Denied access to woods.

[solaryellow]

I had been MD'ing around an old schoolhouse near me, and saw a wooded lot across the street from it, and heard the school kids back in the 1880's played their.

Were talking 10 acres of woods, dirt, no grass, moderately dense with trees.
Turns out it is someone's property, so being a good citizen I write a nice letter explaining how my 8yo and I, look for coins as well as clean up any garbage at the sites we visit.
We hauled a lot out in that area too.
I asked if it would be ok to detect there, promising there would be no evidence of being there, and that we would continue to clean up as well.

I received a phone call from the lady owner, who said thanks for the nice letter, but No way and absolutely not!
There is no reason for you to be in there at all, and sorry can't do it..
I understand people have a right to say no, but this response was far from pleasant and sounded very harsh for the request I made.
Oh well, so much for playing nice.....

I think next time I come to a questionable location, I will just take a chance.
This was the first time I ever asked anyone for permission to hunt a property.
So far I'm discouraged.
I even offered anything I found to them if they wanted it, I enjoy just hunting for the stuff, and I already have donated revolutionary artifacts to historical society's before, so much for being honest I guess...

 

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[Gypsy Heart]

I wouldnt get too bent out of shape....people have the right to say no about property they own . I am not sure I would want people I dont know tromping all over my property either...no matter how nice they sounded in their letter.

Sometimes women who live alone have to take a stronger more witchier approach ....because with most women ,their safety and their families safety comes first....so ....they act tough and dont care if the other person thinks they are a witch .because it keeps people away. But...I do know that I wouldnt be happy at all if I caught someone tresspassing in my woods.
You win some...you lose some ......But dont take a chance on getting caught tresspassing....not good for you or us.

 

[diggummup]

Maybe your not the first to ask. Or better yet maybe you are and someone else has already ruined it for you in the past by not asking and leaving holes or something. Points to ponder.
Good luck in the future.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

diggummup, I don't think it has anything to do with anyone having already asked, or anything to do with anything to do with metal detecting at all. I have seen this situation played out all too often. It works like this: Think of it, what do YOU do when you get junk mail from a total stranger? You throw it away, right? Solaryellow, you were lucky to have even gotten a reply. And yes, no matter how you phrase it, why should they be bothered? Afterall, their image is geeks with shovels. The bridge has been burned by all the years of junk mail and phone solicitors, to the point that people don't pay attention to anyone via either of those routes. That's why it's always better to bump into them in person somehow.

Solaryellow, you say: "I think next time I come to a questionable location, I will just take a chance". Was it fenced or posted? If it wasn't, I'd have just helped myself. We had a situation here in my town, where they were doing rennovations on the grassy inner court of the local high school (blt. 1919). A few of us just helped ourselves after they ripped the grass out, and got hundreds of silver coins. Another fellow though, took it upon himself to go to the bureaucratic offices across town and ask. Someone told him "no". Funny thing was, we were there a whole week in front of Main St. traffic in broad daylight, and no one said so much as "boo" to us. Yup, even after school staff, janitor, etc... were just curious as to what our daily finds were. The person who "asked" was somewhat peeved when he saw all our silver at the next club meeting. I realize these examples (yours and mine) are slightly different, but it does go to illustrate a point.

 

[Ascholten]

Another thing you have to think of is liability. In todays society where pathetic losers sue for anything they can and the jerk off lawyers and courts who entertain such suits, I can't blame her much to be honest.

You get hurt on her property, and decide you want to make that property yours, so you get an ambulance chaser and sue her for whatever. Even if she wins the suit, it's still years of wasted time in courts and thousands of dollars in lawyers fees. It's just easier for her to say, sorry but no.

Aaron

 

[solaryellow]

It wasn't posted, and doesn't look like it was part of anyones property.
Like I said, it was just woods.
And lots of garbage thrown in there.
Funny I found a Pot pipe in there too.
Now I wonder........

Now don't get me wrong, I said I understand people can say no, but instead of

'Sorry, I don't think it is a good idea"

Or even, No please please don't do that.

It was a very harsh, No absolutely not, there is no reason blah blah blah..

I gave her a nice reason, so not sure why she would even include that comment.

From what I can gather she might be some NYC bigwig with a CT home and lots of acreage in that area.
She may in fact be alone too.
I'm also not a stranger to the area, and I am almost certain she has heard of me before considering I volunteer time at the local highschool for public events for which she probably has attended, and may have run into me before.

By taking a chance, I'm talking about desolate areas of no homes in the middle of the woods.
I certainly would not intentionally walk onto a property I knew for sure was private.

And I think I did the right thing by asking first in this case, so please don't beat me down.
I see everyone else asking to hunt old properties so for the first time in my 20 years of detecting I ask for permission for a non public area, and this was the response I got, hence my feelings of discouragment.

MD rules are just so vague, how can you ask anyone for permission to hunt public areas like a local playground, you will have someone say go ahead, and someone say NO WAY.
Who is the authority?
This is where I would take the chance.

And I know exactly what you mean by geeks with shovels.
I had a similar comment thrown at me for another hobby of mine, non MD related.

I should have never posted this, for some reason I take it I am the one at fault here.

 

[solaryellow]

Could have been town property, and in my area, lots and lots of landtrusts.

Fact is I wrote a letter first.

 

[solaryellow]

Is there a reason for everyone's semi rude responses?
Not everyone but a few.

Did I do something wrong by posting this?

