I'm wore out! - fencing

SteveH_CT · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

Awesome days work there Soundguy - Feel free to drop by my place any time... I'll only put you to work for 1/2 a day at the rate you work! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif And of course all the liquid beverage of your choice /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

SteveH_CT · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

Isn't that the truth! They live in the suburbs, and then come out to someone elses land, grub it up, and then complain when people don't want them back there. Last year I ended up dropping trees to strategically block access to our large (100acres) lot in East Haddam. Horse riders still go up there, and thats fine with me - it's the yahoos leaving broken bottles and garbage all over the place that really irks me. So far the trees have worked - it's been almost a year, and not once has someone driven up on our land.

Henro · Oct 4, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

Funny (actually NOT funny) when you think of it, how people on motorcycles and ATVs cause us to react even though we would rather not make the effort...

Sewers went in where I am over the winter, and that left an invitation for motorcycles/ATVs to run through my place. Now I only have 3.7 acres, but the way the line ran it came in a V shape, with the bottom of the V being just behind my pond.

Fortunately I was cleaning up the two acres behind my pond this year, so I used the standing dead trees that I took down to make a fence of sorts, that crosses the sewer line right of way, and extends up the hill about 250 or 300 feet. In the most worrisome area, the stuff (which is stacked like pick up sticks, mostly pointing towards the way someone would come) is maybe 5 feet high. I got some fill later, since that slope was a bit scary when I came down it on the tractor and had to turn at the bottom, and so in the attached picture the barrier does not look as good as it really is from the other side.

I needed to put the dead wood somewhere anyway, but it really pains me that rather than doing what I might want to do with it, I ended up doing what I felt I HAD to do with it, driven by the expectation that if I did not, I would have to live with ripped up areas and the resulting erosion that follows.

A couple months ago I saw a kid on a small motorcycle riding on my neighbor's property, and coming over to mine, on the other leg of the V, which I do not want to block at the property line. I walked down and waved to him and he came over. We talked a little and I told him I used to ride bikes too, so I know how much fun they are and all that, but I would rather he did not ride on my property, and I knew that my neighbor did not want motorcycles on his property either...

He was a nice, polite boy around 14, and he said he did not realize that, and he would not do it again.

Thinking back, when I was a kid I really did not realize the "woods" belonged to anyone. I knew people's homes and lawns did, and the local park did, and that golf course up on top of the hill did...but the woods? So I can identify somewhat. Then again, back then as a normal kid (ie, not from a very rich family) you had a bicycle, not anything with a motor till you were easily over 16. Then it was a CAR not a toy... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

A different neighbor told me a related story. Some kids riding ATVs on his place. He finally got one to stop. He asked him what he was doing. "I'm riding my ATV. " was the reply. "why don't you ride it on your own property?" was the next question. "Oh, my mom doesn't permit us to, it tears up the ground too much."

"Well, how about when you go home you tell your mom if you come up here again, I'll be down riding MY ATV on her property... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" Guess the kids got the message...

Soundguy · Oct 5, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

( Sorry if I hijacked the thread, it's a real hot button with me )

Not at all. I wanted to hear from others to find out how prevalent this is.. The way it looks.. it is at the level of at least 'nuisance'... and minorly illegal / criminal mischeif in most cases. And trhere is about a 50/50 mix of enforcement from the lawmen.

your comments ( everyones comments ) are greatly appreciated.

Soundguy

ByronBob · Oct 5, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

I mean as far as the liability waiver is that the club acknowledges the fact that they are carrying damage coverage for the owner in the event of damage and the owner says it's ok for someone to ride his property in the club or organization and the owner acknowledges that if anyone gets hurt he can't be sued for it.

Soundguy · Oct 5, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

( how people on motorcycles and ATVs cause us to react even though we would rather not make the effort...
)

Believe me.. I would rather not have made the effort either. I had alot more things I needed to do around my farm that day than erect an emergency fence at breakneck speeds, and burn through a wad of cash while doing it.

