Abandoned House? OK To Metal Detect?

[coinman123]

I was looking over some maps and found a completely abandoned colonial house, the house is still standing but boarded up and in ruin. I would assume that no one has been in it for at least 10 years, except for maybe teenagers. There are even woods starting to become it's front yard. It is away from other houses and next to public trails. I have no idea if it is owned by anyone and by who. I couldn't find any info about it on a search, just someone mentioning it as an abandoned property. Would it be okay to metal detect here?

 

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[SD51]

I don't because it can and will be seen as trespassing and nowadays you never know how far that will go. It's a lot better feeling when you have written permission in your pocket.

 

[BARKER]

Hi; On the flip side of the coin. I would go ahead and detect it. If someone shows up then talk to them. OR You can talk to the neighbors there and maybe get more info on it before detecting it. A place like that is just to good to pass up without at least trying ok. Let us know. PEACE:RONB

 

[foiler]

If the property is not posted for trespassing then the worst that could happen is being asked to leave. Once done if you return then it's criminal trespass and legal action could occur. If your looking for the property owner, I would venture a good way to flush 'em out is to walk about the property, you might as well have a MD in hand while your at it. Should one confront you then that's the goal. If it where me and was confronted the first words out of my mouth would be, "is this property for sale"? That usually defuses negative assumptions. Anyway, if your not confronted then the issue would be mute. You've hunted and nobody cares as is the assumption upon your description of the property.

 

[wainzoid]

Trespassers, never cease to amaze me, with their logic.

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Simple: if you don't own it or it isn't public property, you need permission.

 

[Beezly]

Either the state or a person owns it, you really need to know first, then get permission. That's just the way this hobby works.

 

[hvacker]

In the last few years here, abandoned houses started to have chain link fences around them.
As it seems everything here happens last I imagined the homes were also fenced.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

coinman123, You haven't said if there are signs or no-trespassing signs. And if the signs are on the land, or merely on the structure itself.

You mention that "public trails go "right past it". I'm assuming you walked those trails, right ? How close do they get to the actual structure ? Because if, as you say, the "trail is public", then I'm assuming you could therefore detect the trail area. And their immediate right-of-way. And thus be on public land. I'm sure you could get super technical and find out the exact line-in-the-ground where "public" ended (if there's no fences or signs to differentiate).

If teenage kids go inside (not saying it's right), and you're worrying about staying on the outside ? And splitting hairs on "exactly how close you can get ?", and "the exact dimensions" of the trail right of way? Maybe I'm just not imagining the scene correctly, but .... maybe you're over-thinking this ?

And did you go down to the assessor's office to make sure the trail is on public land ? Probably not. You're just assuming I'd imagine, since it's .... well ... a trail that anyone who walks their dog uses, with no problem, right ?

 

[Tom_in_CA]

... I wouldn't assume that it is illegal.

The prevailing attitude seems to be : "Assume every place is illegal, till given princely blessing to the contrary". Not sure why someone walking his dog down a trail doesn't assume he needs the same permissions. It's as if some of us md'rs think our hobby is deadly and dangerous, such that it needs sanctions wherever we go.

Kind of cracks me up sometimes: Someone will go take pictures of some cellar hole or ruin. They'll walk all around it, take pix, then post the pix musing: "Do you think it's ok to detect this ?"

And I have to chuckle thinking "wait a minute: how did you take the pictures ? Were you not standing there , in order to take the pictures in the first place ? And now you're wondering if it's 'trespassing' to be there and detect ?" Doh! If so, then how was it not "trespassing" to even take those pix ?

 

[Blkcloud]

Just drop by the court house with the address.. they will help you locate the owner..

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... I would check the laws pertaining to abandoned property first.

this is heading down a slippery slope. You're not going to find any "laws" that give "express permission" for something. In other words, you won't find something "metal detecting is allowed at such & such". In fact, quite the opposite. If someone starts down a complicated legal trail to "find out if some place is legal", he can eventually talk himself out of just about EVERYWHERE.

What I mean is, if any of us started fretting over minutia (assuming this was public, or "private yet abandoned", or whatever status), and you started fretting over all the rules that could apply to whatever status of land that is, I'm SURE you can find troublesome things.

