Trespassing

[John Mercier]

It doesn't make a difference. There have been attempts to circumvent it. But they failed in court.

A horseback rider trying to sue a landowner, and failing, led to Lyndeborough vs Boisvert.

The closest I have heard of was the chain across the access point that killed a snowmobiler. We now suggest adding a piece of 4" pvc pipe painted/draped in bright orange. With the trespass sign(s) legally posted to the trees/posts that the chain/cable runs across.

[Sue Doe-Nym]

Without running this topic even more into the ditch, I sincerely hope that this can be resolved for you. It’s pathetic that some people seem to feel that it’s their right to use what isn’t theirs. Something like this can very easily turn confrontational, even violent. I hope that doesn’t happen here. Anyhow, good luck with it.

[54fighting]

Originally Posted by Sue Doe-Nym

Without running this topic even more into the ditch, I sincerely hope that this can be resolved for you. It’s pathetic that some people seem to feel that it’s their right to use what isn’t theirs. Something like this can very easily turn confrontational, even violent. I hope that doesn’t happen here. Anyhow, good luck with it.

Thanks. I’m not sure how or why the thread swerved into a property tax discussion, but I’m sure the matter will be resolved peacefully.

[Susie Cougar]

I’m just wondering. Are you a new property owner? Has your land been used in the past? Could it be that they had permission to use it from someone before you? It just seems so odd.

[54fighting]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

I’m just wondering. Are you a new property owner? Has your land been used in the past? Could it be that they had permission to use it from someone before you? It just seems so odd.

Not a new owner, no prior permission and this is not one individual. Started seeing indications during the pandemic so I put up trail cams. I don’t think anyone would walk down the driveway of a vacant home or dock their boat and come ashore in that case. This is a different situation. It’s a vacant lot with visible and convenient access to the water, with what may have been perceived to be a low risk of detection. If you couple those circumstances with a certain mindset maybe it’s not so odd.

[ITD]

Originally Posted by 54fighting

Not a new owner, no prior permission and this is not one individual. Started seeing indications during the pandemic so I put up trail cams. I don’t think anyone would walk down the driveway of a vacant home or dock their boat and come ashore in that case. This is a different situation. It’s a vacant lot with visible and convenient access to the water, with what may have been perceived to be a low risk of detection. If you couple those circumstances with a certain mindset maybe it’s not so odd.

Unfortunately that's what happens, one person discovers it, then brings a friend who brings a friend and so on. You are right to nip it in the bud.

[SAB1]

Here’s my take. If the land is not legally posted and there is just a sign hanging on a chain across the road I think alot of people perceive it as trying to stop illegal dumping and not an occasional walker passing thru. Not saying that’s right. I also think some people, including those that may live near, think it’s fine to pass thru and the sign is meant to keep the riff raff away.

[54fighting]

Originally Posted by SAB1

Here’s my take. If the land is not legally posted and there is just a sign hanging on a chain across the road I think alot of people perceive it as trying to stop illegal dumping and not an occasional walker passing thru. Not saying that’s right. I also think some people, including those that may live near, think it’s fine to pass thru and the sign is meant to keep the riff raff away.

I appreciate the responses but it’s probably time to sunset this thread.

I’d like to be clear; although I object to what these people are doing I don’t consider them to be riff raff or somehow less than. I would not look at a private property, no trespassing sign and think, since this sign does not satisfy all of the statutory requirements for posting it is simply intended to discourage illegal dumping (when would a sign ever be sufficient for that purpose?) and does not apply to me as I am not riff raff. This is a pretty simple concept. Private property belongs to another, and confirm rather than assume that explicit signage does not apply to you.

[John Mercier]

Once it is legally posted (and the legal requirement is there to help enforcement), for someone to pass the sign onto the property legally requires written permission on that person specifically from the posted landowner.