ThereCare > Real Estate Placement Policies

Real Estate Placement Policies

Real Estate placement options in There are relatively open-ended, allowing Zone owners to place structures in a wide variety of locations in-world. This Real Estate Placement Policies document provides guidelines for the proper placement of Real Estate structures in There, along with correct procedures for escalation of abuse and griefing incidents specifically related to Real Estate.

Intentional Real Estate abuse supersedes the Real Estate Placement Policy guidelines. The Abuse team will take the appropriate action to protect PortaZone (PAZ) owners who are clearly being griefed. There.com reserves the right to remove a PAZ from any location at any time with no prior notification. Members in violation may be subject to further moderation.

The Real Estate Placement Policy is subject to change.

Measuring Device

The Meter Measuring Device is a helpful tool used to measure distances between Zones. The Measuring Device offers members an in-world tool to be able to follow the drop guidelines of the Real Estate Placement Policies. Use the Measuring Device to measure distances of 10 meters, 20 meters and 50 meters. For additional information on Zone boundary lines and instructions on how to use the measuring tool please read the helpful Measuring Device article.

PortaZones (PAZs)

PortaZones are portable Zones that can only be placed in areas in-world where dropping is allowed. Fortunately there are plenty of open areas where PAZ dropping is allowed, but we do expect members to follow a few basic guidelines when placing a PAZ:

1. Do not place your PAZ in a road or pathway. A road or pathway is generally lighter or darker in color than the land that surrounds it.

2. Do not place your PAZ in a place that will obstruct a clearly defined entrance to someone else's Zone or PAZ, including teleport pads and ramps leading to the front door of a House.

3. Unless you have permission, do not place your PAZ on top of or within 20 meters of someone else’s PAZ. There.com reserves the right to remove a PAZ from any location at any time without prior notification.

4. Do not place your PAZ on top of or within 50 meters of teleport points that members use to travel throughout the world.

5. Do not place your PAZ on top of or within 50 meters of a Neighborhood or Development zone without permission from the owner.

6. Do not place your PAZ on top of or within 50 meters of a FunZone without permission from the owner.

7. Do not trap avatars with a PAZ.

Any PAZ that does not follow the guidelines stated above will be forced back into the owner's inventory with or without notification and the owner may be subject to further moderation procedures.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about someone else’s PAZ placement:

The boundaries of your PAZ mark the land that is yours for as long as your PAZ is deployed. If your PAZ is picked up or times out, the land is no longer yours and can be claimed by someone else, no matter how long your PAZ had been located in the area.
If the surrounding area to your PAZ is open, people may start setting up their PAZ near or next to yours, as long as they give your PAZ a 20 meter buffer.
If someone places a PAZ next to yours with the obvious intention of disrupting your experience, you may contact Live Help or send a formal request for removal of the PAZ with the “Ask A Question” category in Help Central.

Some examples of disruption include (but are not limited to) using a PAZ to place a derogatory sign next to someone else’s PAZ, using a PAZ to obscure another PAZ, etc.

FunZones

The boundaries of a FunZone mark land that belongs to the Zone owner. A member may place a PAZ no closer than 50 meters away from the boundaries of another member's FunZone (unless permission is given to place the PAZ closer). The PAZ must not impede access to the Zone, and no PAZ may be placed on top of another member's FunZone without first obtaining that member’s permission.

FrontierZones

FrontierZones are designed with a built-in buffer defined by the "no-drop" area surrounding the Zone proper. FrontierZone operators may use only the interior area that permits dropping, generally marked by a perimeter of rocks. A member may place a PAZ adjacent to the Zone's "no-drop" perimeter, provided that such placement does not violate other placement guidelines. No PAZ may be placed on top of or within 20 meters of another member's FrontierZone without first obtaining that member’s permission.

ThereHouses and ClubHouses

The boundaries of There Houses and ClubHouses are defined by the house structure itself. This includes the house as well as any decks, steps or ramps associated with the house. No PAZ may be placed on top of somebody else’s house or within 20 meters of the property, without the Zone owner’s permission.

