Can My Neighbor Take Pictures of My Backyard?
In this age of digital craziness, paparazzi are not the only people you should be afraid of. Well, you also won’t possibly see a private detective taking photos of your residence.
Your neighbor too could be prompted to point his camera to your home, which begs the following question…
Can my neighbor take pictures of my backyard?
So your neighbor has his camera pointed at your house? In your backyard? Are they recording your private property without your consent?
For sure, they are inviting a lawsuit if this happens often.
You should move with speed before the images of your property are distributed online and on platforms that could spill your home’s address, making you a target.
If your backyard faces the public and someone takes a photo of it while on public property, that doesn’t count as an offense. But you can still shoo them away. After all, it’s your home.
Understand that security devices can be misunderstood
Cameras are all over-especially when we are talking about surveillance systems. And practically anyone would understand why they are up.
So don’t get upset right away that your neighbors’ cam sees right into your backyard.
A sober move would be to discuss with them and get to know the intention of their camera before charging to court.
If they hold a personal camera straight to your backyard, that’s really something to be concerned about. All the same, you need to approach them and inquire why they are doing so.
In the case of surveillance systems, the best approach here is to visit them, talk things out and let them show you just how much of your property is visible to them.
If possible, ask that they give you password access to the cameras. Additionally, they should occasionally show you the footage you and your family appear in.
CCTV Laws
By installing a CCTV, your neighbor automatically complies with data protection regulations.
However, if the coverage of these systems goes beyond their compound into yours, then it’s up to them to ensure your data protection rights are not violated.
So if your neighbor’s CCTV extends to your backyard or compound, data protection laws grant you the following:
- The right to ask that personal information captured be deleted from the CCTV database
- The right to be told that CCTV is in use (and part of it captures your home).
- The right to ask for the footage you or your family member is in.
The dictates of data protection laws differ from country to country. So make sure you know your rights before you demand them.
What to do if your neighbor is simply being nosey
If you don’t have a “no trespassing” sign in your backyard, scoundrels could easily take that advantage.
But hey, not everyone puts privacy signs on their backyard because any adult would know a backyard is someone’s private property and should not be photographed without the owner’s consent.
So, if your neighbor is being blatantly nosey and they have their camera sitting just high to see past the privacy fence, then it’s time to respond.
If you don’t want to drag the case to court, simply set up a laser pointed right into their camera lens. It will bar them from transmitting data.
When to legally sue
According to the United States Supreme Court, you don’t need to expect privacy when you are outside.
This means you might not have a strong case if you report that some of your neighbor’s camera systems are pointing at your property.
However, if the camera peers through the window or listens to conversations in your home, then you may have a case.
Secondly, if someone takes photos of your backyard every other time, you should be concerned.
The right move would be to visit a local prosecutor’s office and file an injunction or a restraining order against the neighbor.
It would also be prudent to alert your local police station that you are being harassed.
In cases where someone takes a snapshot of your home while on your property, that’s illegal. You also can have a strong case if you prove that the pictures will be used unpleasantly.
