Asking permission to metal detect private property

[Plug cutter]

hello I am 13 and ready to ask for permission to metal detect on private property. and I was wondering that if I find gold, silver, or plat is the home owner gonna try and take a part off it? Or should I before i start should I ask them if they have everlost any valuable iteams so I can help them find it, so I would get to keep the rest.

 

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[cactusrat]

I would use the “ever lost anything and that I would return it if I found it” as part of my sell pitch. If the owner said no, I would ask if he/she would like to see my finds.

If the owners want any of your finds, them it’s their right to have them. After all, you are on their land and finding stuff that they own already. They are just being nice to you by letting you hunt on their land.

One way of doing things, would be while asking for permission to hunt their land is to agree on who keeps what. It could go something like; I (the hunter) keep all the coins and other stuff and the owner can have any jewelry that might be found or any items that might be worth over $25.

My saying is, bend over backwards to make a land owner happy. It may lead the owner on helping getting you another place to hunt or at the least, a invite to come back for another hunt.

 

[Plug cutter]

the thing is he/she doesn't really own any jewelry because he/she allows a park to use the land as a parking lot. so i still dont know what to do.

 

[VB Sanddigger]

Well, let me say I wish I started at the age of 13 and had a great detector like you do!! I have some suggestions regarding asking for permission (it gets easier each time so bare with me) You could first approach the owner with a flyer with your name and explain that you have a hobby you really enjoy. On the flyer you could list your rules of etiquette, ie dispose of all trash, make neat plugs where it doesn't look like you have dug, be courteous, etc. The owner can say one of two things. If the answer is no, thank him and move on. If the answer is yes, then he could sign a permission slip in case someone comes up to you while detecting and asks what you are doing. Then you have proof you have permission. Usually, what you find is yours and most property owners do not inquire about the finds. Though, after detecting, you could show your finds to the owners. Check out www. kellyco.com and
The Tidewater Coin and Relic Club Official Web Site (my club) for more info. Good luck and post your finds!

 

[tennessee digger]

Just go up and ask if they care if I run my metal detector around their yard. I wouldn't even bring up stuff like value, that will sometimes scare a land owner. Tell them that your hobby is metal detecting and at your age there should be no problem. If they say no then just move on to another place. Unless you are sure there is something valuable there then maybe mention looking for half of your finds. I'll bet that they will just let you look with no problem. Tennessee digger

 

[cactusrat]

the thing is he/she doesn't really own any jewelry because he/she allows a park to use the land as a parking lot. so i still dont know what to do.

Owning any jewelry and letting the park use his/hers land as a parking lot has nothing to do with the other.

But, I see your point. Any jewelry or anything found, would more likely be lost by people using the parking lot.

If the landowner lets the park use his/hers land, then he/she sounds like a nice person and would probably give you a go head to hunt the parking lot.

Only way to find out for sure is to ask.

 

[Gunrunner61]

Plug Cutter,
Maybe something like : Hello, my name is "joe" and I metal detect as a hobby, I look for old coins and things that people may have lost in the past, I would like to walk around (The area you wanna look) with my metal detector, I pick up all trash I find, Haul off all the scrap i dig up, And always fill in my holes, At this point they will either say yes or no. If yes,you may ask them If they would like to see what you find,or not. If they say No,Tell them thank you for your time and
Maybe sorry to bother you and move on to the next one. Good Luck and Happy Hunting............

 

[silversnacher]

Do the strips in between the sidewalk and road in old parts of town. It was at one of these places I found my first wheatie from detecting a 1910

 

[CRUSADER]

the thing is he/she doesn't really own any jewelry because he/she allows a park to use the land as a parking lot. so i still dont know what to do.

Now you are missing the point, THEY DO own everything on their land how ever it was lost, & they own it until you agree otherwise.

You were given some great advice from the first poster & I'm glad to hear others that operate like us.

You need to keep all owners happy & they all have different demands. At the end of the day, stay honest, because one of our biggest selling points is that we show the owner EVERYTHING we find. We have a saying 'I will show you everything off your land, whether it's be a button or a Gold coin'. This works because there is a lot of people that do their land without permission & never show them anything. This is stealing. There are also plenty that get permission & go on their land & only show them the junk or nothing at all, this is also stealing. You have to show them that you are different & can be trusted. A good workman will never be out of work because good news travels. If you do what we do, land will find you, instead of you needing to ask, think about it.

