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Rock Picking - Spinoff Thread

565 Views 7 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  ronbre, 
C
Didn't want to hijack the other rock picking thread, lol, but have a question. There's a place not far from me that has an old rock building that has fallen in. It hasn't been touched in the two years I've lived here, and it looks like it's been down many more years than that. I'd love to have some (okay a lot!) of those rocks, but don't know how to find out who even owns the place.

There are no addresses, signs, mailboxes, neighbors, etc., within a mile of this place. All I know is the name of the road it's on and how far off a major highway it is. I tried to go to the nearest neighboring house to ask (as I said, about a mile away), but they had three very large guard dogs who charged the car when I pulled in, and even after sitting a bit and even honking, no one ever came out, although there were cars there. There was a mailbox in front of this house, but no address or name on it!

I'm not even sure what town it's in, as I'm in one, but a property I looked out further on the same road is listed as in another town, even though they're both only about 3-5 miles from me. Any suggestions on how I can find out who owns the rocks and how to contact them to ask permission?? Thanks all! :)
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J
Go to the courthouse and look at the county records.
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C
I used to be a Realtor, and the courthouse is full of useful info. Or a Plat book, if you have one, shows property lines and owners, but the courthouse is usually pretty easy.
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K
Someone is paying property taxes on it.

If nothing else try to pin down the physical location of the property. Someone with a Blackberry cell could give you coordinates, but 2.5 miles west on County Road DD from the intersection with County Road H should let the tax people pin it down.

Far as I know it is public information.
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O
One could go to the FSA (USDA) office and look at their aerial maps. Find your place, then move to where the property in question is located. That property may or may not be shown with an identification number. They would maybe have a record of the owner. If not, you could get the legal description of the parcel and take that to the county courthouse (county clerks office). Most county clerk office personell will help you find the information you seek, but you do need the legal description.
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C
Okay, thanks everyone! Sounds like the county courthouse is a good place to start! I've never tried to find out anything like this, lol, and didn't even know where to start. :)
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K
Locally the County Assessor's Office has plot maps of every part of the county. They adjust property lines after property transfers. Also double check against periodic aerial maps. For example you build a new barn and likely they will come by within a year or two to redo the assessment.

Likely the local plot for that property will show the old homesite.

I get a call from timber cutters about once a year. They find the owners of large tracts of woods using the resources of that office. For example they might ask who owns the woods between Pumpkin Creek, West Blue Creek and Forks River Roads and Highway 13. Office personnel would bring out the plot maps for them.
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R
check out the platt book and then go to your county office that would have the name and address of the taxpayer..then write to them and ask for salvage rights
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