Starting in Los Angeles; but coming to a city near you! Government Attacks on Realtors - More Dumb Government - Less Common Sense!

Starting in Los Angeles; but coming to a city near you! Government Attacks on Realtors – More Dumb Government – Less Common Sense!

Today I read the California Association of Realtors newsletter. The Big Head Line - LAPD Warning Against Hiring Unmanned Aircraft Operators for Aerial Photos.

The Article goes on to state that this may violate FAA Policy on flying unmanned aircraft without a license. There is also an LA County Policy about needing permits for Commercial Filming and Still Photography!

Now first off I want to state I am all for safety and technology always presents new challenges.

For years kids (and big kids) have flown model airplanes and such without permits. You can find them on weekends around big fields. However, the low cost of technology has made these unmanned aircraft much better and at the same time has provided excellent tools for unmanned military aircraft to the point where at a squad level troops may be carrying small remote aircraft with them.

Yes Technology is blurring the lines between hobbyist and series commercial/military use. Right now I can by a toy helicopter for under $100.00 designed for kids – with a camera.

I think we all want safety. We can understand that some of these “toys” could cause legitimate safety concerns and people could use them for nefarious activities. So pass local ordinances that are reasonable designed to deal with real problems. (Like maybe limit them near airports and over freeways; and perhaps altitude and range restrictions.) Punish people who use them with malicious intent, but don't restrict everyone. The FAA does permit the flying of small unmanned aircraft for recreational purposes – but once you take a picture for your real estate listing or web site you are now in FAA jurisdictions. This is an example of Government overstepping what should be decent limits of power and a failure to adapt to new technology.

What is of more concern is this thing about permits for Film and Still photography and applying it too Realtors! Guess who that impacts? That rule would seem to apply to any picture we take. There are lots of business that take video and film incidental to their primary work. (I was a PI and Independent Claims Adjuster and we took lots of pictures for our commercial work.)

This is taking one thing that was aimed at Hollywood and large commercial undertakings – probably with a reasonable concern about public safety and expenses as they work in public places – and using it to tax and raise revenue off of small businesses.

Both of these impact Realtors unreasonably.

Yes the City and County of Los Angeles will be looking at your MLS and Web Site Photos soon to fine and punish you. I am sure with the positive cash flow it will generate we can expect this to expand. Why limit this to aerial photos? They are all commercial in nature! Did you get a permit for that shoot?

What was the response of the CAR – the organization that is supposed to represent us? Well they explained the rules to us and expect us to fall in line.