question about trespassers

[ihuntgsps]

I am curious how you all feel about unwanted people showing up at your homes and how you deal with them. I moved to my dream place in the country on 6 acres 2 yrs ago.No neighbors for a mile or more in any direction. Since then I have had 3 instances(that I know of) where people have come to my home and wondered around the place, my building, etc. without my permission when no one was home. 2 times I had people call about some puppies I was selling. Gave them directions and they never showed up. The one guy called me days later telling me he wanted "the one with the white balze on its head" asked how he knew what they even looked like and he told me he and his friend had come out while I was at work and walked around the place and found them and played with them awhile. I cussed him out for doing that and warned him not to ever come out to my place again when I am not around. My wife feels I was a little harsh on him. Had another instance when I was at home yesterday with a migraine. Thought I heard a knock at the door but wasn't sure since it woke me up. Then hear someone walking around the side of my home and look out the window and some guy is walking behind my house. My mastiffs were growling but keeping their distance from him.
I grabbed a pistol and tucked it in my pants and went out to confront him. He was about 300' behind my place walking toward the barn when I confronted him. He was looking for the previous owner and works for a Farm service company selling ag chemicals. Told him the guy doesn't live there and he shouldn't be wondering around my property without permission. What would prompt people to do this? My wife feels it is fairly innocent and I am furious they would do this.
Bottom line is....Is it wrong for me to feel violated by people coming to my place and wondering around? How would you react to these situations?

[TurnerHill]

The guy coming around and looking at your dogs without you there was out of line.

The ag sales guy was not. Very often, you won't find a farmer at the house. In fact, you could argue that you'll never find a real farmer at the house during daylight. So people coming to conduct business with a farmer need to look around for him, and might well try the barn and fields before looking at the house. Especially if they knew the owner (or thought they did, in this case) and were familiar with his habits.

Overall, I wouldn't say you are wrong, but I'd call you a bit touchy.

[SFM in KY]

When I lived in Montana, it was not uncommon for someone to come without advance notice (there were times I lived places there that did not have phone service and cell phones didn't work so calls in advance weren't really an option) and if nobody answered at the house it wasn't considered rude or intrusive to walk around the outbuildings. As TurnerHill posted ... during the daytime, lots of farmers/ranchers are not in the house and even more today, wives are often out helping rather than in the house as well.

Here in Kentucky, with so many more people, even though it is a rural area, I am not comfortable with people coming unannounced and definitely not comfortable with anyone wandering around if I'm not there. However, I have to say I've not noticed it happening too often ... they do seem to have a habit of parking the vehicle and honking ... if nobody shows up, they leave.

I've noticed people getting a lot edgier about any kind of unannounced arrival though, especially over the last year or so. The home invasion type robberies have risen a lot ... and not just in the urban areas.

[Jennifer L.]

That's why I don't like to sell things, because you've got people coming onto your place looking things over. Still, if you want to sell something it's hard to do it any other way. I like to control things as much as I can when I do it, like saying "pick up on the weekends only" or whatever.

If it really bothers you, then you need to gate your driveway and post it with the procedures someone needs to follow to gain admittance. It's too much of a PITA for me to want to do that, though. I don't want to have to be opening and shutting gates myself if it's not involved with livestock.

Jennifer

[Common Tator]

I don't think you were wrong in either instance. I have had similar instances. About a month and a half ago I had someone open the door to the house when I was taking a nap. I jumped out of bed and confronted him before he got inside. He said he was letting my poor starving kitty in. Kitty was neither poor nor starving, and the guy didn't knock or announce his presence in any way. He had hiked past our locked gate and about a quarter of a mile from the gate to the house, with full knowledge that he was trespassing.

You may want to put your phone number on your 'No Trespassing' signs, and that gives people the opportunity to call you if they feel they have business to conduct with you, and it gives you the opportunity to decide who you will allow on the property.

When people call, it takes a minute or less of my time to make that determination. When they show up uninvited, it is always when I am trying to do something important that I must stop (like cooking supper), usually go hunt them down, and escort them off the property. This can take a long time if they are on foot, and I always make them leave, the same way they entered, to ensure that they aren't making a habit of taking a shortcut through the ranch. If they get abusive, I am more than willing to call the sheriff and have them arrested for criminal trespass.

[tailwagging]

I have considered not having people come to my house even with home security in place. Too many get broken in to afterwards. it is hard though when everywhere people are told if you don't lets them come out your a puppy,chicken mill or bunny mill.

[theuniquey]

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

I've noticed people getting a lot edgier about any kind of unannounced arrival though, especially over the last year or so. The home invasion type robberies have risen a lot ... and not just in the urban areas.

A high rock wall with sharp glass on top and lots of signs about guns and dogs ought to keep the nightmares out of your dream.
Bear in mind that not every visitor should be treated as an intruder. We have made many friends because a stranger dared stop by and meet "the new kids in town." But...if you are antisocial by nature, the wall should serve you well.

[Hoop]

I'm thinking you may have some serious paranoia issues. The salesperson was simply performing his job in a reasonable manner within the bounds of the modern society we live in, and you're close to coming unhinged.

Indeed, it is your property. But know that you are living within the bounds of a modern society. Innocent visits, from those with well meaning intentions, should not raise such ire from a normal person.

[geo in mi]

Back when I lived on the farm in Indiana, it was proper etiquette for the visitor to come to the house door first and knock. If it seemed nobody was home, it was okay to go out to the barn and yell inside, "Who's here?"..................

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(Hoosier)

[plowjockey]

Not out of line at all, IMO.

