The worst day metal detecting ever!

[Mattkoz]

Well me and my dad went to this old farm. I did alot of research on this place and it was a farm during the early 18th century. When we got there the place was covered in tall weeds so we decidid to go along the trail leading to it. Them down the road comes a cop car. They pull over and ask us what we are doing. Well i think we all know where this is going. She says were not allowed to detect here and asks my dad for id. Well my dad got a $75 dollar fine and i could of got one too but since im a teenager she let me off the hook. Now when i researched this place it was not part of the park where you cant metal detect. But she said that it was only recently that it was added to the park land.(within this month) She said the fine for detecting was to go to court and our stuff would be confiscated. But she made an exception. To top it off while we were there we did'nt find a single thing for the time we were there. Well i think i really need to look into sites more closely and keep track of them. Well we sure learned my lesson here.

 

[mamabear]

Yes! a bad day. would have been worse if they confiscated your gear though. I think I would ask at the courthouse before I hunt from now on. Jeesh!

 

[vanoldschool]

I would of asked for there id and ask where the private property signs were!

 

[Mattkoz]

The only markers were a US boundary marker at the entrance but that was it. Nothing that said private property.

 

[ecmjamsit]

Well, I hope your Dad contests the charge and the judge agrees to dismiss the case. No harm was done and you didn't remove any artifacts, so where is the crime? I wish you best of luck in the future!

 

[allen]

that stinks !
it couldve been worse,
you both couldve ended up in
jail and your vehicle and detectors confiscated.

 

[creeper71]

that stinks !
it couldve been worse,
you both couldve ended up in
jail and your vehicle and detectors confiscated.

if your talking about a state park...in Pa it's a 1000.00 fine for all holes dug without permission on top of what allen just said...but I would atleast fight this... If the cop doesn't show up for hearing charges have to be dropped... also most of the time they will plea bargin with you the day of hearing so they don't have to go into the hearing....

 

[garthbfan169]

Where about in SE PA. I live in SE PA and something doesn't sound right. Definitely contest it. If there are no signs then they can't expect you to mind read. Also if you had permission to hunt the farm the trail might be part of the farm. It's not the money it's the point of it. If the property was just added to the park system and there are no signs warning you of this then at worst a warning should of been issued!

 

[Mattkoz]

Well its across the river from valley forge but was not a part of the park and it has no monuments, or memorial. Just gated off farm buildings. Plus we just started detecting when the cop arrive. I did'nt even get a signal let alone dig by the time she got there. We just got the fine for having them and being there. We were'nt there for a minute plus it was on the side of a jogging trail near the place about 200 feet from it so we were'nt even near the place.So technically we were'nt digging at a historic spot, just along the side of a trail. So its almost like paying $75 for having a metal detector. Also we dont have to go to court, just have to pay the fine.

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Most of the time, a warning is all that is given, unless there was some attitude thrown into the formula . Years back I got a "you can't do that here" warning. I politely apologized for my ignorance and packed my stuff up.

Signs that say "US" are a whole different ballgame. They are real touchy about federal land.

I would just go into court and ask for forgiveness.

 

[Silver Searcher]

that really sucks if that had been here, the worst that you would have got was a ticking of

pack up your stuff and move here

SS.

 

[Mattkoz]

While walking down the trail i noticed a house that looked to be modern and in use and thought it might be the owner of the land. Maybe they could help straighten things out. Just a thought. Also the place we went to was called Pawling farms.

 

[spartacus53]

That was not a good outing at all. That officer could have also cut you a break seeing that the land just became part of a park in under a month. Isn't there any boundaries, or signs denoting it is park property? I would take my day in court and plead my case. Good luck

 

[creeper71]

Well its across the river from valley forge but was not a part of the park and it has no monuments, or memorial. Just gated off farm buildings. Plus we just started detecting when the cop arrive. I did'nt even get a signal let alone dig by the time she got there. We just got the fine for having them and being there. We were'nt there for a minute plus it was on the side of a jogging trail near the place about 200 feet from it so we were'nt even near the place.So technically we were'nt digging at a historic spot, just along the side of a trail. So its almost like paying $75 for having a metal detector. Also we dont have to go to court, just have to pay the fine.

if it is a real citation you will have to go to district justice to plea guilty or not... if you plea not guilty there will be a hearing set... if you plea guilty the money must be paid right then an there... I never would plea guilty to something I think I wasn't guilty of just to get it over with...

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

While walking down the trail i noticed a house that looked to be modern and in use and thought it might be the owner of the land. Maybe they could help straighten things out. Just a thought. Also the place we went to was called Pawling farms.

In that case, I would call the whole situation "apawling"!

 

[beetle662]

I would of asked for there id and ask where the private property signs were!

Dude... seriously A cruiser roles up, a uniformed officer gets, and you want to ask for an ID? Gimme a break.

As far as the boundaries go, that is a load of cr@p for you guys. You honestly didn't know, which is why you got the break. But as the courts say, ignorance is no excuse. Be grateful you didn't get your equipment confiscated.

 

[beetle662]

Well its across the river from valley forge but was not a part of the park and it has no monuments, or memorial. Just gated off farm buildings. Plus we just started detecting when the cop arrive. I did'nt even get a signal let alone dig by the time she got there. We just got the fine for having them and being there. We were'nt there for a minute plus it was on the side of a jogging trail near the place about 200 feet from it so we were'nt even near the place.So technically we were'nt digging at a historic spot, just along the side of a trail. So its almost like paying $75 for having a metal detector. Also we dont have to go to court, just have to pay the fine.

You were seen metal detecting! You said it...

Also, you said it was gated off farm buildings. This should have been your first clue for SOME sort of permission. Obviously, if something is gated off, it's gated off for a reason.

Common sense folks... please!

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Well its across the river from valley forge but was not a part of the park and it has no monuments, or memorial. Just gated off farm buildings. Plus we just started detecting when the cop arrive. I did'nt even get a signal let alone dig by the time she got there. We just got the fine for having them and being there. We were'nt there for a minute plus it was on the side of a jogging trail near the place about 200 feet from it so we were'nt even near the place.So technically we were'nt digging at a historic spot, just along the side of a trail. So its almost like paying $75 for having a metal detector. Also we dont have to go to court, just have to pay the fine.

You were seen metal detecting! You said it...

Also, you said it was gated off farm buildings. This should have been your first clue for SOME sort of permission. Obviously, if something is gated off, it's gated off for a reason.

Common sense folks... please!

Agreed... Also any of the high profile historic sites are not going to show any leniency; Valley Forge , Gettysburg, Antebellum etc....

 

[treasurefiend]

That sucks!!! Last year a buddy and I went out to hunt in some woods, it was super over grown so we exited the woods after maybe 45 min. Right as soon as we exited the woods a cop pulled up really fast from across the parking lot and asked what we were doing with our shovels. He then asked where were we exactly and then asked what "those machines" are for. Well we said they are metal detectors and we were trying to find older coins but before we could finish our sentences he said that he was gonna bring us in. We were like WHAT? We told him that a few old houses were out in the woods and we just tried to find them with our GPS and we showed him some old 1938 areal photos with coordinats and we showed him some stuff that we found (all old metal junk). Well he wound up letting us go and told us not to come back to these woods.

I am not positive but I think there might be a marijuana field and they were just waiting to bust anybody they thought was going to it.

 

[wingmaster]

Well I think if its state or federal land its should be ours to use as tax payers as long as were not hurting anything if you dig a plug right they wouldnt even be able to tell you dug a hole to begin with. If theres an endagered plant or something I would respect that but just because they think you might find something worth something for free the government doesnt seem to like that I guess just my 2 centers worth anyway.