Page 2 January 21, 2016 TORRANCE TRIBUNE Burkley & Brandlin LLP A T T O R N E Y S A T L AW Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation 310-540-6000 *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization Letters Big Business Shuts Out Local Small Business What is a small businessman supposed to do when big business refuses to allow him to compete? In this case, I’m referring to Toyota Motor Corporation and its upcoming move to Texas. Since I have owned and operated Forecast Realty in Torrance for more than 30 years -- and sold more than 500 properties during that time -- I have worked for many Toyota employees throughout the South Bay. Some of those employees are being asked to sell their homes and move. But when they suggest working with me, they’re told I am not qualified: they must hire only those chosen by the company’s selected relocation firm or possibly forfeit some of their company benefits. Through the years, I have worked with other local companies in relocating their employees. When I explained this to Toyota’s relocation vendor, they told me six firms had already been chosen and trained, and I was too late -- although I was not aware of any announcement, enlistment process or call for a proposal. I do not know where those six firms are located. I made it clear to Toyota’s vendor that I would be happy to comply with any training requirements they may have set. My clients tell me the move will be staggered and take place over a few years. It seems as though there is sufficient time to bring more experienced firms with existing relationships into the process. Toyota has been a good corporate citizen over the years in our city of Torrance and I personally drive a Toyota Prius because I respect their product. While our city is already taking a big hit by their exodus, I understand that businesses need to make tough decisions to survive and prosper. However, this decision to exclude small realtors from even trying to get some of the relocation business is a double hit to our local economy and does not sound like the Toyota I know. It also does not sound American. – Roger Hart, Forecast Realty Inc. • Police Reports Auto Theft- 1/10/2016 3:30:00 PM 3400 BLOCK CARSON ST Stolen vehicle: ‘06 Ford P/U Burglary-Commercial 1/10/2016 10:00:00 AM 1800 BLOCK PLAZA DEL AMO Suspect(s) enters open garage and takes property/ bicycles, computer tower, monitor, soccer ball, beach chairs, toolbox, tools, tennis racquets Burglary-Auto 1/10/2016 8:00:00AM 2400 BLOCK 227TH ST Suspect(s) smashes window for entry and takes property/ case containing phone lists Vandalism 1/9/2016 9:47:40 PM 1900 BLOCK 190TH ST Suspect(s) smashes vehicle window/ no entry, no loss Vandalism 1/11/2016 8:00:00 AM 3700 BLOCK 175TH ST Suspect(s) cuts wires under vehicle hood Robbery- Weapon 1/9/2016 4:45:33 PM 100 BLOCK PALOS VERDES BLVD Suspect enters open business and demands property at gunpoint/ prescription drugs Burglary-Residential 1/9/2016 2:16 PM 23000 BLOCK EVALYN AVE Suspect enters residence via unlocked door and flees when confronted by victim inside/ no loss Theft 1/9/2016 12:56:37 PM 3500 BLOCK CARSON ST Suspect(s) takes property on bench next to seated victim/ purse Theft Betw. 1/9/2016 4:50:00 PM 2300 BLOCK ABALONE AVE Suspect(s) forces open locked storage space and takes property/ antique speakers Theft 1/9/2016 11:24 AM 18600 BLOCK HAWTHORNE BLVD Suspect(s) takes property off of parked vehicle/ wheels Auto Theft 1/9/2016 8:30:00 AM 2500 BLOCK 182ND ST Stolen vehicle: ‘12 Ford truck Theft 1/11/2016 6:30:09 AM 21200 BLOCK WESTERN AVE Suspect(s) takes property off of parked vehicle/ car battery Burglary 1/8/2016 10:10:00 PM 2500 BLOCK AIRPORT DR Suspect(s) pries window for entry and takes property/third row seats Burglary-Auto 1/8/2016 10:50:00 PM 2600 BLOCK PACIFIC COAST HWY Suspect(s) pries window for entry and attempts to take third row seats Theft 1/11/2016 5:00:00 PM 3800 BLOCK CARSON ST Suspect(s) pries open mailbox/ unknown if property loss at time of report Theft 1/8/2016 5:00:00 PM 21200 BLOCK GRANT AVE Suspect(s) takes property from victim’s porch/ delivered parcel Burglary-Residential 1/8/2016 9:47:21 PM 5400 BLOCK ARVADA ST Suspect(s) cuts security