Solicitors!

[LoboGunLeather]

Door to door. Ringing doorbells. Interrupting people in their homes. Selling this or that. Pushing a political candidate. Sharing the Good News!

Tiresome. Downright tedious. Meal time. Nap time. Catching up on S&W Forum posts. Reading a good book. Admiring my tomato plants. Communing with the hummingbirds on my patio. Picking my nose.

I own my home. I own the sidewalk, the driveway, the front porch, the doorbell. Also, my home is located on a private cul-de-sac (not a public street) and I have full equal and undivided ownership rights over everything needed to walk or drive into my home from the nearest public roadway. Anyone other than a resident or invited guest is committing criminal trespass under state law simply by being there without prior permission.

I shouldn't have to explain these things to strangers on my front porch several times every week. I shouldn't be forced to listen to excuses or arguments. I shouldn't have to call the local cops to deliver the ultimatum.

Again today, arrogant jerk refused to respond to a polite request to go away, so I gave my statement and signed the complaint, Bozo got a court summons for Third Degree Criminal Trespass, and I can expect to schedule some time to go to court and testify.

Last week it was a couple walking two dogs, stopping to allow them to relieve themselves on my lawn, then casually walking away when I suggested that they take their mess with them. Their choice of words would embarrass a drunken soldier!

Maybe I'm just becoming an intolerant grumpy old man.

 

[chief38]

If you have a Ring (or equivalent) video/audio door bell, use it to answer the door when you don't recognize someone. If it is a solicitor just politely tell them you have Covid, Typhoid, Smallpox, or what ever and are highly contagious. If they half half a brain, they will be gone in seconds. lol.

 

[twodog max]

Fortunately I do not have that problem living in a rural area. The neighbors dog may wander over from time to time but mine does the same once and a while. Jehovah Witness came by once but when told to leave they did and that was years ago. If I lived where this happened often I would be grumpy as well.

 

[jimmyj]

Fence with a locked gate

 

[Onomea]

Lobo, I hear ya. I appreciate and respect your willingness to make the time to go to court and testify. Wish more homeowners would do the same.

 

[duane_wade]

Thankful that I live wayyyy out in the sticks. Closest town of any size is about 12 miles. I love the quiet country life

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[fordson]

Like you, I live on a cul de sac in a rural area. My property is "water front" as it backs up to a small lake/ large pond with State protected Wet Lands on the opposite bank. My irritation is not soliciting but fishing. I have uninvited fishing enthusiast tramping thru my back yard, ignoring the "private property/no trespassing" signs, ignoring the family activity in the backyard, and the grandkids and the dog. Although the dog, Jupiter, goes after them, they annoyed that she does. Their perceptions of their "right" to fish on my property is greater then my actual right to privacy, or so they think. It's to the point now that I have my Sheriffs number on speed dial. One joker, several months back, got into an argument with my wife as to where the property line was! I was in the yard, with a shovel, and convinced him it was time to leave. When the Sheriff showed up, she asked if I was going to bury the evidence.

 

[Greyman50]

Had a " Comprehensive No Trespassing" sign posted at last home. Included any and all "options" of solicitors. Neighbor across our circle bought 2 as we both were tired of door bell ringers. Many times I would be doing yard work and one solicitor would walk up and start their spiel, simply point to sign and tell them a LEO would explain it to them while they got cited. For years we had undesirables waking though our yards then through small patch of woods to connivence store. After every one of the 14 home owner Complained to Police they caught 4 , cuffed them, put in Police cars and taken downtown. Never saw them again.

 

[NYlakesider]

When I lived in the big suburb next to Albany we had plenty of nuisance people. Some of the things I said/did to some of these people cannot be said here or printed in the news paper, but I finely got a Jehovah's group not to come on my property! They were coming 4-5 times a year!

Now where I live very rural, a 1/4 mile off the road up a hill hardly get any unexpected visitors. That means no kids at Halloween or people running for office.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Something to be said for the moated drawbridge access concept.

Incorporating some aspects of this design might help.

