What must a land possessor do for known or anticipated trespassers?

A land possessor has a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to protect known or anticipated trespassers from hidden, artificial dangers on their property. This stems from the obligation to exercise a certain standard of care towards those who may be on the property, even if they are trespassing. The rationale is that while trespassers do not have the same rights as lawful visitors, landowners must not create hazards that can cause severe harm and must warn of any dangers that are not obvious to the trespasser.

Hidden dangers refer to risks that a trespasser may not be able to discover or recognize before encountering them, and these can include various artificial features such as unmarked holes, improperly maintained structures, or other man-made conditions that could lead to injury. The land possessor must either eliminate these dangers or adequately warn trespassers about them to mitigate the risk of injury.

The other options do not align with the responsibilities of a land possessor towards trespassers. Allowing trespassers to wander freely does not provide safety precautions they might need against hazards. Providing compensation for trespassing is not a legal obligation; trespassers generally assume the risk of being on someone else’s property. Preventing entry at all costs is impractical and