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Speak Up! - View Question #254 |
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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.
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