Ohio homeowner hears banging at night. Then a trail camera appears outside his window

An Ohio homeowner says weeks of late-night disturbances escalated into something even more unsettling: a trail camera pointed directly at a window where he and his girlfriend frequently change their clothes.

In a recent Reddit post, user RatKingRonni described discovering a brown trail camera positioned outside his home, sharing pictures of the camera, and then a picture of what the camera can see inside the house. RatKingRonni wrote. “This wouldn’t normally be an issue, save for the fact that it’s aimed into the laundry room,” where he and his girlfriend change their clothes, “and the owner of that property has admitted to taking pictures of ‘all over my house’,” the post said.

According to the post, the neighboring property owner is in the middle of a major renovation. The homeowner says their only prior interaction was a conversation about property lines and trees. During that exchange, the neighbor allegedly stated he “has taken pictures all over my property for a while” and that the homeowner would “need to talk to his legal team.”

“Knowing that he’s already been taking pictures of my house is a little crazy. Then this camera,” the Redditor wrote.

Unexplained activity at night

At the same time, the homeowner claims someone has been “coming in my yard/banging on the house at night/breaking into the crawl space.” They added, “I’ve assumed it’s been a ploy to make me list the house for sale because no one’s ever actually broken into the inside of the home.”

Sleep has become elusive. “I’ve not slept in what feels like weeks because of all this,” the poster wrote, noting that construction on the neighboring property begins at 6 a.m.

While some noted the noises could be an animal, others urged immediate action. One wrote, “Someone keeps banging on your house at night and breaking into the crawl space? Have you not called the police? You need a camera yourself to point at wherever they are getting in, and maybe a ring camera for your front door.”

The same commenter advised documenting the camera and the neighbor’s statements: “I’d file a non-emergency report about this trail camera as well as the fact that they literally keep telling you they are taking pictures ‘all over your house,’” they said, adding that this person is not mentally well, and advised him to build a paper trail.

Ohio law and expectations of privacy

Amid this strange situation, the law could be on RatKingRonni’s side. One commenter cited the concept of “reasonable expectation of privacy,” which can be relevant in cases involving recording or surveillance of private spaces. Ohio’s voyeurism statute addresses unlawful recording in situations where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Additional legal analysis on neighbor surveillance disputes in Ohio has highlighted that while areas visible from public vantage points may not carry the same protections. Interiors of a home — particularly spaces used for changing clothes — are almost always protected.

One Redditor advised the homeowner to request the neighbor’s attorney information and avoid further confrontation. “If pressed, simply state that you’ll be speaking with your attorney on this legal matter and walk away,” the commenter wrote, adding that many attorneys offer free consultations.

They also suggested installing exterior cameras focused solely on the homeowner’s own yard to document any trespassing or disturbances, and to keep a detailed log of incidents, including dates and times. As of the post, it is unclear whether law enforcement has been contacted or whether the trail camera remains in place.