New technology often has unintended consequences. In the case of Google Earth, a popular program that combines various satellite and aerial images to create a navigable 3D globe, it’s being used by one town to catch unpermitted pool owners.

Far cheaper than peeking over everyone’s fence, the town of Riverhead in Long Island used Google Earth to check out who had pools but never filled out the proper paperwork. Scofflaws were told to get the permits or pay up. The town has collected almost $75,000 in fines so far.

Hm, what other tax and permit evasions could municipalities catch if they just used a little Google Earth?

Google Earth used to find unpermitted pools on Long Island [AP]

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