anyone wanna stop me

i put the no trespassing sign in quotes so readers like yourself would not get confused thinking i stated there were NO "no trespassing signs". guess that didnt work huh. so that leaves your first paragraph pretty groundless and somewhat entertaining. and i have already cussed the makers of unfilled holes and those that leave their trash lying around. and i do call people idiots that hunt cemeterys and protected historic sites. and i like to watch Diggers because those guys act so ridiculous it makes me chuckle. but if i see some guy detecting a foreclosed home ill never wish ill on him because i truly dont see the wrong in it. ill probably drive away wishing i had the balls to try that one. have a good day, time to work, What Would Jesus Do, and all that stuff.

You are absolutely correct. It is clear from your first post that you knew you would be trespassing. Otherwise, why would you ask about the bank pressing charges if you didn't already know that what you were about to do was a criminal act? No... you knew exactly what you were doing. So the whole nonsense about there being no "no trespassing" signs in the yard was just a way to make yourself either look or feel better. I'm not sure who that little act was for. Was it for you or for you? I guess it was for you.

Anyway, the deed is done and you will not be the last person on this forum to do it. Regardless of who you talked to you can't be sure that someone didn't see you and leave with a disgusted taste in their mouth. And just because the neighbors didn't get mad this time doesn't mean that they won't get mad enough next time to call the cops. But hey, you know the risks and you know that you are breaking the law. Just like when I drive 5MPH over the speed limit I know what I am getting myself into so that's my decision.

With all that said, knock yourself out and do whatever you want to do. I still maintain that this type of behavior reflects badly on the rest of us. But what can I do about it? Nothing. Just be sure you remember your attitude about it the next time you decide to complain about some a-hole not filling in his holes in the park or leaving junk next to a hole. And don't forget it the next time you read in the paper about some idiot being caught with a metal detector in a cemetery or protected battle site. Or perhaps you might want to remember it the next time you decide to rant about some ridiculous metal detecting show featuring some pro wrestler yelling boo-ya! or whatever such nonsense he yells. Because if you don't remember this and you complain about others making us look bad, then you will be by definition a hypocrite. And no one likes being called a hypocrite for some reason (despite the fact that pretty much all of us are hypocrites at one point or another in our lives).

Enjoy your ill gotten goods. :tongue3:
 

If you don't own it, you don't take it without permission. It's really a simple principle. It doesn't matter if its a penny or a Ferrari, it's theft. Now, if theft doesn't bother you, well go ahead and do as you please. Just don't be surprised if you get punished for committing a crime (and appropriately labeled a criminal).

BTW, I love when people rationalize their way through threads like this. LOVE IT!
 

If you don't own it, you don't take it without permission. It's really a simple principle.....

I'm just wondering how seriously, and how logically, you would apply this statement in your own hunting Shadowline. For example, doesn't objects "taken" from the park, belong to the city, or county, or whatever? I mean, I bet you, that parks and school yards, and beaches that you hunt in, certainly must have some prohibition against "harvesting" or "collecting", right? (lest people think they can back up their truck to the park and take all the tan-bark, etc...). Technically, there's nothing to stop such verbage from applying to ANY "park feature" (yup, even the coins, rings, etc....).

Or even if we deduce that it (those coins and rings) don't belong to the city, but.... actually belong to the person who LOST them, well then that just opens up another can of worms: Why then are taking THEIR stuff? There's "lost & found" laws in all states, giving a threshold of value over which you are legally obligated to take any found item worth over $100 (or $250 or whatever the case may be) to the police station for proper lost & found procedures.

Bottom line is, if you want to start down that path, you might as well give up. NOTHING belongs to you. NOTHING is "finders keepers", if you want to get real technical.

I know you're probably looking at this as a "justification" , and yes, it does become a "slippery slope" of just how technical we all want to be. But it really is just as treasure-hunter69 says: ".... pretty much all of us are hypocrites at one point or another in our lives...." Is that meaning it's "OK to step off the sidewalk"? No, of course not. But just saying, that if you want to start down that route of thinking you keep all laws when you metal detect: Trust me: no matter where you detect, I can find a law that you are breaking, if I asked enough lawyers and desk-bound bureacrats and banks in New York. Perhaps the only way to 100% avoid this, is to stick with private property, with permission.
 

I'm just wondering how seriously, and how logically, you would apply this statement in your own hunting Shadowline. For example, doesn't objects "taken" from the park, belong to the city, or county, or whatever? I mean, I bet you, that parks and school yards, and beaches that you hunt in, certainly must have some prohibition against "harvesting" or "collecting", right? (lest people think they can back up their truck to the park and take all the tan-bark, etc...). Technically, there's nothing to stop such verbage from applying to ANY "park feature" (yup, even the coins, rings, etc....).

