What would you do if your neighbor was constantly creating a raucous and disturbing the peace of your home?
If you’re like most people, then you might try to talk to them.
Or maybe just go over and introduce yourself.
But what if those strategies don’t work?
What’s next on the list of things that we can do as homeowners when our neighbors are being too loud or disrespectful?
Many people turn to putting up signs in their yard, but is it legal for me to put out a sign about my neighbor? This blog post will answer all these questions and more.
But what’s the answer to the about putting a sign in your yard about your neighbor?
Yes, you can put a sign in your yard about your neighbor without any legal complications in most cases.
But if you live in a neighborhood with a Homeowners Association, it could be considered harassment, and you may be fined for violating Homeowners Association Rules.
Where Are You Allowed to Put Yard Signs?
Yard signs are a great way to draw attention to your particular campaign, whether for a candidate or a cause.
Unfortunately, not all municipalities allow them in the yard, and some even have restrictions on where they can be placed.
You may want to check with local authorities before putting any signs up in your yard because it could lead you into legal trouble if you don’t know what is allowed.
Types Of Signs You Can Put in Your Yard?
There are actually a few different types of signs that you might consider putting up in your yard. The first is one saying “no trespassing” or “no soliciting.”
This would be the sign we usually see on private property, such as at an apartment complex where visitors should ask for permission before entering, and residents can’t just knock on each other’s doors all day long.
You could put up another type of sign if it’s not practical to say no soliciting, which says something like: “Please take two steps back from my door when I open it.”
Or even better simply: “Step Back Please,” in big letters with maybe a little smiley face in there somewhere, so people know you’re trying to joke around, but it’s still a serious request.
Another type of sign you could put up is one that says “Beware of Dog.”
If your dog isn’t actually there to keep an eye on the property, or if you have trained him to stay away from strangers, then this probably wouldn’t be necessary, but if not, it would definitely help give trespassers second thoughts about entering onto your land and going all around back looking for what they want without permission first.
And even if they didn’t see a warning sign, at least now there’s a chance someone else might come along who will warn them off beforehand too.
In any case, these signs are great deterrents against trespassing and unwanted visitors because most people know better than to barge into someone else’s space and do things without asking.
Can You Get in Trouble by Putting Signs About a Neighbor?
No, you can’t get in trouble.
However, it might lead to some issues with your neighbor.
They may be offended by the signs or feel harassed if too many of them are in their presence.
If you want to avoid any hurt feelings between yourself and your neighbors, then maybe just having one sign up at a time for when you have an issue might work better than putting out multiple signs around your property all at once.
They may even appreciate that effort enough to not take offense because it shows that this isn’t something that happens often but rather just on occasion when needed.
Can A Neighbor Sue You If You Put Up Signs in Your Yard?
The short answer is “no.”
But, when you understand why not, it becomes clear that the real question might be: “Can I put a sign in my yard about my neighbor?”
The law says people can express themselves and communicate their thoughts with other people on private property without asking permission from the government to do so.
This means we have constitutional rights under free speech laws; one of these rights is freedom of Expression or Freedom of Speech (depending on who your state legislator is).
And this right includes putting up signs for others to see – provided they are not too large, don’t block traffic views/paths/etc. They relate directly to the topic discussed within them.
So, let’s say you want to share your views about how terrible it is that you have this neighbor who lets her dog poop on the lawn and then doesn’t clean up after him or herself.
You can put a sign in your yard with whatever message you want to send, including pictures of dogs pooping – as long as they are truthful.
Can Someone Put a Sign in My Yard?
There’s no legality with someone putting a sign in your yard, but it can be regarded as trespassing.
Since they don’t have a permissive business on your property, and you can call the cops, and they’ll be cited for trespassing, vandalism, or even littering since putting a sign requires you to either dig holes nail holes.
If it’s not the first time they’re trespassing on your property, you can as well sue them for harassment.
However, in Canada, there’s an exception, especially for Campaign Signage during campaign periods.
The Election Act permits candidates to place signage on private property but with very strict limitations.
But there are exceptions where you’d allow someone to put a sign in your yard.
For example, if you went on a holiday and your neighbor noticed a broken step on your porch while returning some mail to you, it wouldn’t be illegal to put up a sign warning others.
