18 November 2009

Dodgy neighbours and cameras

| PBO
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I have a neighbour (Old Mate) who has lived in my street for as long as it has been a street. Recently a new neighbour (Big Burly Builder) has moved into the place next door, did a knock down/rebuild and built an unapproved McMansion right up to the foot path blocking everyone in the streets view, this was the first issue.

The second issue is that the new neighbour installed cameras facing into Old Mates back yard and house. When confronted about this he said that it was for his own safety and security and he then had a AVO placed against Old Mate which now restricts him going into his own backyard (WTF?).

It is going to court, but what can be done about the cameras?

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It is good to hear another side as i have not had a chance to hear it yet. I would like to see the old days of a peaceful neighbourhood return and no neighbours fighting. My concern was the cameras facing into the other backyard because i still think that it is a source of irritation, however i will sit back and let the courts handle it.

Ahhhh, there it is, the other side of the story. There is ALWAYS a 2nd side to the story. Somewhere in the middle is the truth. Although, this version does sound a little more credible.

georgesgenitals8:58 pm 29 Nov 09

about time we heard the other side of the story.

Agreed. And not surprising, really.

For those of you who feel there maybe another side of the story or some important details missing – there is, so here are a “few” you may be interested in.

I am close to the Bid Burly Builder (who btw is a 5 foot 8 man who weighs about 80kgs). The RO that was taken out was not to protect the Big Burly Builder but his wife and two young children. This action was necessary as the Old Mate has taken to coming onto the property to verbally abuse and threaten the Big Burly Builder’s wife when she is home alone. The order was applied, and granted in a court of law, to protect Big Burly Builder’s wife and children. It was apparent that the judge, along with most of the community feels that this family has a right to feel safe within the boundaries of their home.

The camera’s were erected, in both the front and the back, to monitor the property boundaries. While ever the Old Mate is coming into the neighbouring property or making threats of violence over the fence the Big Burly Builder feels that he has no choice but to try and ensure his wife and two children are safe. It is with hope that the cameras will act as a deterrent for Old Mate which will allow the children to play safely in their own backyard without their father having to fear what they could be exposed too.

The unapproved McMansion, which is a modest 3 bedroom plus study family home (around 30 squares), is in fact approved by ACTPLA and has been for well over 12 months. The Big Burly Builder, like everyone else building a property in the ACT, was required to go through the correct channels to ensure his home was approved. This included going through public notification. The fact that the old Mate has lived in the street, since the street was a street, does not give him the right to become a bully who intimidates women and children when he does not agree or has some warped sense of reality.

This matter is again going through the courts but if the previous appearances are anything to go on the Old Mates claims will not stand up. It is such a shame that the courts, the police and the family involved can’t get on with more important things and that serial pests, such as Old Mate, are allowed to continue their behaviour. To you Old Mate I say “ leave this family alone and get a life !!!!!”

I would get one of those dodgy inflatable pools mentioned in another article on here (making sure to setup proper fencing around it of course) and then get the local retirement village around for a naked pool day, every weekend, until the cameras get moved away. I bet you don’t have to do it more than once. That or shade cloth is also an option I guess.

Quote qedbynature: “I feel sorry for him having to put up with whingers and social misfits and the sooner such people get the hint and FO to Qbn the better. Canberra is for Canberrans who can afford the Macmansions and the the getaway down the coast!”

I am glad I live in Queanbeyan and not in canberra with wankers like you qed, personally I would say Canberra is for people who like living in a City with trees and an environment, if you want the Mcmansion you can FO to Sydney or the Gold Coast in my opinion, but hey, each to their own right. Thankfully Canberra has more than idiots like you living in the city though.

Hells_Bells741:53 am 21 Nov 09

a phone mobile? oops i meant camera phone lol

Hells_Bells741:52 am 21 Nov 09

*did picture scarecrows all over the backyard, they would make lovely filmstars, just ask Dorothy and Toto*

But, at the same time, think outside the square and turn creative or at least grab a phone mobile and turn it on them and inconvience their privacy at lots of different points. They will hate it and there is nothing they can do.

