Ask for permission

Nomadnailer

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Apr 6, 2011
62
53
Montrose, WV
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I have been passing a piece of property for 30 years and always wondered, but everyone always said that I would never get permission because it's tied up in the family they never thought to go to the one running the show. Well I finally asked and found a 1943 silver nickle, 1900 barber dime, a gold signet ring and some old ivory soap tokens and I'm just starting that's about 2 hours work. I guess it pays to ask
 

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FragFox

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Dec 21, 2014
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lookindown

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Wonder how many people that say "going by the law is the only way" break the speed limit a little every now and then...please stop breaking the speed limit...you give all of us good drivers a bad name. :laughing7:...and no, I never hunt a property without permission, so you don't have to explain right from wrong to me.
 

lookindown

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I have been passing a piece of property for 30 years and always wondered, but everyone always said that I would never get permission because it's tied up in the family they never thought to go to the one running the show. Well I finally asked and found a 1943 silver nickle, 1900 barber dime, a gold signet ring and some old ivory soap tokens and I'm just starting that's about 2 hours work. I guess it pays to ask
Nice score...would love to see some pics...I never get tired of looking at silver and gold.
 

CRUSADER

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May 25, 2007
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I have been passing a piece of property for 30 years and always wondered, but everyone always said that I would never get permission because it's tied up in the family they never thought to go to the one running the show. Well I finally asked and found a 1943 silver nickle, 1900 barber dime, a gold signet ring and some old ivory soap tokens and I'm just starting that's about 2 hours work. I guess it pays to ask

With rings I always check if its a family members, it's a nice thing to return?
 

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Helix

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Jul 27, 2013
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Sweet ! Sometimes, with those old abandoned properties, there never seems to be anyone TO ask, huh? Coupla times, I put on a hardhat and orange vest and went and did it anyway........don't tell anyone.

Now of course that's crossing the line IMO but to be honest that has crossed my mind also. If you look like your supposed to be there chances are know one will bother you. Reminds me of a story a old timer to me once about a bank that was robed during the 1930's in Chicago. Over the weekend the thieves dressed up as a construction crew. Came in with a crane cut holes through roof and floors and pickup and removed the safe out in plane view and got away with it. But then we all have heard stories how honest of a city Chicago was in the 30's
 

The Patriot

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got some sites like that too, not sure why we put them off but usually surprised with the willingness of them letting us detect...guess they are as curious to see what we come up with...
 

beez0404

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Jan 4, 2014
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Newton, NC
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I was hunting a property the owner had given me permission to swing on. Almost done and the guy next door comes out and wants to chit chat. While we're talking I start sprinkling little subliminal questions about hunting his yard. After about 5 minutes he volunteers permission to swing his yard. I did find a mercury dime there which was great. I was nearly finished when he came out and started complaining that his landlord was being a jerk and raising his rent there.

NOW.............do you finish hunting the last 20% of the yard? Or do you leave because you technically don't have permission of the land owner?

I will post what I did on January 23, 2015
 

pepperj

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Feb 3, 2009
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I was hunting a property the owner had given me permission to swing on. Almost done and the guy next door comes out and wants to chit chat. While we're talking I start sprinkling little subliminal questions about hunting his yard. After about 5 minutes he volunteers permission to swing his yard. I did find a mercury dime there which was great. I was nearly finished when he came out and started complaining that his landlord was being a jerk and raising his rent there.

NOW.............do you finish hunting the last 20% of the yard? Or do you leave because you technically don't have permission of the land owner?

I will post what I did on January 23, 2015

Let me throw the first guess out- you pony'd up for the rent extra for hunting the other 20%. :)
 

Ahab8

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Oct 15, 2013
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That gets into a pretty dicey situation. A tenant should never be telling somebody they can do anything in somebody else's property in my opinion. That really puts you in a tough spot. I guess the right thing to do would be to ask for the owners contact info or to ask the tenant to call. One more reason in glad I live in Maine with so many town owned areas that are ripe with history. They're everywhere and were not talking a few acres. One is 1900 acres and has got 6 or 8 colonial homestead sites on it. Beez when ya movin up anyway?
 

ggossage

Hero Member
May 18, 2009
609
214
Eastern Nebraska
About twelve years ago I was visiting San Antonio and was looking for a place to hunt in a residential area near the Alamo. I found what seemed like a decent looking yard to hunt, so I knocked on the door for permission. After the older homeowner told me I was the first person to ask permission out of six previous "trespassers," he gave me the go-ahead. I consider myself lucky, I would imagine most homeowners in that situation would already be soured against us.

