Can items be placed outside of lots?

I remember hearing a comment about items deteriorating if placed outside of a lot in the middle of a topic about joining lots. I don't have anything to test this with myself, so I don't know if that is even possible yet.

What I would like to do is be able to place picnic tables, chairs for a limited amount of time. Another use case would be having a play and wanting to place props.

If this works, has there been any word on

1. How long would placed items remain?
2. What happens to the items when the times up?
3. Will other players be able to take the items?

If this cannot be done in a public place, can it be done on an unclaimed lot?

 

I asked about this 2 months ago or so and the ability to place items on the ground anywhere is still on tap to be added to the game. You gotta figure there will be some sorta "decay" timer that goes with it. Personally, I think it is very important that this is apart of the game for immersion.