I live in a small village named Breckenridge in Texas close to the Louisiana border. Well the houses here around are well maintained. The most of the people live on about 2 acres of land. Nothing out of the ordinary to see, a typical Texas small village. A House, 2 door garages dogs barking on the yards. Flowerbeds and a veggie Garden in the back. The population mixed mostly middle income people, working for the city, in the nearby hospital etc, young families mixed with senior citizens. I would say between the ranches aprox. 30-40 houses spread out on Hwy 259. Besides the ranches only 50% have fences and when than not really burglars prove ones. Mine is a 36 Inch picket fence.
Anyway sometimes I come home and find pamphlets or sticky notes on my front porch. Once I had a postcard that said I could have a BoM for free to pick up in the LDS ward.

Who is responsible if my dogs attack them? No my Pit-bull and my Rottweiler are not dangerous dogs but very protective and who knows what they do to people when no one is home. But they are fenced in and never cross the fence even when the fence gate is open.

Jehovah Witnesses going around sometimes to. The difference? They put their notes into the mail box, they don’t climb over the fence.
A car in front or in the garage is no indicator someone is home, and no visible vehicle on the lot is not an indicator for no one is home.

Around Christmas 2 LDS MRts climbed over the neighbors’ fence and knocked on the front door. They knocked and knocked until my neighbors’ 88 year old mother climbed out of her bed to open the door. She thought her son or daughter had forgotten their keys.
But no it was only the MRts from the LDS who want to sell something.
They left her alone but the old lady didn’t made it back in her bed and was found 5 minutes later by her son on the living room floor. Boy was he mad. He drove up and down the Hwy to find these idiots lucky for the Missionaries he could not find them. He would have beaten their buds until they could not sit on it for the next months or so.

I would know how Utah Mormons would feel if an atheist or some evangelicals would go around to harass peoples in Mormon Counties this way. How would they cry laud out for the police?

Complaining to the LDS ward doesn’t last long. Mostly 2-3 months later the same idiocy starts all over again.

For one thing, putting things in mailboxes is illegal, so don't ever encourage anyone to do that instead of knocking on doors. Unless you are speaking to a mail carrier.

Mishies take their chances coming into your yard.
I would NOT suggest posting "beware of dog" signs, because that demonstrates your knowledge that your dogs might attack, and that will go badly for you in a court case if they ever do attack anyone.

Post "trespassing prohibited" or some other sign indicating visitors are not welcome.
"No admission without appointment"...
Etc.

With appropriate signage, you do actually have the right to forbid visitors at your property line. Your short fence is symbolic but definitive. Anyone leaping it is knowingly trespassing, especially if you post signs saying as much and lock your gate.

Actually, I've heard that posting a sign would absolve yourself of liability, as the person has been warned.

It's actually the opposite?

I'm no lawyer, that's just what we were advised.

Best found advise from the internet, however:
Posted:
"No trespassing, keep out, land use fee of $5000 per day or any part thereof."

I'd listen to the mishies all day, and happily, if they pay the use fee.

We have attached to the fence three No Trespassing signs, so had the neighbor. My fence gate closes automatically after the gate is free. Its one of this gates that rolling to the side. I do have a, be aware of dogs sign on the yard, because they are often behind the house and could not be seen from the road.
They are friendly dogs they bark but were never mean dogs. Like I said they are protective and I don’t know what they will do when no one is home. So far nothing happened when the missis jumped over the fence. So I have to take the, be aware of dogs sign down. Interesting.

But what I really don’t understand is, that the Church know that no one in the neighborhood is interested in the LDS Church and they show up anyway two or three times a year sometimes even more often even when we called the ward to stop that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2013 12:13AM by buddyjoe.

First, I would post a no trespassing sign. I would send a letter to the bishop, stake president, and the mission president. I would go to a notary and get them notarized. I would send them registered mail.

In the letters I would state that they are not welcome. They are not to be jumping over your fence, or opening the gate.You are worried they will let your dogs out, and the dogs will be hurt. I would tell them that you will press trespassing and harassment charges if they come into your yard.

Keep a copy of the letter, an proof that you sent it. That way, if your dogs do injure them, you have proof that they were told to not come into your yard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2013 12:36AM by Mia.

Communities where I live are very quick to enforce "no trespassing" signs. This keeps soliciters to a minimum. I only remember one or two in the past few years.

See my post from a year ago: The Whole Door-to-Door Model is Broken.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,346949



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2013 10:16AM by summer.

Bishop and Mission President,

Do not allow your representatives on my property or they'll be prosecuted for illegal trespass.

Thank you, Buddyjoe

Mailboxes can only be legally used for mail with postage.

Every homeowner or renter has a legal right to determine who can or cannot enter their property.

The person whose mother was abused needs to contact the mormon church with a similar letter to the one I wrote for you above. How awful for that poor lady and her son!

Thanx for the Infos.
Just called the neighbor, we will come together over the weekend and write a letter. The be aware of dog sign, I took in this morning.

Like Summer I too was thinking the door-to-door model doesn't work (and neither did the link, btw). I would think it might actually put missionaries in danger. The church should post meeting times or a website with the info. Why couldn't they have an open house or a get together at a local park? Everything with the church is all about control.

The person whose mother was abused might also try writing a letter to the editor of the local paper or even to the Salt Lake Trib.

I fixed the link. Thanks for the heads-up.

Better post signs that read "Beware of the dog" for your legal protection.

BTW pitbulls can turn on you on a dime, I don't care how sweet you think they are.

Ummm Robert, I've done a search on you, and unless I've done it wrong, you've posted all of 3 times in the last 90 days. Now possibly you are an old posted who doesn't come here often or you're a newbie, either way, where the hell do you get off talking to Cheryl that way? She has every right to post about her experiences. And for your information missionary harrasment happens all the time. The mormoms don't always go away when you tell them to, your experience may be different, good for you, but that is not always the case! And hosing down the missionaries was by no means hostile when she told them repetedly to leave her alone. If you are sick of hearing about it, then don't read her posts...it's really not that hard!

Sorry everyone, didn't mean to highjack the thread, Robert pissed me off, his comment was rude and uncalled for and I felt the need to address it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2013 03:18PM by dominikki.

Only for information.
I called a lawyer about signs on the yard.

He said, that when a yard is fenced in, and therefore not accessible, I should have a “Beware of Dog” sign posted in my Yard.
In connection with a fence and “No Trespassing” signs is telling the people that it is not only not allowed to enter the yard it could be even dangerous. He explained that on a construction side also fences are erected, no trespassing sigs are posted and in addition warning sign for extra danger are posted.
Even if my fence is only 36-40 Inches height (higher than an average kitchen table), the fence can not be overstepped accidently and it is very clear where the property line actually is.

If you have NO fence at all and a “beware of dog sign” than you are really in trouble if something happen. A possible victim could argue not to know where the private property starts and the dog owner was aware that he has dangerous dogs running wild without any protection to the public and this even outside in the sticks facing any road.

Well that makes perfect sense. :)