Last year I knocked on a door of a great historic house/yard in my area. Although the owner was nice, he denied permission because several years ago he allowed two guys to hunt his yard who left "craters" all over the place...I didn't know who they were, but I apologized to him anyway for their disregard of the ethics of our hobby.

I've had cops called on me many times, especially when I am unfamiliar to the locals, because a neighbor thought they were protecting another neighbor's property...I could tell by some of the cops' approaches, that had I indeed not had permission, I'd have been arrested.

Every time you flaunt the law or disregard the ethics of our hobby, you chip away at the future of metal detecting.
 

OP
OP
N

Nomadnailer

Jr. Member
Apr 6, 2011
62
53
Montrose, WV
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I think your right and I like showing the owner they have never taken anything yet.
 

coinman123

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Feb 21, 2013
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I have been calling a lot of places asking permission lately. Any public land (such as a school or woods that are directly attached to a school is legal to hunt. Lately I have been tired with the same small amount of options so I called a local farm from the 1700s. I was expecting a big no but to my surprise they said yah, sure we are not using it at the moment, farming seasons done for the year. Yesterday I called two places, both never answered due the new year, but I left a message anyway. The worst I can hear is no "which I have heard(
 

dig deeper now

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Jul 10, 2013
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I really like larry & curly in the movies, I agree we all should play way way more and not try to be old. Orange vest is way less to get any attendsion, green, orange yellow pick your color.
 

pepperj

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I have been calling a lot of places asking permission lately. Any public land (such as a school or woods that are directly attached to a school is legal to hunt. Lately I have been tired with the same small amount of options so I called a local farm from the 1700s. I was expecting a big no but to my surprise they said yah, sure we are not using it at the moment, farming seasons done for the year. Yesterday I called two places, both never answered due the new year, but I left a message anyway. The worst I can hear is no "which I have heard(

Over the years it seems that asking over a phone is the easier for the land owner just to say no, unless it's just to touch base with the permission already granted. Face to face is the method of choice, showing them a map and what was on the property, get them talking about what they know about the land that they own. It doesn't take much to go that extra step in getting permission to hunt the land.

Just in a general conversation with a farmer about a whole different matter I mentioned detecting and then he was telling me where the cellar holes were, the first home sites on the properties, then again a bottle of my maple syrup works wonders-kind of sweetens up the game.
 

the_mad_cladder

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Jan 2, 2015
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I was fishing a pond once that my buddies rental home was on. Its a small pond with only his home next to it. I would'a been ok behind his house but I was on the other side of it. A lady came out of nowhere with her dog and went off on me. She said she owned that pond along with a bigger one that bordered it. I told her I was unaware and would not come back. She said she didn't want hooks in her dogs who swim the ponds. It was clear she had a screw loose but I killed her with kindness. Once shown I only fish heavy braided line and that I would sooner go in than loose my buzzbait, she cooled off. I try to always pick up at least a piece or two of trash for this reason.... When I showed her some garbage and told her trashy folks tick me off too, she granted me permission to fish both ponds.
Now, she may have lied to me for all I know. She may have just been a random lunatic. You can never be sure. What was I to do.... ask her to see the deed and ID? Unless the property is posted they cannot do anything but run you off the first time. So if it is posted its best to get written permission ALSO. If I go to jail....It needs to be for a better reason than fishing or detecting illegally . Throwing a shoe at obama comes to mind.
 

Eureka!

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Mar 11, 2014
159
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I was hunting a property the owner had given me permission to swing on. Almost done and the guy next door comes out and wants to chit chat. While we're talking I start sprinkling little subliminal questions about hunting his yard. After about 5 minutes he volunteers permission to swing his yard. I did find a mercury dime there which was great. I was nearly finished when he came out and started complaining that his landlord was being a jerk and raising his rent there.

NOW.............do you finish hunting the last 20% of the yard? Or do you leave because you technically don't have permission of the land owner?

I will post what I did on January 23, 2015

Legally, by Law the Tenant has possession of the property by way of his/her Lease. If the Landlord were to sell the property then the Lease would go along with the Sale of the property.

The Rights of the Tenant are spelled out in the Lease.

If the Tenant's Lease states that the Tenant has to check with the Landlord before the Tenant digs a Garden or Paints a room; then permission from the Landlord must be obtained.

