Tresspassers and Cable Gates.

[rancar]

Thanks RanchMan....Now, I'm going to really look into this.

 

[LilRhody]

Nothing gets my ire more than people (I use the word [people] to be nice) who disrespect others. I have two rules that seem to apply:
1. Treat others the way inwhich they treat you.
AND
2. A STRONG OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE!

 

[paulw]

It appears that the ATV trespassing problem is common across the country. We recent purchased a large tract in the NC Mountains with plans of moving there 5+ years from now. The back of the property extends to a ridgeline with long range views. An old trail runs near the ridgeline on our property. Needless to say this is a well worn ATV trail. On stepper sections the trail is a deep trench from erosion, with several bypass that are becoming badly eroded. There are also ATV trails along old logging roads throughout the property. Fortunately, the property was previously leased to a hunting club before we purchased it and they managed to control trespassing through most of the property to a minimum except the ridgeline trail. We continued leasing to this same hunt club since we live 2 hours away and the entire property would likely resort back to a network of ATV trails without them there. The property was posted by the hunt club as part of the lease requirement. Extra signs are posted along the ridge trail especially at the property boundaries. They also placed some gates across the trail. However, gates and cables are no deterrent to an ATV rider with a chain saw.

I guess people on ATV’s feel they have some the right to ride anywhere they want. Trespassing and getting around gate obstacles must be part of the adventure. I’m not sure we can do much more to stop the ATV’s until we move there even then stopping them completely may not be possible.

Liability is our greatest worry regarding the ATV trespassers. Even through the property is properly posted I am afraid someone will sue if seriously injured. I recall ridiculous cases like that of a drunk driver driving on the wrong side of the road suing the estate of a couple he killed in a head on collision.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have a small stream that runs right in front of our house and I am constantly plagued With fishermen that seem to think that they can trespass in and around any stream as long as they are fishing. I have chased more than one up through the woods that wanted to stay and argue. I fish myself but I have come to hate these people.

 

[Jag]

Daryl, in Arkansas most streams are considered navigable and therefore public property. As long as a person stays below the normal high water line he is on the river's right of way.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Boy, this thread is giving me nightmares. I haven't heard of any problems like this is our area, but maybe it's coming.

We bought our property from a neighbor, who still keeps a close eye on it for us. It was a cattle ranch until about 5 years ago, when a developer swapped some bottom land for the ridge and divided it up into 20-100 acre parcels. We're at the end of a dead-end county road, which actually appears to be private, as the pavement ends about a 1/4 mile from the cul-de-sac where our property starts.

Anyway, we put up a chain across the trail into the property just to identify it as private, but as far as I can tell we haven't had any atv's in there. As a matter of fact, we have yet to find any trash on the property - not a bottle, a can, a scrap of paper - nothing. One of the reasons we bought it.

Here's hoping it stays that way. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

 

[JBX]

I would bet that last story is false. If the State and City court number and date with year is listed with the proceedings just as stated, I might believe it, but as listed that is just a rural myth.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Daryl, We have the same problem with our stream. Not only do fisherman walk past the no trespassing signs to get to it but they leave trash and turn over rocks looking for worms, leave dead fish on the bank for my dogs to roll in and leave tangled fishing line around for me to trip on. Most fisherman will claim that if they are in the water they have the right to be there. In spite of what the fishermen claim, that is not true in CT. In our state an owner of both banks of a stream can forbid passage on the stream, both walking and boats. My deed includes the stream, it does not end at the stream banks.

Andy

 

[RanchMan]

<font color=blue>...I am constantly plagued With fishermen that seem to think that they can trespass in and around any stream as long as they are fishing. I have chased more than one up through the woods that wanted to stay and argue</font color=blue>

Daryl & Andy-
I bet that if you were to show up real neighborly like with your video-camera on and have a nice conversation saying a few things like "Hi, How's it going? Great fishing here, isn't it. Catching anything? Where you from? My name is xxxxxx, What's your's? Realize you're trespassing? You want me to stop taping? Why? If you're so sure that you aren't trespassing, then you shouldn't have a problem with me videotaping you and showing it to the district attorney. Have a nice day - I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. Bye."

Kindof like those fellows who "clean up" their neighborhoods by videotaping fellows on "dates" with "temporary girlfriends"...

 

[Golfgar4]

I'm beginning to agree with you. Another TBN'er, Charlie Iliff, asked the same question. I've contacted the publication (insurance industry) to see if they could confirm the story. So far they haven't gotten back to me. I'm feeling real embarrased /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif for passing along something that probably was an exageration. Like I said in a later post, I didn't think I had to worry about the source because it had always (at least I thought it had) been reputable. Sorry guys! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif/w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif