toolmaan, every case will be situational, but I would always bet that the liability will rest with the land owner no matter how stupid the claimant (or victim). Sometimes I think that the word "insurance" these days is synonymous with "legal defense expenses not coming out of your pocket."

As far as allowing the neighbor & his family, that does depend on the neighbor and how he contributes, how respectful his kids are, etc., as to your desire to have any liability.

If the pros of the neighbor outweigh the cons, and you still have a concern for liability, I would think you could get the neighbor to sign some kind of liability release form. I'm sure you could still be sued, but it might help to minimize legal defense expenses.

Obviously, that could be a touchy topic to bring up with the neighbor, but I feel you have every right to protect yourself, and if others can't understand that, well...tough.

To answer your first question, I don't allow any of the neighbors to my property on my property. I'm also and absentee land owner. People to fish and hunt on my property, however, they don't have permission, and they know they don't have permission.

EDIT: I hadn't seen Brettski or Jersey's replys before I posted mine. Good points.

Last edited by Sunil; 10/09/07 08:30 PM.
Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."