Neighbours complaining about cameras

Just a quick summary

I decided to put up 4 cameras looking at the outside of the house all within the perimeter of the house.

3 neighbours started complaining and asking can we see their houses. One even said i will put in an objection, to who i do not know. Anyway 1 of the neighbours asking the 3rd time and complaining, we decided to invite her in and show her the cameras, to which it did shut her up. Told her we have no interest in spying on her or anyone and if we really wanted to we wouldnt have put up obvious ones during the daytime hours.

Is this normal to have such paranoid neighbours, i understand them asking, but to be abrupt saying they will put in an objection, another asking can we see in his bedroom window and another asking 3 times and after being shown asking why are we putting them in and it gives the wrong impression, all that crap.

Seems more like interferring neighbours to me.

Agent Smyth

I don't think your neighbours are been paranoid but rather wondering what your cameras are recording i.e. bedroom activity
while I don't have an issue with my or any neighbours cameras, I do wonder why they need them, what they have that requires that level of security or are they just be paranoid.

I be away a lot and i can check in on the property from my mobile. Its a lot better than regular alarms as nobody actually takes notice of one going off anymore.

I can set the can to motion if i want which can detect if someone is snooping around the house

The Bishop Basher

If you're putting up cameras that potentially look in on their property, they have every right to enquire about it.

Sometimes people approach others nicely, sometimes they don't. That's just the nature of people...

Thankfully neither myself nor my neighbours have any need for cameras but I'd feel a lot less comfortable in my home if I thought there was a bunch of cameras on my neighbours property with the potential to peer in my windows..

callaway92

Agent Smyth wrote: »

I don't think your neighbours are been paranoid but rather wondering what your cameras are recording i.e. bedroom activity
while I don't have an issue with my or any neighbours cameras, I do wonder why they need them, what they have that requires that level of security or are they just be paranoid.

You can't ever be too careful I think.

Especially in rural areas now where there's a spate of robberies occurring I don't think there is any harm in having cameras at driveway entrance and at the house.

if i want to look in neighbours houses which i have no interest in doing, then i would not put up obvious ones and put in hidden ones or even have a camera inside the window recording, people who put up obvious ones are not spying, its the hidden ones you dont know about are the nosey ones

punisher5112

Nosey neighbours will always be nosy.

None of their business what you do to your own property within reason and legal of course.

I fitted CCTV and wouldn't even get into conversation about it.

VincePP

Possibly the cameras are high up and it just concerns them - once they know what the cameras can see, it should be fine. Possibly also inform them that the systems only keep about 14 days of coverage.

Maybe best to reposition them lower if they are high.

The plus side is that undesirables will avoid both your house and neighbours houses, so the neighbours should be happy about them

harr

When I put mine up the installers told me to invite neighbors in to show them what the cameras could see, both were OK with them...in fact one of the cameras caught someone stealing a bit of garden furniture from neighbors garden and the person was identified so neighbor was happy out... The security company had little shields for the cameras so we could if we wanted block out the neighbors property...if I remember right the installers even got neighbors to sign something stating they were happy with the cctv showing part of there property not sure if that is common practice or a little ott

ScouseMouse

harr wrote: »

When I put mine up the installers told me to invite neighbors in to show them what the cameras could see, both were OK with them...in fact one of the cameras caught someone stealing a bit of garden furniture from neighbors garden and the person was identified so neighbor was happy out... The security company had little shields for the cameras so we could if we wanted block out the neighbors property...if I remember right the installers even got neighbors to sign something stating they were happy with the cctv showing part of there property not sure if that is common practice or a little ott

Surely this would be the best way to satisfy your neighbours? Invite them in, show them they only show your property and you cannot see their house.

Spanish Eyes

Front and back cameras viewing your own property only is ok I think, anything else that might encroach on a neighbour is verboten.

I think that is ok in my book. I wouldn't like cameras looking on my property either.

The Local Council will act if you make a complaint.

Data Protection is not all on paper!!

delop

Camera security system might have cost more than the valuables in the home

Calahonda52

https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Data-Protection-CCTV/242.htm
says
Domestic use of CCTV systems.

The processing of personal data kept by an individual and concerned solely with the management of his/her personal, family or household affairs or kept by an individual for recreational purposes is exempt from the provisions of the Acts. This exemption would generally apply to the use of CCTVs in a domestic environment. However, the exemption may not apply if the occupant works from home. [ Where the exemption does apply, a person who objects to the use of a CCTV system - for example, a neighbour who objects to images of her/his property being recorded - may be able to take a civil legal action based on the Constitutional and Common Law right to privacy.] It should be noted that recording of a public space, even partially, or when recording is directed outwards from the private setting, it may not be regarded as a ‘personal or household’ activity for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts, and this may have immediate and particular interest to drone operators and data controllers.

Reference: ECJ Ruling on household exemption C-212/13 - Ryneš

The rules are very clear, u cannot go outside the boundary of your property if you want tho avail of the domestic exemption.
It has BA to do with the Local Authority, ditto allegedly getting neighbours to sign away their rights to privacy etc as suggested in this thread

The Sidewards Man

Agent Smyth wrote: »

I don't think your neighbours are been paranoid but rather wondering what your cameras are recording i.e. bedroom activity

Are people in housing estates riding without having blinds or curtains on their windows?

KoolKid

Agent Smyth wrote: »

I don't think your neighbours are been paranoid but rather wondering what your cameras are recording i.e. bedroom activity
while I don't have an issue with my or any neighbours cameras, I do wonder why they need them, what they have that requires that level of security or are they just be paranoid.

Honesty??
If you were so inclined you can record what you want far cheaper, far more discreetly and with much better quality using a decent phone or camcorder. If your neighbours were to interrogate every one going by their house with a mobile phone they wouldn't have time to get up to any bedroom activity.

VincePP

Calahonda52 wrote: »

https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Data-Protection-CCTV/242.htm
says
Domestic use of CCTV systems.

The processing of personal data kept by an individual and concerned solely with the management of his/her personal, family or household affairs or kept by an individual for recreational purposes is exempt from the provisions of the Acts. This exemption would generally apply to the use of CCTVs in a domestic environment. However, the exemption may not apply if the occupant works from home. [ Where the exemption does apply, a person who objects to the use of a CCTV system - for example, a neighbour who objects to images of her/his property being recorded - may be able to take a civil legal action based on the Constitutional and Common Law right to privacy.] It should be noted that recording of a public space, even partially, or when recording is directed outwards from the private setting, it may not be regarded as a ‘personal or household’ activity for the purposes of the Data Protection Acts, and this may have immediate and particular interest to drone operators and data controllers.

Reference: ECJ Ruling on household exemption C-212/13 - Ryneš

The rules are very clear, u cannot go outside the boundary of your property if you want tho avail of the domestic exemption.
It has BA to do with the Local Authority, ditto allegedly getting neighbours to sign away their rights to privacy etc as suggested in this thread

How is the word "may" be "very clear". if anything the above shows no issue recording from a resdential home once its for household activity and that the neighbour would have to take a civil case themselves if they had an issue.

What above does show is recording purposely into someones propoerty or (eg from a drone or directing the camera into someones proerty) could be a breach. - Still not "clear" as its says "could".

What is quite clear is that the data commissioner does not believe it is an issue for its office.

KoolKid

With recording devices on everything from mobile phones to kids remote control toys to cheap helicopters to expensive drones, I think this is impossible to police or enforce.
You are on CCTV in most public places anyway , why people get obsessed on their own road is beyond me. Over time , I find those are the first ones to knock on your door if something happens & they want to see the footage.

Well just home and an overly aggressive neighbour had been over threatening to summons the owner which is the girlfriends mother. So she wants the cameras and it turns out that they are actually interfering with a court case between the mother and her brother. Like mob rule, never come across neighbours like this in my life

I tried to tell the mother they have no right to threaten her but she doesn't want the hassle. Toxic neighbours

Agent Smyth

Deleted User wrote: »

Well just home and an overly aggressive neighbour had been over threatening to summons the owner which is the girlfriends mother. So she wants the cameras and it turns out that they are actually interfering with a court case between the mother and her brother. Like mob rule, never come across neighbours like this in my life

I tried to tell the mother they have no right to threaten her but she doesn't want the hassle. Toxic neighbours

Sounds like their becoming more hassle then their worth
Are they big cameras or small discrete ones ??

Markcheese

Agent Smyth wrote:

Sounds like their becoming more hassle then their worth Are they big cameras or small discrete ones ??

Good idea to have big yokes with flashing leds up quite high..... and a few very discrete ones at eye level.
To be honest almost no one is going to look at footage from cctv live or recorded...its only if something happens that you'll check back..

Agent Smyth

Agent Smyth wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Well just home and an overly aggressive neighbour had been over threatening to summons the owner which is the girlfriends mother. So she wants the cameras and it turns out that they are actually interfering with a court case between the mother and her brother. Like mob rule, never come across neighbours like this in my life

I tried to tell the mother they have no right to threaten her but she doesn't want the hassle. Toxic neighbours

Sounds like their becoming more hassle then their worth
Are they big cameras or small discrete ones ??

Small some type ones that's cant move

It's crazy the way the neighbours go on, makes me wonder are they all scamming welfare and paranoid

Rackstar

3 neighbours are concerned. It's probably safe to all your immediate neighbours are concerned.

The cameras sound like over kill. Reduce the amount and reduce the size.

Size is small and there is 4, one at the front door, one at the back door, one at the side and one at the front garden, hardly an over kill

Rackstar

Deleted User wrote: »

Size is small and there is 4, one at the front door, one at the back door, one at the side and one at the front garden, hardly an over kill

Put as many up as you like but in the interest of neighbourly relations you should talk to them and scale back as needed. Posting on here isn't going to resolve the conflict with the neighbours. Only talking to them and scaling back will do that.

KoolKid

4 small bullet cameras or domes is not overkill. That would be the basic domestic system we would install all the time.
Never heard of anyone getting a reaction like that.
It would seem to me maybe the neighbours have other concerns over their own activities.

punisher5112

Absolute rubbish about overkill. I have 8 up.

These are exactly why I wouldn't live right on top of others.

As said don't bother with the neighbours leave them off and forget about it.

The Bishop Basher

punisher5112 wrote: »

Absolute rubbish about overkill. I have 8 up.

In your opinion... Personally I think 1 camera is overkill but we're all different..

punisher5112 wrote: »

As said don't bother with the neighbours leave them off and forget about it.

OP has to live beside these neighbours. It would be far better to find some sort of agreement or compromise. Taking your approach will just lead to resentment and ongoing issues down the road. That won't benefit anyone least of all OP.

punisher5112

CCTV is a wonderful tool to have to make a place that bit more secure.

Already caught neighbours house been broken into twice and the two fools were same both occasions

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

Terrlock

I don't get why people think that having home security camera's are overkill.

I personally think they are a good idea and would help a lot better then your standard alarm which just annoys people if it goes off and everyone ignores them.

It can also be done very cost effectively if you have a bit of IT knowledge.

The Bishop Basher

Terrlock wrote: »

I don't get why people think that having home security camera's are overkill.

I can think of numerous reasons but the main one for me is that I just don't stress over things that may or may not happen at some time in the future.