Are ‘no trespassing’ signs any more effective at stopping door-to-door salespeople than ‘no soliciting’ signs?

SANDY, Utah — “I reached out to you because (I’m) just being frustrated with constant knocking at the door, doorbell ringing,” Matt Luers told us. He has had it with door-to-door salespeople.

“There’s a sign that says right there, ‘no soliciting,’ he said.

Matt lives in Sandy, where our investigation found, unlike many other cities, there is no specific code on the books requiring a salesman to respect a “no soliciting” sign. But you know what is against the law in Sandy, and just about everywhere else? Trespassing.

“If someone comes on your property and they’re not invited, and they know it, that’s trespass,” attorney Juli Blanch said.

It is a misdemeanor, which could mean fines or even jail time if police are called — especially if the solicitor refuses to take no for an answer, said Sgt. Greg Moffitt with the Sandy City Police Department.

“Those are usually the calls that we do get, is where they’ve been a little bit aggressive at the door,” he said.

“Aggressive” is the word used by another Sandy resident who, after our story on Monday, sent us pictures of the clearly posted no trespassing signs at the entrance of his gated community. He said just this week, door-to-door salespeople flouted those and delivered a “very aggressive” pitch for home internet.

Moffit said no soliciting signs may not have much teeth in Sandy, but if someone blows off a no trespassing sign, they can be in trouble.

“Whether you’re involved in door-to-door sales, or you just happen to be stepping foot on someone’s property…you can be cited for trespassing,” he said.

As for Matt Luers, he would rather not tie up the city’s resources by calling the police. But he wants the door knocking to stop.

“What do you do to stop these people from coming to your door?”