What kind of law does Maryland have for...

[THEKOONTZ]

Protecting your property? I had my truck broken into, in my driveway last night. What could I have done about it? They must have been looking for something in particular because I had my BlackBerry, Sirius radio, nice knives and tons of other stuff in my truck and nothing was missing just ran sacked.

Of course I didn’t know anything about it until I went to leave this morning around 6:30am. But what if that person or persons were still there, what could I have done? In fact in was on our community facebook page this morning that a lot of people’s cars and trucks have been gone through and 2 peoples car were stolen!

The same rules don’t apply as in if someone breaks in your home does it? I mean the person is still on my property and who knows if I or someone would have confronted the person(s) what they could have did, maybe they had a weapon maybe not, would they have used it or not?

Just trying to get a feel on what the laws are on protecting ones property. Thanks in advance!

 

[yellowsled]

This isnt Texas, you cant shoot to protect property.

 

[BUFF7MM]

I think you have to have a no trespassing sign up and give them a verbal warning before they can be charged with trespassing, at least that's what a trooper told me a few years ago. But since your truck was broken into, I'm not sure about that one.

 

[Name Taken]

Ask the police officer who was off duty and confronted a youth who had vandalized his property.

Fight ensued, kid died, he's catching a manslaughter charge.

In short....be a good witness sadly is the best bet.

 

[jmiller320]

You have to sit back and take it like a man. These people have rights and you may have violated them just by asking. Only advice is to keep your vehicles locked and all the valuables in the house. If you happen to catch them drag them into your house and have at em.

 

[highwayheat]

You can not protect property like you can your house. Unfotunately you would probably be charged depending on the officer or the state' s attorney for the jurisdiction if you committed an assault in the progress You can however protect your house under the castle doctrine. It sucks about your truck but that is just the way the law is written. I wish it was like Texas. See the link for the castle doctrine.

http://delegatemike.com/?p=2298

 

[Half-cocked]

At night, put a plastic baggy with a crack pipe, and some rat poison, in your glove compartment / storage console. Don't drive around with it, for obvious reasons. The problem will eventually solve itself.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

This isnt Texas, you cant shoot to protect property.

god bless Texas.

 

[ADR]

I think you have to have a no trespassing sign up and give them a verbal warning before they can be charged with trespassing, at least that's what a trooper told me a few years ago. But since your truck was broken into, I'm not sure about that one.

I could be wrong but the way I understand the law in Maryland, they're trespassing once they've been told to leave and refuse to do so with no sign required on private property. (Although probably still a good idea.)

 

[Johnthetoolguy]

I hope this isn't close to me!
I don't think it would even be wise to go out of the house with a firearm in hand. If you were to even point it at the POS breaking into your truck, you could be charged with assult (I think).

 

[Silverlode]

Isn't it ironic that Maryland does not allow any kind of force for protection of personal property, but then at the same time they will issue you a carry permit if you carry around a lot of money?

Make up your minds idiots.

Spoke with a lawyer a couple months ago who told me about a case he had where a client was being prosecuted because he held a guy at gunpoint until the cops arrived when the guy was in his driveway smashing beer bottles into his car. Not sure if he ended up being convicted, or what the actual charges were, but the point of the story is no you can not even threaten someone with deadly force to protect property.

 

[BUFF7MM]

I could be wrong but the way I understand the law in Maryland, they're trespassing once they've been told to leave and refuse to do so with no sign required on private property. (Although probably still a good idea.)

That could have changed, it's been more than 10 years ago that I met this person at the back door with my gun, dude pissed his pants on my deck, and that's what the trooper told me.

 

[ADR]

That could have changed, it's been more than 10 years ago that I met this person at the back door with my gun, dude pissed his pants on my deck, and that's what the trooper told me.

He should have known better than to go messing around in Garrett County.

 

[BUFF7MM]

He should have known better than to go messing around in Garrett County.

I'd say he didn't go around doing that for awhile at least. I figure the barrel on the 45 looked like a 105 mm howitzer to him.

 

[lx1x]

You can not protect property like you can your house. Unfotunately you would probably be charged depending on the officer or the state' s attorney for the jurisdiction if you committed an assault in the progress You can however protect your house under the castle doctrine. It sucks about your truck but that is just the way the law is written. I wish it was like Texas. See the link for the castle doctrine.

http://delegatemike.com/?p=2298

Park the car in the house. Problem solved. Lol

 

[Name Taken]

I could be wrong but the way I understand the law in Maryland, they're trespassing once they've been told to leave and refuse to do so with no sign required on private property. (Although probably still a good idea.)

It's either or.

Properly posted on private property or told to leave and refuses.

 

[ADR]

It's either or.

Properly posted on private property or told to leave and refuses.

Thanks for clearing that up good sir.

 

[fidelity]

I hope this isn't close to me!
I don't think it would even be wise to go out of the house with a firearm in hand. If you were to even point it at the POS breaking into your truck, you could be charged with assult (I think).

This is amazing. I wonder if any LEO or other person experienced in these matters could comment about a scenario, where ...

1) you remain on your front porch with a holstered firearm
2) verbally warn the party to not touch your vehicle and that you have called the police
3) and are threatened with assault by the other party such that there is reason to believe your life is danger

Under these circumstances, are you allowed to unholster your firearm, or do you need to go inside and wait for law enforcement to arrive? Perhaps one can't even take a holstered firearm to the porch given how regressive MD property defense laws are.

 

[Bohlieve410]

If he had a knife or crowbar in his hand.... lethal force applicable? You feared for your life....

 

[Al's Snackbar]

Criminals tend to vote Democrat. They have more rights that law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying citizens.