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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Artist selling drawings of my house

529 replies

TechGinny · 07/09/2021 12:43

I've just discovered that an artist local to the area is selling drawings of my property on her website. It's not easily viewed by the road, which means she would have had to enter the land to draw it.

I'm feeling quite annoyed about this, as she has never made contact to ask permission.

AIBU unreasonable to feel like this, and would you make contact to ask her to remove it from her website?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
ChargingBuck · 08/09/2021 18:36

@pollymere

I think you need to add something that points out as the owner you haven't given permission for them to sell pics of your house either.
OP can point it out, but it won't do her any good. The artist doesn't need her permission.
WiddlinDiddlin · 08/09/2021 18:51

How on earth do you know that a watercolor of your house has not taken her hours and hours to do?

Who says she took the photo, maybe a friend said 'oh I deliver xyz to that huge poshly pretty house you can't see from the road, next time I'm there ill get a pic of the front of it for you'?

Maybe she did trespass to get the photo, but since you can only go after her for damage done to your property and your post is not titled 'artist galloped around my lawn doing thousands of pounds worth of damage' I doubt this is the case...

Is it a bit odd, well aye but not THAT odd, theres likely pics of all the houses my family have ever owned somewhere, particularly during the trendy phase of aerial photos being taken and then hawked round home owners.

Kiduknot · 08/09/2021 18:52

I think the best you can hope for is a free copy!

QuornSausagesAreTheDevilsPenis · 08/09/2021 18:53

Have you looked on britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/ to see if there is a photo of your house on there that the picture could have been done from?

milveycrohn · 08/09/2021 18:53

How do you knwo she's been on your property.
Maybe Google earth, and 3D view or birds eye view, which can give a very good image of any property

Lostonthefell · 08/09/2021 18:54

A friend works for a HNWI, massive rural estate Grade I listed buildings and no public access anywhere. Plenty of security measures. Still get the odd lost rambler. So not perhaps enough security measures despite cctv and a trained attack dog etc etc. Be happy for the artist and talk to them graciously about how they got the picture as you might learn then from the situation. So perhaps take this as a lesson learned about security and photographic rights. Remember most security breaches come from the inside these days so consider this when instructing contractors etc

hopeso · 08/09/2021 18:55

I would also feel annoyed and uncomfortable about this. Best to find out how she obtained the image. She may not even realise what she's done as she's a local, successful illustrator, and has probably done this loads before but not had any comments from others. I definitely wouldn't like it.

Havehope21 · 08/09/2021 19:15

I would probably be flattered and annoyed in equal measure... I would email to ask about the trespassing as, even if she didn't trespass, it would have been courteous to contact you first before profiting out of your home.

Bideshi · 08/09/2021 19:39

That's quite a jolly little picture. I wonder if she'd like to come and do one here. Mine was first painted in the 1830s by David Octavius Hill and has been painted or drawn regularly ever since. It's listed, historic, and the grounds are open to the public for part of the year. Most people are respectful but yesterday we were having a late breakfast and somebody came right up to the kitchen window and stared at us. It goes with the territory. It's a privilege to live in a money pit aka lovely old house and I'm happy to share bits of it. But if it bothers you then that's your right.

Lockdown's been difficult because the visitors to this area don't seem to understand the ways of the countryside, but usually walkers and hikers are countrysidewise and it's not a problem.

Cameleongirl · 08/09/2021 19:40

I’m not sure why the OP is getting a hard time from so e posters. She isn’t intending to sue the artist, she just wants to know how she was able to make a drawing of her house. It probably was from a photo, but it’s not an unreasonable question.

My house is on a city street so anyone could sit in the park opposite and sketch it-but I wouldn’t be thrilled if they came into my garden and sketched. My front garden is the size of a postage stamp though, so they’d be v. visible.😂

Ddot · 08/09/2021 19:45

Email her and ask if it was done off a photo. U may get a freebie if she snuck on your land

ChristinaXYZ · 08/09/2021 19:46

@VienneseWhirligig

Could it be Google Earth that has given her the details? My back garden and garage are easily viewed on GE despite having a mid terrace with gated entry which only me and three neighbours have keys for.
Aerial photographers can be an menace with their drones in pretty, rural areas, she might have use her own drone or bought a photo without ever entering your property.
MollyMinniesMum · 08/09/2021 20:21

It’s your house, not your image

ThreeLocusts · 08/09/2021 20:23

Jeez... just be glad to have inherited a house worth drawing. If it's well hidden it's not like the drawings will draw crowds to your front garden.

DDMAC · 08/09/2021 20:23

I would put a No Trespass sign up if you don’t have one already

TractorAndHeadphones · 08/09/2021 20:34

@Hdhdjejdj

Behave *@TractorAndHeadphones* with the pomposity. I’m not the person who was bragging about scaring people off with guns and dogs. I am not guilty of what you say I am, but no doubt that will provoke you to call me thick again.
Again with the fancy words like ‘pomposity’ when being called out 😂 and I never called you thick. Hope your life is going good , peace and love to all living things
TractorAndHeadphones · 08/09/2021 20:36

*going well - as you seem to have a lot of pent up emotion to release on this forum…

ilovechocolate07 · 08/09/2021 20:43

Are you visible on Google earth / historic aerial photos?

Xenia · 08/09/2021 20:44

I have acted in legal actions where architects and builders have breached IP rights in house design plans and copied a house style. Also on our private road we do not allow google image photo vans down here so the houses are not on google images on maps (although are no google earth from above). It can be quite an interesting area.

Some people keep their houses out of Hello magazine etc for personal security reasons.

Northernlurker · 08/09/2021 20:50

I can't believe you are going to email this poor woman. How petty. Get over yourself. You own what is clearly a decent house and you didn't pay a penny for it as you mention inheritance. And yet you can't extend anybody even the minimal of goodwill. She's painted a picture not stolen your guttering,

Piglet89 · 08/09/2021 20:53

@Xenia

I have acted in legal actions where architects and builders have breached IP rights in house design plans and copied a house style.

Surely these circumstances are completely distinguishable from the facts as the OP has explained them?

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 08/09/2021 21:03

It's a house that has been in the family for over a century, so she definitely hasn't had permission from a previous owner.

They don’t need your permission, for all you know they could have got it from google maps 🤷‍♀️

Xenia · 08/09/2021 21:11

It depends. I remember one matter where someone found their chocolate box type thatched house on some product sold on planes. I am just saying the case is not entirely hopeless.

JBSA · 08/09/2021 21:20

It's an interesting question.
My next-door neighbour is an artist. He drew my house, gave me a copy and sells them. It never occurred to me to be annoyed, but then, we're friends and he didn't have to trespass.
I think it would at least be courteous if she gave you a framed version of her artwork.

MasterBeth · 08/09/2021 21:43

@Lycanthropology

As someone said, it could be a drone image 🤷🏽‍♀️

How is that an improvement on personal trespass??? You can't just send a flying camera wherever you like and snap whatever you like!

Yes you can!