The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Neighbors need curtains, or others may go blind
My husband and I live next to a married couple who are about our age (late 30s). Our condos are close (less than 12 feet apart), and some of our windows face each other.
They removed all of the curtains and blinds about a year ago. We absolutely try to avoid looking into their house, and we’ve angled our blinds to obstruct our view most of the time. But even walking through our house, you can see into most of their house clearly without even trying.
A month ago, I caught a view of our neighbor in his living room. The husband was sitting on the sofa in the living room, totally nude, clearly in a sexual position. A few weeks later, my husband saw the exact same scene as he checked the weather outside.
We feel uneasy about the whole thing, like maybe they wanted to be seen. They could go into their bedroom, so why were they doing this in front of their big, uncovered family room windows? These neighbors were always polite when we interacted with them outside.
I contacted the homeowners association complaining about their lack of window coverings. There is no regulation requiring anyone to have window coverings. They said unless we were seeing something obscene, there’s nothing they can legally do.
We’re not sure what to do now. We feel like we should be able to look out our windows without being fearful of seeing our neighbors in a compromising situation. What do you think? — Over Exposed
Depending on where you live, your neighbors’ activity might legally be considered “indecent exposure” if they are naked and engaged in sexual activity, deliberately exposing others — even if they are in their own home. Check your local statutes to see how restrictive the laws are where you live. However, many local laws DON’T consider this sort of exhibitionism in one’s own home indecent, even if it is deliberately within public view, and sexual in nature.
Understand that, depending on local statutes and their own willingness to cooperate, you may have no recourse other than to block the view with your own window covering.