Solicitation Ordinance Prohibits Door-to-Door Sales

Dated Press Release
NOTICE: This press release was released 1,298 days ago!
(Release Date: May-03-2006)

Rita Davis
Fort Collins Police Services
970-221-6628

Fort Collins Police have recently received several reports of door-to-door sales activities and wants to remind the public this type of activity is prohibited in the city of Fort Collins.

In one incident, two teenage girls posing as Fort Collins High School students, went door-to-door in a south Fort Collins neighborhood and sold magazine subscriptions on a fraudulent basis. The girls claimed they were selling the magazines to earn points to raise money for a six-week trip to London. Several residents wrote personal checks to purchase magazine subscriptions from the girls. It is against Colorado law to make a false or misleading statement to the public for the purpose of promoting the sale of property or services. While the sale of magazines may be legitimate, the girls fraudulently misrepresented themselves when they claimed to be Fort Collins High School students.

Police advise those who may have been victims of this fraud to cancel their personal checks and monitor or close their checking account. Criminals can use checking account and routing numbers off an individual’s personal check to create counterfeit checks and gain access to a person’s bank account. Police also encourage residents to minimize the opportunity of becoming a victim of crime by not allowing an unknown person to enter their home. A criminal could “case your home” and return at a later date to commit a burglary.

The City’s Municipal Code (a.k.a City’s Solicitation Ordinance or Green River Ordinance) prohibits all door-to-door commercial solicitations as well as all kinds of door-to-door solicitations, including those by charitable, political, or religious organizations or by newspapers or magazines, when "No Trespassing" or "No Solicitation" signs are posted at private residence in the city limits. If signs are not posted, a person can solicit donations for a charitable, religious or political organization or approach a residence to sell magazine or newspaper subscriptions.

In addition, the Solicitation Ordinance prohibits door hangers or the deposit of other promotional materials on public or private property if a "No Trespassing," "No Solicitation" or "No Posting" sign is present. The Ordinance also prohibits attempts to gain, by telephone or otherwise, an invitation to visit a private residence for purposes of solicitation, by knowingly making a false or deceptive representation or statement.

The Solicitation Ordinance is enforced on a complaint basis, and complaints regarding violations should be directed to the Police Department at 221-6540.

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