Sound Off

Sound Off: I have a neighbor who likes to sunbathe naked in his backyard. Is this legal?

According to police Sgt. Trent McKinley, the city code states: Any person who willfully exposes his or her person or private parts in any public place, or from any place which is reasonably calculated to be viewed from a public place, is in violation of city code that’s classified as indecent exposure. Contact police dispatch at 832-7509 to report a violation.

Comments

audvisartist 4 years, 2 months ago

Only if it's a chick.

5

Flap Doodle 4 years, 2 months ago

SchwartzEdithK is a lousy, rotten spammer posting lousy, rotten spam.

1

Phoghorn 4 years, 2 months ago

Just as SchwartzEdithk replied I'm stunned that if you click on her link you will get malware.

1

OldEnuf2BYurDad 4 years, 2 months ago

Tell them you'll take photos and upload them to the web. Most likely, they'll not do it again.

3

DillonBarnes 4 years, 2 months ago

"or from any place which is reasonably calculated to be viewed from a public place"

So if you can only see it from your house, but not the sidewalk, it sure doesn't sound illegal.

2

Topple 4 years, 2 months ago

Agreed. Your house is as private a place as his. I assume he has a privacy fence. I suggest the OP stop peeking over the fence and mind their own business.

8

Graczyk 4 years, 2 months ago

What do you care? This is person acting lewd?

5

riverdrifter 4 years, 2 months ago

Go over and join them. By next November you'll be missing it.

Tom Rush "Urge For Going" by Dl515

0

pepper_bar 4 years, 2 months ago

Huh? A backyard is a public place? The neighbor's house is a public place? What question is Sgt. McKinley answering?

1

Bob Forer 4 years, 2 months ago

Get a life and mind your own business, lady. Why are you so bothered by it?

3

ST3V3N 4 years, 2 months ago

Ew, the human body....yuck, don't look at it....for God's sake, don't look!

0

RoeDapple 4 years, 2 months ago

I said "Don't look Ethyl!! . . . But it was too late. She'd done been mooned."

Ray Stevens - The Streak by raystevensmusic

5

Flap Doodle 4 years, 2 months ago

Does this person also practice nekkid gardening?

0

shanep 4 years, 2 months ago

@Roe- My grandmother had that Ray Stephens VHS tape when I was a kid. A while back I came across a copy at a garage sale. Needless to say, my girlfriend thought I (and my grandmother for that matter!) was one strange cat for buying it!

2

Michael LoBurgio 4 years, 2 months ago

was this the person sunbathing nude?

None

by bluekansas

1

whatever95 4 years, 2 months ago

I'd call this one "DECENT exposure"! :)

3

Clickker 4 years, 2 months ago

Where do you live????

0

dragonfly0221 4 years, 2 months ago

As hot as it has been there probably isn't much left to see.

1

SuperDuper2 4 years, 2 months ago

Although something may become illegal if you keep looking. Stop looking if you don't like it.

0

ForThePeople 4 years, 2 months ago

Good grief, MIND YOUR OWN FREAKING business Kravitz! Unless the persons backyard is visible to all, people should be able to lay out anyway they like in the privacy of their own property.
Now if kids are involved, put on your big girl panties, act like a grown up and politely discuss your concerns with the neighbor.

2

Terry Sexton 4 years, 2 months ago

Methinks the asker could be acting coy. "Is it legal for me...uh, my neighbor to go nakey? Yah, that's the ticket. It's the neighbor."

2

Kelly Anderson 4 years, 2 months ago

Um, so, where exactly do you live? I mean, you might need a second, third, fourth.....opinion. Purely for research.

1

madameX 4 years, 2 months ago

LJ World, might I suggest that when you get legal-y type questions like this one, you ask the city prosecutor or some other attorney for an answer in addition to the police. Just citing the ordinance without any interpretation application of the specifics of the situation raises more questions than it answers. Anyone can look up the city code. In this case, it's not clear whether a private yard is actually reasonably calculated to be viewed from a public place, and even if it is, is the other neighbor's home considered a public place? Is there a difference between being able to see a nude sunbather from the sidewalk, as opposed to a second story window?

4

gphawk89 4 years, 2 months ago

Yes, assuming the man has a privacy fence we need a very clear definition of "public place". Is the right-of-way through the man's back yard a public place? Is the airspace over his yard a public place? Etc... The author's home (yard, upper story window, or roof) is definitely not a public place.

0

Tomato 4 years, 2 months ago

Or whether it makes a difference if the person knows the neighbor's children will see him?

For example, if my child's window faces my neighbor's bedroom and he gets naked and starts masturbating in front of the window, I assume there'd be some kind of cause of action, even though he is in private - because it is reasonably calculated (and even intended) that a child will see him.

But I'm not a lawyer. I agree that uninterpreted city code is not really enough to make a judgment.

