Hunting county courthouses

[Beepin Husker]

As anyone ever hunted a courthouse yard before? Is it legal? I can't seem to find any specifics on hunting these grounds. If it is legal to do, who I ask within the courthouse to gain permission?

Reason for asking is I will be spending some time in my childhood town with a courthouse built in the mid 1800's....and thought this would be a sweet spot for all the past activities held on the grounds around the courthouse back in the day...

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Dig on!

 

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[RobRieman]

If there are no signs posted go for it. Just do it at a time when there is low traffic and less onlookers and make sure you do a great job fixing your plugs. If someone of authority does not like it they will ask you to leave. If you ask first it will almost surely be a no as they do not want to deal with us.

 

[Beepin Husker]

If there are no signs posted go for it. Just do it at a time when there is low traffic and less onlookers and make sure you do a great job fixing your plugs. If someone of authority does not like it they will ask you to leave. If you ask first it will almost surely be a no as they do not want to deal with us.

I must add this courthouse is on the National Registry of Historical Buildings....does this make a difference?

 

[Beepin Husker]

I must add this courthouse is on the National Registry of Historical Buildings....does this make a difference?

all and all is the courthouse lawn public land?

 

[mikecar007]

I think that's a no go from what I have read. Let's see what experienced folk say.

 

[Beepin Husker]

I think that's a no go from what I have read. Let's see what experienced folk say.

thanks for your reply! I'm with ya but just hopefully someone knows a loophole or something that would allow me to do some swinging on this lawn....

 

[mikecar007]

I think the snag is the historical piece. This time of year the forum gets quiet, everyone's out hunting

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Ask first! I'm telling you - I worked for a city government (comptroller) for four years and after 9/11 the security was installed by the state court. They didn't mess around. But then we also had the Civic Center shooting just after a few doors down. It IS public property - and you are a citizen, but not the public. Unless you have EVERYONE's permission it's the same as no permission at all.

 

[Beepin Husker]

Ask first! I'm telling you - I worked for a city government (comptroller) for four years and after 9/11 the security was installed by the state court. They didn't mess around. But then we also had the Civic Center shooting just after a few doors down. It IS public property - and you are a citizen, but not the public. Unless you have EVERYONE's permission it's the same as no permission at all.

who do you recommend asking? They do have the sheriffs office on the backside of the courthouse (small town Nebraska) would you start there? or some other dept. inside the courthouse?

Thanks!

 

[Beepin Husker]

I think the snag is the historical piece. This time of year the forum gets quiet, everyone's out hunting

i hear ya... Kind of like a state park or something like this...?

 

[Beepin Husker]

I think im dealing with a double edge sword here, huh?

 

[mikecar007]

Since it's a small town I would ask, worst case is they say no, nothing to lose

 

[Sandman]

I would not ask permission. Period. If it is not posted or listed in the laws against detecting then it is OK to try it. Go early morning and don't dig plugs as that could be considered damaging public property. If you lack nerve, and ask, you are most likely be given a no by somebody that had to deal with a grouchy spouse that morning. Now they feel important cause they messed up your day.

 

[Fletch88]

I want to try our courthouse very badly, I just can't get the nerve up to try it! If I was going to hunt there I would go during the pre-dawn hours with only a small probe and Lesche type digging tool. I think there is no way you'll ever get the blessing of "everyone" in the chain of command.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Ask first!.... Unless you have EVERYONE's permission it's the same as no permission at all.

Charlie, do you see your assumed premise here ? It merely assumes that permission is necessary, to begin with. But isn't that the point of the OP's question ? But sure: If we start with the premise that "permission is necessary", then sure, ask away, blah blah .

But would you think you need to ask permission to fly frisbees on that lawn? Probably not. Because you're thinking "flying frisbees is innocuous", right? (even though you can poke someone's eye out?). Ok then, why do you think metal detecting is inherently dangerous, damaging, evil, etc.... ? I'm not saying someone might not think that, by-the-way (detecting DOES have connotations, afterall). But just saying, why start with the premise that a) it's harmful and damaging, and b) thus it needs permission ? I happen to think detecting is beneficial and proper and non-harmful . If someone else thinks otherwise, they're welcome to let me know. So too can they tell me I can't fly frisbees if they want.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I must add this courthouse is on the National Registry of Historical Buildings....does this make a difference?

The answer to that is: keep asking long enough and hard enough of enough desk-bound pencil pushers in charge of that "registry", and .... sure, I'll bet you can find someone to tell you "no". Just be sure to drop words like "dig" and "remove" and "treasure" and "holes" and "deface", etc....

All I can tell you beep-in husker, is a lot of people have and do hunt "courthouse lawns". Yes, even the (gasp) old ones like you describe. Their sort of like parks, right?

I know some guys from the west coast here, who fly in annually to the east coast, get a rental car, and drive to all the little "mayberry RFD" type towns, and go RIGHT TO courthouse lawns. They get choice early silver, even large cents, busts, etc... But .... sure, .... they have the ... uh .... presence of mind not to be a magnet for gripers. I mean, sure, you can get a griper at even the most innocuous sand box. Anything's possible. No one's going to "roll out red carpets" for you, or have an express "metal detectors allowed" here sign.

So I would side with those that say that unless there were a specific rule that actually said "no metal detectors", the presto, it's not prohibited. County rules , muni codes, etc... are somewhere, for public viewing. Like perhaps on the
county's website, for example, if you're skittish.

 

[penzfan]

Go on Sunday morning when nobody is around.

 

[dholland02]

Go on Sunday morning when nobody is around.

I agree

 

[airscapes]

had no problem at ours on a sunday.. cops drove by.. nothing said.. lot of clad for the pickin right next to the sidewalks..

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Do you have any good connections in the town that knows the mayor or police chief, that could help you out?

I searched our old court house lawn at 7 am on a Sunday morning, no one said anything to me. Just make sure you leave that lawn the same or better than you found it, absolutely NO evidence you dug anywhere, because if someone questions or stops you, you've got a "material witness" who can vouch for you!

I do live in the city where the court house is, so I would be a tad angry if told I can't MD it, since I pay all sorts of taxes here. People that use the court house throw trash; bottle tops, pop tops, tin foil etc. all over the place, and I clean it up as I detect & find coins, and I would show that trash to anyone that questions my right to be there. So far no problems. I will be detecting there agin soon.