Keep off the grass. Private Property. Beware of Dog. Property owners use all kinds of signs to let potential trespassers know that the land they are on belongs to someone else, but signs like those aren't making much of a difference in part of Eagle Mountain.

"We just want them to respect the fact that private property has a right to be protected," said Judy Hooley, an outraged resident.

She asked the City Council recently for assistance with posting notifications.

"We have put up signs two or three times a year and they disappear. I have even gotten signs from the Sheriff's Department and they don't care about those either," Hooley said.

Utah County Sheriff's officers have been called numerous times about trespassers.

"We have posted signs up there as well," said Sheriff's Sgt.Eric McDowell.

At the City Council meeting, Mayor Heather Jackson said, "We are trying to do something about the ATV problem."

In order for officers to give a citation to someone for trespassing, the property line has to be clearly defined and posted. Fences would help a lot, McDowell said.

Marcie Taylor, who lives on Lake Mountain Road, has marked her property line with an orange snow fence only to have it cut on two occasions by people wanting to ride on the property.

"We have an orange snow fence and all they do is rip the signs down and rip the fence down," Taylor said. "We've had people coming in jeeps and trucks into the back of our yard."

Although most of the intruders are from Eagle Mountain, riders have come from as far as Salt Lake City to cruise the open BLM land along the mountain. The problem arises when they access the property behind the homes using private driveways. There is no public access to the BLM land from Lake Mountain Road.

Also, an Eagle Mountain City ordinance prohibits any off-highway vehicle on city streets, trails or property. The ordinance defines off-highway vehicles as snowmobiles, ATVs and motorcycles. It further states, "No person shall operate, or accompany a person operating, and no owner shall allow the operation of an off-highway vehicle upon privately owned land of any other person, firm or corporation without express permission from the owner or person in charge."

McDowell said that if officers can't ticket someone for trespassing, they can usually cite them for driving OHVs on city streets.

Residents of the area are discouraged by the damage to their property. Both the Hooleys and the Taylors have had firewood stolen and damaged. The grass around the trees has been turned into dusty trails that Hooley described as "a Sahara with juniper trees in the middle of it." Horses have been startled and harassed.

On the Taylor's land, fires have been lit and not properly extinguished which threatened further destruction.

"We have been really upset. It makes you feel like booby trapping your property," Taylor said.

McDowell encouraged property owners "not to confront the people themselves." He said, " It gets a little tense. Just call it in and we will get up there as quickly as we can."

ATV enthusiasts and off-road junkies are encouraged to travel to Five Mile Pass where property has been designated for recreational use.

"The best solution is to educate the people and encourage them to go out to Five Mile pass if they want to ride their recreation vehicles," McDowell said.

The disgruntled neighbors say that they can understand why people travel to the area to ride the trails on motorbikes and ATVs. They just want people to stay out of the tree line that marks their property.

"We don't want to have to have everyone stop riding out there, but we are tired of having our property destroyed," Taylor said.

Hooley added, "Anything within the trees is private property and if you ride in it, you are going to destroy the land."