Private Keep Out...

[thedamage]

We live in an area with some signs saying Yksitys alue and lapikulku kielity(?). As far as I know they mean private area and no through access. The thing is that these areas have playground equipment for children and it really is hard for me to tell my kids not to go there. I should mention that these playgounds are for blocks of flats and not individual houses.

Does anyone know the law behind this? Someone told me that by law they can't enforce these things but how can they have these bloody signs everywhere?

A bloke who lived in one of the blocks of flats actually told me and my child to bugger off cause I didn't live there!

Any help appreciated.

[EP]

signs saying Yksitys alue and lapikulku kielity

Yksityisalue and läpikulku kielletty.

This sounds a bit odd. I hardly ever see signs like that, except "läpiajo kielletty" on some small streets that would make driving from A to B faster, but at the same time would bother people who live by that road. Usually blocks of flats have playground things that are payed by the tenants (the block of flats is a company where tenants own shares) and meant mainly for the kids of living in those houses, but they usually don´t have any signs. That kind of "private use" is a bit strange.

[enk]

signs saying Yksitys alue and lapikulku kielity

Yksityisalue and läpikulku kielletty.

This sounds a bit odd.

They're exceedingly common in Kilo at least. My fav one right now
is the one near the train station that has one side of its "courtyard"
blocked off and "läpikulku kielletty" on the gate, but the other end
of the courtyard is completely open and no signs anywhere

I chalk it up to yuppiesm.

-enk

[Hank W.]

The thing is that these areas have playground equipment for children and it really is hard for me to tell my kids not to go there. I should mention that these playgounds are for blocks of flats and not individual houses.

Yeah, so the difference is if it is paid and maintained by the block of flats or a "public" playground maintained by the city? If it is city-maintained then its free game, if its their yard then its their yard.

Like theres a sandbox and swings in our front yard and thats "our yard" and theres a playground in the back of the house that is a "city yard".

Finy enough, ours doesn't have a fence, the city yard has.

[sy]

I've also seen a sign saying "Yksityisalue, no trespassing" next to the Privatel in Vallikallio near Leppävaara. Funny thing that they use English here. I guess they don't want those foreign hotel guests to come near.

I can understand that probably they don't want others to use their playgrounds, but isn't trespassing (without harm) is a jokamiehenoikeus (everyman's right) in Finland?

[Hank W.]

Not in a yard.

[EP]

They're exceedingly common in Kilo at least.

OK, I just haven´t payed attention. The trend has not spread (at least not yet) from Kilo to ten kilometres north.

[enk]

They're exceedingly common in Kilo at least.

OK, I just haven´t payed attention. The trend has not spread (at least not yet) from Kilo to ten kilometres north.

Be happy that it hasn't. I once got in a massive argument with some
yuppy twit, who didn't realize that the forest I was in was not part of
her "house". Apparently she moved out shortly afterwards since none
of the neighbours complained about her arguing with them either
after a while

We often have all the neighbourhood kids at our playground (which is
difficult to get to if you don't know where it's at) because it's the only
good one around on that side of the hill. Maybe I should go yell at
the yuppy brats to get off of private property

HOAS can't build a decent building, but they sure know what kids
like in playgrounds

-enk

[thedamage]

The thing is that these areas have playground equipment for children and it really is hard for me to tell my kids not to go there. I should mention that these playgounds are for blocks of flats and not individual houses.

Yeah, so the difference is if it is paid and maintained by the block of flats or a "public" playground maintained by the city? If it is city-maintained then its free game, if its their yard then its their yard.

Like theres a sandbox and swings in our front yard and thats "our yard" and theres a playground in the back of the house that is a "city yard".

Finy enough, ours doesn't have a fence, the city yard has.

Someone told me that if the place doesn't have fences then it's all fair game. Does anyone know if this is right?

[carolinemaher]

I live in east Helsinki and those signs are in all the blocks of flats around here, including our own, but then again nearly every block has its own playground, saying that the kids from the block of flats next to ours play with the other kids in our yard all the time, so it sounds like the bloke in the flats near you that objects to your little one playing there is a real misery guts, sure we pay for the upkeep of our yard too, but I can't imagine what a killjoy you would have to be to object to seeing a child playing and having fun - he obviously has nothing better to do. I don't know about if there is a fence it makes a difference to the rule, I guess if its private property - unfortunately that's what it is if someone wants to be a stickler to the rules!

[EP]

Fence or no fence, that does not make any difference. Usually every block of flats has its own play equipment, and maybe that grumpy type wants every kid to play in his/her own yard.

Where I live there are no fences, except occational bushes, and kids play where their friends are. And their friends are not necessarily in the same yard.

[CH]

Well, as apparently a miser-in-training I have to say that I would raise an eyebrow if somebody treated our appartment building's play area as a public play area. If the kids playing are guests then that's of course ok (meaning, kids playing with their friends, etc). But, I wouldn't start complaining unless it really became a problem, and then I would talk with the building association.

But "yksityisalue ja läpikulku kielletty" actually sounds more like they have had problems with people treating their yard as a short cut.

[Xochiquetzal]

Now that's just rude to go into someone's yard and use whatever is in that yard as much as you like just because they don't have a fence around it?

The people in the apartment paid for it with their own money. Just because it is a bit bigger of a play area than in a person's back yard, it doesn't mean it is any less privately owned. They have to pay for maintenance and repair, teenagers defacing and destroying it when they hang out there, and their own kids not being able to use the equipment their parents paid for because someone else's kids are using it.

So yes, I don't see why there would be any question about the legality and the desire to keep their private property for their own use. You could argue about HOAS owned areas being paid for through taxes and therefore should be open to all the kids. But the home owners associations of the apartments pay for their play grounds.

If you leave your window open in Summer, can I go into your house and use your TV and couch and eat all your food?

[enk]

So yes, I don't see why there would be any question about the legality and the desire to keep their private property for their own use. You could argue about HOAS owned areas being paid for through taxes and therefore should be open to all the kids. But the home owners associations of the apartments pay for their play grounds.
?

The people living in HOAS though are the ones paying for the areas in
their rent; it's not as if we live there for free. Not to mention that at least
at the place I live in, the residents were the ones who made the fenced-
off play area the way it is. I would like to see any of the yuppies take
responsibility for the damage their kids do to the place though. They just
shrug it off.

If we want to get into the whole tax thing and the freedom to use
playgrounds, that would most likely apply to daycares and schools,
where tax money is used to put them up and for their upkeep.

-enk

[thedamage]

Now that's just rude to go into someone's yard and use whatever is in that yard as much as you like just because they don't have a fence around it?

The people in the apartment paid for it with their own money. Just because it is a bit bigger of a play area than in a person's back yard, it doesn't mean it is any less privately owned. They have to pay for maintenance and repair, teenagers defacing and destroying it when they hang out there, and their own kids not being able to use the equipment their parents paid for because someone else's kids are using it.

So yes, I don't see why there would be any question about the legality and the desire to keep their private property for their own use. You could argue about HOAS owned areas being paid for through taxes and therefore should be open to all the kids. But the home owners associations of the apartments pay for their play grounds.

If you leave your window open in Summer, can I go into your house and use your TV and couch and eat all your food?

Perhpas a little black and white? My daughter and I were in someone else's yard the other day and there were a lot of kids playing playing tag. Anyway, one of them got it in her head that we shouldn't be there. This playground is for a large block of flats. We're not talking private homes here with private gardens here...