City enacts soliciting rules, fines

Although more restrictive rules exist in the rule and regulations of the Canyon Lake POA, the City of Canyon passed an ordinance outlawing soliciting or peddling door to door in the city under certain conditions.

Ordinance 201 was passed by the city council Wednesday which prohibits door-to-door sales during late-night hours (8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) or whenever a No Peddling or No Soliciting sign is posted, regardless of the hour.

The city saw a more frequent concern regarding these solicitors was taking place and felt like it needed to create an ordinance prohibiting the practice as outlined in the new law. City staff said the ordinance was recommended because persons and organizations were visiting private residential properties in the City of Canyon Lake for the purpose of peddling and/or soliciting orders for the sale of goods, wares, merchandise or services, and that many residents were complaining.

The residents said the visits and the tactics used by the solicitors were bothersome and highly intrusive. The city also said that a variety of misrepresentations and other frauds were taking place.

The safety, welfare and convenience of the public, the city said, necessitated the enactment and enforcement of the ordinance for the purpose of protecting the privacy of residents and preventing aggressive, threatening, abusive and fraudulent practices by persons representing themselves as peddlers and solicitors.

Violations will result in either a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment for a period of up to six months, or both, for each infraction.

Like the Canyon Lake POA rule, those belonging to charitable, religious or political groups are exempt from being prohibited from going door to door to engage the public. The POA rule is more restrictive inside the gated community, in that there is no peddling or soliciting allowed door to door regardless of the hour.

The new city ordinance will take effect November 7.