A Wesley Chapel man is expected to be in court today fighting a lawsuit filed by neighbors who say his homemade firing range violates state law.

Michael Land is asking a court to dismiss the lawsuit. A hearing is set for 2 p.m. at the Union County Courthouse in Monroe.

A lawsuit filed by 40 Wesley Chapel residents alleges Land is violating state law by firing fully automatic weapons on a homemade range near their properties. The suit asks the court to stop all shooting on Land's property.

Land has previously argued that his target shooting complies with the law - and that he has taken many precautions to make his range safe. To stop the bullets, he brought in dirt, sand and railroad ties to create a 12-foot-high berm.

Land bought the 6-acre tract in Wesley Chapel in 1991. He wanted a place where his six sons could ride dirt bikes and "learn how to shoot and be boys, " he said in a 2008 interview.

In the late 1990s, developers began work on nearby Stonegate, an upscale neighborhood of about 260 homes. Residents there have repeatedly complained that the machine-gun fire makes them worry for the safety of their families.

Some don't let their children outside when Land is firing. Others say the racket makes it impossible for them to hold Bible studies. Still others say it's impossible for them to sell their homes because of all the shooting next door.

State law generally prohibits the use of fully-automatic weapons, except among soldiers, law enforcement officers and merchants who need them for "the purpose of defending" their business. The plaintiffs contend Land doesn't qualify for any of the exceptions.

Land claimed he needed a Thompson submachine gun for "protection of business, " according to a 2004 permit application approved by the Union County sheriff. The weapon, known as a "Tommy" gun, can fire more than 700 rounds a minute.

In an interview with the Observer last year, Union County Sheriff Eddie Cathey contended Land was exempt from the state's machine-gun prohibition because he planned to use the weapon to protect a mail-order jewelry business.

But the plaintiffs contend Land never qualified for an exemption. In 2008 testimony before the Wesley Chapel Board of Adjustments, Land said he had never operated a business at the property.

A 1997 state law called the Sport Shooting Range Protection Act generally protects longtime owners of gun ranges from encroaching development. But the plaintiffs argue that the law doesn't allow the use of machine guns.

A National Rifle Association official hired by Land concluded, after examining the safety berm, that the range is "no threat to the neighborhood." Another firearms expert hired by neighbors, however, found that the danger of stray bullets "poses an unacceptable safety hazard" to residents.

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to stop all shooting on Land's property. They've asked for damages to compensate them for emotional distress and property-value reductions.