Legally Speaking Q&A: Neighbors Camera

By Mark Zinman | Zona Law

Question: We rent out a condo in an association. Therefore, we don’t own all of the units. There was a recent event at our condo, and we are having difficulty getting the police report or any other information from the police. The tenants are not responding to us. One of the neighbors who lives across the hall from our unit actually caught the entire event on their doorbell camera. Am I able to use the doorbell footage, to send a notice and potentially evict?

Answer: Yes, you can use that evidence, provided the neighbor will simply come to court and provide the foundation for the evidence – they basically have to explain that it's their camera and it recorded what is being seen. In fact, video evidence of an issue is oftentimes the best type of evidence as the judge can see for themselves what happened, without the distortion of a witness’s memory issues, bias, or lack of a good vantage point. With doorbell cameras becoming ubiquitous, we are receiving more of this evidence in cases. What is important is that what is in the video must support the claim of the breach of the lease that you are alleging.