Need Advice On How To Handle Confrontation

[BuckleBoy]

I don't think we should be digging in front of peoples houses without permission! Sorry on this one.....if they upkeep the area by watering, cutting...no way! There are just to many places to hunt to have to go directly in front of peoples houses. We don't need confrontations like this one.

It boils down to a simple question, Does the homeowner own that property? No they don't, There is no need for further discussion. That would be just like someone telling you that you cant hunt your own yard, Because they own your yard as much as they own the strip closest to the road.

Here's the biggest risk we take by doing this: Refusal down the line to hunt the YARDS on that street because of the BAD reputation we've gotten by inviting ourselves to hunt a tiny area near the curb!!!​

I think we should try to see the bigger picture here, rather than talk on and on about whether or not the property owner can legally tell us to leave the curb in front of their home. I don't think it's worth it. And I wouldn't do it at night, because then the residents would have a real concern for their safety. More police cars sure to show up then!​

That's just my stance. I know it is tempting...and I know it is within our rights...but I wouldn't do it. I want to ask permission to hunt peoples' yards. If they give me permission, I know I can hunt their curbs too if I like.

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[Beechfork]

Thanks to all of you who replied to this situation.
I was brought up in the mountains and taught to not anyone bully me around especially if I knew my position was ritouse. But, as you get older and hopefully wiser, you find that discretion is the better part of valor.
I did ask the man to show me any damage and I would repair it. He said that there was no damage since he had stopped me before I could "dig up his yard".
As I turned to walk toward my truck, I told him I had dug three plugs.
Driving slowly down the street, I looked into my rear view mirror at a man on his hands and knees looking for those three properly manicured holes.
I chuckled and opened my hand to look for the dates on the two wheaties I had just found.
Beech

 

[Tom_in_CA]

A friend of mine had a similar confrontation (irate home owner telling him to stop detecting the parking strip). My friend tried to explain to the guy that it was city property, but the guy wouldn't listen and threatened to call the police. My friend says "go ahead!" Then my friend purposefully kept detecting there (even though he was done ) JUST so the police would be called, to see what would happen. The police finally came, and listened to both parties rant. They come over to my friend and tell him "you're in the right, and you are ok to be walking this strip, but do us a favor, and keep this guy happy, just to shut him up, and move on".

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

I would have walked on........after I hunted it.

For me it depends on the opposing teams attitude. If they are nice and respectful I will return the respect. If they come out with an attitude they will get attitude right back. Thats just a personal thing with me. I dont care what situation Im in. If Im detecting or in a grocery store I can not and will not take someone thinking for what ever reason they can tell me what to do and how to do it.

 

[Spidey]

Until I started posting on this board, I had no idea the strip along the curb was "city property". Yeah, I knew the city had the right to do to it what they wanted, but I still mow mine, and take care of it.

Personally, yeah--if I saw someone cutting into it, I'd get a little ticked off. If I cared about my lawn, and and it has holes or dead spots in it, it's a reflection on me--not the person that may have cut a bad plug in it and made it look at that way.

Technically, you may be in the right, but if it results in a lot of ill will, is it really worth it? I mean, I'm sure you're conscientious about making sure you dig nice plugs at the park and clean up after yourself, why screw up your image by instigating a confrontation with a homeowner?

 

[BuckleBoy]

Personally, a confrontation with a landowner just ruins my detectin day. I can't help it. I just keep thinking about it the rest of the time I'm out (unless I start findin seated coins ). I'm just not the type of person that can shake things like that off quickly. When I got into the hobby at age 13, I didn't have to deal with much attitude from folks. Of course, I was a skinny, clean-shaven, conservative kid then. Now I'm a big, bearded, heretic bastid

Regards,

Buckleboy

 

[kindafoundabuckle]

Personally, a confrontation with a landowner just ruins my detectin day. I can't help it. I just keep thinking about it the rest of the time I'm out (unless I start findin seated coins ). I'm just not the type of person that can shake things like that off quickly. When I got into the hobby at age 13, I didn't have to deal with much attitude from folks. Of course, I was a skinny, clean-shaven, conservative kid then. Now I'm a big, bearded, heretic bastid

Regards,

Buckleboy

You forgot smelly and we taw did

 

[detectordave]

Id like to expand this discussion if I may. Instead of who owns the grass how about other situations and circumstances. I was in a public park a few summers back and had a groundskeeper pull up to me on the grass in his pick up truck while I was digging a plug. He said I cant dig up the park. I told him I fill in holes, don't dig where people are playing etc. He said very rudely for me to leave. I told him I would check with the city and he told me "when you talk to me, your talking to the city." I left quietly. Maybe I'm the only overly sensitive person around but, I was very hurt, embarrassed and especially annoyed. It took me over a week to find the park directors number and name. When I left him a voice mail I expected him to tell me his worker was right. To my incredible surprise he called me after another week had passed and said "as long as your not using a back hoe or something, I don't see any issues." I have yet to run into the groundskeeper again in two summers. I guess all worked out ok..But, I lost a few weeks of hunting in that park, not to mention a few good nights sleep.

