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bad neighbor

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filmbuffy

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? New Hampshire

I think I might have crossed the line, but not sure....

For a while now damage has been occuring to our property. We suspect our neighbor (who, by the way, isn't to happy with us because we had to complain several times to the condo home-owners association regarding their blocking our access to our driveway). Since then, I've set up a camera to video tape our back yard when we are not home.

Tonight I observed my neighbor sneaking around in the dark, so I took out my camera to catch his actions on tape.......he wasn't causing any damage but I did catch him watering his property. Currently NH has a water ban, with odd/even watering days. Here's where I think I may have crossed the line, he caught me video taping him. He confronted me, I told him I would be calling the towns water district about his violating the watering "honor-code." That's pretty much where we left it.....

Have I committed a crime here? Can they slap a restraining order on me or even bring me to court?

Man I hate it when I do stupid things!
 


stephenk

Senior Member
its not illegal to video tape someone in public. i can video tape you walking down the sidewalk if i want.

why dont you set up your video camera and a motion detector that turns on a light at the same time?
 

racer72

Senior Member
Call you state water police. They live for catching violators of the state lawn watering laws. Call 1-800-DED-LAWN.

Stephenk, the alledged perpertrator was in his backyard, not on public property. The gentleman could file a complaint with his local police department for invasion of privacy.
 

filmbuffy

Junior Member
racer thanks for the reply. Out of curiosity what kind of action can be taken against me? I was in the street, I did not go onto their property and the camera was not consealed.

After his catching me, he did storm off, I suspect he went to the police.

Thanks
 

Beth3

Senior Member
You were videotaping someone who had no reasonable expectation of privacy - he was out in his yard in plain view (much as he tried to hide his actions), not inside his house. You are almost certainly perfectly okay. Plus, there was no audio (I presume) - that's what gets people in trouble.
 

Bravo8

Member
racer72 said:
Stephenk, the alledged perpertrator was in his backyard, not on public property. The gentleman could file a complaint with his local police department for invasion of privacy.
That is incorrect. As long as the videotaper was legally allowed to be present at the location where he was standing, and the "vidoetapee" was outside where he has no expectation of privacy, then the videotaper is in the clear.
 

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