Everything is spelled out in the LEASE. IF the Tenant gave you permission and it wasn't allowed then it's not your fault; it's the Tenants fault. The Tenant must read the LEASE and know what's in it.
 

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goldbill

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May 6, 2009
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A few years ago I was in the middle of an extensive rebuild of an 1860 sea captain's house that sat in the middle of a major confrontation area of the war of 1812. The owner of the property is a friend and I had full permission to detect everything he owns. At noon I always brought the detector out and hunted for 15 minutes or so. Nothing significant came up until one day, I noticed a outcropping of ledge next to his property line. I thought, ledge has always been there and if a person was to lie down behind this ledge he would have had a view of the harbor and British ships there in 1812. I brought the detector out and there it was a 1786 Spanish two real two inches down five feet from the property line. Nothing more came from this property but a lot more ledge was showing on the next property. The next door was kinda run down with lots of "stuff" just rotting into the ground. I went next door and Knocked on the door and asked for the property owner. A nice lady who appeared to be in her 80's came out . I introduced myself ,Explained that I was working for her neighbor and what I did for a hobby.I asked if she would mind if I detected the ledges behind her house. She seemed excited gave me full permission and asked if I would show her what I found. Of coarse I said I would show her everything I found. I went back to work and twenty minutes later this young guy ,maybe in his 30's looking like he was just out of bed (10 o'clock am)show up on my job asking for the guy who was just next door talking to his grandmother. I introduced myself and before I could say another thing he said "I don't want anyone digging holes in her property, I've put a lot of time into the yard work and I don't want anyone messing it up." Now I had permission from the LAND OWNER and now it was being taken away by this grandson .I thought about it for just a second and said "Not a problem, I would not detect there. I could have explained that detecting in ledge it is almost impossible to dig a hole or leave one.I could have mentioned that I was only interested in the ledges behind the rotting pallets (Maybe that was art?) .I said nothing The lady seemed like a real nice lady and he seemed like a jerk with a head of steam. There is no way I wanted to get between a grandmother and her grandson. This is my worse NO. I asked my friend to be sure to let me know if that house ever sells. I thought later I should have just done it without asking .No one would have seen me ,but in the end I know I did it right. I am proud of my two real and this is a hobby that is harder and harder to enjoy because of problems people have had or have heard of. Goldbill
 

Eureka!

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I see a few stories here that describe different senarios with regard to obtaining permission and in most cases it was ASSUMED that the person giving permission was the Landowner.

The reality is that no one OWNS land; they only have RIGHTS to enjoy it. Property belongs to the Municipality and we pay Taxes to secure our rights to enjoy our Parcel of Land. You do however own everything that wasn't originally there (your home, the utilities, underground sprinklers, etc.).

If you have a Mortgage on your Home then the BANK is the OWNER of your Home until it is fully paid off. I know this because when searching the Tax Rolls for "Owners" names it'll list a bank or a lending institution as the owner and not the person(s) whom are presently enjoying the land.

When researching properties, I have come across DEEDS which state RESTRICTIONS on what you can and cannot do on certain parcels of Land. I have researched parcels that have restrictions with regard to "WETLANDS." It specifically stated that certain areas of the parcel are not to be disturbed in any way whatsoever. You'd never would know or think it if you were surveying the Parcel; it just looks like a normal piece of land.

That nice 80 year old lady whom gave you permission to Swing her yard may only be part owner of the "right to enjoy." If her Grandson came out and told you to stop then don't assume that he has no right to stop you. He could have what's called: "Power of Attorney" in all her financial affairs. She may have made out a Will which states the her assets and liabilities will revert to the Grandson on her passing.

When obtaining permission to Swing on a Parcel which could yield some real valuable goodies; it's best that a formal agreement be drawn up. Keep this in mind for any agreement you make with anyone for anything:

"To have it on paper, you have a prayer; a VERBAL AGREEMENT is nothing but AIR!"
 

CityDigger

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Why wear orange... Nobody will bother you if you wear this.
 

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goldbill

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10/4 Like I said I wouldn't get between any two family members. Our hobby doesn't need more any bad "exposure". A smile and a "No problem " is the best in that situation. As to the written agreement. I like the sound of that but I can't imagine anyone giving such permission for someone to casually "search" their property.I for one would not give anyone that kind of permission on any of my properties. Goldbill
 

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