Friends with elderly immigrant relatives/connections: please educate them on property rights etc

Sigh. I just had to try to educate one of our truly lovely elderly immigrant neighbors that she must not walk onto people’s properties and break off branches from their plants (she did this before our eyes to my neighbor’s rosemary bush) or take their ripening fruits. Based on her appearance and nextdoor complaints, she may have been doing this for years. :/ Unfortunately due to her limited English I don’t think she understood, so I have followed up further with others who know her and can explain in her language.

Our beautifully-rich community includes many people who don’t understand local property law: about trespassing, taking from others’ plants/gardens etc. Often these folks come from very simple village areas where there is no such understanding. (Other people know full well and just don’t care.) And of course I know the vast majority of our immigrants DO understand and respect this law, and DO come from places with robust, similar property laws.

But for the ones that don’t… If any of you have elders or connections with people who might be unaware, please check and educate them. Homeowners can report them for both trespassing and theft. None of us want this situation. It’s especially tragic when it happens due to unlearnt laws in a new country, and the people think they’re doing nothing wrong.

While you’re at it, jaywalking is also good to cover, as that can get them easily killed, but I think that one is figured out pretty quickly after arrival.