Oh my god something a lot like that happened to me! I was sitting in my living room with my dad on a weekday (I got suspended) and some guy in a blue car pulled up in my driveway and instantly got mine and my fathers attention. He started looking around and taking notes! He left before we could get his license. We were pretty shocked.

The most innocent thing I could think of, would be that since he is old, maybe he lived there in that house, and he was pointing the camera toward you car to get pix of the whole thing. You don't know if he was on zoom or not. I would do that if I wanted a picture of my old house, or even a friends old house, but after that, I dunno. How old is your house? If is isn't old, then I would call it highly suspicious.

I've read all the threads, and here's my best guess. If you live in a nice neighborhood, with fairly nice homes, somewhat expensive, then the person that you describe might be the local banker or loan officer taking pictures of their collateral.

As the economy is deteriorating, a lot of bankers are out taking pictures of houses, cars, and other collateral to determine how they plan on pursuing foreclosure and repossession.

The banker was taking pictures of your car because he thought that the car could possibly be additional collateral he could repossess - because he thought the car might belong to the owner of the house - your landlord - who is default on their loan.

If the landlord of your house defaulted on their home loan, and the landlord personally guaranteed the loan, the banker could try to go after repossessing the car too. Naturally, he can't do that, because the car belongs to you, not the landlord. The banker is fishing for collateral to shore up the defaulted loan. It could be that the landlord owes more than the house is worth, and the banker would want to sue the landlord to take the house and the car.

My guess is that your landlord is in trouble, and is behind on their mortgage payments. The guy that you described - older, nice clothes, etc. - sounds like a typical banker from your local community bank. Or a loan officer or collection officer from the bank.

He didn't want to have you notice him because he is trying to gather information on the debtor without being noticed.

This is a perfectly rational explanation. Now, it also could be a realtor, or someone working for a large developer that wants to purchase your house. That seems unlikely. Given the economic climate right now, with the massive amounts of defaults and foreclosures, I bet you have a banker just checking out his collateral - but doesn't want any attention drawn to himself.

If you are really scared, move. Buy the book, How to Be Invisible, and rent another place. I personally would just hold tight, call your landlord and ask some point blank direct questions of the landlord - preferably face to face - and gauge their reaction.

You might be able to find out who has the loan on the property, and try to determine if the loan is in default. That might be difficult to do, because banks cannot release private information. Or you could call the bank and ask them about your home and see if it is in foreclosure - acting as if you were an investor looking for a deal.

Worst case scenario, you may be sending your rental checks to the bank if your landlord goes bankrupt, which is happening a lot. If your landlord had too much debt, or a drug or drinking problem, or a gambling addiction, they may not be paying their mortgage note.

This is my best guess. It could be something more nefarious, but bankruptcies, and mortgage defaults are very prevalent right now, and a lot of bankers are on the street taking pictures of their collateral so they can sue the debtor - in this case, your landlord. I wouldn't be too alarmed just yet, unless you start to see additional strange things happening in the neighborhood.

Paranoid much?...lol. You sound like that lady in the U.K. who approached a guy thinking he was taking pics of kids for pornagraphic material...turns out he was taking pics of his own kids. Have you ever thought that they were taking pictures of something behind you or maybe something that has happened before in that place before you were there. I would say that it has nothing to do with you.

[edit on 19-7-2008 by riggs2099]

Sounds like we are a little paranoid to me! Somebody been smoking something? Hehehe, J/K OP.

I'd be more paranoid about your internet activity being monitored by reptilian pedophiles than I would about some old fart taking pictures in a public place. It could have been for a thousand reasons but to automatically assume ill intent is not necessarily the route to take. (Unless, say, you have a bitter ex-wife or something like that)

Lets get back to the real world. Sometimes cruising ATS too frequently is a LOT like smoking too much of that wacky weed. You can get pretty damned paranoid if you are exposed too frequently to some of the outrageous claims floated on here!

Well he was clearly checking out your topless chest.

I mean, wouldn't you stop and look if some chick was running around naked?

I am quite certain the circumstances would be similiar if it was an pld homo who was driving past a young man.

Next times it happens, confront them or at the least get their license plate. Place them under citizens arrest for something bogus.

You should work on installing a surveillance camera. I have one right above my door facing the road, and 2 on my window, records 24/7, film is directly converted and stored on my pc. I also have a big red sign saying 'Trespassers Will Be Shot'

It may have been more related to neighbors or the general area. That would be because of the area being under investigation for some reason. Check with neighbors and see if they have witnessed this PI or know what might be going on.

Originally posted by Ferengi
You should work on installing a surveillance camera. I have one right above my door facing the road, and 2 on my window, records 24/7, film is directly converted and stored on my pc. I also have a big red sign saying 'Trespassers Will Be Shot'

Thanks to everyone for all of the great suggestions. After having time to think this through I am leaning more toward an easy, common sense explanation for what took place.

Matter of fact Ferengi wrote the exact conclusion that I have come to, first thing Monday I am installing closed circuit cameras in the front and side of my house. Its a good thing to have anyway, and if I catch this guy in the act again I will have him on tape. That way if litigation or any sort of court proceedings take place I will have evidence that this fool was stalking me and was in a place that he didn't belong.

The whole ordeal has been pretty creepy to say the least, but it has done one positive thing and that is it has made me realize how vulnerable I am at the moment with no way to document what is happening. Honestly I am thinking of moving when this lease runs out in January. Im thinking of buying a house and a chunk of land with a gated entrance somewhere out in the sticks.

That way if anyone even thinks about trespassing through those gates they had better have a warrant and a very good reason for being there.

Im tired of living in a city right in the middle of all of these people. You never know who could be living two doors down from you or who could be keeping tabs.

This is something I have been planning to do for a long time anyway, this sure helps with the decision to move to action.

And for you doubters...YES I am paranoid...and it is this paranoia that will keep me alive and in tact for years to come. People die every day from lack of preparation and lack of attention to the details of their surroundings. It is better to be overly suspicious than it is to get caught slipping.