door, cuts/ pries multiple window screens/ no entry, no loss Burglary-Residential 1/8/2016 12:30:00 PM 23400 BLOCK WALNUT ST Suspect(s) removes screen on open window for entry/ no loss Burglary-Residential 1/8/2016 11:40:00 AM 1800 BLOCK MIDDLEBROOK ROAD Suspect(s) pries off window screen, attempts to pry open window and attempts to pry open sliding glass door/ no entry, no loss Vandalism 1/8/2016 5:05:00 AM 3800 BLOCK ARTESIA BLVD Suspect(s) dents victim’s vehicle’s door Burglary-Auto 1/8/2016 9:00:00 AM 17000 BLOCK ATKINSON AVE Suspect(s) punches door lock for entry and takes property/tools Burglary-Auto 1/8/2016 7:50:00 AM 4200 BLOCK 173RD ST Suspect(s) enters vehicle by unknown means, ransacks and takes property/ speakers Burglary-Auto 1/7/2016 4:30:00 PM 1800 BLOCK SEPULVEDA BLVD Suspect(s) enters unlocked vehicle and takes property/purse Burglary-Auto 1/8/2016 6:00:00 AM 16900 BLOCK YUKON AVE Suspect(s) forces open truck cabinets and takes property/power tools, cameras, hand tools Theft 1/7/2016 3:35:29 PM 18400 BLOCK CRENSHAW BLVD Suspect(s) takes unsecured property off of parked motorcycle/ jacket Theft 1/7/2016 6:00:00 PM 21500 BLOCK WESTERN AVE Suspect(s) takes property from victim’s unattended coat/cardholder Vandalism 1/7/2016 10:27 AM 3400 BLOCK CARSON ST Suspect(s) tags parking structure wall Theft 1/9/2016 11:30:00 AM 3400 BLOCK ARTESIA BLVD Suspect(s) takes property off of parked vehicle/ spare wheel, spare tire, cover Auto Theft 1/7/2016 1:00:00 PM 24400 BLOCK CRENSHAW BLVD Stolen vehicle: ‘00 Honda Civic Burglary-Commercial 1/8/2016 5:41:41 PM 4300 BLOCK 190TH ST Suspect(s) cuts lock on storage unit and takes property/rifles, handguns Burglary-Commercial 1/8/2016 3:47:48 PM 4300 BLOCK 190TH ST Suspect(s) cuts lock for entry/no loss Burglary-Auto 1/7/2016 6:25:00 PM 3500 BLOCK TORRANCE BLVD Suspect(s) smashes window for entry and takes property/stereo Burglary-Auto 1/7/2016 10:15:00 AM 20800 BLOCK WESTERN AVE Suspect(s) smashes window for entry and takes property/sunglasses • FAA Grounds New Hobby Drones Until They Register By Rob McCarthy Rotocopter hobbyists insist the government is ruining their fun, but public opinion seems with the Federal Aviation Administration after it grounded new hobby drones right before Christmas. New owners of the small unmanned aircraft can’t fly until they register with the FAA. The registration rule issued Dec. 21 applies to the hobby drones - known as unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS) - weighing up to 55 pounds. The chief of the FAA announced that 180,000 hobby aircraft were registered in the first two weeks. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta has expanded no-fly zones around airports as drone ownership increases. The agency expected as many as 1 million hobby drones to be purchased in the United States over the holidays. Reaching every one of those owners is a daunting task for tan agency that polices American airspace. “But this is just the beginning,” Huerta said recently. “Our challenge is to make sure everyone is aware of the requirement and registers.” As expected, some UAS operators weren’t pleased with the expanded rules for the drones, which are used commercially by photographers to access hard-to-reach locations. Pilots, however, have reported seeing the hobby aircraft in their airspace, which prompted the FAA in mid-2014 to ban the lightweight copters from flying within five miles of airports, curtailing activity in the airport cities of Hawthorne, Inglewood, Compton, Torrance, El Segundo, Westchester and Santa Monica. A nationwide drone hobbyist group with 22,000 members in California advised members to ignore the registration order for now, the Orange County Register reported on Dec. 29 - eight days after the FAA issued its edict. The Academy of Model Aeronautics has 185,000 members nationwide, according to the Register. “We strongly believe that the new interim rule is unnecessary,” said Dave Mathewson, executive director of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, in a statement. The academy objects to the registration of drones, saying that it conflicts with a 2012 congressional rule that prohibits the FAA from regulating small