new one on me

I have had to ask 4wheelers not to ride on my farm and the neighbor sometimes lets a friend hunt on him and who drifts over my line but today I showed up to work on my place (I don"t live there) and I find two guys with metal detectors who had heard there was a school house from the early 1900s that used to be on my farm. My house was built in 1896 and "someone" told them I didn"t mind them being on the old school because it is just off the road etc. Well at first my inclination was that I didn"t care but I thought about it I decided I had no contol over what they found and it might be valuable. I finally said that if they found something I kept it if I wanted it. That was totally unacceptable to them and they left. Now I need to get my fences better. What would you do?

Put up signs and keep doing what you're doing. Your land your rules, they were trespassing plain and simple. That said I cannot claim to have asked permission every time I crossed a fence, especially as a kid, but I never went looking to find anything either.

You did just right.

Well since I have papers signed so that if I catch some one trespassing all I have to do is take a picture and call the cops and they get a ticket well that is what I would do. Who knows what they may have stole from you and you do not know they did

You will never keep them out if you aren't living there. With some folks that's a tall job if you are there 24/7.

The best you can do is post it good. Call the sheriff if you see them there again. The biggest risk you run is being "that guy". Then you will really have problems not living there. The neighbor took some coyote hunters to court for repeated trespassing. It helps that she's on the farm all the time and the coyote hunters were city boys not locals.

Where I am the neighbors in the section are the best defense. We are all supportive of each other and know each others wishes. We can put the heat on trespassers if the neighbors aren't even home.

Sounds like they were trespassing, should have taken out your cell phone and called the sheriff.

Might want to rent a metal detector and check the area yourself--might be fun for a day and like you said you might find something valuable. At least having checked the area you know what they will find if they return. Humm, that makes me think. After you finish checking the area bury a lot of junk around the area and they"ll spend all day digging up junk and the holes the leave will let you know it worked. Of course you could have invited them to search while you were there and split the profits from any finds like those TV shows do.

Hank
You should have asked for there drivers lic. after getting their Address ask them if its ok to plow up their place to see what you could find. It would be the same principle right. John in Az.

Tresspassing pure and simple. I run anyone off I find on my land: kids on quads, snowmobiles, golf carts and hunters. Thge power line bisects our property and I leased that section to have a little more clout. Fences go up this spring.

What he experienced is typical. Let one guy on and he brings a buddy, then the buddy brings a buddy, and on and on. Before long you don't know anyone on your land.

Larry

Yep the guys were trespassing plain and simple. Now as to them finding anything of value,yeah good luck with that.
The best they would find is possibly some kids rusty old pocket knife. There wasn"t money enough in the old days for kids to be carrying anything to school.
I would suggest that you post your land,with your name and address so you can be contacted.
Folks with metal detecters do not plow up the ground,if they are ethical and 99% are you will see no more evidence of them being there than a squirrel will do burying nuts.
I have owned a metal detecter for over ten years and have never gone on anothers property,nor have I ever found anything of real value on a rural property.
As to them not wanting to give you what they find ,why should they? Trespassing aside,it is obvious that you did not give a darn about whatever may be there,you never made any attempt at artifact recovery,they invested in the equipment and energy to do it.
They were trespassing plain and simple,kick them off call the law whatever,it is your land your right. To give them permission to continue with the caveat of them giving all finds to you is unheard of.

My barn is from 1826 or about and I have kicked out a few metal detector guys. My wife has her own metal detector for which I'm the digging labor. She has had me dig pretty deep for some total junk . Fun for her but not for me. I'm also in the antique bottle club and anyone with any manners gets permission to dig .Metal detecting should be the same way otherwise you are infringing on the property owners rights. they really have no business being there without your permission. Good ones ring your bell and ask [even though the answer is still no].Any treasures found are property of the landowner.

I never give artifacts to the landowner. Most times we will work a split or he gets first choice or some other arrangement. Exception being if he mentions a particular object such as his mothers engagemnet ring or his grandfathers pocket watch etc.
If I detect someones property with the land owner getting every thing ,then I am performing a service and I will then expect to be paid for performing that service.