Hells_Bells741:47 am 21 Nov 09

Redirect your anger.. Only way to scare crows, is with scarecrows!

Just keep giving the neighbour brown eyes! 🙂

Your old mate should get some legal advice about the camera issue. The advice you get here will only be worth what you paid for it.

In regards to the unapproved McMansion, your mate should contact ACTPLA. Any development/extension etc needs their approval prior to any work starting and then needs to be ‘certified’ upon completion. I have to say that it would be a ballsy and risky enterprise to build an entire house withough approvals.

PBO said :

vg said :

All i want to know is what can be done about cameras facing into other peoples backyards.

All you can do is look at the camera and smile :).

vg said :

Unless this happened in NSW….cos there’s no such thing as an AVO in the ACT. DVO, RO but no AVO.

“When confronted about this he said that it was for his own safety and security and he then had a AVO placed against Old Mate which now restricts him going into his own backyard (WTF?).”

Sorry, that is BS. You won’t get any sort of order just because someone objected to cameras. This thread would probably have 10% of the actual story in it I’d wager

I am just repeating what i have been told, as i said, that is all that i know. If you took the time to see the open bracket, then WTF? typed straight after it, closely followed by a closed bracket should say that it seemed a little weird to me too.

All i want to know is what can be done about cameras facing into other peoples backyards.

Well he must have told a few fibs to get the DVO, has been done before, if someone is a good liar!

Unless this happened in NSW….cos there’s no such thing as an AVO in the ACT. DVO, RO but no AVO.

“When confronted about this he said that it was for his own safety and security and he then had a AVO placed against Old Mate which now restricts him going into his own backyard (WTF?).”

Sorry, that is BS. You won’t get any sort of order just because someone objected to cameras. This thread would probably have 10% of the actual story in it I’d wager

PBO said :

KB1971 said :

Is this the guy that rang 2CC last week?

Yes. I wish i could say more but that is all i know. I am primarily concerned about the cameras as i believe that they are infringing on his civil liberties.

Old mate said on the radio on Monday morning that he was going to let the matter rest. Why the sudden change of heart?

Basic gist of the story that I got off the radio is:

Bloke moved next door to Old Mate.

Somethiong happened & the cameras went up looking into back yeard.

Old Mate wasnt happy but didnt really know what to do about it.

Old Mates Son came to visit one day (Xmas I think) & said “WTF?”

Old Mates Son went next door & spoke to neighbour (politely from what I understand) & asked neighbour to remove cameras for privacy reasons (Old Mates Son has a 12 year old daughter & was not happy about her being filmed).

Cameras came down.

Aparrently cameras were put back up at a later date but there was no reason given.

Old Mate had his time in court last week & according to him, talking to Mark Parton, the court ruled in favour or could not order the cameras to be removed or something (details were scetchy).

Old Mate rings Mark again on Monday & basically says “I give up”.

So what has changed??

As usual on here…. There is more to this story. A court would not grant a protection order stopping someone going into their own backyard !!!! In saying that, it sounds by your original post that the order has not been granted yet and is just listed to be heard ??

I would be seeking “independent” legal advice. Advice here would be like asking a chimp for directions to the nearest maccas

PBO said :

Wow, you sound like you did not read what I initially said, having cameras facing into the rear of another persons house and property is an invasion of privacy and is voyuerism, it does not make the neighbourhood any safer.

I am not after advice on rotten things to do to this guy as it will only make things worse. I am only looking to see if anyone is aware of a legal approach to this issue.

You said the matter of the AVO is going to court, and want to know what can be done about the cameras. Ask the lawyer who is handling the AVO matter. If there isn’t one, go to Legal Aid and get a free advice. Or even better, the neighbours to talk to one another, with a trained dispute resolution person.

qedbynature said :

Sounds like new neighbour is doing his bit for the community, making it safe and raising property values. Probably pays his taxes and employs a few contractors making him a good all round decent guy. I feel sorry for him having to put up with whingers and social misfits and the sooner such people get the hint and FO to Qbn the better. Canberra is for Canberrans who can afford the Macmansions and the the getaway down the coast!