 

[Monty]

I have only been confronted in a public park once. It was the foreman of the maintenance crew. She told me not to detect there as it had been recently overseeded. She did not know that I am a very good personal friend of the person in charge of all the city parks. I had talked with her just that very morning and she assured me that any place on park property was open for detecting. I said very politely that her boss had told me that it was ok and besides I was aerating the soil every time I dug a plug. I held out my cell phone and told her to give her boss a call if she didn't believe me. No, she said that was good enough for her and went on her way. Since then I have had the foreman come up to me nearly every time I hit the parks and she always gives me a tip or two for good places to look. After I got to know her better, she sheepishly admitted that she thought it was illegal to metal detect in the park until she checked it out because of our first contact. Also I was detecting some medians on boulevards and kept running into immaculately groomed flower beds covering many of the ones I thought would produce well. I found out the local neighborhood association was volunteering time and money to maintain the flower plots. So, I avoided them 'cause I knew someone was sure to object to me being there and I didn't want the hassel. Monty

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

I just wanted to add one more remark here...Lets be honest just ask yourself one thing what is your common sense telling you to do?

The responses about playing the tough guy do not work in the city I work/live in... we average 600 murders a year...some for a lot less then that....once again always ask yourself....for a common sense answer...good luck!

 

[BIG61AL]

Closest I've been to this situation is a park employee driving his pick up right next to me and giving me the evil eye. Did not say a word but I guess he was telling me "I am keeping on eye on you" like I was digging a hole so big that his truck would fall in or I was planning an evil plot to steal grass one plug at a time. Best thing to do is just go somewhere else, they can't be everywhere at once.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Closest I've been to this situation is a park employee driving his pick up right next to me and giving me the evil eye. Did not say a word but I guess he was telling me "I am keeping on eye on you" like I was digging a hole so big that his truck would fall in or I was planning an evil plot to steal grass one plug at a time. Best thing to do is just go somewhere else, they can't be everywhere at once.

Al I would not let that bother me..they might just be bored, curious or both! I get that all the time from the employees. But I make sure the area looks like I found it...sometimes better by picking up cans, bottles and so on.

 

[ghostrider1775]

Been there done that, threatened with being arrested, sued, bit by dog. The thing that I do, if it is a small town is take my card to the Sheriff, and let him know that I will be on the street side metal detecting, and usually there is no problem, most city statutes allow a person to be on this area, being that most right of ways, are in this grassy area. I say you handled it well.

 

[GMan00001]

I have recently been doing a little MDing in between the sidewalk and the street, but in my case I don't think anyone will care as the area is under heavy construction.

The sidewalks and road are all ripped out and the grass between sidewalk and street has mainly been ruined already by the construction equipment. In this case as I understand it, they are widening the street and putting wider sidewalks so the area in question will all be cement by the time they are done anyways. I also only will MD evenings or weekends when construction is not going on.

I see no problem with MD'ing the grass (or dirt in this case) strip under these circumstances. And although the street is blocked off, the few people I have encountered have just been curious if I found anything or just smiled and waved.

So far the site has been by far my best site as I have been there 3 times and pulled a V nickel (1895), 6 wheat pennies from the 40's and 50's, and a couple of older jefferson nickels from the 40's. Unfortunately all of the dimes and quarters I have found there to date have been clad.

