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voyeuristic neighbours
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@ThisIsWeird Thank you for your further response, yes other neighbours confirm that this chap and his wife also stare in to thier conservatory as their house is directly oposite but thier garden is a very long garden and their trees are filling out so currently the view is slightly restricted but in spring time before teh trees filled out then they also had the same issue and i guess they will again in autum/winter when the leaves fall off their tree. Another neighbour directly next door to myself has also noticed whats going on and l;ike myslef is feeling vulnerable to thier gaze. I can assure you we are all just living in our homes like we always have done just mindig ur own business, not parading around naked or doing amnything to attract attention, these folks have are new to the neighbourhood and for whatever reason dont seem to have any sence of or concern for others privacy.
I am now keeping a log of the situation as suggested. Thankyou once again2 -
A log - and a recording.Evidence evidence evidence. Without it you are stuffed.2
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I wonder what they would think if you took a photo of them as they stare? Big smile from you as they do it. From the middle of the room so it shows the intrusion. Let them think you are up to something.
Worked for me when my new horrible neighbours put scaffolding across my roof at 7am with no permission. They decisted immediately
But they may say you're harrasing them.
What would be fun would be a film that turned your windows into mirrors. Then they'd be looking at themselves
I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!
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The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well
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Thank you for your response Ive thought about taking apicture of them like you suggest.. very obviously.. see how they feel then! They most definitely need to look at themselves for sure and not just in a mirror either!1
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As I understand it, you can take photos and videos of them since you are gathering evidence for a possible case. But do not use these recordings for any other purpose, or share them with anyone who isn't authorised to view them - the LA or the police.Unless you are going to sit there all day with a camera taking shots every single time they appear, then a video recording is surely the only way to evidence the amount of time they spend there each day, where they look, who they are looking at, and how they respond when 'challenged' with a non-aggressive questioning look?Set your camera running, and go about your normal day - or add enticements if you like! Ie, being more visible, going in the garden, that sort of stuff - not youknowwhat...Then have a boring evening FF-ing through it and writing down times and behaviour. Just do one typical day.If you are going to get anywhere taking action against them - even just the LA or police having a quiet word - then you need this evidence. Even then it's a toughie.I think it'll come down to just how bad it is - the sheer amount of voyeuring, coupled with their behaviour during it - and also the mettle of the officer involved.Whereas you cannot stop folk looking out their own window, there surely does come a point where what they are doing is so intrusive that it could be harassment. I mean, if they were staring over your garden fence by this amount, it would surely be pretty darned open-and-shut?A final option - should you get nowhere - could be to approach the local press! A nice 'peeping tom' story for a bored young reporter? If other neighbs are happy to also be involved and confirm the situation, then a single young female being gawked at 12/7 might get them off their desk... Part of the story could involve the lack of action taken by the authorities. No idea :-).
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Could you turn the situation so they don't want to stare at you any more? Every time you spot them open your window and call over to them "are yous busy? You don't look busy. D'ya wanna come round for a cuppa tea, I'll put the kettle on. Come on round. Is it tea or coffee?" Big smiles and lots of inviting arm-waving.
Every time you see them. Every. Single. Time.Thanks for explaining the word 'many' to me. It means a lot.0 -
That will be a hell of a lot of tea, tho'.
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ThisIsWeird said:As I understand it, you can take photos and videos of them since you are gathering evidence for a possible case. But do not use these recordings for any other purpose, or share them with anyone who isn't authorised to view them - the LA or the police.
Firstly I'll start by saying I'm not entirely convinced that what the neighbour's doing is illegal. Harassment is one of those terms that's thrown around so much these days it's almost lost all meaning and even if you were strict I'm not sure this constitutes harassment. People are free to look out their windows after all.
I even googled this. I couldn't find anything on looking at other people in their gardens/homes (which would lead me to suggest it's not illegal) but everything instead talked about recording other people in their homes, which as acknowledged is illegal.
So the interesting point. You say you can take photos/videos if recording evidence for a case, which I don't dispute but what would the law be if it turned out the neighbour wasn't breaking the law at all? Would the OP then be breaking the law by recording their neighbour in their house? If you could simply argue you were evidence gathering for a potentially non existent crime then anyone could argue that and the recording law would be pointless.
Ultimately I think several elements of this fall into 'grey area' territory. I would at the very least be extremely confident they're actually breaking the law before recording them.1 -
Gavin83 said:This does raise an interesting point.
Firstly I'll start by saying I'm not entirely convinced that what the neighbour's doing is illegal. Harassment is one of those terms that's thrown around so much these days it's almost lost all meaning and even if you were strict I'm not sure this constitutes harassment. People are free to look out their windows after all.
I even googled this. I couldn't find anything on looking at other people in their gardens/homes (which would lead me to suggest it's not illegal) but everything instead talked about recording other people in their homes, which as acknowledged is illegal.
So the interesting point. You say you can take photos/videos if recording evidence for a case, which I don't dispute but what would the law be if it turned out the neighbour wasn't breaking the law at all? Would the OP then be breaking the law by recording their neighbour in their house? If you could simply argue you were evidence gathering for a potentially non existent crime then anyone could argue that and the recording law would be pointless.
Ultimately I think several elements of this fall into 'grey area' territory. I would at the very least be extremely confident they're actually breaking the law before recording them.
I think the proof of the pudding would be in the resulting outcome. If the recording does manage to evidence anti-social or even illegal behaviour, then it's justified by default and hence (I'd suggest) unquestionably legal (provided you only use it to pursue that case). If you do not manage to capture wrong doing, you delete the file - within a month is usually suggested as a guide, I understand.
Meanwhile, you do not shared or publicise any of it, but keep it for its sole purpose - taking action.
Am I absolutely certain of the above? No. But I'm pretty sure it's safe ground.
I have a number of covert recordings taken when challenging one particular neighbour, and they should be invaluable should action be required against them. I have no concerns about having them, as they do indicate repeated anti-soc and even illegal activity.0 -
ThisIsWeird said:That will be a hell of a lot of tea, tho'.
Or lots of tea cos there's nothing malicious going on, they're only bored and they're actually nice people who could become friends.
She said, naively.Thanks for explaining the word 'many' to me. It means a lot.1
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