NEW LYNN WOMAN CONVINCED NEIGHBOUR'S SOLAR PANELS ARE 'WATCHING HER HANG THE WASHING'
She's rotated the Hills hoist twice. The panels, she says, rotated with her.
A New Lynn woman is refusing to hang out her smalls until her neighbour removes what she describes as "clearly surveillance equipment dressed up as sustainability" from the roof next door.
Denise Halliwell, 58, of Titirangi Road, told The Daily Yarn the six-panel array went up in April and she'd "felt watched ever since". "They tilt, love. I've seen them tilt. You don't tilt for the sun in Auckland, you tilt for a reason."
The neighbour, Rangi Foster, said the panels do not tilt. "They're bolted down. To the roof. With bolts. I've offered to show her the invoice and she told me to keep my distance."
Denise has since erected a bedsheet along the boundary fence, moved the washing line closer to the shed, and started getting changed in the hallway. She has also lodged what she calls "a formal concern" with Auckland Council, who confirmed they'd received it and filed it under "not us, sorry".
A council spokesperson said solar panels were not classified as surveillance devices under any bylaw they were aware of, but added that "we appreciate Ms Halliwell's thoroughness". The Privacy Commissioner has not been contacted, though Denise says she's "working up to it".
The bedsheet, a floral king single, is now itself visible from Rangi's kitchen window. He says he hasn't looked.
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Reader Letters
Trev_Hornby
Denise needs a hobby!
Sandra (Devonport)
Back in my day, neighbours would just have a yarn and sort it over a cuppa, none of this paranoia business. It's all rooted in a lack of community spirit these days!
jim_browne
Sandra, people hardly have time for a chat these days. It's all texting and emails, no wonder we're so disconnected!
Rangi1976
Mate, those panels aren't cheap! Who's spending all that dosh just to watch you dry knickers? Sounds like a piss-take!
EcoWarriorNZ
Maybe the panels are trying to tell her something! Clean energy is the future, Denise, not spying.
PhysicsPhan
The panels probably reflect the light, giving the illusion of movement. See, it's just physics!
CynicalKiwi
PhysicsPhan, stop patronising. Panels don’t tilt on their own. Simple as.
couchgremlin
Lol, Denise just grab a pair of sunnies if you're worried!
KiwiSteve
Bloody hell, Auckland Council doesn't want any part of this, they should just tell her to bugger off. Waste of time.