To get involved in neighbour issues when they don’t concern me?

[Shadowboy]

I’m going to have to be a bit vague not to out myself.

I was looking back through the videos on our door camera for a completely different reason but while working though them saw one of the neighbours (who parks a leaky oily car on the road Instead of his own drive- causing other issues worthy of its own thread!) pour oil onto the neighbours (I’ll call her Alice) grass.

Randomly, the week before Alice and I had been chatting about her lawn dying and she couldn’t understand why?

The neighbour that poured the oil has form for being aggressive, so I would never admit that I caught him on camera.

I have three options tell Alice and show her the video but if she ever uses it; the angle from the camera makes it obvious it’s our house and I don’t want the aggressive neighbour to know it’s me who shopped it to Alice.

I could post an anonymous letter to aggressive oil neighbour saying he’s been seen doing it; but not mention who I am... or I could just leave it- but I’ll feel guilty now I know what’s killing Alice’s lawn. Plus, the thought of this guy just getting away with damaging other people’s property irks me.

Or do I tell Alice but tell her I can’t let her have the video? Or is there another option I haven’t considered.
Or do I just stay out of it completely?

Doing nothing when you know something bad is happening and can stop it is akin to doing a bad thing yourself in my book.You should help your neighbour and risk consequences to yourself in my opinion.

Tell her and show her the video.

I would post an anonymous letter.

Don’t be cowardly. Show your neighbour the recording. So what if he knows?

Oh what a predicament! Personally I think I'd have to take some action, because this guy sounds like an arse.

Do you know why he's doing this to Alice, have they had a disagreement or could this be retaliation for something she's done to him?

I'd be tempted to report to the police non emergency line and hand over the evidence, no legal knowledge on this but its got to be criminal damage surely?!

Surely that’s criminal damage.
Tell her and show her.
Do you think he’ll stop at that? What if it hurt some wildlife? Or dog or cat?

I would report to the police. They might go and have a quiet word.

Tell her, suggest she quietly sets up her own camera to get her own evidence. If he spots the new camera and doesn't do it again you could then think about using your footage, but if not at least it's stopped.

I would report him to the police and show them the video

I would report to the police and tell Alice. The mans a bully and until he is stopped will carry on

I'd be a bit anxious in your shoes to be honest. The trouble with doing nothing is that is you're enabling a bully. Definitely talk to Alice though, wonder if reporting it to 101 online explaining your concerns might generate a visit to him. They only need say he has been seen doing it and not identify you.

@CherryPavlova he’s been violent and vindictive to a neighbour in the past who left because of him. I don’t want him to do anything to me or my home.

If you report it to the Police (I wouldn’t I think they are too busy for that type of petty stuff unless it escalates) they’ll need to speak to ‘Alice’ as she is the one who has suffered the damage, would she want that?

What about another option of letting both neighbours know you have a camera and it covers the front lawns and you thought it would be useful for them to know in case anything happens and footage is required.

What @HyggeHeart says is a good idea.

Please show her the video. Otherwise, you are siding with horrid neighbour, whether you like it or not.

I would complain to the council anyway about the oil on the road, but that's because it is a bugbear of mine.

I would tell Alice what you saw on the video and let her decide what action to take. Don't offer the video, but if she asks let her see it conditional on her not dragging you into it.

I would also encourage to get Alice to get a camera. Then the evidence becomes her own.

I might tell her why she needed to...

It's all well and good saying you'd tell Alice or report to the police (who, let's face it, are unlikely to be terribly interested), but it's OP who has to live next to nasty, violent neighbour day in, day out. Personally I'd keep schtum, and if that makes me a coward, so be it.

I think FAQs idea is a good one, but you need to speak to him and Alice together

You 'Just letting you know the areas our security cameras cover in case you ever need them'

Alice 'oh thanks, could i view videos to see any possible cause of my lawn damage?'

I would probably tell Alice and as PP suggested encourage her to get her own camera.

If you are too scared but still want to help Alice you could pop a letter to both of them:

Hi X,
I've just been told that because we have CCTV we have to tellneighbours what areas it covers and how and why we keep the recordings. So: we record the area in front of our house, that alos oncudes part of A's front and X are. We keep the recording on one tape, it automatically over tapes after about XX days.
Thanks

And then tip Alice the wink... it is true by the way. You should do that if you have CCTV!

Encourage her to get a camera. You could tell her that you’ve experienced property damage yourself at an old home and it was one of your old neighbours, to put the possibility in her head and keep yourself protected if you are scared he’s violent

I'd tell Alice for sure. Maybe I wouldn't offer video evidence, just that you know it's been seen happening.

Tell her to get a camera of her own. They're cheap enough now and one pointing out of her window would do the trick.

Suggest she buys a recording doorbell too, keep an eye for when he does it again and suggest she looks back at that time. Then you’ve told her without telling her!