Harassment by drone using neighbor. Help!

[beachcombing]

You can call the police, but the fact is that no laws were broken in this case. Some of you refer to local laws of privacy. That is a myth. Federal laws supersede local laws. The simple fact is that no private citizen owns any part of national airspace. If it’s 1 inch above ground anywhere, that’s national airspace whether it’s above your yard or the airport. As long as you fly below the ceiling of restricted airspace and there are no temporary flight zone restrictions, (check out Skyvector.com), there’s nothing you can do. If you can prove violations of airspace regulations, then call the FAA and not the police. They will act swiftly.

I know it sucks for privacy to be invaded, but if you resort to violence or destruction of property, the one that may be going to jail is the one who files the complaint. Life is not fair sometimes, but that is the world we live in. All I can say, is get over it, and try to work it out peacefully, or learn your federal laws governing national airspace before you call the FAA.

Local privacy laws still apply. It is not legal to photography people in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as inside their homes. No FAA rules or laws "supersede" this.

Fact Sheet – Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107)

 

[EdM]

I live onthe big island of Hawaii in a housing development . My neighbor is harassing me with his drone. We havent been able to get pictures yet, but flies by our windows . When we come out with a camera he retreats to his property line. We feel like we've lost all privacy. I need to stop it but how. I want to proceed legally. My wife is totally freaked out and afraid. I'm looking for advice, please.

With no more details than you have given I'm not sure you are not some paranoid prick that see's monsters at every turned corner.

How close is it?
At what speed is it flying?
How long does it pause by a window?

You say you have not been able to get a picture, then it must not be happening very much or the craft is not loitering to long.

Need Details!

 

[Afremont]

Shoot it down? Really people? Sounds like you are just as bad as or worse than the offending neighbor. Let me educate you on all of this as a FAA 107 Certified Pilot.

You can call the police, but the fact is that no laws were broken in this case. Some of you refer to local laws of privacy. That is a myth. Federal laws supersede local laws. The simple fact is that no private citizen owns any part of national airspace. If it’s 1 inch above ground anywhere, that’s national airspace whether it’s above your yard or the airport. As long as you fly below the ceiling of restricted airspace and there are no temporary flight zone restrictions, (check out Skyvector.com), there’s nothing you can do. If you can prove violations of airspace regulations, then call the FAA and not the police. They will act swiftly.

I know it sucks for privacy to be invaded, but if you resort to violence or destruction of property, the one that may be going to jail is the one who files the complaint. Life is not fair sometimes, but that is the world we live in. All I can say, is get over it, and try to work it out peacefully, or learn your federal laws governing national airspace before you call the FAA.

According to my research as a hobbyist, this isn't quite true. The feds tried claiming this back in the forties. The Supreme Court decision indicated that a land owner does own some of the airspace above his land, just not all of it.

United States v. Causby - Wikipedia

 

[Dr0pper]

I live onthe big island of Hawaii in a housing development . My neighbor is harassing me with his drone. We havent been able to get pictures yet, but flies by our windows . When we come out with a camera he retreats to his property line. We feel like we've lost all privacy. I need to stop it but how. I want to proceed legally. My wife is totally freaked out and afraid. I'm looking for advice, please.

 

[sar104]

According to my research as a hobbyist, this isn't quite true. The feds tried claiming this back in the forties. The Supreme Court decision indicated that a land owner does own some of the airspace above his land, just not all of it.

United States v. Causby - Wikipedia

That’s a grey area as you point out, but this kind of situation doesn’t even require ownership of the airspace for the property owner to have other protection under the law - specifically from local privacy, noise and nuisance ordinances. Those laws apply independently of federal airspace laws.

Anyway - this thread appears to have gone into a bit of a death spiral. The OP has vanished and the posts are becoming more inflammatory and full of misinformation. Probably time to put it to sleep.

 

[Dr0pper]

With no more details than you have given I'm not sure you are not some paranoid prick that see's monsters at every turned corner.

How close is it?
At what speed is it flying?
How long does it pause by a window?

You say you have not been able to get a picture, then it must not be happening very much or the craft is not loitering to long.

Need Details!

You know I had one of my neighbors acting like this when I was flying my drone and I was just installing updates and testing them there is nothing interesting about the top of someones head or the top of their house at 150 ft. Maybe it is all in your head maybe you should talk to your neighbor and ask him what he is doing instead of trashing him behind his back. It also could just be a kid. I don't fly my drone at all to spy or look at people because most people aren't worth even looking at nowadays.