Wow, you sound like you did not read what I initially said, having cameras facing into the rear of another persons house and property is an invasion of privacy and is voyuerism, it does not make the neighbourhood any safer.

I am not after advice on rotten things to do to this guy as it will only make things worse. I am only looking to see if anyone is aware of a legal approach to this issue.

colourful sydney racing identity10:48 am 19 Nov 09

‘he then had a AVO placed against Old Mate which now restricts him going into his own backyard’

must be a lot more to it than the OP has said…I can’t believe a court would grant an AVO against someone going into their own back yard unless there was – actually scratch that last bit. I can’t believe a court would grant an AVO against someone going into their own back yard.

Anyone know more about the full story?

Sounds like new neighbour is doing his bit for the community, making it safe and raising property values. Probably pays his taxes and employs a few contractors making him a good all round decent guy. I feel sorry for him having to put up with whingers and social misfits and the sooner such people get the hint and FO to Qbn the better. Canberra is for Canberrans who can afford the Macmansions and the the getaway down the coast!

bd84 said :

If it’s unapproved structure, ACTPLA? If he’s got cameras up, it’s probably being used as a drugs house, so the next call to Crimestoppers?

You’re watching too much “The Force” on TV, he got a camera in the Backyard, shouldn’t you places it at the front of the house? also if anyone building such as large house, it’s more sensible to install security camera at the back and front of the house.
Surely there are more to this dispute, we have to hear from both side of the story. I find it hard to believe that an unapproved plan gets a go ahead to build.

Go and get your self a laser one of those pens should do it mind you I think the power is restricted now you use to be able to get some good ones on the net. Just point the laser into the camera lens and fry the image sensor.

Isn’t this the sort of thing that Today Tonight just love to get involved in?

Methinks Big Burly Builder is overcompensating for something, PBO.

You could always arrange something in the backyard to give his cameras something to record. Here’s an oldie but goodie example of the imaginative solutions that a true neighbour feud can produce:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/risque/ventcover.asp

take a spoonful of cement, harden up and knock on his door and ask what is really going on.

hit the camera surrepticiously in the morning…

Yeah, because he’d never work out to look at the camera footage to see who sprayed the camera. Duh.

Tell Old mate to get a shitload of black shade cloth and erect it across his backyard so Burly Builder can’t see into his yard.

Or get Old Mate to walk around naked in his yard – a lot……the cameras will soon be turned away.

KB1971 said :

Is this the guy that rang 2CC last week?

Yes. I wish i could say more but that is all i know. I am primarily concerned about the cameras as i believe that they are infringing on his civil liberties.

georgesgenitals9:01 pm 18 Nov 09

Make a large mix of dog faeces and petrol, set it alight, and fling it onto the roof of the big burly builders house using a large, homemade catapult. Laugh maniacally, and scream “THERE’S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM, BEEEEEAAATCH! BWA HA HA HA HA HA…”

…so, tell us the other side of this story.

If it’s unapproved structure, ACTPLA? If he’s got cameras up, it’s probably being used as a drugs house, so the next call to Crimestoppers?

There is another side to this story.

Woody Mann-Caruso8:16 pm 18 Nov 09

Give him something to be afraid of. I suggest A Clockwork Orange for inspiration.

georgesgenitals7:12 pm 18 Nov 09

Complain about the building. Get an AVO on the new guy. Call the police and say you feel threatened.

Oh, and complain on the RiotACT.

so many questions not answered.

how do you know the new house isn’t approved?
an avo isn’t something that gets given out easily…?’
this can’t be new, did people not notice the size of the place as it was being built and do something about it?

Is this the guy that rang 2CC last week?

nothing.

and lets face it – sounds like you’re skipping a few important details.

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