The "ag salesman" could have been lying and was just casing your place. Did he not own a phone to call his customers? What kind of salesman does not call on his customer for 2 years?

The puppy buyer purposely came by unannounced. Plain rude. If he had been bit by another dog, you sure would have heard about it. Would he have been alright if you wandered around in his garage?

People should respect other's property.

[stormwalker]

I'm of two minds here.
On the one hand, even as a child I had to chase unauthorized hunters off our land. It seemed none of them could tell the difference between a dog and a deer!
Now, on the other side, if one of my neighbors want to find me- they're going to have to hunt me up out back!

[WolfWalksSoftly]

Put up a fence and locked driveway gates.
And no, you should feel violated.

[Ravenlost]

I don't like it one bit and won't tolerate it. If you don't have a personal invitation directly from me, you better not set foot on my property! That's the way I was raised. Our house sits a half mile off the road and we have a locked gate to keep folks out.

In the five years we've been here the word has gotten out that I don't hesitate to call the Sheriff's office to come out and that I have a gun and will use it. Hubby said the men who cut our hay every year are scared of me and I like it that way!

[watcher]

Depends on the area and how you are set up. As noted in a lot of places its common for people to look for you around the place if you aren't at the house. If this is how it is around there about all you can do is let people know you would rather they didn't. A gate across the drive and posting no trespassing signs lets them know. A beware of dog sign below the no trespassing sign on the gate will help as well.

Where I grew up unless you were a good friend, had business or called first you didn't even go to a person's house much less walk around their place.

[starjj]

This brings up an interesting point. What do you do about electric readers and water meter readers if you fence and gate off your property?

I am SERIOUSLY considering putting up electric fence and a gate at the end of my property simply because the neighbors won't keep their dogs off my land. Electric is cheap since I have the box already and i figure a nice strong zap will keep the dogs off the land.

I could go with something else but consider electric option is the cheapest.

I do NOT want to zap the meter readers though lol.

[foxtrapper]

Well, if you don't have it posted that you're a nasty codger who hates people, they won't know it. So they're likely to assume you're an ok person and not worry about looking around for you, or playing with some puppies if you aren't there when they come by.

So either become nicer, or post signs to let people know how much you don't want them there.

[whodunit]

I believe in many states you have to have your property lines clearly marked with "no trespassing" signs or marked by using orange paint at various distances along the property lines.

Here the only exception is a cultivated field. So, unmarked property and unmarked fallow fields are open to the public until the person is asked to leave by the owner or their representative. It's not trespassing until the person refuses to leave.

Also, as far as your home goes, I believe there is something known as "curtledge", which is an area around your home that is generally acceptable for the public to access.

This "curteledge" is usually noted by open gates, driveways leading up to the yard, walkways to the front door, front doors, open or unsecured gates, welcome signs, etc. These things give implied consent for people to come to your home. Examples of these types of people would be law enforcement, post office personnel, delivery people, salespersons, utility workers, etc., or even just a lost motorist or anyone seeking aid for that matter.

Anyone roaming the property outside of the above in an area that is not marked is still probably not trespassing.

Unfortunately, holding someone against their will when the property wasn't marked and they are willing to leave is probably more likely to get you in trouble for "false arrest" or a similar crime.

Now opening and entering your home or outbuildings is a different matter.

This would be "unlawful entry" (a misdemeanor) in most states and even burglary (a felony) if it could be shown they had intent to steal when they entered the building. This can be indicated by them having no reasonable explanation for being inside the building and by their possession of what might be considered burglary tools (crowbars, channel locks, flashlights, empty bags, etc.)

[whodunit]

Originally Posted by starjj

This brings up an interesting point. What do you do about electric readers and water meter readers if you fence and gate off your property?

I am SERIOUSLY considering putting up electric fence and a gate at the end of my property simply because the neighbors won't keep their dogs off my land. Electric is cheap since I have the box already and i figure a nice strong zap will keep the dogs off the land.

I could go with something else but consider electric option is the cheapest.

I do NOT want to zap the meter readers though lol.

In our rural areas we actually read the electric meter ourselves on a certain date and sent in the reading with our bill from the previous month.

To answer your question, if these people can't access the meters, they will probably just guesstimate (probably higher) based on your previous usage.

[ronbre]

I don't approve of people walking around on our property, esp back in our woods..there are people here that shoot guns..target practice..and our woods is our woods..no one should ever be there..

often lately when i've been back by the pond i've been hearing voices and playing children in our woods..where they target practice..

people need to teach their children to NOT TRESPASS...they could very innocently be shot dead..

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by theuniquey

A high rock wall with sharp glass on top and lots of signs about guns and dogs ought to keep the nightmares out of your dream.
Bear in mind that not every visitor should be treated as an intruder. We have made many friends because a stranger dared stop by and meet "the new kids in town." But...if you are antisocial by nature, the wall should serve you well.

We're both retired, at least one of us is on the property close to 99% of the time other than the occasional (like twice a month) afternoon trips to town for groceries, etc. ...

The neighbors know where to look for us, I have no problem with the occasional person looking for someone else, or salesmen or whoever and if I don't want them here I'm not shy about asking them to leave.

I have, on occasion, been uncomfortable about a couple of "good old boys" wandering in looking for their coon dog ... especially in a pickup truck without dog boxes... and I've been known to suggest that a stray dog probably wouldn't be tolerated by my dogs, that I haven't seen one or heard one and this is a private road.

I have to admit I do like my privacy although I'm not sure I'm exactly antisocial ... and I'm not paranoid, just a bit more careful than I used to be 30 years ago in an area where I'd known most of the people all my life.