Neighbour Camera overlooking garden

[daisyfraser]

Hello
Neighbour just installed a 350deg camera which totally overlooks my garden, parking area, garage entrance. Would you buy a house with this 'feature' next door? Just wondering how much to stress about it as I plan my inevitable departure.
Thanks for any thoughts

Check this out. It sets out the legal situation and has your example. https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/home-cctv-systems/#neighbour

Sorry, it was dark when we got back last night, here you go

Bell - thanks for this. I already await a response from ICO.

• Try solving the problem informally by talking to them. - told not to approach him by police
• If your neighbour is a tenant, you could contact their landlord. - inherited house (never had to pay for it, has sense of entitlement over my property because his grandparents were there - working class, low education, cannot respect what it takes to be a real home-owner/purchaser, prob resentful a woman shows him up every day)
• Consider using a mediation service, if raising the issue informally does not work. - can look at this, but am forced to sell now anyway; this all takes time and energy, as do the police interractions, searches for advice etc
• Contact the police, if your neighbour is breaking the law by being violent or harassing you. However, it’s unlikely that the police would consider using CCTV to record you as harassment, without other misconduct by the person. - police seem unable to bring the harassment to an end/side with him and 'must remain impartial' Officer has said he is going to ask him about camera today, but was not openly supportive of my distress/illness etc
• As a last resort, you can take legal action through the courts. - I take it that means more outlay for me via solicitor, if anyone has a recommendation for a firm in England, can be anywhere please advise.

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BorgQueen - thank you for this effort on my behalf. Really appreciate it. That's an effective solution

Really? Imagine your neighbour is a bloke you find unattractive and, frankly, a bit creepy. Imagine his camera is capturing your back garden 24/7. Would you think it was okay?

And for the record, even if you are best pals with next door they shouldn't have a camera capturing your back garden. It's intrusive and unnecessary.

Please see my comment further up the thread. I didn't realise it was the back garden

Wow OP, that is quite some update/dripfeed! 😧

He's clearly deranged/perverted. He is absolutely spying on you and you need to document and diarise all of this (sounds like you're already doing that) and take back to the police and say - I think this man is STALKING me. I know police forces can be really crap at that offence too, and that there are lines in the sand your neighbour would have to cross for them to take action, but you never know. The magic term 'stalking' might make a difference. I think this could absolutely be construed as stalking.

Do you ever talk to neighbours about him? I wonder if anyone else has spotted something off about him? In any case, it wouldn't hurt to let other people nearby know about him and his obsessive surveillance.

Glom - yes it's stalking. They are not interested 'we can't stop him looking out of his window'
He ignores all their interventions and they carry on.

next neighbour says she doesn't care about the cctv - he will have sworn to them, and others, he is not viewing their property, but why they think it's ok for it to be directed at mine, I dont' get.

It is a cycle of Hell really. Everyone believes his lies over me, as the incomer, including the police. After all the work and sacrifice, I run a successful community newsletter while he sits at home all day watching me!

You can get the Information Commissioners Office to intervene:

https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/home-cctv-systems/

You can also request their recordings under GDPR

I appreciate the concern and effort, but not sure why everyone keeps sending the same links to ICO.
It's a really really stressful situation - all because I chose to live in this house

OP can you speak to the police again, having gathered all the evidence into one concise document (with dates, incident description etc) and tell them that if they do not take action against the neighbour for stalking and harassment (have the legal definition of this to hand, and highlight each incident which reaches the threshold) you will report them to their governing body.

Make sure you have each time they visited you and the advice they gave you documented. I would submit a complaint now anyway as they are being shockingly lax in their safeguarding of you.

Good luck, it sounds awful for you.

ELC thank you.
I have complained at county level Police that it has not been resolved. This seems to have bred indignation at town level Police and has led to their now hands-off approach. As I say literal Hell.

In a lot of cases its possible for the Police etc to get involved if they want to. The difficulty is making them want to

There is this

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/anti-social-behaviour-asb-case-review-also-known-as-the-community-trigger

Which might be worth a try

@daisyfraser

Surely you'll have to declare this if you move? I would get legal advice about that.

You asked if another poster was legally trained but you are taking the word of police who aren't trained in this area either.

No. I would ask them to reposition it so it covered only their garden.

Thanks John
They were helpful at the start and even had him in for a VA thinking they 'gave him a fright', but, he is not only an arch-manipulator, he thinks his will is more important than mine/theirs and I feel they are bored of it all now.
Why have the Police not suggested this line of action with an ASB case review themselves, nor has my councillor!?

Is it a 'dispute' because a person minds you living there quietly, minding your own business, beautifying the property to the benefit of all (except him because he doesn't understand property and will remain there whether he wants to be or not) and being a friendly neighbour, also making a community better through her comms work?
For perspective - his issues with me began the day I moved in.

I mean to me the solution if you are not happy with someone overlooking you is to screen off with trees etc. In 2 years they can grow pretty high. Just pick the right sort of trees.

GasPanic - I put hedges in right away so this will be the 3rd summer, they are healthy but slow to reach thickness - I think I should be feeding more, also put in a tree or two. It's the sale issue that is my cause for concern - devaluing with a camera

The rear garden had no enclosure at all when I bought. It was obvious that any buyer would put in some screening for privacy. After 6 weeks I put a fence up well within the boundary - the guy went ballistic: 'You put up the Berlin Wall, your fence is ugly!' and that was when the until-then cordial relations went through the floor.
And ever since he has been surveilling me. And with no support my health is now suffering so time to give up
The compensation is that I may make a healthy profit on the property even after 3 years

That sounds exhausting! Could you complain again or higher up? It all takes brain power which wears down after so long though doesn't it. I really feel for you.

I had thought this was such a basic level of general knowledge that you didn't need to be a lawyer, but clearly not. 10 seconds on google will find you plenty of lawyers who say that advice was bollocks.

https://www.netlawman.co.uk/ia/neighbour-dispute-selling-house

https://www.vickeryholman.com/news/do-you-have-to-declare-neighbour-disputes-what-you-need-to-know/

https://rah.co.uk/what-you-have-to-declare-about-neighbours-when-selling-your-home/

https://www.mplaw.co.uk/insights/news/what-happens-if-i-want-to-sell-my-house-whilst-a-dispute-is-ongoing/

"This question is subjective and if you have taken any formal steps, such as complaining to the council or environmental health, or instructed a solicitor to write to your neighbour, you must disclose this here"