Trespassers on new property

First thing I would do is get the land posted and put up the appropriate markers/ signs. That gives you more legal protection than just calling the sheriff and complaining.

Second would be to meet your new neighbours (all within 1/2 mile or so if a rural area) and let them know you've purchased the property and ask them if they'd keep an eye on it. Give them your phone number so they can call if they see any trespassers.

Third would be to talk to your immediate neighbours (the relatives farming the field you now own). If you are amenable this first year, why not offer to let them lease the field for farming purposes (if you feel comfortable doing so)? OR at least talk to them about what they've grown there before and perhaps ask "advice" on good use of the field. That gets them on your side. You can also let them know you are concerned about trespassers and ask them to help keep an eye on the place.

Do NOT assume its the former resident. It could be the dad, a friend, or total strangers.


If you don't have any "proof" you don't have ANY "truth".



Get the proof and get there as soon as you can.

__________________
You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.

Trespassers will be shot on sight, Survivors will be shot again. Good fences don't make good neighbors, they only keep the honest folk out.

I had a similar problem this past year with this property I now live on. I wasn't living here at the time and a couple of my neighbors had been broken into already. I had a street light installed out by the road and had to sleep on the inside behind the door to keep the junkies out. This having not been my first experience with junkies they all know if I catch you I will string you up, I had to modify all of the doors and widows and booby trap avenues of approach to stop the madness. Didn't lose a nickel to the thieving bastards in the end but it wasn't for lack of them trying.

We don't call 911 around here we call .870

That's what I did when we bought the parcel of land adjacent to our own ( which actually was originally with our house and property two owners back). Well, I didn't REALLY put nails out there, but after waiting on the trails and telling the kids from town to turn around, go back and never return, apparently they didn't think I meant it. A short time later there were more tracks and ruts, so I happened to mention in passing to one of their brothers that someone was still out there when I asked them not to be, so I put out some boards with nails on them. Just the idea of having to replace their tires was enough to convince them, and I never had to lay out a single nail.

No matter what you do, when it comes to land you're gonna tick someone off if they've used it in the past. Case in point, I have an open door policy with my neighbors, they can hunt my land so long as I can theirs. However this year I decided to mark out the boundries with some "Posted" signs because we've had some shady characters around and I felt the need to start controlling who was out there. I thought I told all my neighbors they didn't apply to them. Apparently I forgot one, because he called my uncle and complained ( never did call me ) and put up "Posted" signs of his own. I've known this man all my life and rather than just calling me he just jumped to conclusions.

Best part is, it's not his land but his nephew's family, and after a quick chat with the nephew's wife I was told not to worry about it, they had no qualms with "sharing" their land. They had no clue the signs were even put up.

Sometimes you just can't win, someone's gonna get mad.

I believe, in my post, I didn't say it was "ok" or "right"... I said that the fact on the ground exists...

If you park your truck and walk away, in certain "neighborhoods", it will be drove away, and "used". Again, it may not be "ok" or "right", but the fact that it'd be stolen, is the fact on the ground.

Leave movable property in sight of the road, and you've left a huge "Steal Me" sign on it. Own property and you don't live there, you've left a huge "No One Lives Here, Come On In and Party!" sign.

OP, folks have troubles with snowmobiles, even when they do live there... once your on site, be prepared for a re-education process.

__________________
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

start with posted signs,,,,place an ad in the paper,new owner and posted, if yu find out for sure who is coming on,,send them a certified letter,telling them you are the new owner and that they don't have permission to be there.....meet the father and ask him if he wants to make a deal on farming part of your land for like two more years but you want a secure area around the house,,,be nice and exit quickly if it does't appear to be heading in the right direction,,,,mention you will have several family members stoping by at differant intervels..........talk to other neighbors if possible..........

well at some point your going to have to atleast deal with the previous owner's dad that lives next door. the sooner the better. perhaps talk some farming tell him what you plant to do with the land.. not just a person trying to profit from his poor boy's hard time. hope the dad is of the old type of mind he will HOPEFULLY shake your hand and say glad to meet ya neighbor

I wouldn't go in guns a' blazin'. You DO have to live next to the family members. The people who lost their home to foreclosure will obviously be going through some anger issues and pain. Just because it was foreclosed doesn't mean they weren't trying to pay their bills or what not. No telling what their circumstances are. All I'm saying is they have lost their home, to which they surely have emotional ties. Life does go on and you are the new owner. They will have to accept that. They do not have a right to be on your property whether you are there or not. Again, a good alarm system (with clearly posted signs) is an indication to any & all that you're interested in protecting your investment. Can't do much more than that until you are out there full time. Be the good guy coming into this new place or you'll always be the 'bad guy'. You're not part of their club/community yet and your first impression is still important. You can still be firm and good all at the same time.