I never said I was pissed off at this woman, or mad for being denied, I was purely displaying that people are less than cordial when it comes to this hobby.
Or maybe we all know that now and don't want to hear it again.
I would have said no too, but not in that manner.

Next time someone asks me for something I will beat them down, is that what I should do?

Incredible, I thought MD'ers on this board were nicer than this...

 

[solaryellow]

No I haven't, so I guess I am probably wrong on this whole thing.

We have lots of open space. And mountains that aren't listed as being owned by individuals, so i assume the town owns it.
If the town owns it, would you consider it public?

 

[Boobydoo]

Is there a reason for everyone's semi rude responses?
Not everyone but a few.

Did I do something wrong by posting this?

I never said I was pissed off at this woman, or mad for being denied, I was purely displaying that people are less than cordial when it comes to this hobby.
Or maybe we all know that now and don't want to hear it again.
I would have said no too, but not in that manner.

Next time someone asks me for something I will beat them down, is that what I should do?

Incredible, I thought MD'ers on this board were nicer than this...

Hey, you did the right thing by requesting permission and you know you can't control what others say or how they say it. You just never know what happened in the past to the lady. Maybe she has a reason to get a bit over reactive. We have all seen how certain TH'ers disrespect the land and private property ruining it for us all.

Personally, the chance on finding a few silvers is not worth risking getting thrown in jail and my detector confinscated or even worse, shot for trespassing. Hey, it happens.

Good luck to you. Keep doing the right thing and you will be better off in the long run. Karma has it's ways... good and bad.

Smiles!
BDoo

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

Don't give up. I've been turned down so many times that I've lost count. It does get easier the more you ask and after a while you don't even get aggravated when they say no. I stopped the other day to ask about hunting a yard and the man had burned down the house and is getting ready to bull doze it. He said ok but only while he was there and he hoped his wife didn't drive by. He said she got mad because he let some guy get the copper pipe out of the charred pile of debris. Hang in there and don't let the getting turned down stop you from asking because it will pay off in the long run for you.

DANGLANGLEY

 

[Ocean7]

you have to be able to take "NO"s and move on. Some people just will not allow anyone to MD on their property and you have to accept this fact. Maybe hunters have trespassed and fired towards the house.
Maybe they had a bad experience with another MD'er. Who knows?

Don't give up just realize that people will say "NO" and that is their right. Sure it's a let down but it beats explaining to the local police why you are on private property digging holes. Keep asking - eventually you'll meet a nice friendly person willing to let you have a a go at it.

 

[solaryellow]

Thanks.

Will keep trying.

I just wished I could have answered the phone instead of getting a recorded message.

So even public land is questionable.
I would love to detect around my town green, people have done it, but I am afraid of exactly that,,,,,,,,,cops.

Although my ploy would be, I lost my wedding ring.

 

[solaryellow]

The whole point of this post was.


I didn't get a polite NO, I got a OH HELL NO!!!! which was all I was commenting about.

I really didn't think that what I was asking was so repulsive, but now I learned my lesson.

I also underestimated people's demeanor.
Silly me.

 

[teverly]

People are people..some people may politely tell you no and some people may say hell no get lost.....or somewhere in between.
Just have to move on and realize that not all people will have nice dispositions.....

 

[roswellborn]

Well, you found it was owned privately and you did the right thing in asking permission. From what you say, she does (did?) sound a little uh ... strong in her response. But, I hope you don't get too bummed out - b'cause they say that a salesman gets 19 "no's" for every "yes."

Hang in there, and just figure you've now got one "no" out of the way on your way to the "yes."

I'm glad you posted the story, it reminds us that it takes all kinds. Darn it.

HH
Nan

 

[Jeffro]

No biggie dude-

I get more yes answers asking in person than from letters, its to be expected. 10 acres? Shoot, there's only a few hundred million acres left!


Don't sweat what you can't get at. Go on to the next place and get a yes!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

solaryellow, you say: "We have lots of open space. And mountains that aren't listed as being owned by individuals, so i assume the town owns it.
If the town owns it, would you consider it public?" I say: If you ask enough questions, someone will tell you that you can't even pick your own nose!

I know of abandoned lots in my town, that if I were to look long enough and hard enough (the assesor's office?) I could probably find an owner hours away, who left it abandoned, yet stays on the roles as "owner".

I hunt those sites all the time, and have yet to have jail time & my detector confiscated. Guess I don't ask enough questions?

 

[BuckleBoy]

Another thing you have to think of is liability. In todays society where pathetic losers sue for anything they can and the jerk off lawyers and courts who entertain such suits, I can't blame her much to be honest.

You get hurt on her property, and decide you want to make that property yours, so you get an ambulance chaser and sue her for whatever. Even if she wins the suit, it's still years of wasted time in courts and thousands of dollars in lawyers fees. It's just easier for her to say, sorry but no.

Aaron

I was turned down on a Colonial fort site that is slated for destruction (it'll be a housing "development" next year). The reason they gave me was that they didn't have the liability insurance to cover me on the site. What a stupid world we live in. Oh well. On to the next CW or Colonial site. Let the dozers roll!

Buckleboy

 

[Giant056]

My brother and I asked permission from a guy on a milk farm to hunt an old house across the street that he owns and he said sure no problem and we showed him our machines and basically how they worked, he said before we started he'd better check with his wife and her answer was no! Later my brother and I stopped over to my sister's (she lives not too far from that sight) and her other half knows the owner well and he said I'm sure you can hunt it, he'd check with them and they gave him the same answer and that his wife wanted to do it.