ATV, dirt bikes and four wheelers made for a popular Christmas present this year.
However, if you ride them in the wrong place you could end up with a ticket.
One Acreage family found that out the hard way, and it wants to make sure other families have the facts.
Kinsey Harris gave her 13-year-old son a dirt bike for Christmas.
His excitement was quickly crushed the very next day.
“It went from an awesome Christmas to no Christmas at all,” said Harris. She says her son was pulled over by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies.
“They grabbed him as soon as he got off the trail on to the roadway coming home."
Harris says the deputies stopped him because of where he was riding.
First he got a ticket with a few traffic citations. Then, “they took his bike and it got taken to the tow yard,” said Harris. “Unless it’s your own private property. Period. And that’s what they told us."
That’s true.
According to the sheriff’s office if you live in Unincorporated Palm Beach County, the only place you are allowed to ride these off-road vehicles is on private property. If it’s not your own property, you need permission.
PBSO says it has been doing enforcement in the area because it has been receiving a lot of complaints.
And Harris wants to make sure all families are aware of both the rules and the crackdown.
"My fault as a parent not knowing they weren't allowed to ride on these trails."
The other big lesson in this, Harris says, make sure you have the vehicle’s title before you ride because now she’s having trouble getting the bike back.
"It’s just a bad situation all around."
Harris is planning on selling the dirt bikes now.
