what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
Jan 5th 2019, 8:20 pm
#1
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Joined: Jul 2016
Location: Szeged
Posts: 284
what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
Hi All,
Just wondered - what self-defense is permitted in Hungary with regards to protecting yourself and your property from burglars, etc?
Does HU law permit barbed wire and/or electrical fencing (like the ones used to contain horses and cows) to be placed on a fence around the property? Is there a specific law that prevents this or from having CCTV cameras? Also, are there certain restrictions on what the camera can view (i.e. can they point on the main road or just within your property boundaries?) and how high a fence can be for example? What about other security measures?
Just wondered - what self-defense is permitted in Hungary with regards to protecting yourself and your property from burglars, etc?
Does HU law permit barbed wire and/or electrical fencing (like the ones used to contain horses and cows) to be placed on a fence around the property? Is there a specific law that prevents this or from having CCTV cameras? Also, are there certain restrictions on what the camera can view (i.e. can they point on the main road or just within your property boundaries?) and how high a fence can be for example? What about other security measures?
Jan 6th 2019, 8:55 am
#2
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Joined: Dec 2012
Location: Nagykoros, Hungary
Posts: 773
Re: what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
Me thinks you are about to open a can of worms!
What is legal, what is accepted and what is done are probably a lot different.
I considered CCTV and made a few inquires, they are not supposed to record the public highway, but looking at it and recording it are different things.
There are a couple of very old properties near me with broken glass embedded in the top of the wall, how this stands in modern times is very debatable and would they be liable for an injuries caused, even to a miscreant.
Wall (and fence) heights seem to vary greatly, though in Hungary they are rarely low. I suspect there really must be a regulation defining what is permitted, this may vary with areas, so guess it is a question to put to your local council.
How insecure do you feel?
There is a world of difference between a genuine high risk and a perceived threat.
Every time I go out for the day or away for a week end my neighbour is eagerly awaiting my return so she can tell me about all the ner-do-wells who have been climbing over my fence, But since they never take or damage anything and never come anywhere near the house when I am home i take it all with a large pinch of salt. - Apparently she can hear them climbing the fence because her bed is against the wall which my fence a butts to.
What is legal, what is accepted and what is done are probably a lot different.
I considered CCTV and made a few inquires, they are not supposed to record the public highway, but looking at it and recording it are different things.
There are a couple of very old properties near me with broken glass embedded in the top of the wall, how this stands in modern times is very debatable and would they be liable for an injuries caused, even to a miscreant.
Wall (and fence) heights seem to vary greatly, though in Hungary they are rarely low. I suspect there really must be a regulation defining what is permitted, this may vary with areas, so guess it is a question to put to your local council.
How insecure do you feel?
There is a world of difference between a genuine high risk and a perceived threat.
Every time I go out for the day or away for a week end my neighbour is eagerly awaiting my return so she can tell me about all the ner-do-wells who have been climbing over my fence, But since they never take or damage anything and never come anywhere near the house when I am home i take it all with a large pinch of salt. - Apparently she can hear them climbing the fence because her bed is against the wall which my fence a butts to.
Jan 6th 2019, 9:27 am
#3
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Joined: May 2015
Location: Near the Black Forest and near Esztergom
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Re: what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
A friend of ours near Nalatonfüred has a CCTV and Alarm-system connected to a private company which sends someone in case of an intruder (might just be an animal ...) and informs the police.
Haven't seen him for a while, last time he talked about canceling - false alarms cost him extra money ...
We have just lamps with a movement sensor which switches them on.
We had a camera directed at the main gate connected to a small tv - the idea was to see who pressed the button and rang the bell ...
But since many years no intruders, so we don't use it - we know that if someone rings the bell we have to go to the gate.
Barbed wire on top of a fence is also common here - but does that help?
Often you also see signs " watched by cameras" but I don't know if cameras are really installed there...
One important point:
The more security measures you have the more interesting your place gets because people will think that there's a lot of valuables to take ...
Haven't seen him for a while, last time he talked about canceling - false alarms cost him extra money ...
We have just lamps with a movement sensor which switches them on.
We had a camera directed at the main gate connected to a small tv - the idea was to see who pressed the button and rang the bell ...
But since many years no intruders, so we don't use it - we know that if someone rings the bell we have to go to the gate.
Barbed wire on top of a fence is also common here - but does that help?
Often you also see signs " watched by cameras" but I don't know if cameras are really installed there...
One important point:
The more security measures you have the more interesting your place gets because people will think that there's a lot of valuables to take ...
