When lawn care goes too far: What homeowners can’t do

It’s no doubt frustrating to spend lots of time and money on lawn care, only for the newly grown grass or planted flowers to be trampled on by neighbours, dogs, and kids on bicycles. But how far is too far when it comes to keeping everyone off your lawn? That’s a question that at least one Minnesota courtroom is going to have to figure out, after a local man was charged with one gross misdemeanour count of setting a spring gun, pitfall, deadfall, or snare. Kyle James Steffen reportedly grew tired of warning kids to stay off his lawn, and he set up a “strip of thick plastic embedded in the grass with roughly 40 3-inch screws protruding upward.” Ostensibly, this would pop some bicycle tires and deter the use of his lawn as a shortcut to a nearby park. There can be a fine line between being an inconsiderate neighbour and committing a crime, and no one wants to end up on the wrong side of that line. What are homeowners allowed to do to protect their lawns, and what can get you in legal trouble if you’re not careful? Kyle James Steffen reportedly grew tired of warning kids to stay off his lawn. Picture: Supplied Why homeowners can still be liable if someone is trespassing If someone wal...