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Howe wins restraining order against neighbor

Invasion of privacy claim alleges 17,000 photos a day taken of home

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updated 3:16 p.m. ET Sept. 20, 2007

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Hockey great Gordie Howe won a temporary restraining order barring a neighbor from conducting surveillance on his home.

The former Detroit Red Wings star and his wife, Colleen, on Tuesday filed an eight-count stalking lawsuit in Oakland County. Howe, the subject of a residential association dispute for more than a year, says he’s tired of being spied on.

The 79-year-old Howe claims Lionel and Karen Dorfman, a retired couple in their 70s, have engaged in unlawful eavesdropping and invasion of privacy, his lawyer Roger A. Smith said Thursday.

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The Howes allege the Dorfmans have had a camera snapping photos of their house every five seconds — more than 17,000 photos a day.

The Dorfmans say they believe the Howes have used their home for business purposes since 2006 in violation of homeowner association rules and township law.

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Smith said Howe has been involved in fundraising and charitable organizations, but he’s not operating a business out of his home.

Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick issued the temporary order on Tuesday that bans further photographing, videotaping or audio recording of the Howes or their home. It also orders the Dorfmans to preserve any video, audio or written records already made of the Howes.

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