Most owners in my experience are happy with a running collection of finds (which I chose to give them) which totals about 25% of finds. However, you need an agreement about what happens if you get the 'BIG ONE'. It can be agreed at lets say anything over $1000, where by you will share the achieveable value minus any fees at a split of 50/50. You tell me what landowner in there right mind doesn't find this a fair offer when they put in no effort other than saying yes?

Remember, the more you scrafice (I call it, because it does hurt to give up what you find), the better the odds that those people will show their friends, take them to work & talk about what an honest guy you were. Before you know it, their neighbours will be asking you to do their plot.

HONESTY does PAY. Cru'dad & I have one of the great collections you could ever want, but we never hid anything from anyone. TRUST is earnt, it's your most valuable weapon. We sleep with a smile, I'm not sure how some detectorist even sleep!

An example of this was yesterday, the Banner Bull I found worth $500-$1000 was taken straight around to the owner to show him. He didn't want it & he didn't want any money. People are generally fair, & they know how much effort you put in, don't expect they will be greedy & want everything because that is the excuse I hear from finders who rip off owners. Don't become one of them.

 

[Bum Luck]

Lots of good advice here.

Your major asset is your age - oh, to be 13 again.

As you've explained your particular case, the owner's land is a parking lot used by the public.

I'd take a handful of the kind of stuff you normally find; show the nails and tell her you'll get rid of all that as you dig. I routinely pick up nails and drywall screws from driveways and streets - some folks appreciate that and some are oblivious if it's not in their tire right now. She likely will appreciate that.

Interacting with people is always an ad lib thing. They are all different. If I sense folks are greedy, I leave. I don't like greedy people; they can be most difficult to deal with and there's plenty of folks that aren't. A lot of folks don't care if you find anything or don't want a part of it. Their life is a routine they like whether you are there or not. You're a casual visitor, and your job is to stay amiable, easy at your age. I don't have a set idea about what to share if anything. My truth is that I make about 25 cents an hour (if lucky) for being on my knees, not easy at my age. Why would I want to give that up if it won't even buy coffee for them anyway. I do offer to do an obvious chore or two; now that's something they can use. I've given my 'take' to a kid, but even a lot of them fail to be impressed with a quarter (mom: "yuk, that's dirty"). I mean, what is $1.15 anyway? My best find was about 12 war nickels that I knew were lost by a dead guy, who stole them from an untraceable victim years ago. The homeowner had given me carte blanche (didn't care what I found and don't check back), and the total was maybe worth $5 at the time (before eBay). Made my day, although I could have made $50 an hour working if I chose to. If something is an heirloom, I knock on the door again and ask them about it. Sometimes they like even toys (my favorite to find, but why collect them?), it just depends on the person. They're all different, just 'tune in' to them.

Good luck!

 

[dholland02]

If u find anything of value put in one pocket and the clad in another pocket, if they ask what you found just show them the clad. Most people won't want that. Your the one doing all the work finding the stuff. Land owner only needs to know that you filled your holes in.

 

[smcdmc]

Now you are missing the point, THEY DO own everything on their land how ever it was lost, & they own it until you agree otherwise.

Maybe in your country but we are not talking about an individuals yard or farm field here. This is a parking area that the landowner lets the public use. If you were the landowner and I parked there and dropped a money clip with $1000 in it while getting out of the car even if you were the one who found it I would still say that it belongs to me. When you lose something it does not automatically become the property of the person who owns the land it was lost on.

 

[dholland02]

I'm sorry I find a money clip with that much it's going in my pocket, just like if I find a jar of old coins or bills while detecting someone property it's mine no ones else needs to know.

 

[mamabear]

wow, this has turned into a very interesting post. it would be a pschologists dream! I agree with some & disagree with others, not saying which. I hope Plug cutter makes the right descisions. Good luck, & don't forget to share your pix!

 

[CRUSADER]

Maybe in your country but we are not talking about an individuals yard or farm field here. This is a parking area that the landowner lets the public use. If you were the landowner and I parked there and dropped a money clip with $1000 in it while getting out of the car even if you were the one who found it I would still say that it belongs to me. When you lose something it does not automatically become the property of the person who owns the land it was lost on.

