Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinSE
Sadly, once you put it out, it is legally fair game.
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Not exactly.
Random people cannot enter your property to remove anything you may have set out. Someone trespassing to cut your property open is committing a crime of vandalism. Spreading the contents is littering. Allowing things to get into a storm drain could pick up other environmental charges. Taking anything is theft.
Ironically, even police cannot remove your trash from your property, without first getting a warrant.
Putting trash off of your property, in the street, can be considered littering. It's fair game to anyone if put there.
However, trash bags, and related items, that to an untrained eye are are obviously trash intended for collection, are considered surrendered property, but only to the trash removal people. They are allowed to enter your property to remove those items. Once that trash is removed by them, you no longer have an expectation of privacy to their contents, and then scavengers and police (potentially without a warrant) are now free to take whatever they want.