Michigan Court Allows Town To Use Drones To Snoop Without Warrants. One Couple Is Suing – By Scott Shackford (Reason) / Oct 28, 2022
The Institute for Justice argues evidence from warrantless searches can’t be used for zoning enforcement.
Can the government use drones to snoop on your property for zoning violations without having to get a warrant first? Right now it appears it can in Michigan, but a Long Lake Township couple is fighting back, with the help of lawyers from the Institute for Justice.
Todd and Heather Maxon have been fighting the zoning enforcement office of Long Lake Township for more than a decade over the couple storing several vehicles on their property. The township accused them of storing “junk” and brought a code enforcement suit against them in 2007. The Maxons fought back, and the township eventually agreed to drop the case as part of a settlement as long as the status quo was maintained.
But according to court documents from the State of Michigan Court of Appeals, neighbors complained that the Maxons had expanded the number of vehicles they were storing on the property. Long Lake Township investigated again. The township was unable to determine any zoning violations from the ground, so they hired a drone company multiple times between 2010 and 2018 to surveil the Maxons’ property, flying overhead and taking photographs.
