dreams crushed

dholland02

Bronze Member
Jan 15, 2012
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Garrett Ace250
Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
There is an old park dating back to thw mid 1800s that's been off limits forever. Well there gettinf ready to some construction to the old pool so I email the township. They said bc of the interested parties contacting them they are gonna draw up a waive to hunt it. So I get an email and they said they are talkon about wants the people to have a million dallor persoal liability Insurance policy on me. Basically there way to say yea u can detdct but really we dnt want you too. Ugh had to event so disappointed when I got that email.
 

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Where I'm at, when we see urban park rennovations (turf removal, old town sidewalk demolitions, old-town urban building tearouts), we are "all over them". I guess I haven't asked enough questions :(
 

I've been hunting construction sites like sidewalk removals, park renewals, and developments for years and never once asked the city or municipality for permission.
I have always gone to the construction companies and eventually they get to know you and let you on to every project without question.
Always carry a safety vest, hardhat, and good boots to such a project. They have never made me wear the last two but always must have a vest on.
Screw the township and get permission from the construction company.
All else fails, hop the fence after hours.
Yes, I just said that. When it comes to once in a lifetime opportunities, one has to do what's necessary to save items that will be gone forever!
I hope you find a way in!
Cheers,
Dave.
 

Where I'm at, when we see urban park rennovations (turf removal, old town sidewalk demolitions, old-town urban building tearouts), we are "all over them". I guess I haven't asked enough questions :(

Exactly!
 

So, get a temporary $1,000,000 policy, cancel it after you finish detecting the park. Won't cost that much.
 

Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission..
 

Oh Man....they did a Revamping of a Swimming pool area in my city of a pool that dates back to the early 1900's....I just asked the guys doing the demo if i could hunt it..and they were totally cool with it....I ended up find about 10 silver coins....4 gold rings in a matter of a month and i had to hunt at night because the workers were there during the days and weekends....now of course its open to busniess...but i wouldnt see an issue of hunting it, as long as there arent signs telling you otherwise
 

There is an old park dating back to thw mid 1800s that's been off limits forever. Well there gettinf ready to some construction to the old pool so I email the township. They said bc of the INTERESTED PARTIES contacting them they are gonna draw up a waive to hunt it. So I get an email and they said they are talkon about wants the people to have a million dallor persoal liability Insurance policy on me. Basically there way to say yea u can detdct but really we dnt want you too. Ugh had to event so disappointed when I got that email.
"Interested Parties" strike again.
 

I had my State Farm agent draw up a one page letter saying I am covered on my own insurance. Whenever anyone brings up liability I show them the letter and I have been fine since. State and local agencies make a copy and tell me to have fun.
 

muddyhands, I'm curious: On the one hand, you say you just go after 5pm, when the workers have cut out for the day (out of sight is out of mind afterall). But on the other hand, you say (if I understand you correctly) that you ask the const. Co. first, right? But my question is: What if they say "no" ? Then doesn't that put you in the un-desirable predicament that .... you now "know better" ? I mean it's one thing to get booted, but quite another thing to be booted after someone already told you "no". Know what I mean? hence I would just go, and not risk a no, from the git-go.

For purposes/sake of discussion here, let's just assume that we're talking public works type things (sidewalk tearouts, for instance, or park scrapes for rennovations, etc...) NOT fenced private sites. Just to keep the conversation simple.
 

Unfortunately, they fence the public sites too......liability don't you know......you might trip over your own plug. That, and they are trying to keep the thieving down which I can understand. Makes it a pain for those of us with drool coming down our chins!
 

muddyhands, I'm curious: On the one hand, you say you just go after 5pm, when the workers have cut out for the day (out of sight is out of mind afterall). But on the other hand, you say (if I understand you correctly) that you ask the const. Co. first, right? But my question is: What if they say "no" ? Then doesn't that put you in the un-desirable predicament that .... you now "know better" ? I mean it's one thing to get booted, but quite another thing to be booted after someone already told you "no". Know what I mean? hence I would just go, and not risk a no, from the git-go.

For purposes/sake of discussion here, let's just assume that we're talking public works type things (sidewalk tearouts, for instance, or park scrapes for rennovations, etc...) NOT fenced private sites. Just to keep the conversation simple.

Tom,
Most basic city renewals have been uneventful as no one seems to mind as long as you're wearing a vest and stay out of the workers way.
But then there's the odd project where a special company comes in and fences off the area. One such project was a really old park and the foreman said yes but two days later, a big shot (higher rank) over-rided the foreman and revoked permission. This job site had security after hours who would instantly kick us out. We finally found out that there was no security on Sundays and hopped in and found goodies galore. If we weren't so persistent we wouldn't have got all those old coins that eventually got scraped out and hauled away.
There's been a few projects that were fenced with security that we could not get in and lost out big time. One such project was our old university. There were too many pencil pushers that we had to ask and security was relentless! I remember the anger I felt after watching all that old soil being hauled away but because the university had an anthropology/archaeology department, we were told that they were interested in studying the grounds but never got off their asses and did anything. Wayyyy too many cooks in that kitchen!
On most construction sites, talk to a crew foreman that actually works at the site and you should easily get a yes but keep your fingers crossed when some pansy with a white hat comes in to inspect the site.
In my city, there are a few companies that get most street renewals and when they get to know you, no problems ever occur. My buddy actually gets them to phone him when they start a new project because they know him so well.
Sometimes you can't go in after hours because they work fast and fill in the sidewalks with metal rails and/or gravel shortly after tearing the old ones out.
Find a couple of water valves for them and your set for years to come as the foreman will go to bat for you and convince the higher-ups that your an asset to them.
Everything I've talked about here is city property except for that university failure.
Cheers,
Dave.
 

