Re: Sidewalk Strip Ownership, Do you hunt them?

[Idaho PRB]

In a previous post, G4E stated that he had EMailed the Mayor of his town regarding ownership of the strips of grass between the sidewalk and the street. He was given the "go ahead" by the Mayor and he and his friends had a good hunt. I took his idea and EMailed the Mayor of our town and recieved this response;

[size=medium]"I have looked into this issue and it would appear

 

[UtahRich]

Yes, I do hunt them. It Salt Lake they are public property, and too, the adjacent property owner is EXPECTED to care for it and maintain it. Therefore, I knock on the door and ask permission to hunt the yard. If no, then I ask if it would be ok to hunt out in the public parking strip.

I've only been turned down for the parking strip a couple times in all the years I've been doing this. Too, I am a little selective and usually don't ask to hunt in those that are being meticulously cared for. Usually the yards are the same way and experience shows that these types of owners, if I can type them, cringe at the thought of somebody 'digging' in their garden.

Anyway, these right of way areas can be productive. They are usually a little more trashy being out near the road, but also see more traffic due to their being right by the sidewalk and the street.


Rich (Utah)

 

[jeepcj5]

If its in front of a park, public building, apartments, foreclosed abandoned house, parking lot, empty lot, then fair game.... someones occupied home, not without permission...

 

[LostNowFound]

I would be intrusive of me to hunt the sidewalk strip of someones house. After all, they maintain the property.

If the house is abandoned, then OK.

 

[Diggler]

I have done it without permission in a mostly college rental area and nobody bothered me. It was an old part of town and I don't remember finding anything good. The strips were pretty much dirt and weed (and trash). But I would feel really weird doing it in a nice lawn in front of a nice house without permission.

 

[Bell-Two]

I have given thought about this too, in some of the older neighborhoods the streets are boulevards with a large median strip in the center that is grass. Now these are maintained by the city not the homeowners I have planned on doing some of them but if someone objects I would probably move down the next block.

 

[pointer80]

I agree with jeepcj5. If it is in front of public property then it is fair game. I also live in a college town and there are alot of old homes turned into college rentals and they are not kept up at all! I feel any house that is a "eye sore" then the property owner has no right to tell me not to hunt the strip.. Most towns or citys have a rental association and you can get a list of rental properties. Most landlords do not care if you hunt these strips. I believe even if the city tells you it's ok and even gives you permmision via e-mail or otherwise, the tax paying property owner is going to win, they are the ones voting the officials in. If you think about how many sidewalk strips are in everytown, you will always find some to hunt legally. HH.

 

[LabradorBob]

It is to my knowledge that the area between the sidewalk and the curb
is city property,and maintained by the city.

LabradorBob

 

[pointer80]

LabradorBob, The strip is a city easement or right of way. Around here it is the property owners responsibility to maintain them. If the property owner does not keep them mowed they can get a ticket from the city. The city has the right to put a sign on them or plant a tree on them without confronting the property owner. It is quite the grey area. For the most part any time I asked to hunt them I got a good response. I actually try to get permission to hunt them and show the landowner how I detect and then try to get permission to hunt their yard. It has worked a couple of times. Good luck all and HH.

 

[JJ]

Everywhere I have ever lived or hunted, the easement between the sidewalk and street is city property to be maintained by the immediate homeowner. These are very productive to hunt and I always try to do so with permission. I have hunted these when nobody was home. I have had the police called on me by nosey neighbors assuming I am trespassing. The law will be interpreted by the responding officer, usually in favor to keep the peace in the neighborhood, and you will be asked to leave. My last encounter was the most difficult, as I continued to dig while asking the officer for a full interpretaion of the law because I knew it was deep silver. I drug out the conversation long enough to discretely recover the silver and carefully and neatly refill the hole. Only after I left the area did I have time to clean it up and see what it was, '77 seated dime. Moral of the story: Try to get permission to hunt easements. Don't assume you are entitled as this will only create conflict regardless of who is legally right. Conflict will only lead to prohibition of our beloved hobby, so be respectful. JJ

 

[Idaho PRB]

......... Moral of the story: Try to get permission to hunt easements. Don't assume you are entitled as this will only create conflict regardless of who is legally right. Conflict will only lead to prohibition of our beloved hobby, so be respectful. JJ

I think that about says it all.

 

[Goes4ever]

as I said before I did get permission from the city, I emailed them and got an OK...........good enough for me, they also said if any homeowner did not want me there to just move on! In 2 blocks I never had a single person come out except for a lady who was interested in the hobby. There were 3 of us, as well. So I am sure we were more noticeable.

 

[tippyhound]

We have hunted sidewalk strips since the mid 1980's. They are city property as sewer and water access is done on many of them, also the city sometimes will widen streets and does not want to have to battle the residents over access.

We have experienced everything from curiosity to down right in your face anger, have had the police called on us and they explained to the people it was city property and we could hunt it if we wanted. In most cases we simply moved on and the problem was solved. Never have I been told to leave by a city policeman.

I can't begin to tell you how many coins, tokens, and pieces of jewelry we have found on those strips as many of the towns here locally have parking strips as much as 15' wide. They provide a lot of hunting and many objects to be found. We have found coins dating as far back as the mid 1800's. I would say it was probably some of the best metal detecting we ever had. Rick IL

 

[Idaho PRB]

as I said before I did get permission from the city, I emailed them and got an OK...........good enough for me, they also said if any homeowner did not want me there to just move on! In 2 blocks I never had a single person come out except for a lady who was interested in the hobby. There were 3 of us, as well. So I am sure we were more noticeable.

G4E,
I just want to make sure you know I was not incinuating that you didn't take the right road here. I was actually hoping for a similar response from our Mayor. I was just curious how this somewhat gray area was handled in different parts of the country.
Idaho PRB

 

[Goes4ever]

oh I didn't take it wrong, no worries! Hit curbs again today scored good again!