For as many years as metal detecting has been around, I'm surprised no one has come up with some kind of legal agreement form, for detecting on private land, signed by the homeowner/landowner and the person doing the detecting. This could "release the searcher, their agents and associates from any and all loss or damage which may occur" during and after the scanning, and could also lay out the distribution of anything recovered. You start out with their verbal promise and a handshake, then come back with the Saddle Ridge Hoard, you can bet the landowner will claim it all.

Doc Holliday said:

For as many years as metal detecting has been around, I'm surprised no one has come up with some kind of legal agreement form, for detecting on private land, signed by the homeowner/landowner and the person doing the detecting. This could "release the searcher, their agents and associates from any and all loss or damage which may occur" during and after the scanning, and could also lay out the distribution of anything recovered. You start out with their verbal promise and a handshake, then come back with the Saddle Ridge Hoard, you can bet the landowner will claim it all.

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I believe this has been done by the Individual MD'ER who can do this by writing up a Contract between themselves & Landowner(s) or ? with specifics made & agreed upon & signed by each--These can be photo copied, then dated for each permission given) & carried with the MD'er & if more is needed like a signature of a lawyer &/or signed witnesses in case a huge hoard of Gold or Silver should be found & a fair division needed to be made by even meeting with a Lawyer! Sure wouldn't want to be accused of damaging lawn, land & property when none was made--these unlawful & dark days there is even more chances of greed, anger & ruffled feathers--so covering the possible things that could happen as much as possible or just take NO when asking & leave in PEACE!! If you ask GOV for permission to hunt GOV (PUBLIC Land for the TREASURE taht might have been hidden there, , FORGET IT, they will go & hunt to get it first But if you find it, they will take most of it & toss you a piddly few! Am I saying, or insinuating our Government is CROOKED?? YES Sir, I sure am! Are you the same Doc Holiday of many years ago? Ma

There was a generic form a few years back that more or less covered what you are asking. The form outlined that you have permission to metal detect on property owned or controlled by another person, this includes recovery of coins, jewelry, relics and other non valuable items. The responsible party for the land acknowledged that you will be cutting plugs in the turf for recovery purposes and said plugs will be replaced and put back flush. Any gates gone thru will be left as found etc etc. It even had a check box for whether the owner wished to see your finds (most folks I’ve dealt with are more interested in old family relics than they are coins), and jewelry might just belong to the family. Thats part of the price of being allowed in and sometimes that just what you have to pay.
I personally do not want to get into a situation where I have to produce proof of liability insurance in case I accidentally cut a phone line or worse, no more than the land owner needs to show insurance in case you slip on a banana peel while detecting.
Too much paperwork will end up causing too much distrust between parties. I suppose if I find the treasure of Oak Island or the Lost Gold of the Aztec’s then its only fair the land owner gets some of profits and acknowledgment of the ownership. Someone finds that much is going to have a hard time “cashing it in” without some type of getting identified.