Restrictive covenants clause being used to remove cctv cameras

11052016_user

marksoton wrote: »

Fit an alarm on the van?

Fleet vehicle which does not have an alarm & i cannot fit one.

marksoton

11052016_user wrote: »

"Not for a period of five years following compleation of your purchase to construct or erect any building or other structure (including any garden shed or other building), construct any extention or make any alteration to the external appearance of any building or structure"



These are being used to make me remove the cctv cameras, are they right?

I suspect this is where you COULD come unstuck. Quite often on here people are told they can't even have sky dishes. Whether it's fully enforced is another matter.

marksoton

11052016_user wrote: »

Fleet vehicle which does not have an alarm & i cannot fit one.

That's utter madness. Especially on a security engineers van!

AdrianC

11052016_user wrote: »

So this is the covenants i have susposingly breached by fitting a cctv camera:

"Not for a period of five years following completion of your purchase to ... make any alteration to the external appearance of any building or structure"

These are being used to make me remove the cctv cameras, are they right?

If you're still within five years of purchase, and the cameras alter the external appearance, then - yes.

As for the van, I'm gobsmacked that any newish vehicle doesn't have an alarm factory-fitted. I'm actually surprised they aren't part of N1 (van) type approval - they are for M1 (car), and have been for years.

11052016_user

dc197 wrote: »

Let's separate the two issues.
1. CCTV possibly pointing at neighbours/public spaces.
2. "Altering" your property by installing devices (any devices - even a dummy camera) to it.

Am I right to say that your developers (the beneficiaries of the covenant) have placed no restrictions regarding and have no interest in (1) ? Then reply to your developer regarding only (2).
What loss or problem have the developers suffered? What is the "or else" they are threatening?

Satisfy the outstanding neighbours regarding (1). Perhaps your cameras, like mine, can have certain areas blocked-off or made insensitive to motion? This would possibly stop recording areas not of interest and stop being triggered unless someone comes onto your property.

Yes the issue is in point 2

And i already have privacy filters and motion activation modes activated.

usefulmale

Can you not install the cameras inside? I used to put the camera inside a cardboard box with a hole for the lens to see through and put the box on the windowledge.

From the outside, it just looked like a box. The camera was not visible and there were no issues with reflections from the glass.

11052016_user

AdrianC wrote: »

If you're still within five years of purchase, and the cameras alter the external appearance, then - yes.

As for the van, I'm gobsmacked that any newish vehicle doesn't have an alarm factory-fitted. I'm actually surprised they aren't part of N1 (van) type approval - they are for M1 (car), and have been for years.

Yes still within 5 years, so it looks as if i will have to remove them, but how about if they did not alter the building and were covert as such? Not ideal as looks suspicious.

Brand new van with no alarm, on a security installation company van..true!

AdrianC

11052016_user wrote: »

how about if they did not alter the building and were covert as such?

Then there's no issue, since the issue is their appearance.

11052016_user

usefulmale wrote: »

Can you not install the cameras inside? I used to put the camera inside a cardboard box with a hole for the lens to see through and put the box on the windowledge.

From the outside, it just looked like a box. The camera was not visible and there were no issues with reflections from the glass.

The idea was to fit a professional system that looked the part, but i may have to consider another way.

11052016_user

AdrianC wrote: »

Then there's no issue, since the issue is their appearance.

I think thats my best option. Thank you.

Although the real issue is a complaining neighbour who most likely does not like the camera, the developer has uses the covenant to make me remove them. But the neighbour will still have issue with the covert camera....if they know about it!! But i didnt really want to come accross as sneeky by hiding the cameras in the first place. Maybe i should just move.