Trespassing is the act of entering someone else’s property without permission. The trespasser is the person who does this, and they can often be removed from the property by the authorities. For instance, someone could be trespassing in a home or a business.
But you may also have heard the term “trespassed.” This is a bit newer in English usage than other variations of the word, but the meaning is exactly what you would expect: If you get trespassed, it simply means that you’re being asked to leave a location on the grounds that you are trespassing. The property owner no longer wants you to be there and they do have a right to ask you to leave.
Why would this happen?
Things like this sometimes happen in stores or other businesses when one customer is causing a commotion or harassing other people in the store. The store owner can then ask the person to leave their private business. If that person refuses to do so, the store owner can contact the authorities to have them trespassed. The police then have the legal ability to remove them from the location.
For example, some stores and businesses have regulations regarding what you have to wear to be let inside. For decades, the stores have had signs saying that you won’t get service if you don’t have a shirt or shoes. This is especially common in beach towns and vacation destinations. If someone refuses to wear the proper attire when entering the business, they can be removed from that business.
Are you facing charges?
If you didn’t know that trespassing laws could be used in this way, you may have found yourself facing charges that you never expected. Be sure you know about all of the legal steps you can take at this time.