Orange Grove and School Students in California

**Becca3766** · 05-03-2012, 04:11 PM

My question involves real estate located in the State of: California

I live in riverside. We have a 6 acre property that is mostly orange trees. There is a fence all the way around the property. The front of the property is on a street, across from a park and next to the park is a Elementry school. There is one row of orange trees outside the fence along the street.

This property has been in the family since around the 1930s and has been kept in the family. But since it has been "grandfathered" in the family hasnt had to curb the front of the property.

Receantly the school has called us and complained that the children were throwing our oranges at eachother. The entire front of our property does not have a curb, its actually a dirt gutter running next to a row of orange trees. Since there is no sidewalk the kids not be walking through our trees as it is.
Its the end of the season so oranges are falling on the floor, but the city hasnt not complained. And trust me the city gets mad quick if the vegetation under the trees gets the slightist bit too tall haha Since they havent cited us I know its not bad.badgered
My question is, who is responsible in the eyes of california law? The school for not making sure their students stay off private property or do we have to make sure these kids cant get to the oranges?

**Mr. Knowitall** · 05-05-2012, 08:49 AM

Who is responsible for what? Is the school responsible to make sure that kids can never access your land? No, they're not. Are you responsible to build a fence so high and impregnable that no child can access oranges? No, you're not.

**BenT** · 05-05-2012, 09:43 AM

What is the school getting upset about? If there are rocks on the grounds the kids would be throwing it at each other anyway. Who do you call for that - Mother Earth?

What the school should do is get the major orange-throwing elementary offenders and suspend them for a few days. This will curb action near the school. If the kids throws an orange away from school and they get injured that's their own problem. The school really shouldn't be calling you because oranges happen to be falling off trees. Question - who is calling you anyway from the school? The secretary? The principal? The superintendent's office?

That said - I would be making an effort to pick up excessive fruit to let everyone know that you are aware and trying your civic best to lessen childhood stupidity.

**Becca3766** · 05-07-2012, 05:28 PM

It was the PTA that contacted us. So we have purchased no trespassing signs and are posting them on a few trees and will be picking up some oranges.

Should we send a note to them stating that we have posted no trespassing signs and if they could make an effort to keep the children off of our private property.

**BenT** · 05-08-2012, 04:08 AM

Quoting Becca3766

It was the PTA that contacted us. So we have purchased no trespassing signs and are posting them on a few trees and will be picking up some oranges.

Should we send a note to them stating that we have posted no trespassing signs and if they could make an effort to keep the children off of our private property.

It's interesting that the PTA made the call. Not the school admin. If it were me I would make sure to redundantly let the school admin. know that these efforts are being made on your part as an excellent neighbor. At the end of the day it really is up to the parents to teach their kids not to throw oranges at each other, and if taught well the kids will use some common sense after they leave school.

On a side note - it would be interesting to see if kids could use the excess oranges for some type science project creating bio-fuel, or compost for the school grounds. That would be a better use than hurling them at each other.