Can I get sued?

Question

I am working on a project on my own. It includes compiling fotos and memories from a local building which as been abandoned and forgotten. This building has been around since the 20's and has a treasure load of history!!

I wonder if anyone can sue me for getting this book published.

I called the City and they gave me the run around. I finally talked to a man from City hall who knows the owners and I asked him to forward my telephone number but they have not called me.

Answer 1

Heck..you can get sued for anything. Do they have a case, that's the real question?

Answer 2

There is no possible way that you can get sued. For starters, you are not slandering anyones name or comitting libel. Secondly, its a historic building and is something that people could research on their own. Finally, its an abandoned building. That just goes to show that the present owners have no interest in the property. You may want to consult the general laws of your particular state/country just to solidify this. I am unsure as to where it is you are located, but if you are in the US, no judge or jury would ever award a plaintiff money based on that case. I think it is sad that you should have to worry about being sued simply because you want to preserve memories. What is even worse is that we live in a society that is far too greedy and "sue happy". Good luck with your project!!

Answer 3

You have the right to publish a book on any subject you like. If you use the work of others--photos, quotes, etc., you must get the permission and properly credit the work or at least make every possible effort to do so. If you write about real people, you must make every effort to do so accurately, i.e., thoroughly research each story and keep records, citing your sources.

I suspect that your research skills could use honing. Property records are a matter of public record. Did you try the tax assessor's office? You should also talk to the librarians at each of the local libraries. They probably have stores of information on the building--a good reference librarian is a gold mine to a researcher.

Good luck with your project.

Answer 4

As long as you don't make any comments in the book that mind make the current and former owners or the builder look bad, they have no grounds to sue you. Since the building is public and abandoned, I can't see them having any comeback for royalties although if you don't have permission to enter the property, they might be able to charge you with trespass.

Answer 5

You can take photos from the outside. If you go onto the owners' property without permission, you can be charged with criminal trespass. Anything you get while breaking a law...that is photos of the inside...you cannot keep. The owners cannot sue you since they have not suffered a monetary loss.

Answer 6

And you never will hear from them. They are all just blowing you off. You need a lawyer that deals with publishing. Just google for your hometown lawyers and start calling around. The lawyer is the one to ask and is the one to answer. Good luck on the book.

Answer 7

You should contact the owners, go to the local courthouse and find out their names (this is public record). Then ask them if they mind. I think you have to have their permission before publishing photos of their property.

Answer 8

Actually you need to contact the historical society and ask them, also unless you use photos that other people took with out permission maybe, but if you collected the photos legitimately it shouldn't be a problem.

Answer 9

you won't be sued. this project sounds interesting though. i always think it's great to go back in history to appreciate things for what they once were and how they have made an impact.

Answer 10

you can be sued for anything and everything, that doesnt mean they have a winable case however....

it sounds like it would be ok to just take some pictures and such...