Posted on 09/26/2013 1:53:56 PM PDT by bgill
I noticed Google Earth has found it's way into private roadways. These roads are not city or county maintained but privately owned and maintained by the property owners. Can GE legally publish street views of properties on private roads? I also notice that they aren't blurring out address numbers or names on mailboxes like they used to. When you can tell if cherry tomatoes in someone's garden are ripe or not, that's too close and personal.
It’s Street View. Even the school bus is only allowed on the county road and is not allowed on the private roads. All sudivisions within the county are privately owned. Everyone locally just knows this but outsiders wouldn’t. One would “ass u me” a company such as google would have sense (yes, I know) enough to ask where they are allowed and not allowed before they do this. But then, they’re google and have more money to fight it in court than individuals.
If it's accessible and not posted, an easement had been created and you'll never get to block them, or pretty much anyone else.
GE has taken very clear pictures of the “Posted” and “No Trespassing” signs on individual’s lots.
If you want your road to be private, it needs a gate. Don’t kid yourself about how people should just know better.
Are the school buses not allowed because the county wants to avoid funding more services than required, or because the members of the association don’t want other people’s kids driven through their neighborhood? (Hard to imagine their stopping a private car, for example, from coming in to pick up or drop off someone’s kid.)
That’s beautiful.
Why would they do that? Their whole thing is driving around pretty much everywhere they can taking pictures. If there’s no gate to stop them they’re going.
Maybe this will help, if you’re up to some work. Similar situation here but probably more miles to travel to get to the nearest public roads. “Upscale” neighborhoods do this, so you can do it, too (if the neighbors are intelligent and industrious enough).
* Post large “no tresspassing” signs (property owners and assignees/guests only, prosecution notice, etc.) at each entrance to your development.
* Study camera surveillance systems. They can be put together without much cost with free operating systems, software motion detection (free software), low-cost, low-light cameras and more.
* IP cameras with independent power plants (PV solar, etc.) can be posted as license plate cameras, cameras for recognizing faces and so on.
* Free software (Linux, etc.) can be configured for automatic uploads to remote servers. That way, no trespasser is immune.
* Hire private security to check drivers. Private security guards can screen for guests and the like, and call police if necessary.
* Physical barriers can look nice, including concealment barriers. Use your imagination, and give it frequent thought. There are many kinds of nice looking barriers.
* Speed bumps/dips. Check out the legalities, etc.
* Lighting is important. Starlight optics are available. Outfacing “light pollution” is important, and it doesn’t need to be bright enough to bother anyone (see white LEDs, etc.).
* Build gates at community entrances if necessary for the trespassing laws of your state.
* Get cooperation from real estate salesmen. Require that they show properties in person.
* Publicize and complain about burglaries and other trespassing problems in your community. Let it be known that legal action will be taken when needed and that any trespassers risk being seen around scenes of crimes.
Endless kinds of measures can be taken—all legal and safe (if researched in advance).
‘Right to know’, my foot.
If you have the free Google Earth like I do, you can only go down public roads. Obviously, you can still look at houses from the street-level and from above. But nothing is live.
In reply to some of the comments, some states don’t require fences, gates or signs. Others do. Research in one’s own state is necessary. [I’m not a lawyer but have read some statutes and cases. Oh, and get a consultation with a licensed attorney if needed.]
Watching the path of a stranger through a development can be helpful. See as to whether they stop to look at a house for sale (which could bring them under suspicion for one of the too-common burglaries in this time of real estate price decline), visit a neighbor, make a delivery, etc. If they only looky-loo around, don’t stop and pass right through, their license number may be of some use (with further research and thought in advance, of course).
And if any trespasser is involved in any kind of stalking (parked and watching a resident’s house before moving on) fuss or incident, you have them for trespassing also. Also, potential trespassers can be asked about what they’re doing (politely). If they have no good business there, get their license number, description, etc., for a case.
The best way to do it, though, is to gate the community and use dues or get neighbors to pitch in for cheap security guards—at least for high traffic days. Barring that, study security camera tech. for a few months or more, and install the systems. Even then, time is required for reviewing video to single out the guilty ones. If independent power plants need to be built for cameras, consider slow frame rates. Even extremely slow rates can get the evidence you need.
Out of curiosity, I used Google Earth to zoom in on my own house. It sure gave me a healthy dose of paranoia.
Ever watch your car pull into the garage while using your cell phone with google maps?
Reminds me of a scene from the original Men In Black movie. The Tommy Lee Jones character used a super high-tech version of Google Earth to spy on his beloved wife, who had been made to forget he existed. Life imitates art. Or is it the other way around?
Not to mention apostrophe's.
I wuz using it in the form of a Pronoun.
Sheet!
You gonna follow me everywhere?
LOL
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