Paid access?

[Cpackjr]

Is there such a thing as paying for access to private land?
I am visiting Petersburg and Richmond for 3-4 days.
I had a small place to detect in Colonial Heights that belongs to family but that fell through.
Do landowners ever offer paid access? If so how do I find info on them?
I am visiting battlefields and camping in Pocahontas and would love a few hours somewhere to detect.
I am from Southern West Virginia and am arriving in VA on Friday the 23rd of June
Thanks for any info

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I dunno why, but it seems to me that your odds of getting a "yes" via an offer of $$, versus a simple handshake, are about the same. The exception would be some big event, like where you rent a farmer's field for a big group hunt like the relic shootouts, where 100s of persons descend on a CW antebellum colonial site , during the farmer's fallow time, on 100s of acres.

But for just a lone person showing up, I can't imagine how an offer of $$ is any better than a simple "May I ?"

I mean, think of it : If a person shows up at your door asking if they can walk around your back yard to gaze at the stars, or count the pine cones on your tree, will it make much difference if they say : "And I'll pay you $100" ? I think if the average person is skeptical of some stranger walking around their yard, then .... the introduction of $$ doesn't change that.

 

[Cpackjr]

I do see your point
My thought was that maybe there are landowners out there who know their land is desirable and maybe offer it on a regular basis. I don’t know if that is a thing, seems not I did stop in Bedford VA for gas and noticed a sign for county parks. I called the parks and rec people and she said detecting is allowed just don’t make a mess. I hit two parks and found a obvious old farm site on both but only some cast iron tool parts and a nice silver and ruby nacklace on the disc frisbee course. So, where there’s a Will there’s a way.
Thanks for the response

 

[hoser]

Like Tom said, if there is a group then I could see there being a charge. But just one person, No.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... I called the parks and rec people and she said detecting is allowed just don’t make a mess. ....

cpackjr : A word to-the-wise, for the future : If you are skittish that there might be a rule or law (that forbids md'ing) for a park you're thinking of hitting, then : Look up rules and laws for yourself. In this digital day & age that we live in, it's to the point where EVEN IN SMALL TOWNS and counties, they will invariably have their muni code, charter, park rules, etc... on-line. Eg.: Dogs on leash, closes at sunset, no fireworks, etc..... Thus : If it doesn't say "no md'ing", then presto : Not prohibited.

The problem with calling up a desk jockey or sending emails asking "Can I detect ?", is that you risk bumping into the "No one cared UNTIL you asked" routine. Eg.: Someone whose image is geeks with shovels, so they pass back the easy answer and just say "no". Even though there wasn't any specific rule that said "no md'ing". They can just say it falls afoul of boiler plate verbiage about "alter" and "deface" .

I've seen this happen over and over, where particular parks were NEVER a problem. Until someone (bless their little heart) took it upon themselves to ask "Can I ?". Then presto : A new law or policy is born. And if someone else says 'nonsense, no one *really* cares ", then guess what the skittish person does to "get this clarified " ? Drum roll : Ask a bored desk jockey. Do you see how this risks simply becoming a self-fulfilling vicious loop ?

 

[diggin4clad]

If paying a "fee" to gain permission to a really very promising site was the only way to get to detect it, I'd still pass on the "opportunity".

 

[randy]

Paying for permissions is like going to the movies. If the value of the entertainment equals or exceeds the cost, then do it, otherwise don't. You don't know what you will find, nor do you know how well the movie is directed, acted, ends, etc, so there is "imperfect information" (as economists call it), in both decisions, but that is the case is almost all decisions.

I won't do a permission when the owner says they want to "split the finds". How do you do that? Ok, you can have the toasted coppers, I'll keep the bust silvers No way to do this fairly, so its not fun, so I won't do it. Nor would I hide the good finds from an owner under such an agreement because that just isn't me. More fun to detect elsewhere.

As for "show me your finds" to get permission, no problem for that. Done that many times with no issues.

I would probably pay about $10 to hunt a 3 star site (I rate prospective sites from 0 to 3 stars), if it is a site that required permission. That is about where I value the prospective experience. I've never done it tho; still plenty of free sites around here to explore, tho few 3 star ones anymore.

 

[atomicbrh]

There is one civil war battlefield local to us where cash would open up a lot of yards in the low income neighborhoods but you might have to pay an additional surcharge to the controlling street gang for "insurance" to protect your vehicle from theft or break in.

 

[Diggndabeeps]

I was granted permission at a church and did donate some money for their general fund. I have not offered or paid money to a private property owner but have dropped off small gifts to thank them.

 

[Doug Down]

The paying route is getting all too common here in England. Of course, I see the plus points, permissions are getting harder to secure and folk are desperate for the chance to use the expensive machines they've forked out a lot of dough for. And many do love history, wherever they find it and will willingly record it with the archeologists if they have a tent there. Others will be driving some distances, and what with the cost of petrol, their entry fee and accommodation. Well I won't say 'greed' may surface but the it's likely they thought of at 'least breaking even' comes to the forefront. They are like machines, sweep, kneel, dig, sweep, kneel, dig. It matters little to them about findspots and context, their mission is to simply rush and recover the next bleep. There once was a horror story of a rally just a few miles from where I live where gold sovereigns suddenly started to be unearthed. Sealed wax rolls full of them! The Police and organizers can never be sure about how many were handed in (most paid events require you to hand in anything with a value of over 500 to split with the landowner...who's already taken a bit of cash from all attendees, and certainly wouldn't have been giving any of it back if you found sweet f. a.) I agree if a solitary searcher turned up and offered a few dollars, I'd probably think, what do they know? And keep a close eye on them if I allowed them even on in the first place. Best off sending some letters in the locality where you're staying, explaining how you love history and the reasons why think there might dig something there that you'd take for them to see at the end of the day. Put an S.A.E in with it and hope for the best. No chance of catching the landowner at the wrong time with a letter, or him driving out on an errand past you on the drive. I'm sure you'll do ok, and have a few stories to write up on these pages very soon! Good luck,