Safe House In Poland Transforms Into A Fortress - YouTube


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[Mike SC Hunter]

Fence with a locked gate

I hate fences!!!!!!!.......Locks you in as much as it locks someone else out. I will not allow any fencing on my little farm. 1/4 mile from front porch to highway and I own it all in between......Turn of the highway into my drive and you're tresspassing.

 

[zeke]

Can't remember the last time i got solicited. Either at home, or out and about. Have seen some deliberately avoid my house though.

 

[Bald1]

Lobo, as a community did u put no trespassing signs where public road ends and private road/property begins. I think "most" people would respect such a sign.

 

[Doug M.]

^ Optimist. A few years ago, I actually had some idiot tell me he thought the "No Trespassing" sign he had waked past "only applied to criminals". He was not happy being told that he was one now. I had to speak up so he could hear me, as there were 2 dogs (a Rott and a rottXPit) barking at him and I never opened the door.

He got the greeting I would use back then before we fixed our fence to keep people away: "You at the door. Hands in the air, palms toward me. Back away from the door. Do it NOW." There may be some added words in there as a reflex; I'll save myself the ding by letting you fill in the blanks. Now we have a 6' chain link fence, with both gate padlocked. My peace and quiet, and the well being of the dogs when they are out, are worth it.

Being nice to these "people" only encourages them.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Lobo, as a community did u put no trespassing signs where public road ends and private road/property begins. I think "most" people would respect such a sign.

At the entry to the private cul-de-sac is a sign "RESIDENTS AND INVITED GUESTS ONLY".

As an aside, Colorado law requires no signs, no fences, no gates. Criminal trespass is a strict liability offense, i.e.: it is the responsibility of every individual to stay off of any property to which they have no right to occupy or use. Anyone who "breaks the close" (crosses onto private property) is trespassing, period. Very difficult to defend against a trespass complaint in this state.

 

[Bekeart]

Blocked a Short Cut - Unneed and Unwanted gate

Lady Friend bought a house last year.
The back property line is fenced.
There is an old gate between her yard and one adjacent property.
ONLY Two properties and Two owners
Neither owner presently used or wanted to use the gate in future.
Friends side of fence has NO TRESPASSING sign.


An ENTITLED ONE was seen numerous times using the gate as a short-cut between unknown locations.

I added six of those green T fence posts to keep gate from being opened.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

From a property management point of view (This applies to apartments, Condos, and gated communities!) Associations and Management DO NOT have the right to keep out political or religious "door knockers". This includes passing fliers too. That is the Supreme Court's ruling! Your sign at your individual residence IS the command to go away! People from these organizations are required to wear identification stating Personal Full Name, and Organization Full Name. This is to be in plain view. The only people I ever saw consistently do this were the Mormons.

The case that went to the supreme court was brought by the Jehovah's Witnesses, but they are most often void of identification!

When I lived at the farmhouse, the JW canvassers would knock on my door every Sunday at 1:00 to 2:00 which was during our lunch. Finally in frustration, I told the group, "When you get back to the road, Get out of the car, and shake the dust from your feet!" (bringing a form of Biblical curse on myself!) Fast forward 21 years, a man walked up my back sidewalk (while was cleaning a stack of rifles) and stated my name. I said I was, and he said their records indicated I requested they not return, and it had been 21 years and they were just checking if I still lived there. Apparently, Leave me alone, Go Away, and Stay Away, are not acceptable requests but calling down fire upon yourself is.

Ivan

 

[Doug M.]

Once again, Spoiled Brat culture.

 

[Mule Packer]

Being in a rural area, we very seldom get solicitors...mostly kids from town selling baked goods for their soccer team and stuff like that.

Every so often, maybe once every five or six years, some religious zealots will knock on the door. I've been tempted to say the following just to see how they react, but have never had the guts.

"Y'know, you guys arrived just in time. I was out back sacrificing a goat and I need somebody to help me hold the legs!" I'm thinking they'd take off pretty quick.

 

[Rustyt1953]

The "no soliciting" ordinance is well inforced and we rarely see door-to-door types.

However, during election cycles the poll/persuading traffic increases.

That's when my quarantine sign goes on the door.