 

[Rudolf Bacher]

Shoot it down - with garbage! And then let your neighbour call the police.

 

[REKLESS]

Set up a video surveillance up to catch him or keep the window open and toss a casting net at it if it comes up to your window...

I live onthe big island of Hawaii in a housing development . My neighbor is harassing me with his drone. We havent been able to get pictures yet, but flies by our windows . When we come out with a camera he retreats to his property line. We feel like we've lost all privacy. I need to stop it but how. I want to proceed legally. My wife is totally freaked out and afraid. I'm looking for advice, please.

 

[maven4336]

I live onthe big island of Hawaii in a housing development . My neighbor is harassing me with his drone. We havent been able to get pictures yet, but flies by our windows . When we come out with a camera he retreats to his property line. We feel like we've lost all privacy. I need to stop it but how. I want to proceed legally. My wife is totally freaked out and afraid. I'm looking for advice, please.

Very sorry I fly on my own land but this guys an idiot and he needs to be prosecuted take the legal steps go to the police and report what he’s doing guys like him are going to ruin it for all, some kind of weirdo my wish you the best luck with that once again

 

[m.a.c.]

Admin: Kindly rename this thread to "Harassment by troll". Or better, delete it since the OP seems to have accomplished his objective.

 

[Bongohutch]

Dont waste your time on Forums like this get the Police involved and get the behaviour stopped. With respect you will end up going round in circles online and if you acted on someones advice you may have a problem when it comes to legalities

While 5-0 is the best course of action, at least as a first response, “Dont wast your time on forums like these” is a bit harsh. Personally I have found this forum to be a VAST wealth of drone info. I appreciate this community and what information lies within.

Just my 2 cents

 

[ted35]

As a resident of the Big Island (Kona side...Alii Drive) I can say that the cops aren't like the ones on the mainland. I seriously doubt you'd get any resolution from them (if they even show up to take a report).

 

[maven4336]

I think the guy that posted to throw a net to catch the drone not a gun owner myself Good luck but yeah this is not really the site this is only for drone users to talk about our flying experiences of technical things good luck

 

[Bill-R]

DON'T shoot it down or do anything that will damage the drone. That action will get you in trouble. YES talk to the parents, if it's the kids, talk to the wife if it's the dad, AND make a police report if that doesn't work. What he is doing is an invasion of privacy and more than likely against the law. We (responsible drone pilots) are really against this kind of behavior.

Don’t forget. Talk to the husband if it’s the wife

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

Admin: Kindly rename this thread to "Harassment by troll". Or better, delete it since the OP seems to have accomplished his objective.

No, the OP seems to be 100% genuine. Someone is desperate with this problem, they're not into drones per se, so they googled for a forum, and made a single post looking for hope and knowledge about drone laws.

 

[Sel danslard]

Thanks so much for your ideas and comments. The police have come, in multiple vehicles, and it appears the issue is over for now.

 

[HighlandsVideo]

While no one should ever be flying around someone else's house without their permission and the local constable can probably put a stop to it in your case, I urge you not to be threatened by it.

If your neighbor is really trying to see in your windows, then he or she is failing and will eventually give up. Its more likes he is merely practicing shooting real estate footage.

A drone camera or any camera is not like the human eye and it cannot see into any glassed window unless there is more light inside than there is outside, which is not possible in the daytime. The drone can photograph only it's own reflection in the glass. If the window happens to be on the sunny side of the house & you're being lewd withing a foot or so of the window, then perhaps you could maybe be seen by a drone as well, of course, as anyone else who is out there.

The fear that drones can be used by peeping toms is purely imaginary and Desiderata advises us not to distress ourselves with imaginings.

 

[Bad Brad]

That would certainly put you in a federal prison. Bad advice!!

No it wouldn’t. I live in Alaska and I dare you to fly into my property I’ll shoot it down and keep it.. nothing whatsoever will happen to me

 

[sar104]

No it wouldn’t. I live in Alaska and I dare you to fly into my property I’ll shoot it down and keep it.. nothing whatsoever will happen to me

Federal law doesn't apply in Alaska, isn't enforced, or you have some other reason to believe that you are above it?

 

[Xtreme Drone Pilot]

No it wouldn’t. I live in Alaska and I dare you to fly into my property I’ll shoot it down and keep it.. nothing whatsoever will happen to me

What if a Cessna flies over your property?