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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
6 thru 10 of 21 comments
On 10/18/07
TJ from OR said:
I can't believe the attitude kids have about this issue. We have kids regularly doing this to us. The first time I ended up catching them and chased them away. Then we disabled the doorbell and they came back pounding on the door at 2 am. Since them I've installed cameras and they still came back with their faces covered. My wife wants to move because of it and the police aren't making an effort to catch these little *#@*@s. Next time someone's going to get hurt! I don't care if the law is on their side. Kids, be warned, next time you ring and run, you might meet me the hard way!
On 09/10/07
from TX said:
Door bell ditching a few times might be fun. But my door bell ditchers do it constantly. They'll ring it at 6am a lot too. It's not fun to keep getting woken up by someone. We just moved into this house and i believe they're doing it for reasons other than just fun.
On 10/05/06
Kyton from UT said:
I think you should be able to doorbell ditch just in the middle of the day. I live in Utah I was wondering where the page was that for?
On 05/24/04
Jenifer from AL said:
Totaly ignore what i said. I was just being bad. I am sorry.
On 05/08/04
Jenifer from AL said:
i think doorbell ditching should be okay. It is not rude. It is fun, and alot of house owners like it when kids do it to them becuase it is telling them that the kids like them, and can play around with them. Don't let this pass as one of the comments,i am just telling you that i think it is okay. All of the people that have written so far........ARE JUST BORING, PRIDEFULL (because, the get extremly offended, extremly easly) and THEY have nothing better to do in their lives, than to complain!!! But by me saying that, I am imature. (disrespectful)
6 thru 10 of 21 comments


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