If it's returnable it should be returned, that goes without saying. (maybe in my country we have common decency, because if its on your land & its returnable, do it, if not its yours)
Equally if you find ANY object that could be returned to the rightful owner or family, then do it, NO BRAINER.

 

[dholland02]

You have your thoughts and I have mine, people spend slot of money on the detectors and there out to get there money bsck from there finds, I know I am

 

[CRUSADER]

If u find anything of value put in one pocket and the clad in another pocket, if they ask what you found just show them the clad. Most people won't want that. Your the one doing all the work finding the stuff. Land owner only needs to know that you filled your holes in.

That's OK, hear many a Brit's doing the same thing, which does me a BIG favour, owner's come to us when they want an honest hunt, because you will get caught out one day.

 

[cti4sw]

​

I made this up this past week to hand out in my hometown. Haven't actually printed any yet so I can't give feedback on it, but I came up with the idea on my own (meaning I made it before I read posts to this effect) and I did so to sort of break the ice (dirt? lol) with homeowners. That way, when I knock on the door, it's not an awkward fumble for the words to ask permission, it's a simple and courteous "Hi there. Did you get my flyer? I was wondering what your answer might be."

Me personally, I took up this hobby to find coins for my collection. I have little intent to sell any coins I find, short of gold coins, and even then only my first so I can upgrade to the Garrett AT Pro. After that I will likely keep all of my coin finds. I'd never dreamed of finding historic relics with my MD, like my axe head or sleigh bell, so it doesn't mean much to me to hand those items over if the owner so desires. If I owned a historic homestead and someone found such a relic, I would want to keep it too - and I'd probably display it prominently. What you could do is offer the homeowner your services to clean and/or preserve the relic so it can be displayed, and your only payment would be the continuing permission to hunt the property.

As for jewelry... idk, that part is up to you. But if you find something that the owner (or owner's ancestors) lost and you return it to them, you have restored something of priceless sentiment to them, and that goes a long way. If it's just random jewelry, who cares about a 50/50 split? When you arrived there, you didn't have anything, now you're 50% richer, right? Common logic tells me that if you inform the landowner up front that your goal is to find something for your collection, they will probably let you have whatever you find.

I gave my 2c earlier. This was my quarter

 

[CRUSADER]

View attachment 660636​

I made this up this past week to hand out in my hometown. Haven't actually printed any yet so I can't give feedback on it, but I came up with the idea on my own (meaning I made it before I read posts to this effect) and I did so to sort of break the ice (dirt? lol) with homeowners. That way, when I knock on the door, it's not an awkward fumble for the words to ask permission, it's a simple and courteous "Hi there. Did you get my flyer? I was wondering what your answer might be."

Me personally, I took up this hobby to find coins for my collection. I have little intent to sell any coins I find, short of gold coins, and even then only my first so I can upgrade to the Garrett AT Pro. After that I will likely keep all of my coin finds. I'd never dreamed of finding historic relics with my MD, like my axe head or sleigh bell, so it doesn't mean much to me to hand those items over if the owner so desires. If I owned a historic homestead and someone found such a relic, I would want to keep it too - and I'd probably display it prominently. What you could do is offer the homeowner your services to clean and/or preserve the relic so it can be displayed, and your only payment would be the continuing permission to hunt the property.

As for jewelry... idk, that part is up to you. But if you find something that the owner (or owner's ancestors) lost and you return it to them, you have restored something of priceless sentiment to them, and that goes a long way. If it's just random jewelry, who cares about a 50/50 split? When you arrived there, you didn't have anything, now you're 50% richer, right? Common logic tells me that if you inform the landowner up front that your goal is to find something for your collection, they will probably let you have whatever you find.

I gave my 2c earlier. This was my quarter

Exactly right, I've been collecting coins since I was 9 years old & detecting was a cheaper form of collecting & yes I keep all my gold coins although sometimes it costs me/Dad money to keep them.
You are right, if you show interest in collecting and history then you will keep most of your finds without issue.

Sell everything & show owners how greedy you are & that gets you?

 

[dholland02]

I never said bout sellin coins I keep all my coins I find, any jewelry I find if it's any value I get rid of to help pay for my hobby. It's all in personal preference. I do it my way and you do it your way.