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Article Courtesy of Channel 10
News, Tampa Bay
Published June 16, 2017
A
neighborhood is angry at a man who flies drones, but he says he's doing nothing
wrong.
When asked if his intent is to spy on children, Bragg replies, “No, not even
close.”
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Bragg says he'd been
practicing, while his daughter played in the pool. He's a
resident of the neighborhood, so he has a right to be there,
and drones aren't restricted by the current HOA rules.
The community president told Bragg to stop flying the drone
and called the sheriff's office.
Deputies tell 10News they couldn't take any action, because
Bragg left before they arrived.
The HOA has now pulled his amenities privileges because of
his “aggressive tone” when confronted.
“Because I'm doing something they don't want me to do, their
bylaws are very vague, if I tell them no, that's the excuse
they can use against me to restrict my privileges,” says
Bragg. |
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The FAA tells 10News that it focuses more on safety measures
than on privacy issues.
Safety Guidelines
Individuals flying for hobby or recreation are strongly encouraged by the FAA to
follow safety guidelines, which include:
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Fly at or below 400 feet and stay away from surrounding
obstacles
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Keep your UAS within sight
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Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports
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Never fly over groups of people
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Never fly over stadiums or sports events
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Never fly near emergency response efforts such as fires
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Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol
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Understand airspace restrictions and requirements
“What’s considered a crowd?" Bragg asks. "Once again, we have an ambivalent
statement. A group is three people? Five people? Fifty people?”
Even the FAA guidelines have no teeth for enforcement.
Several neighbors reached out to 10News, saying the violation of their privacy
with his drones goes way beyond the community pool.
“He'll follow them to the bus stop like with the drone. He'll fly over our pool,
so I can't tan out there. We can't swim. He'll use it over the trampoline where
my little sister and her best friends do their cheerleading stunts,” 17-year-old
Savannah Bolender tells 10News with her mom’s permission.
Neighbors say the drone actually crosses onto their properties.
“He’ll put it in neighbors’ yards, looking at their garage, not at roof level,
but looking into their garage at the driveway level,” says Bolender.
Both sides say they'll be at the next HOA board meeting calling for change.
“We need to change those rules, change the amount of power the ( FishHawk
Community Development District II) and HOA has,” says Bragg.
“Why is making sure the lawn is mowed in the median, more important than making
sure we as citizens feel protected and securet That’s the whole point of living
in a nice community,” says Bolender.
There is a Florida law, the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act, that
prohibits using drones for surveillance where a drone can gather information
about a person's identity, habits, conduct, movements or whereabouts and cannot
be used on a neighbor's private property when there's an expectation of privacy.
Privacy is not typically protected if your activity can be seen by others at
ground level.
Neighbors can strengthen HOA rules. The attorney for the FishHawk Community
Development District II, Biff Craine, tells 10 News that they’ll look at those
rules at the June 20 board meeting at 6:30 p.m.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says neighbors can call deputies with
issues, and they can determine if the drone use crosses the line criminally or
if a restraining order is needed. Under the Freedom from Unwarranted
Surveillance Act, property owners can also sue for violations.
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