Landmarks

Landmarks are special areas in There that provide enjoyment to all of our members. Sacred Place PAZ holders protect many of our Landmarks. The There.com Staff may pick up any items dropped at these locations with no prior notification to the items owner. If the items are disruptive in any way to the designated area There.com reserves the right to remove the items. Some of our Landmarks are protected by Development Zones. Landmark Development Zones are permanently managed by Staff. See the Landmarks List in ThereCare for a complete list of current Landmarks. Additional Landmarks may be added at a later date.

Environmental Content

Many areas within There.com include environmental content such as trees, seats, campfires, bridges and other small buildings. Similar to Landmarks, these are provided by There for the enjoyment of all members. If the service allows you to drop a PAZ over any such object then you are permitted to do so. Nevertheless, you should not consider this placement to imply ownership of public content. All members must be allowed to use and have unimpeded access to these areas, so please do not place items that cover or obscure Environmental Content in any way. If we find that you are abusing this policy, we reserve the right to pick up your property without notification, and the owner may be subject to moderation procedures.

Sky PAZs

Since the release of PortaZones, members have found many interesting ways to use them. For example, the ability to drop a PAZ high above the ground led to the creation of Sky PAZ communities. In general, PortaZones and PAZ objects should not be overlapped or placed on top of another PAZ without the PAZ owner’s permission. If you’d like to join an existing Sky PAZ, you will need to clear the vertical placement of your PAZ with the original owner first.

The only difference in the placement policy between a Sky PAZ and a land PAZ is the distance required between PAZes. The placement of a Sky PAZ is at least 500 meters above the highest elevation of land directly beneath the Zone. If the PAZ qualifies as a Sky PAZ, it must not be placed within visible distance from any pre-existing Sky PAZ without consent of the existing PAZ owner.

Sky PAZes cannot claim 500-meter protection for PAZes on land at the same altitude. There is a lot of territory to claim up in space and there is no reason to fill up the same area as someone else.

Semi-Private PAZs (50x50 and above)

Semi-Private PortaZones were created to provide privacy for the owner. They were not created to be used as a means to claim "control" over any given area. Semi-private PAZes cannot be used to intentionally block access to Zones, Landmarks, Neighborhoods, Developments or thoroughfares. The purpose of Semi-Private PAZes is to remove or keep members on a person's ignore list from entering the boundaries of the Zone.

Put Back Bug

Members who utilize the Put Back bug to place large decorative objects that exceed the Zone boundary lines of their PAZ will not be protected by the Real Estate Policy. Any PAZes found utilizing this bug may be removed at our discretion, with or without notice to the PAZ owner.

When conflicts between members arise in regards to PortaZone placement, PAZes that abuse the Put Back bug will be returned to the owner's inventory even if the PAZ was the first Zone to be dropped in the location.

Any removals will be done at Customer Support's sole discretion and decision. We reserve the right to decide on whether or not the severity of an abuse warrants removal of a PortaZone.

We recognize that the Put Back bug does have legitimate uses, such as bridges between Sky PAZes in space communities, and such will not be considered for removal.

Reporting Abuse of the Real Estate Placement Policies

Members who violate any of the policies outlined in this document may receive a warning, moderation, removal of a PAZ or other structure, or in very extreme cases a permanent ban from There.

If you feel that a member is in violation of the Real Estate Placement Policy and you cannot resolve the problem on your own, please contact Live Help or send a ticket through Help Central.

How do I contact Live Help?

On your menu bar go to There>ThereCentral>Live Help>Abuse Issues>Start an IM

How do I send a Help Central request?

On your menu bar go to There>ThereCentral>Help>Ask A Question>Category Level 1 Abuse/Harassment.

Please provide the following information when reporting Real Estate abuse issues:

Doid of Affected PAZ
Doid of Offending PAZ
Report of Specific Real Estate Guideline in Violation
Proof of Intent Behind Real Estate Abuse: Chatlogs, screenshots with doid props turned on or video recordings.

Important: Do not report perceived violations on behalf of your friends, since Zone placement could have been agreed upon without your knowledge. Only members who are directly affected by Zone placement issues should contact Customer Service.

Please Note: Particularly complex abuse reports related to Real Estate placement may take time to resolve, as we must contact the owners involved, communicate the issue, agree on a resolution, and finalize the decision. You may follow up with Customer Service on the status of your report at any time.