Can My Kids Legally Put Handprints In Freshly Poured City Sidewalk In My Yard?

I've lived in my house in Superior, Wisconsin for almost 13 years. We've never had a city sidewalk in front of my house. Strangely enough, it's like they ran out of concrete halfway down the block. The sidewalk just ended.

Now, years later they are finally getting to it. Which seems kinda weird. Why all of a sudden is this project being done? I didn't get a notice in the mail or anything, but I'm sure my taxes will go up to pay for it.

Anyway, workers began tearing up my yard for the sidewalk and it looks like they'll soon be able to start pouring concrete. I immediately thought back to when I was a kid and how sometimes we would put our handprints or scribble our names in concrete. I'm sure it's illegal in a public place, but if it's in your yard it should be yours, right?

Nope. That's not the case. I did some digging into it, and the sidewalk is city property. Even though it's on your land, it's considered city property, so messing with it would be considered vandalism.

Is anyone really going to care? It depends if you're up for the risk. Many people suggest contacting your city to see if you could get permission.

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Either way, in my case the concrete they poured in the morning hardened quickly enough that you could walk on it by the afternoon, well before I returned home. So, I didn't get the chance to test and see what consequences I would face if I had gone through it.

In conclusion, just because it's your yard, it's not your sidewalk. You're on your own with what happens if you place handprints or scribble on wet concrete.