recreational drones. The group’s leader issued a statement calling the federal registry redundant because the Academy of Model Aeronautics self-policies its members through its own drone registration system. Mike Rivard, co-organizer of a Los Angeles and Orange County Drone User Group, compared the FAA’s new requirements to the Federal Communications Commission’s unsuccessful attempt in the 1970s to get citizens band radios registered. Federal aviation authorities are using a carrot-and-stick approach to the drone registration process. The cost to register an aircraft is free for the first 30 days, and the penalties for failure to comply can be as much as $27,500 in civil fines and $250,000 in criminal fines and imprisonment, according to an FAA press release. The drone aircraft operated by current owners must be registered by Feb. 19. Owners will provide the FAA with name, address, mailing address, and a valid email address to register. Registration is done through a newly created web site, and a filing fee of $5 will be charged. As an incentive to comply, the FAA agreed to waive the fee for the first 30 days. After completing registration, owners will receive a personal registration number, the FAA explains on the web site: www.faa.gov/uas/ registration/ “If a person owns more than one small UAS, each aircraft must be marked with that number. Any method may be used to mark the UAS, as long as the number is legible. Registrants may put the number in the battery compartment if it is easily accessible. “The FAA will immediately email a certificate containing the holder’s name, registration number, and the dates of issuance and expiration. The operator must keep either a printed or electronic version of this certificate on hand for inspection as proof of registration. Registration must be renewed every three years. If assistance is needed with registration, email UAShelp@faa.gov.” The FAA also released an app for Apple mobile devices for small drone operators to check on U.S. airspace requirements and restrictions. The agency plans to release a test version of the B4UFLY app for Android devices shortly, the Register reported. “We expect B4UFLY will help raise public awareness about what it means to operate unmanned aircraft safely,” Huerta said. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University announced a free, open online course to teach drone operators the basics of UAS and their operating environments. It runs through Jan. 24. Newspapers around the country have come out in support of regulation of the hobby drones, many of which are equipped with cameras. Newspaper editors have voiced concerns that the cameras endanger other aircraft and that any Peeping Tom can figure out how to fly one. Chief among them was the New York Times, which devoted a lead editorial in its Sunday edition to whether public privacy and safety is at risk from the remote-controlled aerial copters. Drones “can also be used to snoop on people and harass them. And they can threaten other aircraft,” the Times editorial stated. “Many Americans will be skeptical .. unless safeguards are put in place guaranteeing safety and protecting privacy.” Following up on the pushback by drone owners, the publication Aviation Today Network asked “Are Drone Advocates Losing the PR Contest?” The Jan. 11 article cited various U.S. newspapers whose editorial boards had taken a stand on tougher rules for hobby drones. “Newspapers large and small have said the risks small drones pose to other aircraft, to the privacy of people on the ground and to national security justify the FAA’s registration requirement as well as limits on the use of such aircraft,” Aviation Today concluded. Close calls with aircraft tripled in 2015, and a drone slowed firefighting efforts to battle a blaze in the Cajon Pass last July. Crews had to abandon air drops for about 15 minutes. It didn’t help that a government employee last January landed a hobby drone at 3 a.m. on the White House lawn. The drone, which weighed two pounds, was too small to be detected by radar. The employee, who was not identified, did it accidentally, according to the Secret Service. •
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