BUT THE SAME CAN BE SAID OF ANYWHERE. Even parks where detecting is routine and goes on all the time. If someone cared to sleuth deeply enough, they can find stuff forbidding "harvest" , "remove", "alter", "deface", "dig", "lost & found", etc... Or that they're in trouble for not reporting to the IRS, etc...

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Tom you can not advocate members to break the law by trespassing.

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[Honest Samuel]

It is abandoned property, or there would be people caring for the lawns. Just do not break in the house. The owner is nowhere to be find on the property. Cover your holes. Good hunting and good luck.

 

[4x4x4]

Checking for land mines , Public Safety , Ahem , Cough , Wife lost ring . . ...

 

[Oddjob]

Would it be okay to metal detect here?

No matter what the circumstances are and how they are perceived the only person who can rightfully answer you question is the legal owner of the property.

Having permission is the only way legally and ethically protect your self and our hobby. No matter who tells you what to the contrary if you get banged up by the local authorities I can assure you 100% that they are not going to issue out a summons to every person who told you it was OK to hunt the place. You will be held liable for your own actions.

 

[NHBandit]

coinman123, You haven't said if there are signs or no-trespassing signs. And if the signs are on the land, or merely on the structure itself.

You mention that "public trails go "right past it". I'm assuming you walked those trails, right ? How close do they get to the actual structure ? Because if, as you say, the "trail is public", then I'm assuming you could therefore detect the trail area. And their immediate right-of-way. And thus be on public land. I'm sure you could get super technical and find out the exact line-in-the-ground where "public" ended (if there's no fences or signs to differentiate).

If teenage kids go inside (not saying it's right), and you're worrying about staying on the outside ? And splitting hairs on "exactly how close you can get ?", and "the exact dimensions" of the trail right of way? Maybe I'm just not imagining the scene correctly, but .... maybe you're over-thinking this ?

And did you go down to the assessor's office to make sure the trail is on public land ? Probably not. You're just assuming I'd imagine, since it's .... well ... a trail that anyone who walks their dog uses, with no problem, right ?

Going to the tax assessors office is the correct answer but asking them about who owns the trail ? Seriously ? Here's an off the wall thought. Go there and ask them who owns the HOUSE... smh... Every bit of property in the country is owned by someone. Whether it be an individual, the government or a bank. If you don't have permission from the owner to be there don't go there. It ain't rocket science.

 

[Primus Palus]

Simple: if you don't own it or it isn't public property, you need permission.

This. You can find the information if you look deep enough. The property might not have an "owner". Could belong to the city or county... but no matter what, someone somewhere is responsible for the property. If it's not you, you don't trespass to detect. If more people followed that, we'd have fewer issues as a hobby.

 

[TiredIron]

Trespassers, never cease to amaze me, with their logic.

Wainzoid hits the nail right on the head. When I catch people on my property...I get excuses like..."OH..we didn't see any signs so we thought it was ok". I'd like to just walk in the front door at their house and say..."OH I didn't see any sign...or It wasn't locked so I thought it would be OK."
I even have the ones that knock my N.T. signs down....then say..."we didn't see any signs". Then people wonder why the Owner has an attitude..."After the Fact".

TiredIron

 

[jeff of pa]

yea I don't live in New England , or have to pay Bail or fines for ya

or buy you replacement equipment, if you live in an area where Law enforcement likes to steal
stuff they can resell for Christmas Party Money.

for the record. If I checked the tax info & all I could find was something like this



I'd consider Going for it.

But you want to be sure The house & the Land are Both abandoned.

for example. This house may still be considered owned by someone
who's great Great Relative had a 99 Year lease from the railroad.



last I knew it was still furnished and rotting around everything,
but they refused to sell.

but the land it is on belongs to someone else.

(99 Year Leases at least around here seem to be Lifetime to the Family.
I know one guy who squatted in a abandoned house with a 99 year railroad lease. and Restored it
& Lived in it Tax free for Many years. but he had to get permission from all the
living family members . the house sits on Game land Now