0

workinghard 4 years, 2 months ago

There are some people that should never be allowed to sunbathe nude ever under any circumstances. :0)

3

littlexav 4 years, 2 months ago

That attitude only perpetuates a dangerous bias that the human body in its natural state is inherently a thing worthy of sexual lust. You'll find most nudits, psychiatrists, and sexual-health experts have a starkly contrasting opinion.

1

workinghard 4 years, 2 months ago

Seriously you could not see the remark was meant as a joke, no different than any other of the joking remarks on here. You need to lighten up.

2

littlexav 4 years, 2 months ago

Joking about it doesn't make it less serious. "Seriously it could be worse he could be wearing a gold lamé banana hammock" is a joke. What you said isn't a joke; and I stand by my assertion that even if it was a joke, it reflects an unhealthy bias.

0

workinghard 4 years, 2 months ago

Like I said, lighten up. You should get over your bias against people that joke. If I had said that nobody should sun bathe nude, then you have cause to get all upset. I didn't, so you don't.

0

Betty Bartholomew 4 years, 2 months ago

Could be worse - he could be sunbathing in a gold lamé banana hammock.

1

Thomas Bryce Jr. 4 years, 2 months ago

Totally agree.If that didn't work, Hello YouTube!

0

MarcoPogo 4 years, 2 months ago

Now hold on everybody, we don't know if this is a yard in a regular neighborhood or over in Brandon Woods. That has a large bearing on how the question should be answered.

0

Alceste 4 years, 2 months ago

LarryNative opines:

"If I was...in a....house and had young children, I would not be happy." Amen. Them rug rats ought to all be kept in one central location so the rest of the town doesn't have to deal with 'em. Having to live with, deal with, take care of, etc. children = UNHAPPY......shrug

1

guppypunkhead 4 years, 2 months ago

Why hasn't anyone made a twig & berries joke yet?

0

Cant_have_it_both_ways 4 years, 2 months ago

You could try getting naked yourself and going over to his house and scare him into wanting to wear clothes.

0

Phoghorn 4 years, 2 months ago

This letter nearly brought me to tears, but not because of the problem suffered by the caller. Threads like this always make me miss Multidisciplinary and all of her witty contributions.

1

Kat Christian 4 years, 2 months ago

For crying out loud - don't you have anything better to do with your time then to gawk at your neighbors? If they are in their backyard with a privacy fence (which means you'd have to be on a 2nd floor of your house - gawking - in which case DON"T LOOK). As long as that person is not behaving in a lewd manner, I see no problem with them sunbathing in the privacy of their own yard. Society today is so bored it looks to issues to develop into more drama in their lives. Live and Let Live.

0

Liberty275 4 years, 2 months ago

That would depend on the vigor of application. Kind of like shaking it more than twice.

1

beatrice 4 years, 2 months ago

"I have a neighbor who likes to sunbathe naked in his backyard. Is this legal?"

Yes, liking to sunbathe naked is perfectly legal. The actual sunbathing naked, however, may not be, but just liking it is fine.

0

Thomas Bryce Jr. 4 years, 2 months ago

WOW, 48 comments on some guy sunbathing nude in his back yard? I am not supporting his actions, but I wish we could get that turnout on some of the other issues facing us as a state and a nation.

0

workinghard 4 years, 2 months ago

The caller really needed to provide more information, such as "does he have a privacy fence"? If not, are there young children around and is he thus doing it when he knows they are most likely to see him? If the answer to the last question is yes, then he is the pervert, not the caller. If he has a fence, then yes, don't look. Although you could find out what kind of music he really hates and play that loudly and drive him nuts.

0

Liberty275 4 years, 2 months ago

In Tampa, I had a girl that lived behind me that sunbathed nude. I never wondered about the legality.

2

classclown 4 years, 2 months ago

Dear Sound Off

Apparently I have a neighbor that peeps at me while I sunbathe naked in my back yard. Is this legal?

1

Gart 4 years, 2 months ago

Yep. Another "Near do well" trying to stir it up. Welcome to Lawrence..

Lady, and you mentioned no offense to children, I would not be at all surprised if you have already called the police after taking a "peek." Am sure they just walked away since the time was wasted.

We are not, at this time, under a "Police State," which could tell all what we can do on our own property.

Please. Get a life and DEAL with it. Otherwise, please move.

If you are too dense to know what MYOB stands for. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. - Geez.

0

Gart 4 years, 2 months ago

BTW. The next time it rains I will be in my yard - NEKKID! Not a sight anyone would like to see. Fair warning.

0

avarom 4 years, 2 months ago

I heard the neighbor got arrested.......but they had to let HIM GO DUE TO INSUFFICENT EVIDENCE!! It turned out to be a hung jury...:P

1

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