Acton bylaws prohibit solicitation. That doesn’t stop every hoverboarder

It’s not every day a salesman zooms up to your house on a hoverboard — especially when you didn’t invite him over. But it’s become a slightly more common sight of late. 

Acton bylaws prohibit door-to-door solicitation, but that’s not always a deterrent, as shown by a recent uptick in complaints to police. Two of those reports, made on April 30 and May 1, were about a marketer riding around on a hoverboard. 

“We basically view them as a nuisance and push them along,” said police Capt. Brian Goldman. 

From April 23 to May 13, police received six solicitation complaints. At least three involved representatives for EcoShield Pest Solutions, an Arizona firm that operates nationally, including in Massachusetts. 

In one case, an EcoShield solicitor rolled up on an electric scooter, police say. 

The town’s bylaws

Acton’s bylaws prohibiting door-to-door solicitation cover “commercial agents, selling agents, solicitors and canvassers, transient vendors, and itinerant merchants.” 

The bylaw does allow for some exceptions: Religious organizations, political canvassers, and charitable groups that register with the chief of police can go door-knocking. There’s also an exception for solicitors invited onto the property by the owner. 

Police are tasked with enforcement. First-time violators typically receive a warning, followed by a $50 fine for a second offense and $200 for each additional violation.

But Goldman said those fines don’t get handed out often. “I don’t even remember using (fines) in the past few years,” he said. 

A representative of EcoShield declined comment, but told The Bridge the company would “investigate the matter” and follow up. 

The strength of the bylaw

Police and the town’s animal control officers enforce the solicitation rules, which fall under a broader list of noncriminal disposition fines. Goldman said that many fines in that category — such as peeping ($100) and riding horses on sidewalks ($50) — “are rarely used.” 

Asked if Acton’s current anti-solicitation bylaw is sufficient, Select Board chair Mary Hartman said she defers to the judgment of the police.

Goldman said the current system is working well and that he expects EcoShield to figure out how Acton works.

“It happens from time to time,” Goldman said. “You’ll get a group that comes in for a bit, but when they’re told to leave enough times, they learn.”