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Unfortunately, they fence the public sites too....

So? And your point is?

Muddy has it right when he describes one of his sites:

" ....found out that there was no security on Sundays and hopped in and found goodies galore ...."

I don't understand why so many md'rs sit at home, waiting for neon lights and red-carpets to be "rolled out for them". With demolition sites, you have to strike them when the iron is hot.
 

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My point is, as muddyhandz mentioned, some places are just not accessible to hunt with fences, security, no trespassing signs, etc, whether they're private or public. You can thank our judicial system for that. As you pointed out, if you've been told "NO" what's your excuse when you get caught inside a fenced off area with "keep out" or "no trespassing" signs? Now if the gate just happens to be open because someone just happened to leave the "easy-to-pick" padlock unlatched, well, that might be a different story. :laughing7:
 

Buy an Orange Safety Vest, wear it whenever you are out hunting - No one will bother you as they think you are on official business. I work for AT&T...........Wherever there is construction, the utilities have to detect the surrounding areas for there "lines" - so, you just become one of them. Works everytime!!!!
 

So if I came asked you permission and you said no, then came back after you weren't home you'd be ok with that? No means no, sorry to sound like "dad" here but if its gov land and they want to get pissed they can hit you hard. Lets count the ways,
Trespassing
Criminal trespassing
Theft from gov property
Vandalism
Here's a rare one, disobeying a public servant
So each one carries at least a 30 day sentence plus fines.
Theft over a thousand or 500 in some places carries a felony degree with it.
Plus they will confiscate everything you had your md the tools the finds everything. Drag you through the court system.
That hand spade a lot uses could be a weapon in some places since its over a certain length and has a sharp edge. Plus they will get you with criminal tools if your charged with the trespassing since you used them to commit said crime.
Even if you beat every charge which I bet at least one sticks, you now spent thousands in lawyers fees, time off of work and you'll have to go to a separate hearing just to get your stuff back so there's more money. Is it worth it?

Now this is just food for thought, but a rule of MDing is get permission first!!! That's one I see a lot of you on here press to the newbies but break it yourself? Like I said just some food for thought!
And I know all this not from some book but I've had my share of trouble in the past. Nothing serious but still scary when you see a page of charges for crossing someone's yard drunk as a tern and breaking a concrete goose.
 

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So if I came asked you permission and you said no, then came back after you weren't home you'd be ok with that? No means no, sorry to sound like "dad" here but if its gov land and they want to get pissed they can hit you hard. Lets count the ways,
Trespassing
Criminal trespassing
Theft from gov property
Vandalism
Here's a rare one, disobeying a public servant

which is why you don't want to hear or get that "no", in the first place. Agreed. If no one told you "no", the presto, you haven't been told "no".

I know that the sight of those obligatory fences that surround all demolition sites, is ominous to some. Heck, I know of some hunters that will not even step over yellow ribbon and a few orange cones at a sidewalk demo. And I know of hunters who think you "need permission" even to go to the most innocuous of sandboxes.

All I can say is: if the thought of needing to wait till after 5pm, to find-a-way in to demolition sites bothers a person, then let's face it: Old-town urban demolition hunting is not for you. Stick to more tame sites. Agreed. But if old-town urban demolition scrapes are your game, .... you're going to need to get a thicker skin.

I have been in this since the mid 1970s, so I'm old enough to remember when demolition sites weren't even fenced (before litigical lawsuits and banana-peel slips came into vogue I guess). In those days, we just walked right in. Heck, school yards didn't used to have fences either (and the obligatory sign of "visitors check in at office, blah blah blah"). And as the years progressed, sure, they have to put a frickin' fence around the lamest of patches of bare dirt. So .... perhaps this just isn't the game of certain md'rs. That's understandable.
 

If it isn't marked no trespassing, keep out, or fenced off so there is no access I hunt...... In 7 + years never had a single problem or been confronted.....



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 

A million dollar personal policy doesn't cost a million dollars. It would only cost you the time to get a quote. I only know this because I'm a builder and you pay a small amount for this insurance . It would probably cost you about$400.00 for a year if that.
There is an old park dating back to thw mid 1800s that's been off limits forever. Well there gettinf ready to some construction to the old pool so I email the township. They said bc of the interested parties contacting them they are gonna draw up a waive to hunt it. So I get an email and they said they are talkon about wants the people to have a million dallor persoal liability Insurance policy on me. Basically there way to say yea u can detdct but really we dnt want you too. Ugh had to event so disappointed when I got that email.
 

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If it isn't marked no trespassing, keep out, or fenced off so there is no access I hunt...... In 7 + years never had a single problem or been confronted.....



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I do the same thing...no fence or trespassing sign and Im there...never had a problem yet, police slow down when they see me and then drive off when they see what Im doing.
 

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