 

[rcawdor57]

8) I own a house in Plant City, Florida in a small, private gated community and I was the first person to buy a lot and build a house there. I don't know about other states or municipalities but in Florida the homeowner does OWN the property all the way to the street. How do I know? I have the plat for my property and had the lot surveyed when it was cleared of trees and landscaped. I purchased the property all the way to the road which runs through the community. Now here is where people get confused: The city or state has legal access to the homeowners property for utilities such as power, phone, sewer, water, etc from the edge of the road to I think 8 or 10 feet inside the homeowners property line and if they need access to property BEHIND your home you must allow access . There is nothing the homeowner can do to prevent this. That is the law. But...the property still BELONGS to the homeowner and the homeowner can have anyone arrested for trespassing if they are not a representative of the city/state/utility etc. I had quite a few trespassers arrested in my front and back yards when the house was first built and I am very familiar with the land laws of Florida. My yard does not have a sidewalk but across the street the homes do have a sidewalk. Once again the homeowner owns the property to the road and is responsible for maintaining the property and the sidewalk. Since there is a sidewalk there people can legally walk on the sidewalk and stay off the streets but....they cannot venture legally onto the grass on either side of the sidewalk. No one really cares about walking dogs and things like that but if you brought a digging tool to their property and started making holes in the grass they maintain you can indeed be arrested for trespassing and damaging private property. Another point in Florida is many, many homes have underground irrigation systems (the houses in my community all have underground irrigation systems) to maintain their grass and you don't want to damage that system. Time Warner Cable cut my irrigation system piping one day installing cable through my yard and promptly sent a team to repair the damage and re-sod the damaged grass. Bottom line to me is stay away from the sidewalks in front of peoples property unless it is yours or you have their permission.
RC

 

[Tom_in_CA]

rcawdor57, I understand what you are saying, and it sounds correct. But I don't think that "only representative of the city/state/utility" people can access it. I believe it's more general than that, to include "public" eavesement, and not the limited scope you give. Because, think of it, as you say, you own all the way to the street, yet the sidewalk is open for the public, right? How can you then differentiate between the sidewalk, vs the little grass strip beyond that? I mean, why not have people arrested for walking on "your" property, when they use the sidewalk? Afterall, you own all the way to the street, right? Where does it say they can walk on the sidewalk, but not step on the grass strip, unless they are public utility people?

 

[doozis]

Avoiding confrontation is the best , however ... it you really think
ya got a great treasure on that little piece of ground , you could
always get a uniform shirt from the local Gas company and pretend
you're checking for gas line leaks 8)

Just kidding , If my presence causes someone anguish , I'll just apologize and move on.

 

[Jeffro]

A quick jab to the throat and he's down for awhile..... thats when you make your getaway.....

 

[Rob66]

I don't think we should be digging in front of peoples houses without permission! Sorry on this one.....if they upkeep the area by watering, cutting...no way! There are just to many places to hunt to have to go directly in front of peoples houses. We don't need confrontations like this one.

I agree.” I felt I was breaking no trespassing laws " feeling it and doing it are two different things.
I don't think you would find anything good anyway (gum wrapper or something).I like hunting where I am alone most of the times and not bothered. Timing...is everything.

I'm sure you can find a better place to hunt in your area....I little local research might yield a nice find.

Breathe in the good thoughs and blow out the bad. Three times, and you're good!

 

[julesjunk]

Personally, a confrontation with a landowner just ruins my detectin day. I can't help it. I just keep thinking about it the rest of the time I'm out (unless I start findin seated coins ). I'm just not the type of person that can shake things like that off quickly. When I got into the hobby at age 13, I didn't have to deal with much attitude from folks. Of course, I was a skinny, clean-shaven, conservative kid then. Now I'm a big, bearded, heretic bastid

I'm with you, BB. ANY negative interaction ruins my hunt......

Once I was hunting a yard, WITH permission, when the wife starting getting weird on me. She saw me taking pics (excitedly) as the silvers were coming out of the ground, (my best one day silver count of nine) and started thinking I was cutting a fat cat (they were newer silvers, rosies and georges) so she backtracked from "letting me have whatever I find" to, "well, you are going to split that with me, aren't you?" to just plain, "I don't think you should hunt anymore til I speak to my husband".

Even though it was my best silver day ever, I left frustrated and angry. To make matters worse, they had an underground electric dog fence thats signal was interupted the same day. Of course she said that I dug and cut it. So I went back over to help the husband figure it out (I knew I hadn't as I was easily able to avoid it due to it causing my detector to be unstable whenever I got near it). Turns out, their kids had severed it while digging in the back yard.
I did get a little satisfaction later when her husband told me not to worry about it, and that she was being ridiculous.

As far as curb hunting, I skip it, for the very reason above. One of our club members does like to hunt those areas. He claims to NOT be confrontational, but he does like to be "right". I always goat him by saying, "If that's public access property, then the owners won't mind if I plant a couple rows of corn there, will they?"

Happy worryfree hunting to you all,
Jules