Trespassers on new property

Roofing nails work well also.

I am assuming there is access to the fields without having to drive through your property? I know is MS we have people driving through our property to get to their fields. Even though there is not an easement, in MS, if a piece of property is landlocked then you can not stop them from going through your property to get to theirs.

Game cameras are fairly inexpensive now and I utilize one to see who is on our property as well. Stay away from the board/nails. That will only cause problems down the road. Are you able to install a cable with signage/flagging (make sure the cable is easily seen) across the road?

volleypc, yes there is access to the fields. They used that access to drive thru the field then onto the property. No landlock here. Our property is surrounded by this field on the north and east sides. The south side is the road which leads to the lake, and the west side is a woods/road.

We've begun going up daily, at different times of the day. And taking one of the dogs with us on occasion too. I have spoken with the sheriff's department and they are doing the same, checking it at different times of the day. The lady that I spoke with is very familiar with the former owner. Her words were "oh, I bet it's the former owner, he was a real stinker to get out of there". She then shared with me that his brother just lost the place down the road from us (foreclosure) and that the previous owner had moved in with his dad, but his dad had ended up "setting him out". He also appears to be in some legal trouble, both he and his girlfriend have felonies against them according to the sheriff's department. So, it looks like they may be having another "residence" here shortly.

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S-J Farms
http://s-jfarms.com

"if a piece of property is landlocked then you can not stop them from going through your property to get to theirs."

In FL it is the buyer's responsibility to ensure there is legal access and egress to the property. Adjoing land owners are not forced to give them an easement.

I wanted to give an update on the situation. We went and introduced ourselves to the father of the previous owner. The father will be one of our new neighbors.

Small world! It ends up that he used to run around with my birth mom and her brother back in the day. He knew the family really well and spoke fondly of them. My birth uncle was in a horrible car accident back in the 60's, and this guy was in the car with him! We had a wonderful visit with him, nicest guy that you'd ever want to meet. He shared some good info on our property and about his own history in the area. There's a dog kennel sitting at the back of the property that he mentioned. He said that his son had borrowed it, but he didn't bring it back to him before he was forced to move out. We're going to load it up on the trailer and return it to him. I told my DH that as much as I'd like to keep the kennel, and even though it's legally ours, I'd rather have a happy neighbor.

When we got ready to go, he offered my husband use of some of his equipment if he needed it and said to give him a holler if we needed help with anything. We told him to please do the same. I think we got a good neighbor in this guy!

We also have the sheriff coming in each day. The deputy parks his car at the start of the driveway and walks up the drive to the house and does a complete walk around of the house and barn.

Since this, we've had no further evidence of people trespassing. As an added bonus, the access road to that part of the lake runs thru our property. The few (about 6 families) that live back there year-round have now started waving at us if we're near the road.

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S-J Farms
http://s-jfarms.com

There is a BIG difference between what Texican is saying, and what Verne is saying. Texican is saying that there are unsavory people, people with no respect and no manners everywhere...and if your not present to protect your land, some lowlife will undoubtedly take advantage of this.

VERNE is saying that, as the owner of the property, the guy who bought it and PAYS THE TAXES, you really have no right to it and he has every right to trespass and do as he pleases! Outrageous!

Glad to hear that you have worked things out. My DH, kids and I had a run in once with trespassing. Out here there are miles and miles of unoccupied land and mountains, doesn't mean someone doesn't own areas of it though. The roads are for the most part public access, but the land on either side my or may not be public land. The owners do not have to post signs here, it is up to the people wanting to go on that land to know if it's private or not, there are maps for that. Well one day we were all out for a drive and some hiking. We pulled off the road at a place that we thought was not private (forgot the maps). Well we get out and start walking, a few seconds later a guy pulls up and calls out to us, we walk back and he informs us in a firm manner we are on his land, we apologize and after a short talk, it turns out he was headed down the mountain to meet the sheriff to get so hunters off his property in another area. Poor guy, ----ed off at the hunters for not leaving, going to get sheriff and low and behold he runs' across more people on his property. He gave us directions to another nice place to go that was public.

See that's the Key VERN . While you may not intend any thievery or harm you just might be doing so without knowing.
Like the guy that told me he wasn't doing any harm on my place just picking mushrooms....Well Ive made the payments on this place since the 80's and he gets the ONLY mushroom Ive ever even heard of growing here?
Or the guys that wanted to watch undisterbed nature so he bought 160 acres and set up a blind in the middle of it? Just walking by would effectively be stealling his 160 acres.

Absolutely. I have to admit that I do sometimes trespass. The trails that link to my property go through other properties and I sometimes walk them for exercise or to get to the pond where I like to fish. But ultimately, I KNOW I'm on somebody else's property and I'm really not supposed to be there even though I am on good terms with my neighbors.

To be honest, if one of my neighbors saw me I would immediately apologize and would feel pretty embarrassed.

Thanks for the update Jo. I had almost forgotten what the original post was about. Glad things are going well.

Nomad

I wouldn't but why would I? We walk across our neighbors' property often when needed and they do the same; there's no issue ever because we are neighbors and friends. A stranger wandering on their land would have us calling to let them know; they would do the same for us. BTW, 1 neighbor's nephew bowhunts on his land; if some rascally rodent crosses ours, we expect him to go get it, clean up and take it away. Our garden appreciates that.

I don't agree with tresspaessing on property where you aren't wanted, but there is some truth in what is being said too - it's all about attitude.

Living out in the country, one kinda looks to be friends and work with and share with a neighbor.

Doesn't help to come in like some with all attitude & signs and disrespectful of the natives living there..... Won't make people respect you back, for sure! Fine if you want to live alone & lonely, but..... Jeez. There should be some middle ground.

--->Paul

I rode around my neighbors fields one nite didnot think I was tresspassing.I was trying to find my horses that had gotten out.He might had a reason the be on your place and didnot know who to call.I would wait to see how often it happens.Then try to talk to the person.

Hmmm.......We have all our near neighbors' phone numbers handy. They all live on the other side of the Valley.We've visited with most of them or invited them over. I have had occasion to sit & talk with most every one, too. It just makes for a nicer neighborhood.

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Old John

There is a difference between being on the land of someone you know and someone that you havent. Thus treat a neighbors land with respect till you get to know how they feel THEN respect their wishes!

GM, great to hear that your actual neighbor is such a nice guy, and knows of your family already! That can go a long way toward helping to get you settled in. Poor man, though--sounds like he knows his son (both of them, it sounds like?) is a bit of a ne're-do-well if he's kicked him out himself.

This whole thread is making me really happy that my little chunk of land is just that, little, as well as completely visible from either my mom's house or the road or neighbors' houses, depending which bits you want to look at. I don't think we'll ever have to deal with problematic trespassers because it's just too visible.