To put cctv camera on driveway

[FireFly80]

My first post here and hoping i'm doing this right :)

Please can you tell me if I am being unreasonable with my issue...

Our driveway is right next to our neighbours, open plan but we both own our own sides with a line going down the middle. I have noticed they have put a cctv camera in their side window and watching our comings and goings. We previously had a conversation about cctv on the driveways and we both agreed we wouldn't like it if each other had one.

Since that conversation, they have been extremely rude to us and just outright blank us, even after us trying many times to be friendly. They send us extra long passive aggressive text messages about various meaningless things, glare at us out of their back windows when we go in our garden, and play stupid games with our bins when it's bin day.

They are mid-20's and we are late 40's, and I just do not understand their behaviour.

Anyway, they have since put an indoor camera in their window and tried to hide it but we have multiple photos of it. they don't answer their door or reply to text messaging, even though they send us mammoth text messages moaning when it suits them.

I now think they were just testing the waters with us and didn't want us to put one up but they wanted to put one up? I don't know why they have gone on the turn so badly as we have been nothing but be helpful and friendly to them whenever they want something.

I want to now install CCTV on our driveway as i'm fed up of being constantly filmed by them.

Do you think I am being unreasonable?

No do it.

Just ignore them. Don’t waste your money.

I would block them on your phone. I don’t know why they need your number.

We’re in the same position and have cctv cameras.

If you want a camera and feel you will benefit from having one, do it!

If it's tit for tat - grow up!

Can you put a neat chain link partition between you? That would make me feel more separate tho by the sounds your neighbours may start WW3
And put up a cctv camera just to go ‘nerrr’ at them.

Definitely do it. And then block them.

You don’t need to spend loads; lots of external cameras on amazon that connect to wifi and capture movement etc

Why not make them feel as uncomfortable as we do?

I agree. They hounded us for it for a good couple of years and then my partner got caught out by them. Ever since they have hounded us with messages asking us for things and moaning about really trivial things every since. They are mid-20's and should be out enjoying life instead of pestering us.

Get your own camera, block their number. Chain link fence down the middle of the drive?

Would you mind sharing what happened?

Is it pointing in your direction? I have external cameras and they might look like they face my neighbours properties but in reality they don't capture any of my neighbours driveways or property at all.
If you are certain they are filming you, you can make a complaint to the police. If the camera captures your property more than 25% (I think) of it's view they will be instructed to adjust it.
Sounds like it's not a fixed camera though so they might just move it.
They sound bonkers. I'd probably just ignore them.
Can you block their view of your back garden at all? And put your bins away from theirs on bin days? I would get a camera if the silly goings on are more than just an inconvenience.
Mine are blink cameras from Amazon, not at all expensive and really easy to install.
If your driveway is wide enough for some narrow planters I'd plant a willow fedge. Fedge = fence/hedge - narrow but leafy and pretty, easy to clip and control. Grow it to about 4-5 foot of you can.

Because sometimes life is easier and more pleasant if you take the moral high ground.

This is really helpful, thank you.
Yes, it's a birds eye view of all our driveway and back garden as they have it in their top window and pointing directly at us.
They are completely bonkers. Whenever we do anything in our garden or tidy up, they are out straight away doing exactly what we are doing. All very bizarre as we are quite boring so do not know why they seem so obsessed.
Yes, we have grown a hedge in our garden and they cheekily asked us to trim it as it would 'look better lower down and grow better'.....it's about 8ft and faces towards our driveway.
I've seen willow trees and didn't know there was a hedge version. I'm going to have a look now. Thank you so much for your response :)

lol at the 'nerr' :)
We have some tiny plant pits separating us as they also kept using our driveway so it was the only way to stop it. I think we need to get some big ones now.

Back garden is out of order, that's different to the front drive.

Ah, this might be the root of the issue. You've stopped their cheeky behaviour and they are now being sh*ts about it.

I thought that but then my partner said we put them in 4 years ago now so would they hold a grudge for that long?

Before we put the pots in, one of them would knock the door and ask us to move one of our vehicles because the other one would be out with the keys to their car at the front....so blimmin cheeky!

With some people that sort of thing festers and they build it up into something it's not. So yeah, people can be nutters for a verrrry long time.
It did sound like you'll need to do your level best to completely ignore them. If you focus on it it'll get worse.

Good advice, thank you. I really don't like the camera watching us like that, so we either do it back and have it done with or just accept being watched and maybe stick a two-finger salute up to the camera every mow and then to test them lol or maybe not.

Thank you for your help x

Don't plant willow near your drains or foundations, they seek at water and can be very destructive.

To be fair an 8ft hedge is stepping over in to the 'high hedge' threshold (if it is evergreen) where your neighbours have a legitimate right to complain to the council, there comment might have been a polite attempt to suggest you trim it down to a more appropriate height (6 ft or less).

What do you mean by your partner "got caught out by them"?

They thought it was ok to come over on our drive, and park across the bottom of it. They objected to us putting parking posts up and pulled one out and threw it. We told the police who had a word with them. They split up not long afterwards and he moved out. The new neighbours are much quiet and don’t cause any trouble, but now they’re selling, so who knows what we’ll get in their place. I will never again buy a house with shared or adjoining drives.