The dispute began in 1996 when the Rileys purchased their townhouse in the Town of Malta, Saratoga County, believing a line of trees marked the property line. When the original neighbor sold the land to John C. Daly in 2004, the new owners erected a chain‑link fence within what the Rileys considered their yard, sparking a 230‑foot boundary quarrel that simmered for two decades.
By 2018, the feud had escalated beyond fences. Daly installed surveillance cameras on his side of the line to guard against alleged trespasses, thefts and harassment. The Rileys countered that the cameras captured thousands of images of their backyard, including a 7‑year‑old daughter swimming in the pool—an intrusion protected under New York’s privacy statute.
The lower court dismissed the privacy claim, but the Court of Appeals reversed that decision on Thursday. The appellate judges found the photographic evidence compelling enough to warrant further examination and ruled that the Rileys could pursue damages for an unlawful invasion of privacy. They also rejected Daly’s survey that placed the boundary on the Rileys’ side, noting discrepancies that could shift the line by as much as ten feet.
The Rileys’ attorney, Maya Patel, said the ruling restores her clients’ right to a private backyard. “We’re moving forward with a formal boundary hearing that will determine the exact line and, if necessary, enforce removal of the offending fence,” she told reporters.
The case underscores the tension between homeowners’ rights and the growing use of home‑security cameras. For the Rileys, the next step is the June 15 hearing, where survey experts will present new evidence and the court will decide whether the cameras violated state law and what damages, if any, the Daly family must pay.