Jan 6th 2019, 9:46 am
#4
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,096
Re: what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
As said above fences vary as do the regulations about what is allowed, both material and style. This is governed by the local council so they would be the first port of call. CCTV as said above but the bad boys are wise to CCTV now and usually wear hoodies or similar to avoid identification. I have a friend with CCTV and when he was burgled the case went to court, everyone knew who the people were (local g....y lads) but the court failed to convict because their legal aid solicitor demonstrated that they could not be positively identified.
Electric fences are designed to control animals and have to have warning notices. I have electric fences all around the farm and with rubber soled shoes it is no problem stepping through or over them, they can also be shorted out with a length of chain. Some time back there was a case where someone got fed up with the locals steeling from his garden so put up a fence connected to the mains, unfortunately it killed someone and he was convicted of manslaughter. His defence that he was only protecting his property failed (although he had a lot of public sympathy - to no avail). So from this it can be seen that you are not allowed to put up anything that is inherently dangerous.
The law in Hungary says that it is trespass to cross a fence and the 'fence' does not have to be substantial to make the case. From the point of view of the law a piece of string between 2 posts is as valid as a 2m high brick wall and probably just as useful unless it's the 3 piece suit they are trying to nick. If there is no fence then there is no trespass. (Because the boundary is undefined/unknown).
Most or all of the legal property defences will deter the casual good guys but the bad boys take them all in their stride as all part of a days 'work' after all they are experienced in their line or work !!
The general advice is to make your property less attractive than your neighbours.
Electric fences are designed to control animals and have to have warning notices. I have electric fences all around the farm and with rubber soled shoes it is no problem stepping through or over them, they can also be shorted out with a length of chain. Some time back there was a case where someone got fed up with the locals steeling from his garden so put up a fence connected to the mains, unfortunately it killed someone and he was convicted of manslaughter. His defence that he was only protecting his property failed (although he had a lot of public sympathy - to no avail). So from this it can be seen that you are not allowed to put up anything that is inherently dangerous.
The law in Hungary says that it is trespass to cross a fence and the 'fence' does not have to be substantial to make the case. From the point of view of the law a piece of string between 2 posts is as valid as a 2m high brick wall and probably just as useful unless it's the 3 piece suit they are trying to nick. If there is no fence then there is no trespass. (Because the boundary is undefined/unknown).
Most or all of the legal property defences will deter the casual good guys but the bad boys take them all in their stride as all part of a days 'work' after all they are experienced in their line or work !!
The general advice is to make your property less attractive than your neighbours.
Jan 6th 2019, 12:37 pm
#5
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Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Hawley
Posts: 958
Re: what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
I am generally rather a zealot about security but since being here in Hungary at least in our area, we seldom even lock the doors to the house because we really don't have anything here yet that we really care if it gets nicked other than a cheap camera and a desktop with an English operation system on it. If someone really wants your stuff and they have motivation there going to take it given a slight chance. I keep the driveway and walk gates locked not for security reason but because we don't want our little dogs to accidentally be allowed to get out on to the roadway. If your worried about being nicked about all you can do is install motion lights, keep shrubbery trimmed so that burglars cannot use them to work unseen behind, maybe install a few hidden cameras and get a couple of dogs for your own peace of mind but just know that all of these will only slow down a burglar, maybe deter an opportunistic thief but that is about it. Usually if you are burglarized it is someone that lives around or knows you. If you seem wealthy to them you may be setting yourself up for a robbery.
I feel like 2 meter tall fences make for good neighbors topped with a strand of barb wire but you should check with your local mayors office about local regulations regarding heights and approved materials. But once again if someone wants in your yard they will get in it.
I feel like 2 meter tall fences make for good neighbors topped with a strand of barb wire but you should check with your local mayors office about local regulations regarding heights and approved materials. But once again if someone wants in your yard they will get in it.
Feb 20th 2019, 2:29 pm
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 146
Re: what self-defence is permitted in Hungary?
Hi All,
Just wondered - what self-defense is permitted in Hungary with regards to protecting yourself and your property from burglars, etc?
Does HU law permit barbed wire and/or electrical fencing (like the ones used to contain horses and cows) to be placed on a fence around the property? Is there a specific law that prevents this or from having CCTV cameras? Also, are there certain restrictions on what the camera can view (i.e. can they point on the main road or just within your property boundaries?) and how high a fence can be for example? What about other security measures?
Just wondered - what self-defense is permitted in Hungary with regards to protecting yourself and your property from burglars, etc?
Does HU law permit barbed wire and/or electrical fencing (like the ones used to contain horses and cows) to be placed on a fence around the property? Is there a specific law that prevents this or from having CCTV cameras? Also, are there certain restrictions on what the camera can view (i.e. can they point on the main road or just within your property boundaries?) and how high a fence can be for example? What about other security measures?
