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Question:

Is Doorbell ditching (ringing a doorbell and running) breaking the law?



Answer:

While there is no specific Arizona law the makes it a crime to 'doorbell ditch', this type of behavior could still get you in trouble. There are two ways in which a home-owner might take action against a 'doorbell ditcher'.

First, Arizona law (A.R.S. § 13-1502) makes it illegal for you to '. . .knowingly enter or remain unlawfully on any real property after a reasonable request to leave by the owner.' That means that a home owner could tell you not to come back on his property, and if you did it again, you could be committing the crime of Trespass.

Second, Arizona law (A.R.S. § 13-2917) prohibits 'harassment' of another, which includes 'repeatedly committing an act or acts that harass another person.' So if you were ringing someone's doorbell over and over, maybe keeping them from sleeping for instance, that might constitute harassment.

Both of these crimes are misdemeanors. In either case, you would likely have to be doing a lot of 'doorbell ditching' to a home owner to make it a crime, but we wouldn't suggest doing it anyway. It just isn't nice.
Comments
11 thru 15 of 21 comments
On 05/07/04
Milly from DE said:
I just want to say, dont get offended. It is just so a kid can have fun and have a life. If someone doorbell ditched me, i would go and try to find them and play around with them. Or i would just go to the door, and pretend like nothing has happened and just shut the door. They wouldn't come back after that. They would be bored with me. But i want to be a person that the kids will like and i want them to have fun so that they can have fun memories. Don't get offended, please. That is all i have to say. Some one PLEASE write their comment and tell me what they think of my comment. Thanks Milly.
On 05/07/04
Jake from CO said:
DUDE!!!! Door bell ditching is fun!!! I am a kid! Please don't get offended. Just some how let us know and we will stop doorbell ditching you. But it is fun. That is what kids love to do now days! I just thought some people might want to see it from the kids point of view.
On 04/11/04
Bob from MI said:
That's not true, Eddy. In the cases I have seen, the kids have run a whole row of houses. They may get the "chaser" an extra time, but they are usually random acts of harrasment to many for a quick thrill. I caught my doorbell dinger with a webcam and a motion detector. After I had filed complaints against the parents, I found out that many on my block was being harrassed by the same kid... that was by the way, a girl. Other homeowners joined the complaint process. The child was forced to perform community service and go door to door to appologise to each nieghbor she bothered.
On 01/30/04
Tanner from AZ said:
Thats right. We shouldn't go to jail or anything. KEEP DOING IT!!!
On 11/15/03
Eddy from UT said:
The only reason kids doorbell ditch other people is because they want them to come out and chase them, in other words, if you don't chase them, they get bored of doing your house and they move onto someone elses home.
11 thru 15 of 21 comments


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