Need Everybody,s Advice

[danboy]

I have posted several questions on here about tractors and got great advice on everyone. I have a problem I am faced with that is causing great concern. If no one wants to discuss it here, let me know of a forum, I can get help on, please. My county road was finally chipped and sealed last Aug., one of the last in the county. It is wonderful. Our neighbor down the road sold out to a group selling the creek gravel and trucking it out. Also, hauling in rock to crush. There is a constant, all day traffic of heavy trucks, including 18 wheelers and loaders. This has in a short time began destroying our road, not to mention the speed of the trucks going by. We have kids who we will not let go near the road. I am going to begin complaining to any agency possible. I just need to know where. Sorry if this doen't belong here. This used to be such a wonderful place to live, but no more.

 

[Bird]

If it's a county road, then I would think your complaints should go to the county commissioner (if that's what they call them in your state) and the sheriff's department.

 

[Golfgar4]

I guess the first thing that comes to mind is to ask if you have brought your concerns to the attention of the company that owns the equipment? I've always believed in making sure the "offenders" know right from the beginning that there is a problem. It might be possible that they are not even aware of the problem or your concerns. Give them a chance to investigate or do something about it.

Now, when that doesn't work - /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Are there other people living along this same road? You might talk with each resident that lives in this area and see if they would be willing to support your complaints. Petitions can be powerful motivators for your local officials. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I'll go along with Bird & Garry and everything they wrote.

In my state, unmarked roads have a 40mph speed limit, which can seem might fast on a narrow country lane. You might want to get in touch with the county commissioner and see about getting some speed limit signs too.

Unfortunately the trucks will destroy chip & seal. We had a chip and seal road (private road) and spent so much money repairing it we finally bit the bullet and paved it over with asphalt after doing some drastic rebuilding of the base. Chip & seal simply doesn't hold up to heavy loads, at best it must be constantly maintained to keep it from cracking apart, which is not hard if there is only light car traffic.

 

[Junkman]

In many jurisdictions, a company that is using the road almost exclusively to remove product will be responsible for putting the road back into the same condition that it was before they started to truck material out of there. Getting them to do this sometimes is a impossible task. I would go to the county commissioners and voice my concerns. The county can levy more power than you can alone. Chances are good that the county will want to recoup some of the cost of repairing this road since it was recently worked on at county expense.
Now that you have my opinion, you sure that you want or need any others? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Richard]

I agree with the others, and am still lol @ Junkman.

Anyway, we had a semi-similar situation when they took out the timber here. One truck missed me by literally about 8 inches and it took him about 70feet to stop, as per the skid marks on the road (empty trailer)

Anyway, that was it, I sent a fairly nice yet firm letter to the company owner and my upshot to him was "I've talked to the local "foreman", the drivers themselves all in an attempt to keep it polite & friendly. Finally I have realized that if this continues and ANYONE is hurt, then "I" have been derelict in not letting YOU (the company owner) know, so take this letter as my formal notificaton of you, of this situation. Now in the event something is to happen, you have been warned and I think it's fair to view it more as negligence rather than an accident"


I sent it certified and by golly, not only did I get a very quick return call from the owner, he also came out to survey the situation himself.

Sadly, I won't contend that it "fixed" the problem, but at least I felt reasonable that I had done all I could and the onus was now on THEM if something happened and it was discovered they were busting hiney down the road.

Just my .02

 

[LarryRB]

When I was a town selectman in a small Massachusetts town, we would demand from the truck owners that they post an insurance bond against any road damage.. It gives great legal powers over a possible offender and they can't afford not to circumvent it as it goes against their record and they do nothing in the next town whether it be moving dirt, tree's, rock or whatever.. Ask your county if they can apply a road bond on the pit owner or various truck owners.. Whispering to the right county person may also invite DOT types to check out the trucks weight, and permits you know..

 

[Wannafish]

..."We have kids who we will not let go near the road. I am going to begin complaining to any agency possible."

Danboy,
I understand the concerns/opinions you expressed in your post regarding deteriorating road conditions, except for the above statement. Why would anyone LET their kids go near the road ? Isn't it your responsiblity to keep your kids AWAY from the road? It is afterall, a road...not a playground.

