Tresspassing neighbors

[Terry1040]

Sounds like lots of fun going on here. We all have neighbors, so lets find a way to get along ! I get along great with my residential neighbor & feel that I get along with my other neighbors also. But, we also often have tresspassers that maybe don't understand property rights. Last week I had a local police officer call me, found 3 young boys, age 13, that had just been caught breaking an old window in one of my buildings. I said that I did not desire to press any charges, but would appreciate it if each boy/parent would pay me something for window repair. All three parents called me & each one saw to it that I got a small payment for damages. The police man told each parent to contact me and resolve it, or it would be resolved by a ticket. I feel that this was handled correctly. Today, the third boy came into my office, hanging his head a little. I told him that the important issue here was learning not to do something in group setting that he would regret. I suspect none of the boys are bad, just an instantly bad action, that I hope each has learned from.

 

[TomSeller]

Sounds like lots of fun going on here. We all have neighbors, so lets find a way to get along ! I get along great with my residential neighbor & feel that I get along with my other neighbors also. But, we also often have tresspassers that maybe don't understand property rights. Last week I had a local police officer call me, found 3 young boys, age 13, that had just been caught breaking an old window in one of my buildings. I said that I did not desire to press any charges, but would appreciate it if each boy/parent would pay me something for window repair. All three parents called me & each one saw to it that I got a small payment for damages. The police man told each parent to contact me and resolve it, or it would be resolved by a ticket. I feel that this was handled correctly. Today, the third boy came into my office, hanging his head a little. I told him that the important issue here was learning not to do something in group setting that he would regret. I suspect none of the boys are bad, just an instantly bad action, that I hope each has learned from.

It sounds like you handled it well. Good job!

Speaking of police, I once caught an off duty cop trespassing on my property with his rifle after hunting on Public land. He was short cutting a way to the county road. I barreled up to him in my truck and you could not believe how nervous he was. I recognized him and then joked that I better not see him around here again. He did stop me for a headlight out once and I told him he would not see me around there again. Fun joking around.

 

[roadhunter]

Sounds like lots of fun going on here. We all have neighbors, so lets find a way to get along ! I get along great with my residential neighbor & feel that I get along with my other neighbors also. But, we also often have tresspassers that maybe don't understand property rights. Last week I had a local police officer call me, found 3 young boys, age 13, that had just been caught breaking an old window in one of my buildings. I said that I did not desire to press any charges, but would appreciate it if each boy/parent would pay me something for window repair. All three parents called me & each one saw to it that I got a small payment for damages. The police man told each parent to contact me and resolve it, or it would be resolved by a ticket. I feel that this was handled correctly. Today, the third boy came into my office, hanging his head a little. I told him that the important issue here was learning not to do something in group setting that he would regret. I suspect none of the boys are bad, just an instantly bad action, that I hope each has learned from.

Well done! I love how folks operate out here.

 

[dmccarty]

I try not to be a perfect Equus africanus asinus. My real estate lawyer advised against it. He sold it to a rather nice military couple who are aware of the boundary line and let us drive my B7610 on their land to get around my son's garden.

I think I would have just made sure the owner knew that sliver of driveway was on my land and they acknowledged the ownership. I would not want to be the Equus Africanus Asinus but I would want to minimize the chances I would have a problem with a Equus Africanus Asinus in the future.

Dan
From the picture it appears the county widened the asphalt driveway on to newburys property. All of the concrete appears to be in the right of way

That is one of the reasons I asked. However, on our place, while there is a right of way, we all own the land to the middle of the road.

Newbury's situation is rather unique, and thus interesting.

Later,
Dan

 

[JerryK]

In Michigan... you own to the middle of the road. But the Road Way easement supersedes my ownership.. where I get to pay taxes on that portion of my land but have no say so in it's use in any way. I bet it is the same for the OP... and the road commission could pave any portion of that area if they want. Even his neighbor could pave it if it is OK with the powers to be... Like owning to the middle of a the lake, but it is not really your slice of the lake...

 

[dmccarty]

In Michigan... you own to the middle of the road. But the Road Way easement supersedes my ownership.. where I get to pay taxes on that portion of my land but have no say so in it's use in any way. I bet it is the same for the OP... and the road commission could pave any portion of that area if they want. Even his neighbor could pave it if it is OK with the powers to be... Like owning to the middle of a the lake, but it is not really your slice of the lake...

We got lucky, in that while we own to the middle of the road, we do not pay taxes on that part of the land since it is in the right of way. One thing the county did right. :thumbsup:

The county will not pave our road. They will take over road maintenance once we brought the road up to DOT standards meaning widening the road and paving it at our expense. :shocked: I don't see that ever happening. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

One of the neighbors was going to put in a concrete driveway and parking pad that extended into the road right of way a bit. He never did it, I guess he saw the cost, but I wondered if that was kosher. It was fine by me but who knows if the state/county has some rule against it. :confused3:

Later,
Dan

 

[Opti-Mist]

I was the personal representative for an estate in the western U P of Michigan. Coincidentally a local fellow purchased a tax deed for a parcel previously unknown to be a part of the estate. When I received notice I drew it up and figured out that it was actually the road bed of the county road. The fellow contacted me to see if I would sign a deed to him so that he could deed it over to the county to get rid of it. I did and he did. The county could have cared less up to that point.

 

[dan ny escarpment]

Really interesting thread. We are relatively new to country living at are to-be retirement place in the grape belt of extreme western new york, and the issue of property lines and interpretation, maintenance and access are of great interest and some uncertainty to me. Our 2.4 acres was surveyed, pinned and marked when we purchased a few years ago, and all the pins are still markd and visible, so we know the lines to a good degree of certainty. There are a few homes immediately/somewhat nearby, surrounded by many acres of Concord grape vines. What is interesting to me anyways is that the existing patterns of mowing/maintenance follow "historical" patterns, and don't seem to conform to the known property lines exactly, and that does not seem to be a concern or bone of contention. Property owners seem to customarily mow a pass or two buffer a bit beyond their property, or in other cases do not maintain parts of their actual proprty, when there is an unofficial dividing line like a driveway, pond, hedgerow, etc. The former owner of our property mowed and likely graded a strip of land outside the line, in the area abutting a vineyard behind us, and said that the farmer was appreciative/supportive, and we have continued the effort as well, which maybe saves him a little bit of time, fuel, chemicals and mud each year. We mow our side of the common drive with one neighbor, when the line is off beyond the line on our side, and we mow part of another neighbors less accessible area, and they mow a strip of our property in front, because they always have, and/or that section is part of a more accessible (from their side) contour of the land perhaps.

It seems to be a system of common sense, convenience and accessiblity vs strict adherence to the marked lines, or maybe it just doesn't matter as much, or they do not know what the lines are, not really sure. I figured if I continued to do what was done by the former owners, I couldn't be too far off. People in the region are generally quite friendly and easy going overall, and no complaints have occurred. Hunting land rights and tresspassing areas are well posted in the fall and seem to be the only "boundary sensitive" activity here, they are posted with names of the person who has the hunting rights.