I would have much prefered doing it in the winter.. and with wood posts so I could have added a top board. That was the compromise me and the wife had come to. She wanted 3 board over 2x4 redtop wire. I wanted well.. tpost and wire.. perhaps even the 2x4 welded as it is a bit easier to handle than the woven red-top.. cheaper.. though.. not as strong. I was lowballing as I knew I'd be doing the fence out of my pocket, and all by myself.. and didn't want to commit a year of weekends to do it in. Our compromise was wire and tpost on the back, and sides abutting neighbors who already had fencing of some sort.. and wood post and top board and 2x4 wire on the front towards the road.... much easier for me to manage by myself. Now to accomplish that.. I'll have to pull this fencing down .. albiet.. that's not a monumental task.. but it's still work I didn't need to do. All because someone else want to ride their atv on my property... I wish they would ride on thier property... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

oops.. I'm starting to rant again.. sorry. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

update

Well.. yesterday afternoon I went out and postet 3 "no-hunting/no tresspassing under penality of law' signs One at each end of the front run of the property.. and one at the gate. I also added a red reflector to each corner post, and each post on either side of the gate. I bought 4' of the red/white dot spec reflective tape, and put strips of it on the horizontal tubes of the gate.

Lastly, for those that may not realize that a fence 'grew' overnight.. I took day-glow yello surveyors tape, and tied it off on one corner post and walked the 333' fence line and ran a strip of that tape looped around the top of each t-post to the edge of the gate, and then started on the other side of the gate and continued over to the other brace post.

No one has any excuse not to notice the fence.. between the orange/black posted signs.. the red reflectors.. the red/white reflector tape on the tube gate, and the bright tape along the entire run of the fence... I kow there may be both negative and positive connotations for drawing attention to the fence.. but I'm trying to err on the side of safety and honesty...

Soundguy

ByronBob · Oct 5, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

Henro
Would you feel different if someone from a club came by and said we'd like to make a trail through here and we'd like your permission to do it with markers and signs. In a more organized state would you feel better about it??

ikline · Oct 5, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

This subject is the exact reason I bought my property. When I was growing up my father bought my ATV's and motorcycles to ride on OUR property (5 acres). He taught me the rules and I obeyed them "OR ELSE". Two years ago I gave my children a choice. We can stay were we live (on 1/2 acre) or buy a house with more land and then they can have an ATV and dirtbike. After a few weeks of talks we started to look for a new property. I found a 4.5 acre lot and built a house. MY 8 yr old son got a dirtbike and my 7 year old got a 4-wheeler. One simple rule they do not ride unless I am there and they must stay on OUR property. On one side of me is a vacant 7 acre lot and on the other side is a 5 acre lot. They do not ride there!! Why? Because we do not own it!!!!!

Henro · Oct 5, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

 Would you feel different if someone from a club came by and said we'd like to make a trail through here and we'd like your permission to do it with markers and signs. In a more organized state would you feel better about it??


Maybe...if I had more property. But where I am people own different small amounts ranging from 1 acre up to 6 or so generally, though some have more than that, and some less.

As it is I don't want any vehicles running across what I have. If someone wanted to walk through, I doubt I would mind though...

Actually, considering the lay of the land, I doubt any group would want to run a trail through here, I mean because of where the houses are and such. I kind of WISH things were not getting so developed, etc, etc...

Guess it gets back to the right place to do whatever one wants to do. If we lived in the right place, I might even have an ATV or motorcycle (Still have a weak spot in my heart for trials bikes) and be promoting those trails too.

But in this guy's personal situation...well...if someone asked about putting a trail through behind my pond...I guess I'd offer him a beer and say "hey, let's think about this. Given the situation, does your idea really make sense..."

Then I would open the tap (for self-service, or course) in appriciation for his asking in the first place...

But in the end, I would say no...not at this place and point in time...

PhilNH5 · Oct 6, 2004

Re: I\'m wore out! - fencing

I live in NH. The weekend I moved in I was approached by the local snowmobile club. On my lot there is a small spur trail that connects to a larger state owned trail. They asked if I would agree to leave it open. I signed a legal document and gave snowmobilers the right to use the trail. For this the state gave me a 1 million dollar liability policy. As I read it if anyone - not just snowmobilers - on my land got hurt and sued me this policy would protect me. I added a contingency that this was a trial run good for one year only.

I never had trouble with the snowmobilers. But in the spring the 4 wheelers came out. The trail is on a hill so steep your knuckles drag when you walk up it. I never saw a snowmobiler come down it - they always went up only. But the 4 wheelers went up and down repeatedly trying to make rooster tails of dirt shoot up. The clincher was when a father let his 4 YO daughter go down alone. I would not have let this little girl alone on a 4 wheeler in a level parking lot never mind on this hill. We decided to shut it down. Lots of debris and brush has been effective finally.

I feel bad for the snowmobilers. They asked outright in the beginning and never gave us any trouble.

It does seem that the state has a vested interest in allowing liability lawsuits against property owners. That way they can offer this insurance if you agree to keep the trail open.

Phil