Sorry if this post seems harsh...it just hit me really wrong this morning. (I re-read and re-wrote it several times in an effort to keep it civil. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif)

May God bless and keep you and yours safe,

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I understand the concerns/opinions you expressed in your post regarding deteriorating road conditions, except for the above statement. Why would anyone LET their kids go near the road ? Isn't it your responsiblity to keep your kids AWAY from the road? It is afterall, a road...not a playground.

Sorry if this post seems harsh...it just hit me really wrong this morning.)</font>

Hmmmmmmm. I was left with the impression that his concern was the speed the trucks were traveling. I took that to be a concern for the kids playing in their own yard. I know I'd have concerns if the traffic used to be sedate and was now heavy equipment going fast. The perceived threat to the kids playing in their own yard by an errant truck is mulitiplied by the speed of said truck in my book.

 

[danboy]

I don't know of anybody who would let there kids play on a road. We have to cross the road to get the mail. I have a gate to 160 acres across the road from the house I move hay equipment in and out of, carry big round bales to with the front end loader all winter. My 12 year likes to ride the 4 wheeler, check cows and alot of other things.I even run cows across the road with the kids turning the cows. Last week one of the truck drivers said he swerved to miss a car, ran up and embankment and turned on his side, spilling his load of big rocks about 5' deep across the road. This happened 200 yards from my house. They brought their loader in and scraped up the rock leaving pot holes. They pulled the truck over from the ditch leaving the side of the road deeply crumbled. What's to say that could not happen in my yard. The kids like to ride their bikes up and down the driveway. Turn around when they get near the road and come back. This is a rural area. It makes me angry to have dozens of loaded trucks popping up over the hill and running probably around 40 mph past me playing catch with my children in the front yard. I haved lived here all my 44 nice quiet years.

 

[SPIKER]

Sounds like you got lots of good advice so far, I would also look into the epa for the runnoff possable problems down the road and such as if these are dredging a stream for gravel then they MAY be poluting it too!? does this cross you're property up or down stream? is there possable ground water problems starting/ get GOOD water samples NOW as early as you can not only at you're house but all the neibors too! just cause ONE sold out does not mean the rest are willing to put up. then get a signed petition if no one wants to listen the first time.

If I think of anything else then I'll post back. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Mark M

 

[Junkman]

Even rural roads have speed limits. If the trucks are exceeding that state mandated speed limits, then call the police and lodge a complain. If the truck had an accident, then you should have called the police and reported it. Even though no one was hurt and no other vehicle was involved, in most jurisdictions, it is still a reportable incident. If the trucks are overloaded, then this is also an offense that the local police department can address. If the trucks aren't safe for the road, because of mechanical defects, they can deal with that also. If you are so concerned for you and your family, the pick up the phone and make that call. Posting on this site might give you a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that people are giving you advise, but it is up to you to take the first step to start the process that will resolve this issue. To me, it sounds like you are just objecting to loosing your 44 years of quiet enjoyment and resent a "neighbor" reaping a profit from his land. Please let us know what develops when you file the complaint(s) with the proper authorities.

 

[Currmudgeon]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( if these are dredging a stream for gravel then they MAY be poluting it too!? )</font>

If they are discharging anything into the stream, including sediment from the dredging operation, then they need an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit from the EPA. Depending on the status of your state EPA, it may be issued on a statewide or national basis. You won't need water samples, the State should take care of that.

Getting an NPDES permit is a big deal. It's a bigger deal to be caught discharging without one. The EPA shoots straight for the wallet.

 

[Wannafish]

Excellent advice Junkman!
One of the other issues it brings to mind is, if you don't want something new happening on the neighboring property - when it comes up for sale, BUY IT.

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One of the other issues it brings to mind is, if you don't want something new happening on the neighboring property - when it comes up for sale, BUY IT.

)</font>

Guess that is why my neighbors are trying to drive me out and buy up my property!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Got a notice from the town.... they proposed tearing down my house and building a slum in its place as a neighborhood improvement project.... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[riptides]

Did they mention coin first?, or just hit you with emminant domain?

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif