Something strange happened about 20 minutes ago

[gamestalker]

I live in a rural area, so seeing anyone even near my home would be very questionable, in other words they would have to have a specific reason to be within 1/4 mile of my place. So like I said, about 20 minutes ago as I pull out of my driveway to pick up my Grand daughters from the bus stop, I see this man in a van parked at the end of my driveway, and as I get closer, I notice he has a camera, I saw the flash, then he tore off down the dirt road. I did managed to catch up to him and got his plate number.

GS

 

[RustyShackelford]

Strange....

That is strange.
It's possible some hapless PI or skip-tracer/bail agent may have the wrong address & went by your area by mistake.
A few years ago(late 2000s) a retired stunt performer/Korea War veteran I know had a nitwit PI working a worker's comp fraud case sneak onto his wooded property.
My friend & a few of his associates were able to detain/ID the private eye.
When I did security work at a medical office/clinic that had a few problems/break-ins, I observed a strange guy using a digital camera with a huge tele-photo lens. He was a older guy wearing a safari/5.11 vest & wasn't trying to be covert.
The camera guy was across the street in the parking lot of a hospital so I called the security staff of the hospital. What ever he was doing it would be all over the hospital's CCTV/cameras. He went around different areas using the camera.
I don't like to speculate but Id tag the guy as a PI or law firm investigator wanting to follow someone or see if they went into the hospital.

 

[MotorCraft]

HOA does that here all the time.

 

[Jim K]

I would call the police. They probably won't/can't do anything absent a law violation, but just to get it on the record in case something turns up later, like a stalking situation.

Jim

 

[MotorCraft]

Call Babeu.....

 

[Ed Ames]

These guys (not just this company but a bunch of companies like them) are EVERYWHERE, all the time. Most people never notice because they are at work, or watching TV, when they pull a drive-by:

http://www.wegolook.com/article/drive-property-inspection-services

If you have insurance, or a mortgage, etc. your property gets cased by someone like that every so often. I suspect they are also going around snapping pictures for HOAs and maybe even contractors looking for business. They take a handful of digital photos to prove they were actually there. My CCTV recorder/motion detection has flagged about a dozen stop-and-photograph drive-bys of a neighbour's house that is going into foreclosure.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I don't like it.

I'd call the police.

 

[JRH6856]

Around here, the county tax office regularly photographs taxable property.

 

[rcmodel]

I have seen the same thing here a couple of times.

I caught up with one of them and ask him why he was taking pictures of my house.

Turns out he was from the county assessors office, and had the papers & credentials to prove it.
And thats the way they do it!

Must be a hell of a slide show while they look at every property in the county in the comfort of their office & decide how much to ding you on real estate tax every year!

( Shouldn't have mowed the grass that month!)

rc

 

[MotorCraft]

Around here, the county tax office regularly photographs taxable property.

We don't do that here in AZ.

 

[rcmodel]

Don't do which in AZ?

No property taxes?
Or no assessor going around taking pictures of property to access the value?

rc

 

[JRH6856]

We don't do that here in AZ.

Then scratch that off the list.

rc, one thing they do with the photos in the comfort of their office is compare them with the last set to see if there are any indications of new taxable improvements or other changes that would affect the accessed taxable value. If they see any, they send someone out for a closer look.

 

[gamestalker]

It's definitely not HOA, we are very rural, no HOA here. And since my wife and I are both law abiding elderly citizens, it does raise the hairs on my neck a bit.

My wife and I both decided to call the sheriff, but they haven't responded yet, imagine that. But I did get a plate number, and being that it wasn't a commercial or county plate, I'm rather weary at this point. We only have two other houses on our road, none are visible, or in the vicinity from where this guy was, only my driveway, so I can say almost for certain, that he was focused on our property. And the fact that he literally tore off at a high rate of speed down our non maintained dirt road, my guess is he didn't want me to get his plate number.

I'll just stay alert and ready for the unexpected, and hope LE eventually shows up to document the event and plate number.

GS

 

[rcmodel]

Still PO's me that those of use who take care of our homes & yards get taxed much higher then the slum lords next door with the same house who does't!

Identical houses next to each other.
Mine is valued $15,000 higher then the identical house next door.

Because I keep mine up, and the slum-lord who rents out the other house doesn't.

He is being rewarded for letting the property deteriorate.

Which also brings down my homes value.
As well as making me pay higher taxes then the same house next door.

rc

 

[JRH6856]

Still PO's me that those of use who take care of our homes & yards get taxed much higher then the slum lords next door with the same house who does't!

I've filed protests on my assessments several times. It seems like they set the assessments high and if you protest, they reduce it but you don't, its their gravy. And most people don't.

I don't know about where you are, but in some places, rental property or a second house is taxed at a different rate than a primary residence. But much of the taxcode overall is all about loopholes that some lawmaker slipped in to benefit a donor. Which might include a slumlord.

 

[rcmodel]

Probably didn't help that the slum-lord is, or was at least, an elected law-maker then!

I have wanted to appeal several times in the last few years.
But present circumstances make it impossible for me to go stand in line at the courthouse for half a day.

And that's pretty much what you have to do.


rc

 

[bikerdoc]

Be vigilant and aware. I have no clue what was going on but do not let your guard down. If LE can run the plate and determine a reasonable explanation OK if not protect your home and loved ones.

 

[WestKentucky]

I'm going to lose some nice - guy points here....BUT as a health and safety manager I deal with some numbskulls that claim workers comp injuries regularly. I have a great relationship with my dedicated claim handler who has a good relationship with PIs all over the US. I have in my collection pictures of guys riding four wheelers, golfing, and moving while out on a claim for work related injury and illness. When these guys get the bills from the hospital along with a time/date stamped photo of them doing whatever they usually have 3 stages of reaction...one stickershock from the bills they racked up over BS, then anger that they got caught, then acceptance that in return for not filing charges of fraud that we accept their immediate resignation and we politely escort them to their vehicle....the PIs typically have panel vans and stacks of magnetic stickers to disguise themselves as various tradesmen like plumbers and electricians. It sounds like you met one of these guys, or someone similar. I would only raise my alert level ever so slightly.

 

[RustyShackelford]

PIs & "secret squirrels"....

I can understand the points/remarks of the last post. My father spent many years in medical/human resources & saw a lot of fraud/waste/abuse.

I'd add, doing security work in many places(both public & private), I've ran afoul(and sometimes it was foul ) of cops, PIs, federal agents(later confirmed, don't ask ), bounty hunters/bail agents, ex-spouses/boyfriend-girlfriend, rental/property/bill/tax collectors, repo-tow truck guys.

A few were legit & polite, some were highly unprofessional #%*+.

Id agree with saving the information, if the vehicle or stranger returns or others come around the same way, note the pertinent details & contact your local LE agency's crime prevention or "tipster" hotline.
Don't contact 911 unless you are in serious danger or a threat is apparent. Most US law enforcement offices have a non emergency # too.

A good tip I picked up in US Army basic training is to remember: SALUTE. When documenting or recalling any needed details, say; SIZE, ACTIVITY, LOCATION, UNIT, TIME, EQUIPMENT.
The more information you can recall the better. Damage, marks, logos on the vehicle; if the occupants smoked, was the van old or new, were windows tinted, etc?

 

[CWL]

Did you recently buy or refinance your home? Could be something as simple as an appraiser or real estate agent using your property as a "comparable" for another property.

 

[gamestalker]

I don't follow you here WestKentucky? Unless you are suggesting that someone near my home is being watched, and the investigator possibly got a wrong address / location? Other wise, there would be absolutely no reason for anyone, not even postal or others to drive up our road, and I'm not expecting any deliveries from Fedx, or any other package delivery services either.

It might have something to do with me having too many pounds of powder, or an excessive supply of primers. Maybe I own too many guns and the Gov. is investigating me, ha, ha.

If it turns out to be nothing more than a case of mistaken identity, then no harm, no foul. But in the mean time, I'll remain alert and prepared to defend my wife and myself, and get this documented with the sheriff, if they ever show up that is. Speaking of, the last time I called them they never showed up at all. I had to call them back several times, they told me that they had made a report of the event, which was in regard to a group of illegal aliens that wondered across my property and used my garden hose to fill their jugs.

I checked my driveway and the road that leads up to my house for tire tracks and foot sign right after I got home, so I know what was there. In the morning I'll do the same thing to see if there is any new sign of anyone having been up our road since then, or has parked near by. We live at the dead end of a non maintained road, off of a non maintained road, so we don't even get mail service, our mail box is more than a mile away.

I'm going to set up a game camera in a few minutes to see if any deer, javelina, bob cats, mt. lions, or bad guys should visit during the night. I also have two dogs, and they are very vocal when they hear anything around the property. The big one likes to eat bad guys, so I'll check for skeletal remains, shoes, or tattered clothing in the morning as well. But on a more serious note, my wife and I are always aware and alert, but never worried, we always have a loaded weapon within reach.

GS

 

[RustyShackelford]

City employees....

In the early 2000s, I recall a carload of city employees(unmarked sedan, no logos) coming onto the apt complex I worked at. I asked the occupants what they were doing.
The vehicle occupants showed me city IDs & creds explaining how they were checking on different property locations to expand the local HUD/section 8 housing authority.
One asked how I knew they were government employees so quickly.
"Simple", "You have a vehicle with yellow government vehicle license plates."


It doesn't take a PhD or CSI class to figure that out.

 

[rcmodel]

+1
Not every spook in the bushes is a spook in the bushes.
Don't shoot all the spooks!

He might be the friendly cable guy?

Or he might be a Paparazzi Stalking you because you look just like like George Clooney?

rc

 

[Bobson]

It'd be foolish NOT to file a police report about this. Best thing you can do is have a paper trail legitimizing your concern, should it end up being something unsavory down the road. Half hour well spent.

 

[MotorCraft]

they never showed up at all.

I feel your pain, what county are you in?