Or even if we deduce that it (those coins and rings) don't belong to the city, but.... actually belong to the person who LOST them, well then that just opens up another can of worms: Why then are taking THEIR stuff? There's "lost & found" laws in all states, giving a threshold of value over which you are legally obligated to take any found item worth over $100 (or $250 or whatever the case may be) to the police station for proper lost & found procedures.

Bottom line is, if you want to start down that path, you might as well give up. NOTHING belongs to you. NOTHING is "finders keepers", if you want to get real technical.

I know you're probably looking at this as a "justification" , and yes, it does become a "slippery slope" of just how technical we all want to be. But it really is just as treasure-hunter69 says: ".... pretty much all of us are hypocrites at one point or another in our lives...." Is that meaning it's "OK to step off the sidewalk"? No, of course not. But just saying, that if you want to start down that route of thinking you keep all laws when you metal detect: Trust me: no matter where you detect, I can find a law that you are breaking, if I asked enough lawyers and desk-bound bureacrats and banks in New York. Perhaps the only way to 100% avoid this, is to stick with private property, with permission.
I hunt areas where MDing is expressly permitted. If its public and there are rules, I follow them. If its private I do only what I've been given permission to do. Despite this, I do understand and acknowledge your point. But, you leave one very important thing out. In this thread the topic is MDing on a private property where the owner is known. By definition, this private owner OWNS everything on that property (unless specifically excluded on the deed or stored by a tenant/visitor/etc). Mding on that property is theft and there's really no way to argue that. This isn't quite the slippery slope you make it out to be. The OP KNOWS he's trespassing and engaging in theft.
 

Never ever ever take anything from banks or the government they are far to good and upstanding for you to take advantage of them they would not dream of taking anything from you for there personal gain
 

Theft by finding :icon_scratch: don't you have this law there :dontknow: here it is ilegal to go through waist bin bags left out for collection. Just because something is lost, it does'nt mean it belongs to him, or here who finds it.

SS
 

I'm getting ready to hunt an on hotel/tavern from the 1800s. It was also just taken by the bank. Been waiting to hunt this sinxe I got in this hobby.
 

Great discussion everybody. Ive learned my lesson, thats for sure.
 

Did someone mention cemeteries... :laughing7:
 

If you don't own it, you don't take it without permission. It's really a simple principle. It doesn't matter if its a penny or a Ferrari, it's theft. Now, if theft doesn't bother you, well go ahead and do as you please. Just don't be surprised if you get punished for committing a crime (and appropriately labeled a criminal).

BTW, I love when people rationalize their way through threads like this. LOVE IT!
Do you turn in items that you find to the police or do you rationalize your way through it?
 

I don't understand why anyone would think a no trespassing sign on a house pertains only to going into the house. I often see them posted on trees, does this only mean I can't climb the tree?
 

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What was the point of this thread?
You're not looking for advice.
With a title "anyone wanna stop me" it appears you're looking for a fight.
If someone decides they are going to trespass, why would they get on a forum with over 50,000 members and tell them?
In defiance...."Anyone wanna stop me?"
Knock yourself out.
Yes, it belongs to the bank. Yes, banks are evil.
So is Wal-mart. Should I go and steal some stuff from that big bad corporation?
Hmmn, how else can we violate the treasure hunters code of ethics?
When I think of something, I'll post it, so a bunch of members can help me justify my actions.
All that for 87 cents! You could have picked up 10 empty beer cans in the ditch and made more money.
At least you'd be cleaning up the environment.
It's obvious this thread is a cry for attention.
What do you know, I just gave you what you wanted by posting here!
 

reply

Theft by finding :icon_scratch: don't you have this law there :dontknow: here it is ilegal to go through waist bin bags left out for collection. Just because something is lost, it does'nt mean it belongs to him, or here who finds it.

SS

Silver searcher, I think I know what you are getting at. For some reason, we ALL know that if we picked up a quarter, mercury dime, ring, etc. ...... off someone's night-stand in their bedroom, that would be wrong. It would be stealing. In fact, none of us could even bring ourselves to do that! However, oddly, if we find the SAME quarter, or mercury dime, or ring in the ground somewhere, for some reason, we all subconsciously look at that as "different". Why is that? Because the one in the ground was essentially unknown. It didn't "exist", so-to-speak, until you found it. It was "unknown". Not at all like the one on the guy's night-stand. In other words, it's sort of like "who's been harmed?" The quarter you might find in a bank-repo's lawn, does indeed *technically* belong to the bank in New York or Los Angeles. Yet that SAME person who finds no harm in checking an blighted boarded up house like this, and finds no harm in picking up that quarter ... would NEVER pocket a quarter from off the counter of a bank, and walk out. He ... somehow ... sees those two quarters in a different light.

Yes I know that does not pass the legal test, in a court of law. And even though the person hasn't missed anything (unlike if you took it off his night-stand, or off the bank's counter), yet, technically, it's still theirs. Even if they never know it's there, and will never find it. Somehow, subconsciously, we tend to think of that quarter or mercury dime in a different light.
 

What was the point of this thread?
You're not looking for advice.
With a title "anyone wanna stop me" it appears you're looking for a fight.
If someone decides they are going to trespass, why would they get on a forum with over 50,000 members and tell them?
In defiance...."Anyone wanna stop me?"
Knock yourself out.

Yes, it belongs to the bank. Yes, banks are evil.
So is Wal-mart. Should I go and steal some stuff from that big bad corporation?
Hmmn, how else can we violate the treasure hunters code of ethics?
When I think of something, I'll post it, so a bunch of members can help me justify my actions.
All that for 87 cents! You could have picked up 10 empty beer cans in the ditch and made more money.
At least you'd be cleaning up the environment.
It's obvious this thread is a cry for attention.
What do you know, I just gave you what you wanted by posting here!

Yes, right now i am basking, in the nude, under the warm shower of attention i have received, contemplating the horrors and atrocity i have commited. Awaiting the scarlet T that will surely be placed upon my chest as a sign to others that i have been cast out from the brotherly loving metal detecting community for these unholy acts i have knowingly committed. As i daydream of stealing pencils and other knicknacks from Walmart for yet another cheap thrill, I also remember things i have done for the good of the community, which i did not post in need of attention or a warm pat on the back, or do in expecting something in return. I know that two wrongs make not a right, but do two, three, or even four goods undo a slight wrong? Is the world better off with nothing but no wrongs, or is it better off with just a little wrong, and a whole lotta right.
 

Scenario 1: Mall parking lot. (privately owned) you park your car, get out look down and you spot a dime on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 2: Same lot this time you spot a $20 bill on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 3: Same lot this time you spot a 14k gold band on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 4: Same lot this time you spot a wallet with $200 in it with credit cards and ID. What would you do?
Scenario 5: Same lot this time you spot a set of car keys. What would you do?

And why.
 

Scenario 1: Mall parking lot. (privately owned) you park your car, get out look down and you spot a dime on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 2: Same lot this time you spot a $20 bill on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 3: Same lot this time you spot a 14k gold band on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 4: Same lot this time you spot a wallet with $200 in it with credit cards and ID. What would you do?
Scenario 5: Same lot this time you spot a set of car keys. What would you do?

And why.

I can tell you what i did on scenario 3...a month ago me and my girlfriend spotted a gold ring in front of the mexican restaurant. it had two sets of initials and a date. we figured it was a wedding band so we posted it on facebook, within a week we matched it up to the owners and they picked it up. i have found a wallet with more than 200 dollars in it laying in a gas station bathroom and ran him down, literally, to make sure he didnt leave it. Id keep the dime, and probably the twenty cause i doubt the true original owners could be found. the car keys, id leave them in lost and found. I returned 3 and 4 because i figured theyd want them back. 1-i doubt the owner would give a hoot, 2-i seriously doubt the owner could be found nor do i trust someone else to find the true owner.
 

gtg, i have evil to do.
 

Scenario 1: Mall parking lot. (privately owned) you park your car, get out look down and you spot a dime on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 2: Same lot this time you spot a $20 bill on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 3: Same lot this time you spot a 14k gold band on the ground. What would you do?
Scenario 4: Same lot this time you spot a wallet with $200 in it with credit cards and ID. What would you do?
Scenario 5: Same lot this time you spot a set of car keys. What would you do?

And why.

thrillathathunt, excellent thought concepts to jog the implications process. Well, let's just take "scenario 1". Here's what those on T'net, who are very hard-core on keeping the laws, would need to do: Turn that dime in to the mall's ownership. Afterall, it's THEIR property!! (what are you, a thief or something? Are you trying to 'justify' your actions of stealing? Would you also help yourself to other features of the mall parking lot?). Or, if the mall told you that you could keep it, you would notify the IRS and the state, by putting it on your income tax statement (afterall, it's a form of "income" and you are a law-abiding citizen). Assuming you are in 20% tax bracket, you now have 8 cents to keep.
 

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