# No Trespassing Sign



## snowman11 (Nov 21, 2006)

What does a no trespassing sign have to say in order to hold up in a court of law?

Is it as simple as "No Trespassing"

Does it have to say, "Violators will be prosecuted?"

Does it have to outline, "No hunting, fishing, trespassing"?


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

"No Trespassing" is all you need. Make sure the minimum letter height on the signs is at least 1 inch. Each sign needs to be not less than 50 square inches, and the signs must be spaced to enable a person to observe not less than 1 sign at any point of entry upon the property.


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

Boehr, can you clarify point of entry. As in just marking driveways, walkways. Or is a point of entry any place that is accessable to entry along the property boundries.


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## GIBBY74 (Feb 9, 2004)

boehr, to add to this question, is it true that if you have a sign that states no hunting, fishing or treaspassing, the land owner is also kept from hunting or fishing on that property. If i remeber right a few years ago this issue was pressed and the court ruled that a sign saying no hunting or fishing applies to everyone, and if your goal was to keep people off your land then you should use a no trespassing sign. Just wondered if this myth is true or what your take would be?


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## unclecrash (Mar 3, 2007)

I thought the new law was you didnt even need to post your property. Others were supose to know the boundrys of state and private. Or has it been changed. Dave


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

GIBBY74 said:


> boehr, to add to this question, is it true that if you have a sign that states no hunting, fishing or treaspassing, the land owner is also kept from hunting or fishing on that property. If i remeber right a few years ago this issue was pressed and the court ruled that a sign saying no hunting or fishing applies to everyone, and if your goal was to keep people off your land then you should use a no trespassing sign. Just wondered if this myth is true or what your take would be?


No that is incorrect, you may post your property as stated above and the owner, leasee, or people given written or verbal permission may still, hunt, fish, ride orv's, or what ever you may want to do on your property as long as it is with in the law.


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

unclecrash said:


> I thought the new law was you didnt even need to post your property. Others were supose to know the boundrys of state and private. Or has it been changed. Dave


http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(odf53e55h5bmfc455swj3w3m))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-324-73105&highlight=trespass

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(odf53e55h5bmfc455swj3w3m))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-324-73104&highlight=trespass

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(odf53e55h5bmfc455swj3w3m))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-324-73102&highlight=trespass

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(odf53e55h5bmfc455swj3w3m))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-328-1931-LXXXV&queryid=17036328&highlight=trespass

above links are to the websites above dealing with trespassing. I hope these links answer any of your questions. If they do not please ask the questions and we will assist you further to the best of our abilities.


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## unclecrash (Mar 3, 2007)

Thanks for posting the links.


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## bigcountrysg (Oct 9, 2006)

unclecrash said:


> Thanks for posting the links.


No problem the links are the law as written. I am no lawyer and I do not know all the ins and outs of the laws. But I have a good understanding of them as I deal with most laws with in my job.

As to answer the question to boehr I asked. What is a point of entry, there is nothing in Michigan law to define point of entry of ones property. I searched everywhere and even called my attorney. 

My attorney told me this, A point of Entry onto Land, is anyplace along the border of that land that one person, group of people, motor vehicle, may access that land. So I guess unless you have a cement wall, or fence going all the way around your property, with a gate that is made for point of entry I suggest if your going to mark your property mark it clearly.

Michigan state law, states that you only need to post the sign, at the point of entry upon the property. The sign must have 1 inch block letters, and be no less then 50 sq inches.


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## snowman11 (Nov 21, 2006)

So if you put a wire line up along the road, it seems that only the breaks in the wireline would be considered points of entry.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

"No Hunting" means no hunting if you don't have permission, has nothing to do with anyone having the legal right to hunt there. There was no court ruling stating otherwise.

Point of entry is where anyone can access the land. I use to tell people every two hundred feet then the furthest away from a sign would only be one hundred feet which isn't very far.

Law hasn't changed in many years as to posting. The only land that isn't required to be posted is farmland and adjacent wood lots. Everything else must be fenced or posted. Yes, a single wire in considered fenced as to trespassing but....be careful of possible liability issues with single strand of wire. For example. if a snowmobiler, regardless of trespassing, gets injured like decapatation, you will likely get sued and lose.


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## stew105 (Oct 5, 2006)

if im wading a navigatable stream and my only point to get around a log jam is to get out and go around the jam and get back in the water is this still ok even if the land is posted with no trespassing?? just curious if you still have the right to walk on that person's property to get around the unwadable obstruction?

thanks,

stew


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## malainse (Sep 2, 2002)

Page 19 of the guide.....

or here..

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/angler-rights-on-public-streams_151592_7.pdf


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## unclecrash (Mar 3, 2007)

stew105 said:


> if im wading a navigatable stream and my only point to get around a log jam is to get out and go around the jam and get back in the water is this still ok even if the land is posted with no trespassing?? just curious if you still have the right to walk on that person's property to get around the unwadable obstruction?
> 
> thanks,
> 
> stew


 Ive been wondering that my self stew for a long time always worried to cross private property when I hit a deep hole.After bigcountry posted the links to the legislature.mi.gov I see you can cross the property.That will open my way to a whole lot more stream.


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## malainse (Sep 2, 2002)

unclecrash said:


> That will open my way to a whole lot more stream.



Make sure that it is a *navigatable stream/ public allowed to fish* ...


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## walleyeman2006 (Sep 12, 2006)

has not a thing to do with navagatalbe... trout streams have different laws then drains or other rivers.......if its an open to fishing stream under state law we all have a right to fish it...and walk around obstructions placed by nature or the land owner


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## YZman (Mar 4, 2004)

If a river is non-navigable, it is private! You can not wade or fish it. Fishing laws apply to it, assuming it is connected to state waters, which in the case of a river is more than likely. Only the riparian, or who he allows, can access that water, but they still have to follow state fishing laws.

YZman


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

walleyeman2006 said:


> has not a thing to do with navagatalbe... trout streams have different laws then drains or other rivers.......if its an open to fishing stream under state law we all have a right to fish it...and walk around obstructions placed by nature or the land owner


Navagalbility has everything to do with it, trout stream does not have anything to do with it. There are no different laws. The web sight posted has the correct answer. Short answer for log jam, providing the stream is navigable you can go upland just enough to get around the obstruction then immediately back into the water, regardless if land is posted or not.


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## stew105 (Oct 5, 2006)

thanks for all your help. 

stew


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