Did you have the camera rolling the whole time and just never checked the footage until later, or were you watching it live through the viewfinder the entire 90 minutes? That part matters to me because staring at a tiny screen in the dark makes everything look weird, and a glow on a screen can fool you way easier than your own eyes can. Also, what made you finally figure it out, did the SUV pull away or did you walk up closer? Curious if your buddy ever fessed up or if he still swears it was a real orb.

Did you take pics before you even moved your stuff in? That saved me back in 2022 when my old place tried to hit me for $140 in "wall repairs." I had dated photos from move in day showing the same marks they were trying to blame on me, plus a video walking through every room. I put it all in a shared google drive folder the day I signed the lease and just sent them the link when they tried it. Landlords count on you not having proof, so the second you show up with time stamped pics they fold fast. Now I do a slow video walkthrough on move out day too, opening every closet and pointing the camera at the ceiling and floors. Takes like 15 min and has killed every bogus charge since.