters" be seen with his eyeballs also and just not the camera? If so you're not proving anything.

      • Gladioli on 10/03/2022 - 18:01

        Ah, here it is. Not your primary place of residence. Don't want video record of what you're up to there. I see where this is going…

  • holdenmg on 08/03/2022 - 11:30
    +6

    Buy some "security" floodlights and aim them…

  • Diji1 on 08/03/2022 - 11:42
    +14

    Buy many fake cameras and aim them all at their house.

    • lachhelix on 08/03/2022 - 23:10
      +5

      25+ should do the trick 😂

  • [Deactivated] on 08/03/2022 - 11:45
    +42

    Any other things I could do to annoy the neighbour's video footage of my property and me?

    Do you want to annoy your neighbour or have the camera/s redirected?

    Grow a pair and talk with your neighbour. Seriously.

    Carrying-on like a petulant child and adopting a mindset of learned helplessness on an internet forum isn't going to move that camera.

    • Quantumcat on 08/03/2022 - 11:48
      +8

      Definitely, talking is best. Passive aggressive actions are more likely to start a tit for tat that escalates than them simply moving the camera.

      • holdenmg on 08/03/2022 - 11:55
        +8

        bickies first, then bikies…

    • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 12:22
      +37

      We have had police interventions in the past - so growing a pair, putting on my big-boy pants, and having a gentlemanly chat is long past.

      • Cyphar on 08/03/2022 - 15:30
        +1

        Is there an existing protective order between you both?

        • TheMindsetTraveller on 08/03/2022 - 15:38
          +2

          No, nothing violent; more being nuisance complaints etc.

    • Saver Scott on 10/03/2022 - 17:33
      +2

      Sounds like you’ve never lived next door to neighbours from hell that no friendly chat, council, police, and politicians can even deal with.

      I have and I bet if OP goes over for a talk it won’t end well. There’s no point in him going over unless he’s looking for a fight.

      • GG57 on 11/03/2022 - 08:47
        +1

        Are they really 'neighbours' if the property is not OP's PPOR and he doesn't go there often?

      • [Deactivated] on 11/03/2022 - 11:25
        +1

        Not at all. I have lived in a terrace house with the proverbial neighbours from hell on the other side of a shared wall.

        My career background is in dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration etc. Carrying-on like a child vigilante will NOT solve the issue here. And I'm definitely NOT suggesting this will be a single discussion, let alone a pleasant one.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 08/03/2022 - 12:11
    +29

    Grow a pair and talk with your neighbour.

    Me: Hey neighbour I have issue with X, can you please remedy

    Neighbour: Get (profanity)

    Me: haha great.

    • ntt on 09/03/2022 - 08:56
      +2

      We have the same situation, my neighbour pointing a camera to our property, allegedly see through our window. He’s just a fckwit with double standard and such. We don’t bother that as it’s too much effort to fight.

    • Millikano on 09/03/2022 - 16:44

      This window mirror film is a great idea. It wouldn’t impact you day to day and would give great peace of mind.

  • JimmyF on 08/03/2022 - 12:28
    +7

    I feel, points onto my property where they can see through my large windows and into my living areas.

    As someone who HAS cameras installed myself, sometimes what you 'think' they are looking at, isn't what they are really looking at.

    How far away are these cameras?

    Got some photos?

    Apart from the above. Any other things I could do to annoy the neighbour's video footage of my property and me? :D

    Put up fence extensions, then….. Can't see anything.

  • netjock on 08/03/2022 - 12:33
    +7

    Do yourself a favor and ask your neighbor for some footage that might show you in your living area and check how good it is. If it isn't that good then no need to worry is there? Sometimes some cameras are such low quality it isn't worth worrying about.

  • diddy50 on 08/03/2022 - 13:08
    +28

    Report it to the Police, there is a presumption of privacy under law, you can't film into other people's homes.

    Call 131 444, make a report, call local station for advice, but log it through website or 131 444.

    Police will turn up, check the camera angle, check the footage and direct them to change it/remove it.

    Solved

    • diddy50 on 08/03/2022 - 13:12
      +1

      IANAL - however, have dealt with similar situation.

      whoever negged, Please share why this is incorrect

      • EightImmortals on 08/03/2022 - 13:14
        +8

        No reason needed…this is Ozbargain!

        (Wasn't me either. :) But I can fix it for you.)

        • Sxio on 09/03/2022 - 11:24
          +11

          No it doesn't. Street photography is in public where people don't have the presumption of privacy. These cameras are pointed into OP's private property. You absolutely DO have the presumption of privacy in your own home.

          • Pulseidon on 09/03/2022 - 13:04
            +1

            @Sxio: Can you point to the piece of legislation or case that says there is a presumption of privacy in Australia?

            • Sxio on 09/03/2022 - 13:37
              +1

              @Pulseidon: Sigh. Just google it man. This isn't high falluting stuff. Photographers and camera people deal with this every single day. We can film anyone in public with no worries but we can't shoot zoom lenses into private properties without getting a release.

              • Pulseidon on 09/03/2022 - 14:21
                +2

                @Sxio: As far as I'm aware there's no piece of Commonwealth legislation that sets out a presumption of privacy and there's no Australian case law that clearly recognises a tort of invasion of privacy in Australia. Certain pieces of State or Territory legislation may prohibit filming people in certain situations in those States or Territories but that doesn't amount to a general presumption of privacy in Australia. Happy to be proven wrong!

            • infinite on 10/03/2022 - 20:57
              +3

              @Pulseidon: We don't have specific laws for it, but we do have "tests" set out by the office of the Information Commissioner or equivalent in each state, which are used in law for privacy matters in civil/criminal proceedings. An example of that can be found in ABC v Lenah Game Meats (2002).

              Separate to that the matter of filming via a surveillance device into someone's property is specifically covered by indecency laws in a number of states, including SA, QLD, TAS & Vic.

              • Pulseidon on 11/03/2022 - 09:35

                @infinite: I'm not entirely sure what tests you're talking about and from a quick look I can't see them referenced in ABC v Lenah Game Meats. That was a case in the High Court (not a decision of an Information Commissioner) and there are no references in it to an Information Commissioner. In fact, ABC v Lenah Game Meats is a good demonstration of the fact that there isn't currently a general presumption of privacy is Australia. The judges in that case indicated that such a tort could be developed by Australian courts in the future but declined to do so in that instance.

      • Pulseidon on 09/03/2022 - 13:03

        Seeing as you're the one that made the statement, can you point to the piece of legislation or case that says there is a presumption of privacy in Australia?

        • Sammy Boi on 11/03/2022 - 17:24

          You are extremely annoying I just wanted to point that out….

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