False accussation of videoing a neighbour

Hi
I live in a semi D, house attached is rented out to
Female late 30s for past 7 years aporox. I have had serious issues re noise, power washing back garden at 2am, keeping 4 dogs and their litters and the noise associated with this, apart from the dogs, going out shouting at the dogs and slamming patio doors at all hours of the night / morning.
When it becomes unbearable I have contacted the landlord and things settle. We do not engage with the tenant in the house.
The landlord asked for a chat Tuesday just gone, we met, he said his tenant has accussed me of video taping / recording her in the back garden the previous evening using my phone, we have no security cameras etc.
The evening in question I was out painting walls in the back garden, I had bluetooth earpieces in listening to music from my Spotify from my phone. The phone was on a wall in my property, propped up so I could get a clear signal, the accussation is that this is when I was recording her. She took pictures of my phone and sent to the landlord, hence the call from him.

So, She has accussed my through a third party, I would be 100% sure she has repeated this completely false allegation to friends & family, so now in their eyes I am some sort of peeping tom / pervert.

Clearly, I am upset and this is not sitting well with me, I am looking for thoughts on what course of action I should take/ what options are open to me.
Thanks in advance to anyone that responds.

Bigbutcher said:

I would be 100% sure she has repeated this completely false allegation to friends & family, so now in their eyes I am some sort of peeping tom / pervert.

Click to expand...

To be fair, you can't be 100% sure about this.

Bigbutcher said:

Clearly, I am upset and this is not sitting well with me, I am looking for thoughts on what course of action I should take/ what options are open to me.
Thanks in advance to anyone that responds.

Click to expand...

Ignore it and get on with your life?

If you have an android phone (it might work for iPhone I dont know), dial *#*#4636#*#* to access system logs, organise by app view, and see "last used" for camera. If you didn't use it at the time, and havent used it since, that will be your proof as it will show date and time of last use. Take a screenshot of it, and do not open your camera or you'll wipe the log!

Thanks for the replys, but I can be 100% as the accusation has cone back to me from another party apart from the landlord. Re,ignore it, surely this will be interpreted as me being guilty, what will the nect allegation be? I shouldnt have to feel this way in our family home that we have lived in for over 30 years

Re system logs for camera I have used the camera since Monday evening taking a few photos and video of my Grandson.
Thanks anyway.

While I understand that the situation is unpleasant, AFAIK there is nothing illegal about what you are alleged to have done.

Bigbutcher said:

Thanks for the replys, but I can be 100% as the accusation has cone back to me from another party apart from the landlord. Re,ignore it, surely this will be interpreted as me being guilty, what will the nect allegation be? I shouldnt have to feel this way in our family home that we have lived in for over 30 years

Click to expand...

People make all sorts of comments about other people all of the time.
There's no need to pay any heed or attempt to rebut them in many cases.

Thanks Cremmegg, I understand the legality of recording, its the false allegation now being told to others, I live in this community, I cant leave this totally untrue allegation unchallenged.

If it were me I would speak to your local community garda and get their advice in case there are any further problems. Keep a log of the type of things that you mention above about the noise and when you reported to the landlord.

Hi Clubman,
I respect you comments / advice as I have seen some really great advice from you to others on this forum for some time, but she has made this false allegation and now I have been challenged on it by her landlord, I could prove to him it never happened, but what about the other people she told, and the people thay will tell, I dont have a way of proving my innocence to all those people, there has to be a way that I can challenge this

Hi Sue Ellen,
Thanks for that, once I was aware of this on Tuesday evening, I was fully expecting a call / vusit from the Gardi, as it wouldnt surprise me that she would go to the Guards on this.

Bigbutcher said:

Hi Sue Ellen,
Thanks for that, once I was aware of this on Tuesday evening, I was fully expecting a call / vusit from the Gardi, as it wouldnt surprise me that she would go to the Guards on this.

Click to expand...

All the more reason for you to get there before her because you are innocent and have nothing to fear. Make an appointment to meet in Garda station rather than bring a car to your door.

@Bigbutcher You also have the option of bringing an RTB third party case against the landlord on the grounds of antisocial behaviour by the tenant. You might well have a reasonably good relationship with the landlord, but if he's not holding the tenant to account, he needs to be held to account himself. He might actually be not displeased by this as it may even make it easier for him to get rid of the tenant, who seems like a nightmare anyway. With four dogs and an attitude like that, I'd say she's probably wrecking the place!

Hi Rightwinger,
Thanks for that suggestion re RTB. Just to be clear, the dogs are long gone, I was using that as one example of previous unacceptable of which there are many. The relationship with the landlord is ok, not good, he really has no interest apart from getting his rent. The relationship we have tends for example to be me contacting him re his gutters being overgrown and are likely to come away from wall bringing mine down with his etc.
Thanks again

Bigbutcher said:

I respect you comments / advice as I have seen some really great advice from you to others on this forum for some time, but she has made this false allegation and now I have been challenged on it by her landlord,

Click to expand...

Do they understand the irony of recording you to support a claim of you recording them? They have no evidence you recorded them but provided evidence that they recorded you. Ask the landlord for their thoughts on that.

Thanks Leo,
Yup, I get the irony alright....

By making false allegations about you to third parties which would lower these people's opinion of you she is defaming you.
You could speak to her and tell her if she does not desist in making these allegations that you will proceed in taking a defamation case against her.

Thanks Jill,
That makes sense, I dont engage directly with her in any form, I could send a letter or have a solicitor send a letter. The reason I dont engage is that it could be seen as a male aggressor bullying / harassing a female living alone etc so I have not engaged directly with her for about 5 years, all communication goes through landlord. Thanks for the advice, if you have any more thoughts on this I will take it.

I wouldn’t go near the guards , many a guard might take the view “ no smoke without fire “ upon hearing about it , better not bring it near them at all as no guarantee getting you’re spake in first will make any difference

Personally, I'd be holding fire and see what happens.

I would, however, document all issues/interactions you've had with her and her landlord over the years.