California Trespass Attorney

There are a various number of actions that constitute criminal trespassing.

Every person who willfully commits a trespass by any of the following acts is guilty of criminal trespass, these acts include but are not limited to:

    • Cutting down, destroying, or injuring any kind of wood or timber standing or growing upon the lands of another;
    • Carrying away any kind of wood or timber lying on those lands;
    • Maliciously injuring or severing from the freehold of another anything attached to it, or its produce;
    • Digging, taking, or carrying away from any situated within the limits of any incorporated city, without the license of the owner or legal occupant, any earth, soil, or stone;
    • Digging, taking, or carrying away from land in any city or town laid down on the map or plan of the city, or otherwise recognized or established as a street, alley, avenue, or park, without the license of the proper authorities, any earth, soil, or stone;
    • Maliciously tearing down, damaging, mutilating, or destroying any sign, signboard, or notice placed upon, or affixed to any property belonging to the state or any city;
    • Entering upon any lands or buildings owned by any other person without the license of the owner or legal occupant, where signs forbidding trespass are displayed, and whereon cattle, goats, pigs, sheep, fowl, or any other animal is being raised, bred, fed, or held for the purpose of food for human consumption;
    • Willfully opening, tearing down, or otherwise destroying any fence on the enclosed land of another, or opening any gate, bar, or fence of another and willfully leaving it open without the written permission of the owner;
    • Building fires upon any lands owned by another where signs forbidding trespass are displayed at intervals not greater than one mile;
    • Entering any lands, whether unenclosed or enclosed by fence, for the purpose of injuring any property or property rights or with the intention of interfering with, obstructing, or injuring any lawful business or occupation carried on by the owner of the land, the owner’s agent, or the person in lawful possession;
    • Driving any vehicle upon real property belonging to, or lawfully occupied by, another and known not to be open to the general public, without the consent of the owner;
    • Entering and occupying real property or structures of any kind without the consent of the owner;
    • Knowingly skiing in an area or on a ski trail that is closed to the public and that has signs posted indicating the closure; or
    • Refusing or failing to leave a hotel or motel, where he or she has obtained accommodations and has refused to pay for those accommodations.

As there are so many elements to the crime of criminal trespass, it is important to have a knowledgeable attorney who can advocate for you and who is familiar and comfortable working with these types of charges.