Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Security at your weekend cabin / house

Dave... besides Private Property/No Trepass signs,
my brother bought stickers from the NRA and
we placed them on our front gate...we thought it could
be a subtle message to possible trespassers/bad guys
that maybe they should trespass somewhere else.

Mark, those signs look good but I think someone will pattern thier gun on them. Probably soon. I have a tree farm that we haven't been to in a couple of years. A SOB cut off my lock, put his own on and tells everyone I am dead and he is new caretaker. I don't feel like going up there and game warden has not been able to catch as he walks from his house to hunt. He was a tad premature on my death but he does as he likes and we are powerless to stop him.

wow ken...that's crazy!


We'll see. We are lucky that we have neighbors near our gate
on all sides of our property. Two of the three have direct
views from their house to our front gate. Everything you
do is just "one piece of the puzzle".

Send him the tax bill then...

He would be glad to pay them. In Va. if you pay taxes for 7 years you can claim it by adverse possession. By him doing what he does now can be a claim if he can do it without challenge for 7 years even if we pay the taxes. This law varies by each state. You have to take care of what is yours.

Kenc, sounds like you and a couple of friends needs to visit with this fellow.

I am from the mts. myself so in my heart I would love to do it but it is a loblolly forest that is 14 years old and we don't won't to get it burned. Hopefully the law will get it done for me. It is good business not to P.O. anyone where you have property.

I agree that you shouldn't piss off locals near your property, especially if you're an absentee land owner.

There does come a time though, when you need to make an example out of a scumbag.

I also find these types of things to be cyclical. You run off some scumbags and have a peace for a while, maybe even a year or two. Then a new crop of scumbags pop up, and you have to repeat the cycle.

kenc, why can't you go and find out who this guy is, and tell him to keep out?

I know him, he came up to me in 2005 and told me he hunted and fished where he wanted. We let a friend go up there this year and this brazen SOB came up to him and told him to get off property. Danny left to avoid trouble. When I go he will just lay low so we can not have him arrested. Most of these types know when you drive over the county line. I am clueless as to what to do with these types of people. We have the same problems with people fishing and hunting on our farms in Aylett.

Thanks.

Kind of a sucky situation, but at least you know who he is.

I would think a registered letter to him would eliminate any of the "squatter's rights" type of laws ceding the property or permissions to him.

At the end of the day, most of us have more to lose than these scumbags. You've always got to have that in the back of your mind.

Ken....many years ago my brother bought a remote mining claim up in Colorado. A lawyer told him if someone gets hurt on your property you could be sued, so he put up a gate. He found out pretty quick when hunting season came around locals had been hunting this land for years and they knocked down and/or vandalize his gate. I would think in the last 10 years the gate has been vandalized at least every other year. It's weird...some people just seem to not care about private property rights and ownership, it's like they think "nobody is gonna stop me from doing what I've done for years". Here is a picture of his gate that we fix often. The lawyer says if it's not too much trouble leave the gate in place so if someone gets hurt we can at least say we had no trespass signs and a gate up that they disregarded.

Something you may be interested in:
Since the tresspasser is already hunting the property you could find you some other DECENT local to do a $1 lease for hunting and he provide the insurance to cover him if you do not already have any. Just stipulate they help be a caretaker of the property for you for free in exchange for the hunting rights. It works for one of my friends down here that had to do this on a 184 acre spot (in the middle of nowhere) that he lives 60 miles from. I know those two have been doing that agreement for over 15 years now.

Kenc, I really hate to suggest this, but it probably would be wise to spend a little money with an attorney. A few dollars now may save you many thousands later. The idea of sending a register letter is a good one. But it needs to be in the right form for your state. I hate using attorneys but they have their purpose.

Tums, we had a similar arrangement in East TX. We did maintenance (mostly woods), kept the easements clean, and generally were around for 10 months of the year, and hunted for free.

We had keys to everything and it was a win, win for everybody.

Edit: I'm working on a little piece about rural security as we speak. One of the things I'll talk about is bartering. That in essence is what Tums and I where talking about here.

Ken....you may find this helpful as well.

How to Keep Neighbors From Trespassing

Bushwacker, my best friend and partner in one house is a shyster and a good one. He could write a thousand letters and it doesn't stop these types. He has helped me put up gates, cables and lots of no trespassing signs. These people seem to sense when you get close to your property as you never see them but find their trash and footprints in the sandy soil. Sunil, I have 5 more years before he could claim adverse possession so we hope the law takes a bite out of him. Mark,thanks for the info. You are a true scholar.

Tums, we don't know anyone up there and haven't tried to get one. The main reason is a 800 ft. road that goes up a steep hill would get torn up in no time if we let people drive on it much.

Why don't you just hand him a $50 bill next time you see him and thank him for keeping an eye on your property ? Be sure there are plenty of people around to hear that.
If he were considered a caretaker and being paid, he couldn't lay claim or claim liability if he got hurt.

Buzzworth, in Va. if you are trespassing the landowner has no liability. In this state if you are in the least bit responsible for your injury the other person is blameless as to damages. Has been a long time since we were in Louisville. 40 years ago we taught school in Brandenburg and still have good friends there. Plus my puppy love was or is a prof. at U of L so have some great memories about your area.

40 years? Right around tornado time in Brandenburg. Tough times.

moved here in the early 70's and never left. love it here.

sorry.....veered off topic.

kenc
Now you got me worried, where abouts is this property? SOunds like it is in almos teh same areas as I just bought a little tract....

The tree farm is in Nelson county and the other 2 places are in King William county. Many people don't have any respect for property rights of others. I can probably see sign of trepassing as we don't cut the weeds where they have have to walk a sandy road for 3000 ft. so it is easy to see their tracks. Most people do not know when people trespass.

You are right Buzzworth, we were there when super storm hit. Both of us lost students. A sad time indeed. Don't worry about getting off topic with me.

I've owned my place for 28 years. I live 70 miles away and have a mobile home, tractors, equipment, etc. on the property.

I started out being the best neighbor I could. A predator/prey relationship developed with some neighbors which I tolerated for awhile. Then I got a bellyful and started changing things. I am now known as a good guy by some and an a$$hole by others. And, both of them are correct.

Well Dave, your neighbors know exactly where your stand about your property. No gray area. Sounds like good advice to me.