My son wants to have an ‘after prom’ party at the house. I don’t mind this idea, however, I am concerned about who might be ending up at the house. There’s room in the backyard for a bon-fire and I’m aware this might be a recipe for alcohol and drug use. What’s my responsibility as the property owner and any suggestions on how to control this party?
Having a party like this has the potential for lots of problems, so the First Thing you need to do is have a sit down with your son. You need to set down the ground rules, which start with the number of people coming and knowing who they are, and a small number that can be handled.
The problems we see in the criminal justice system are the “crashers” and that is where the problems come from. The word gets out there’s a party and that seems to suggest to a certain segment of the school population that it is an open invitation to everyone. We’ve had parents get injured, property get damaged and kids getting out of control.
Property owners can end up with charges of endangering the welfare of a child if alcohol or drugs are found – even if they didn’t provide it, just knew about it. Underage drinking can lead to charges against the drinker for violation of the ABC laws (Alcohol, Beverage Control Laws). Criminal mischief charges happen when property is damaged, either belonging to the home owner or individuals attending the party.
Your son won’t like the control, but you really need to limit access to the party. As home owners you need to be visible and available during the entire party. It would be a great idea to have some of the other party goers parents there as additional eyes. Lastly, you really need to have an understanding as to when this party ends, and be able to enforce it. One suggestion might be that you actually do a late dinner for the kids, and limit it to 4 to 6 couples, that way it eliminates the issue of it being a big party. Then if they want to use the yard, they can, but you will be able to control the numbers.
As always this is a general answer to a general question. Each legal issue may contain other factors that need to be discussed with your own attorney.
If you have a question for Attorney Kukuvka, please mail them to her at 330 E Main Street, Palmyra, NY 14522, or e-mail, cklaw@verizon.net.