Lost connection, crash, lost drone.

I see. So the matter became more legally than technically difficult. You have to sort it somehow. Have you contacted the communication companies ? I believe they could easily show the work order for a routine equipment checking, and hence receive the access permission.
Have you pictured if the bird is completely free to lift it up in the air, or ?
 
I've done all of this. I have found 2 climbers with certificates of insurance, licenses, willing to go up for free grab it an bring it down.

Now the township is not allowing them up without a work order.

I understand my drone is on their property, but withholding my personal property should also be illegal.

There is a locked door with a ladder in the inside that leads to a hatch on top. Its literally a 10 minute job
Sounds like the township may want money or something?
 
How I hate government buroucracy. Down here, someone would have gone with a bolt cutter and go retrieve that drone.
 
Township is just being a bunch of aholes.

I am providing them all reasonable options to retrieve it. Licensed and insured tower technicians that are asking to get it. Township is refusing anyone who doesnt work directly for the tower renters. Verizon, tmobile, att.

It's an easy grab, but no one with a drone is wanting to risk it.
 

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Township is just being a bunch of aholes.

I am providing them all reasonable options to retrieve it. Licensed and insured tower technicians that are asking to get it. Township is refusing anyone who doesnt work directly for the tower renters. Verizon, tmobile, att.

It's an easy grab, but no one with a drone is wanting to risk it.

Unfortunately you are unlikely to get a good answer from the renters - they are likely to ask for real money. At this point I would be inclined to write it off before you start getting billed for damaging their equipment.
 
Can you offer them some number of free tower inspections after your drone has been retrieved and reactivated or replaced?

Edit: oh you’d need to be 107 certified. Not sure if you are.
 
Unless you could contact a cell service technician from one of the numerous companies that use the tower, and convince one of them to climb the tower ( for a few bucks ) and retrieve your bird, you may need to ‘write it off’ as @sar104 said.

Perhaps if you had your contact name and number on your drone, a tech may contact you next time they are on the tower and retrieve your wayward bird. Either way, good luck. [emoji106]
 
Township is just being a bunch of aholes.

I am providing them all reasonable options to retrieve it. Licensed and insured tower technicians that are asking to get it. Township is refusing anyone who doesnt work directly for the tower renters. Verizon, tmobile, att.

It's an easy grab, but no one with a drone is wanting to risk it.
Have you tried contacting the person who is in charge of public works? It really doesn't sound like you have spoken to the right person. The companies who rent space on the tower for their antennas would have nothing to do with it. The PW people who maintain the tower are usually up and down from there all spring/summer, painting and everything else.
 
Have you tried contacting the person who is in charge of public works? It really doesn't sound like you have spoken to the right person. The companies who rent space on the tower for their antennas would have nothing to do with it. The PW people who maintain the tower are usually up and down from there all spring/summer, painting and everything else.

It's likely to be a liability issue. The local authority are not going to want to be held responsible for anyone climbing that structure outside the usual maintenance and tenant agreements.
 
I have an idea, contact Township Hall and request a meeting with the Township Manager. Also, attend the next monthly meeting, and ask the Township board members who has the authority to capture the drone before it falls off the tower and possibly does damage to something on the ground.
It's likely to be a liability issue. The local authority are not going to want to be held responsible for anyone climbing that structure outside the usual maintenance and tenant agreements.
 
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I have an idea, contact Township Hall and request a meeting with the Township Manager. Also, attend the next monthly meeting, and ask the Township board members who has the authority to capture the drone before it falls off the tower and possibly does damage to something on the ground.

I thought about suggesting that kind of approach - or maybe alerting them that the lithium battery might catch fire etc. But I think that's just likely to result in a large bill for removing the hazard.
 
I've contacted the Head of Public Works. Head of Water and Sewer (hes the one being the jerk).

The City Administrstor didn't seem to see an issue with it, but was out of the office yesterday, so hopefully today she will say something.

The climbers are all licensed and certified, and one has already been on that tower for service.

Again, legally, once I have come to retrieve my property, they are supposed to get it, and they aren't

There is no damage to any equipment up there, and them trying to wait for the tenant is why I get frustrated because these companies will try and pull something like that.

A drone isnt going do damage a fiber run, and it didn't hit the antenna.
 
I've contacted the Head of Public Works. Head of Water and Sewer (hes the one being the jerk).

The City Administrstor didn't seem to see an issue with it, but was out of the office yesterday, so hopefully today she will say something.

The climbers are all licensed and certified, and one has already been on that tower for service.

Again, legally, once I have come to retrieve my property, they are supposed to get it, and they aren't

There is no damage to any equipment up there, and them trying to wait for the tenant is why I get frustrated because these companies will try and pull something like that.

