Many of my international friends, who come to the United States, tell me that they hesitate to walk through areas between houses because they believe that property owners will shoot them or at least object to their walking across private lawns and between houses. Actually, this is a rather unfortunate misconception. In the U.S., homes are built on land which is privately owned, but unless a property is fenced off, such as a garden, or signs are posted saying "No Passing" or "No Hunting", etc. Any person has a right to walk on private property between houses, small stores, etc. In fact, residential building permits require that there be at least 15 feet between any buildings, stores, etc.