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I emailed the mayor's office in my city about the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street

G

Goes4ever

New member
I emailed them (mayor's office) about who owns the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street in Van Wert, they told me although the property owner maintains it in our town, it is indeed owned by the city, property stakes in my town are on the inside of the sidewalk not the outside, so it is city right of way. Metal detecting there is ok as long as the home owner does not object against you being there. (makes a lot of sense)

so basically the city owns it, but if the home owner does not want you there, they can ask you to leave.........:shrug:

so what does a guy do? the city owns it, do I start detcting some of them? y take is I do not ned permision from each home owner but if one comes out and asks me to leave, I would just politely move on. what is your opinion?
 
Detect like you have every right to be there, but be respectful. Be very careful about any 'digging'.

If we act like we're guilty, people will assume we are. If we act like we belong, most will leave us alone.
 
in the landowners shoes!! You have spent countless hours watering, fertilizing and mowing that little strip. Now, here comes some fool with a detector and starts digging holes in it!! See what I mean?? If you want to detect those strips, go to the door and ask permission. Assuming you have the right to be there and can do whatever you like just because it's the city's property is disrespectful of the landowner. Knock on that door!! If no one is at home, move along. If they are home, maybe they will grant you permission to hunt the rest of their lawn too!! If they say no, be respectful and move along. Our hobby does not need any bad publicity that something like this could cause. Why risk it for a few lousy coins?? Now..if the lot is vacant, put on your safety vest and go for it!!! Always wear a safety vest when detecting near a street, could save your life and people see you in it and think you are working and leave you alone....except for that angry landowner!!!
 
Go during the weekday when less people are around. Pick the ones that are not kept up. Leave the manicured ones alone. If asked to leave, nicely mention it is city property. If asked again, move up a house. I have done miles of them in large cities and small towns. I have been asked to stop twice in front house's. One crazy lady actually grabbed my hand when I was digging. Her daughter was screaming. She called the cops. They told me they were both crazy. I mmoved on. Most people could care less. College towns are great. Look for the rentals. The kids could care less. I don't ask the city or cops nothing. I just wave when they drive by.
 
Yes...the guy can ask you to leave. Legally? No. A lot of people are land barons, and thinks it's theirs. What to do? Just move on to the next house. Challenging them only aggravates them further, and they will continue to call the city, police etc. And, they may complain to schools too if they see you there detecting. What you don't want is the hobby of metal detecting becoming an item for city council to discuss on their agenda. They usually will defend homeowners, as they are a source of tax revenue. They can write by-laws very quickly, require licences, or ban detecting period if they get enough complaints.. See where this is going to.......

Just accept the fact that there are some jerks out there, and move on. Life is too short to give them the time they most certainly don't deserve. :)
 
I have all intentions to move on if asked to leave. I have done several already and found some old coins and even a ring. I just contacted them to be 100% sure it as ok, it was more to re-assure my hunting partner than anything lse....lol
 
This has been discussed many times. The parkway in virtually all cities is owned by the city and free to detect on unless you run into a cranky homeowner who doesn't want you there. Many homeowners are unaware that the parkway is city owned. So the best way is to just hunt it and if a homeoner asks you not to - just move on to the next one.

Bill
 
Well, even if the land is legally owned by the city, I think it would be in kind
of bad taste to go digging in the yard without the permission of the owner.
Most people still consider that part of their yard, even if it's not strictly.
I know our yard is like that. There is a sidewalk in front of the house, and
then a strip of land between the sidewalk and the street.
It may legally belong to the city, but for all practical purposes it belongs to
the homeowner. They plant grass on it, mow it, etc..
I know myself, if I went outside and someone was digging a hole in our
yard next to the street, I probably wouldn't be too happy about it.
I'm fairly certain I would ask them , what in the h#&& do you think you
are doing digging a hole in my front yard!!!???
And I consider it my yard, cuz I'm the one that has to mow it every week.
I would always get permission first, as ,myself I consider it part of their
yard, whether the city owns the strip or not.
I'm very careful not to trespass where I don't have permission, I also don't
detect posted areas, etc..
It's like the other post where the cop says it's probably ok.. I still wouldn't do it.
Some *other* cop might come along and have a totally different view,
especially if the posted landowner happen to call them.

I don't need the potential trouble, and it could hurt detecting way worse than just
leaving some holes unfilled, if everyone started doing that.
Could cause some bad PR if you aggravated the wrong people.
People get picky about their yards.
As an example.. The guy I work for... Once after I got my machine, I had
it over to his house. I gave a quick pass on the yard next to his driveway,
and it lit up on clad, and many seemed to be quarters.
He said not unusual, they fall out of his pocket when he gets out of the
cars. I offered to pluck a few out, but he didn't want me to, as he was paranoid
about messing up his grass. I didn't push it.. It's his yard.
 
Dang... I was starting to wonder if I was the only one who thought as you also seem to.
I would never go poking on a persons lawn without permission. City owned or not.
I know I consider our "strip" as our lawn, city owned or not. Most other people do
too around here.
Not saying it's a bad idea as a place to hunt. But I'd always ask permission first.
 
I always ask.I'm more interested in detecting the yards than the boulevards.Tax deed sale houses before their purchased are fair game.
 
I have done miles of them in Fl. with no problem. Wouldn't even think about doing them in WV. You could get shot! Most property here runs to the middle of the street. You have to use common sense. Awhitster has good street sense about it. I have followed that same policy.
 
Asking permission to hunt the whole yard will include the grass strip. As it was said below better to not get a landowner upset and the "lawmakers" get into making laws against metal detecting!
HH
 
Paul(NWO) said:
Asking permission to hunt the whole yard will include the grass strip. As it was said below better to not get a landowner upset and the "lawmakers" get into making laws against metal detecting!
HH
Click to expand...
WooHoo, great it is YOUR PROPERTY. Just make sure if someone falls and breaks their leg on the sidewalk in front of your house that you run out and tell them it is YOUR PROPERTY. That way they will know who to SUE.
 
some had stated that it was the city's period and I added emphasis to clarify that is not always the case. As far as lawsuits go the property owner or caretaker (adjacent property owner) will be the named defendant and not the city. I try but can't always, post congratulatory themes to your posts of your finds but you have lately wanted to challenge things that I say. In would like to think that there is free speach on this forum at least to the subject matter of metal detecting.
May you have a very nice day,
Paul(NWO)
 
Yeah it's best to find out what the rules are in your particular part of the world. The laws ain't the same everywhere.

Bill
 
Yeh, it varies locally. I have owned properties that went to the centerline of the street, with a city easement for the street, sidewalk and utilities. The first time I saw this subject come up a few months ago, I checked my plat here. At least in my subdivision, the property layouts stipulate that my lot is separate from that "reserved to the city for a public throughway, utilities, parking and general public use and passage." Doesn't say anything about wanderers coming by to dig holes in it for their own amusement and gain. Other rules and ordnances make it pretty clear that I am responsible for any unsafe or unsightly conditions to the street side of the curb, which gives me a certain level of vested interest in what goes on there - thus I am likely to have a territorial attitude about it. A quick query at the residence as to whether anyone would mind "if you metal detect that city-owned street strip by the sidewalk" marks you as a courteous guy, doesn't it?
 
This is the third time I have seen this same subject posted. It seems to always hit a few nerves. It always goes from "it's city property and I'll do what I want on it" to "it's my property and stay the heck off":rofl:
 
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