A drone isnt going do damage a fiber run, and it didn't hit the antenna.
Have you tried talking to a lawyer who can make some calls?
 
I've contacted the Head of Public Works. Head of Water and Sewer (hes the one being the jerk).

The City Administrstor didn't seem to see an issue with it, but was out of the office yesterday, so hopefully today she will say something.

The climbers are all licensed and certified, and one has already been on that tower for service.

Again, legally, once I have come to retrieve my property, they are supposed to get it, and they aren't

There is no damage to any equipment up there, and them trying to wait for the tenant is why I get frustrated because these companies will try and pull something like that.

A drone isnt going do damage a fiber run, and it didn't hit the antenna.
OK so I always try to look at both sides of an issue. Very true that you have done your due diligence to find an equitable solution that is minimal work and no cost for the township. However I can see their side of it too. It's not just them being jerks (and believe me I hate government bureaucracy).

First, you crashed your drone into their property. No one asked you to fly around, over, or into their water tower. The blame for the accident is squarely on your shoulders.

Second I don't believe they have any obligation to climb up there for you to retrieve your property, or allow others to perform a risky retrieval process. I could be wrong on the legal responsibilities here.

Third as others have said, I would seriously consider just writing it off as a learning experience and not pursue it. The township could get more upset and hit you with fines. Technically I think they could even consider it trespassing.

It is sad that there is no easy way to retrieve it, but there is blame on both sides here.
 
OK so I always try to look at both sides of an issue. Very true that you have done your due diligence to find an equitable solution that is minimal work and no cost for the township. However I can see their side of it too. It's not just them being jerks (and believe me I hate government bureaucracy).

First, you crashed your drone into their property. No one asked you to fly around, over, or into their water tower. The blame for the accident is squarely on your shoulders.

Second I don't believe they have any obligation to climb up there for you to retrieve your property, or allow others to perform a risky retrieval process. I could be wrong on the legal responsibilities here.

Third as others have said, I would seriously consider just writing it off as a learning experience and not pursue it. The township could get more upset and hit you with fines. Technically I think they could even consider it trespassing.

It is sad that there is no easy way to retrieve it, but there is blame on both sides here.

While you make some good points, it is only trespassing if I do not alert them to it. I cannot go on there, but we do have property rights here in NJ. I see from your photo, you must be from the Philly area.

I get it... its a pain in the butt, but I am not putting any burden on the township themselves. I am not asking their public works to go up there, I am not asking anyone in their township service to go up there, I have acquired licensed professionals to go up there.

Regardless, when the antenna are serviced, the drone is going to come down.

I am looking out for them as well, if that drone gets blown off when someone is in the yard... its a safety risk, and a property risk for the stuff that is in the yard (township trucks, etc.). Both parties would be benefited if we just the stupid drone down.

I have talked to the other townships, and know people in the other township administrations who are just as mind blown as I am about this one not allowing someone with INSURANCE, and LICENSED to go up there and get it. Its literally their job climbing these things, and doing these things.

Yes, I flew the drone, and yup it crashed... regardless, there are things called property rights. As the building owners they are required to give me my property back, legally... I have the right to my property. I have more than enough proof that there was no damage done to anything at all.
 
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Technically, the water tower is public property, and I dont think it's technically trespassing by flying in the air. Also, like ElevationOneDrone said, the drone posses a safty risk to people on the ground. If the drone does fall off and injure someone; the township could be held liable now that they know it's there.

OK so I always try to look at both sides of an issue. Very true that you have done your due diligence to find an equitable solution that is minimal work and no cost for the township. However I can see their side of it too. It's not just them being jerks (and believe me I hate government bureaucracy).

First, you crashed your drone into their property. No one asked you to fly around, over, or into their water tower. The blame for the accident is squarely on your shoulders.

Second I don't believe they have any obligation to climb up there for you to retrieve your property, or allow others to perform a risky retrieval process. I could be wrong on the legal responsibilities here.

Third as others have said, I would seriously consider just writing it off as a learning experience and not pursue it. The township could get more upset and hit you with fines. Technically I think they could even consider it trespassing.

It is sad that there is no easy way to retrieve it, but there is blame on both sides here.
 
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Technically, the water tower is public property, and I dont think it's technically trespassing by flying in the air. Also, like ElevationOneDrone said, the drone posses a safty risk to people on the ground. If the drone does fall off and injure someone; the township could be held liable now that they know it's there.

Precisely. The only reason why the tower is gated is to keep people from going up there, the door at the bottom is locked, and clearly there are tennants using it as a cell tower. That being said, I have made every possible accommodation to the township, paying out of my own pocket, a licensed and insured tower climber, that has BEEN ON THAT VERY SAME TOWER BEFORE.

The township wants a "work order". Which is their way of trying to get me to pay for the next service of those antenna... and that is bullcrap.
 

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