Robert Davi, the 74-year-old actor best known for portraying the villain Franz Sanchez in the 1989 James Bond film License to Kill, has joined neighbors in a lawsuit challenging a homeowners association plan to convert clay tennis courts into pickleball courts in the Andalucia community of Apollo Beach, Florida.
The suit, filed Aug. 15 by Davi and fellow residents of the upscale neighborhood, contends the proposed courts would sit roughly 100 to 200 feet from nearby homes and produce persistent, disruptive noise from pickleball paddles striking polymer balls. Plaintiffs say the sound — often described as a sharp “pong” — can begin at dawn and continue for hours, and that the proximity of play would be especially harmful to some residents, including military veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Davi, who told the Hillsborough County Commission he did not oppose the game itself, drew attention at a public meeting by mimicking the repeated "pong, pong, pong" sound to illustrate the impact on nearby homes. "I could spend three minutes doing that. Would you like that next to your community?" he asked commissioners, urging them to consider an ordinance governing the distance between courts and residences.
At the Sept. 8 commission meeting, County Commissioner Josh Wostal said the dispute in Apollo Beach reflected a broader national trend. He noted that at least 200 lawsuits over pickleball noise have been filed across the country and described recent state-level limits on local authority as complicating the county's options. "I think that we've been way too generous about SB 180," Wostal said, referring to the recently enacted Senate Bill 180.
County Attorney Christine Beck told the commission that, under Florida law enacted this summer, the board does not have sole authority over homeowners association regulation in the way it once did. "The state has the sole authority for the regulation of HOAs," she said, explaining legal constraints that limit local government intervention in HOA land-use decisions.
Commissioner Harry Cohen, speaking at the same meeting, said he would be willing to consider larger buffer distances if legally permissible. "Listen, if I thought that we could actually do this under the law, I will be willing to go for the 600-foot limit," Cohen said, while also warning that enforcing such a limit could run afoul of the new state statute.
A proposed temporary moratorium by Wostal on any new pickleball courts within 250 feet of homes was narrowly defeated in a 4–3 vote. The board did, however, unanimously approve a separate motion directing county staff to review existing litigation and analyze potential sound ordinance options and distance thresholds for pickleball courts near residential areas.
Residents living adjacent to the planned courts have made testimony about the expected acoustic impact and the hours of play. Michael Wasielewski, a Vietnam veteran who said he lives directly next to the courts, told local station WFLA he was concerned about the acoustics and the hours players would be allowed to use the facility. "My concern is the acoustics associated with the game. My concern about it is the hours that they will be allowed to play that sport. It’s early morning into the night," he said.
Davi and his co-plaintiffs argue that the HOA prioritized recreational trends over the well-being of homeowners when it approved the conversion. Legal filings contend the change would create a "neighborhood crisis" by subjecting residents to constant noise and disrupting the character of the community.
Pickleball has surged in popularity nationwide in recent years, fueling disputes in multiple jurisdictions over noise, hours of play and placement of courts near residences. Opponents and municipalities have pursued a mix of local ordinances, sound mitigation measures and litigation; supporters of pickleball emphasize its accessibility and community benefits. The passage of Senate Bill 180 in Florida, which residents and some officials say restricts local governments' ability to regulate homeowner associations and certain land-use decisions, has added a legal layer to disputes in the state.
The Apollo Beach litigation is pending in state court. County staff, now tasked with researching the scope of related lawsuits and potential regulatory responses, are expected to report back to the commission with findings and recommendations. Meanwhile, plaintiffs including Davi have sought a judicial remedy to block the HOA's conversion plan while the legal and policy questions play out.