Besides.. if the tire marks go straight back to the dad's place.. they KNOW that YOU KNOW and might be expecting you to start a fight. Is fencing possible? (Sorry in advance if this has already been mentioned/addressed.)

And I agree with StickyBurr above me. Make a point to meet your new neighbors and be cordial. It might help them put a face to it all and help ease some of the anxiety. You just might end up with a good neighbor out of it after all.

__________________
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

Is said tresspasser hurting/bothering anything?
If not, is it worth the agravation to try to stop
this person from driving across the property?
Not saying its OK to use anothers property without
permission. But getting some rough feelings in
the neighborhood mite not be the right choice,
either. Pick your fights carefully.

I am assuming that your post was tongue in cheek. If not, then if the prior post was worthy of post of the year then your post is qualified as the most assinine post of the year. There is NO way that you can justify the usage of property that you do not own.

Bob

griz,

Someone like VERN in IL is probably the very reason that those folks posted their property the way they did. He obviously feels that everyone owes him courtesy but he owes nobody else courtesy such as staying off of property that doesn't belong to him unless he is invited.

It's probably not that the folks are snobbish, they just know which folks are worth tipping a hat to and which aren't.

Mike

Let's see you after finding unexplained tracks around your house and property by someone trespassing. Wouldn't you be at the least a little concerned about why, or what were they up to?

Not nessecarily.
Ive owned a few farms over the years.
I never posted one. Only asked one man
to leave, for a good reason. I have 4 fish
ponds around here now, and anyone who
wants to is welcome to fish. I deal with
trouble makes individually. If it bothers
you for neighbors to come on your place,
fine with me. I don't care.

Something else.
I remember when I was 12 or 13, some men
from the church came to Dad one Sunday
afternoon and asked him to gate a couple of
his farm roads. He asked why. They said some
of the young folk around were using our big
back field for a lovers lane. Dad said "And where
would you like for them to do it?" They are
at least safe over there, and they are not
hurting anything.

Just curious.
Talking about bees in the bonnet
Not to make you furious...
why do your posts look like a sonnet?

Not to take you to task
But the short lines make me ask.

Not really.

The place I bought had been abandoned for years. The first weekend I was out working on it a neighbor came by looking for his escaped bull.

Next day a guy came around looking for his dogs.

Lots of reasons folks come looking around. The place across from me has absentee owners and has a very old cabin on it. It looks to me like it could be 100 years old or so and just slowly rotting away. I'll likely go hop the fence and take a look at it some time just to see what it is.

I met all the neighbors close by, talked with em each for bit, and I don't mind if they come on the property at all. The more friendly eyes on the place the better while I can't live there.

As a kid I roamed far and wide camping and hunting on folks property. I always went to the house and asked permission, usually got it. Also hung out on land where the owners did not live there, nobody to ask permission from. Never caused problems for anyone.

I did fence and gate the place but more for me so I can let my dogs run when I'm down working and staying ta the cabin, but I don't lock the gates, nor the cabin nor the barn. I just don't leave anything out there worth the trouble to steal and go pawn. Now that it's fenced I may offer a neighbor use of the pasture or a real cheap lease.

DavidUnderwood,

Your property, your call as to whether you allow people to come on your place without your specific permission.

Some neighbors we allow free reign to use our trails. Others we would never allow on our place.

Not asking before using someone elses property as if it were your own is hardly neighborly. It's also a good way to get shot.

Unless there was a clear emergency with someones life at risk I wouldn't trespass on someones property. I expect others to treat me and our property with the same respect.

It really is that simple.

Mike

Do as you wish with what is yours.
Around here everybody knows all
the neighbors. A 16 Y/O and his
brother is welcome to kill my squrriels.
If you don't tear up my crops, you
may drive across my fierld lookiing
for your coon dog. I doubt it could
read a posted sign, anyhow!

Silverback, I'm just strange like that!
I'm short and fat, and make my post
sorta that way too, I guess!

You bought it....its yours. Whether you live on it or not, does NOT give anyone the right to trespass. You Cannot rely upon the local PD or sherriff to guard what is yours, it is NOT the job of law enforcement. You can deal with this a few ways, let the perp continue on as long as no damage is done, and deal with it, you can do the camera thing to catch them in the act for cold hard evidence, or if you are this concerned about it do what i would do, stay there. Look, bottom line, if you aint there, shinanigans will happen, and aint a darned thing you will be able to do about it. I know what I would do, but the general concensus around here would surely disagree....