Detecting on private lands, agreement with landowner?

[ourhistory153]

Has anybody experience working up agreements with landowners with regard to sharing finds?

What would be a fair percentage between the finder and landowner?

 

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[nudels]

I haven't had experience, but some of the elements i've heard about are who gets first pick, and percentage split afterwards. Offhand i'd say a greater split should go to the detectorist, while first pick would go to the homeowner.

Perhaps a fair way is to mix the first pic with the percentage method, where someone gets first pick, then depending on the split agreed, the percentage split ensues in turn. e.g. lets say 75%/25% split. 75% person picks 3 items, 25% person picks 1 item, 75% picks 3, 25% picks 1 till it's all gone.

FWIW, the Federation of Independent Detectorists (UK) does a pure 50/50 split based on value from what i've read (but couldn't find it on their site), and they are organized to the point they have liability insurance extended to it's members if something goes horribly wrong, on the order of 5 million pounds, but you have to be in the UK for that policy to be in force.

http://fid.newbury.net/html/fid.htm

 

[Rob in KS]

Here are some discussions of the pro's and con's of using a search agreement. I took the form presented in one of the threads and re-typed it into Word. I changed it to include meteorites (in case I ever find one )

Hope this helps


http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,25755.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,69930.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,907.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,99968.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,5557.0.html
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,99914.0.html

 

[ourhistory153]

Yes, I was thinking 50/50 split would be good. To me recording the history is the most important thing.

I haven't had experience, but some of the elements i've heard about are who gets first pick, and percentage split afterwards. Offhand i'd say a greater split should go to the detectorist, while first pick would go to the homeowner.

Perhaps a fair way is to mix the first pic with the percentage method, where someone gets first pick, then depending on the split agreed, the percentage split ensues in turn. e.g. lets say 75%/25% split. 75% person picks 3 items, 25% person picks 1 item, 75% picks 3, 25% picks 1 till it's all gone.

FWIW, the Federation of Independent Detectorists (UK) does a pure 50/50 split based on value from what i've read (but couldn't find it on their site), and they are organized to the point they have liability insurance extended to it's members if something goes horribly wrong, on the order of 5 million pounds, but you have to be in the UK for that policy to be in force.

http://fid.newbury.net/html/fid.htm

 

[ivan salis]

well 50 / 50 split is fair (its their land and your gear ,knowledge and sweat)-- with like items to be grouped together --- coins -- jewelry -- relics--- and a fourth class misc -- land owner to get first pick of items of like money value under say $100 in value--- ( except in the case of a single high value item like a gold or silver bar or high dollar coins or + $100 items) then the value is to be split equally . with the right of a half of value $$$ buy out first to the owner then to the detectorist (in case one of them wants to keep a item rather than sell the item and split the $$ )

this is a fair deal and should get you oks to hunt with a clear understanding of who gets what at divvy up time.

 

[Rob in KS]

I modified the search agreement to say a percent of the value of the finds. That was a suggestion by one of the attorneys on T-Net.

Out here in farm country, for crops, it's typical to do a 1/3 split with the landowner. I had a particularly suspicious landowner. He thought that I thought there was something valuable in his field. I thought I would never get permission. He finally made me the same deal he has with the guy who farms his land, 2/3 for me 1/3 for him.

Most landowners I've talked to don't realize that they already own whatever is found.