what to do when you cant get a contact number

Dflan83

Elite Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2010
Messages
1,126
Location
Fayetteville, TN
Hey everyone I found a old church that is not in use anymore but that property is still mowed. I looked up the local real estate assessment data for the address and the only thing it says about the owner is that its a church of christ, no mailing address or phone number.

I really really want to try to get permission for this place but I am not sure whom to contact here. I looked around yesterday (sunday) during peak church hours and noticed there was not one vehicle, some of the windows are busted and yellow caution tape on the back door. You would not be able to tell by looking at the church from the road and for the longest time I figured it was still in use
 
Ask a neighbor of the property.
If it gets mowed find out who mows it.
Go to city hall or the county engineers office. If you go to any public servant do not mention metal detecting.
I'm sure there's contact info for that property.
 
Like HistoryHippy said asking Neighbors is a good idea. It seems like country neighbors know quite a bit of what's going on. I would check with the tax office and find out the address of the person paying the property tax. Here in my part of Ohio the auditor's office has that information online. GL&HH
 
Just go give it a quick sweep to see if it has any potential worth the effort.....It might not, so all your fussing and fretting about permission is wasted....

Or you might make a massive haul! Lifetime Hunt! In which case, go hit it again and again until some lawn mowing peckerwood may for some reason tell you to stop.....Then go hit it again and again and again....the Lawnmower guy dont own the place...

The best thing to do is give it a quick sweep to see if its holding anything worth the trouble of bothering people...The last thing we want to do in this Sport is bother people needlessly...
 
I agree with asking neighbors (if there are any). Since it's a church, there's likely no tax information. You could try to figure out when it's mowed, narrow it down to a day of the week, and hopefully be able to narrow down when they normally mow it. Then you have someone to talk to. don't mention detecting, just say you're interested in the history of the place as one of your "hobbies" is old churches.

If you want to PM me the information, I'd be happy to see what I can find out as well.
 
Most churches have a sign saying "Visitors Welcome"
I'd detect it unless someone specifically asked me to leave. Hasn't happened yet. I've detected dozens of churches.
 
Go to the local tax office they will have the owner of record on file and their address. All tax offices have to have this information for all property.

In several states you can look up the county tax records on line and find the owner of record.

I do not recommend the detect first and really surprised people are recommending this. Some of the places I have been around this would get you a load of rock salt in the rear. :wow:

Also a good way to get cops called on you.

Ray
 
Most churches have a sign saying "Visitors Welcome"
I'd detect it unless someone specifically asked me to leave. Hasn't happened yet. I've detected dozens of churches.

When I got my first detector, as a 14-ish yr. old in 8th grade, in about 1976-ish, I tried to figure out where to take it for a spin at. I thought about our Jr. High school bus stop in my neighborhood. Where .... for 20+ yrs. up till then, kids had stood in line every morning waiting for the school bus.

It was at the edge of the street in front of a Baptist Church blt in the early 1950s. No real "sidewalk" to separate the parking strip from the lawn. Just a sort of lawn that merged in, w/o distinction from the edge of the road.

After working a bunch of coins out of that portion closest to the street, I gradually expanded my circles, each time I returned, wider and wider out into the lawn. Till ... eventually , I was no doubt , gasp, on the church lawn. One day a janitor came out and saw me. He froze and watched me for a bit. Came over and asked what I was doing. Then shrugged his shoulders, went back in side, and I continued md'ing.

Maybe the 1970s were just more innocent times for a kid that age.

We also vigorously hit the 1950s parochial school yard not far from my home. Never occurred to us that we couldn't . It was just one of the defacto playgrounds for us neighborhood kids.

But sure, times are different now.
 
Yeah, I'd either check with a neighbor or call the contact at the next closest church with the same denomination. Chances are the congregation moved someplace close. It's not public property, I would suggest asking.
 
My eyes aren’t so good anymore,and I swear this thread was titled ( what to do when you get a contact buzz) lol,,I almost spit my soda across the room.
 
There are some gray areas in this hobby. But equating a Visitors Welcome sign to an OK for detecting the church grounds...I don't see any gray in that.

Beyond ethical considerations, metal detecting on private property without permission is trespassing. I'd recommend against it. But for anyone who doesn't agree with my recommendation, at least have the common sense not to talk about breaking the law on a public forum!
 
Most churches have a sign saying "Visitors Welcome"
I'd detect it unless someone specifically asked me to leave. Hasn't happened yet. I've detected dozens of churches.

I think they mean ppl are welcome to their church services Lol. Where I live, you m.d. on curbs.. someone is going to call. Maryland. There will be no warning, likely. Not only that, you are unlikely to have a law enforcement officer, pull up and stop at a stop light and be right beside you as you are detecting, staring you down, just on his route.

I like to read the forums, at least though. Fun and interesting. If you so much as drive down a street, taking a backroad short cut, a County, public road, and the neighbors aren't familiar with your car, they will stop and stare at you while grabbing their mail with a 'what you are doing here' look on their face.

Friend of mine's husband stupidly walked onto a private school property with a dog, not long ago, during hours. Not only were the police immediately called, the school had all the kids laying down on the floor in case he was part of a terrorist attack. He's in big trouble, court date. It's real different here. Some houses I know of in the most historic of areas, on the way to Annapolis, the once Captial of the US... they are million dollar properties and I'd never bother to ask for permission.

Anyone sees you m.d. on public school property, they are going to call. There are sports events most weekends at the the middle, high schools.. elementary schools, slightly more deserted, there is often a car in the parking lot. Years ago it wasn't like that. Always something going on here the school is being used for. My elementary school had an academy that the school used as an annex building, from the 1800's. That stood on the premises of an even older, small school, historic sign. They tore it down, I still know where it stood.. I would never dare though. Car or no car in the school lot.

I like looking at the photos of what others find, particularly the historic items.
 
Last edited:
Where I live, you m.d. on curbs.. someone is going to call. Maryland. There will be no warning, likely. Not only that, you are unlikely to have a law enforcement officer, pull up and stop at a stop light and be right beside you as you are detecting, staring you down, just on his route.

I like to read the forums, at least though. Fun and interesting. If you so much as drive down a street, taking a backroad short cut, a County, public road, and the neighbors aren't familiar with your car, they will stop and stare at you while grabbing their mail with a 'what you are doing here' look on their face.

You need to just move. Sure, lot of people don't want you to detect, but where I live, if they see a car go by they wave. Maybe it's a country thing. I hope you find a way to get out and enjoy your hobby a little bit more.
 
I've never found anything at old churches but a skimpy amount of modern clad. Probably a lot of "quick sweeps" already happened there.
 
.... I looked around yesterday (sunday) during peak church hours and noticed there was not one vehicle, some of the windows are busted and yellow caution tape on the back door. You would not be able to tell by looking at the church from the road and for the longest time I figured it was still in use


Judging from the sound of this description : It sounds like you walked around the entire building. Eg.: to have gotten close enough to see broken windows. And to see the rear door, etc.... Unless , of course, you did all that scouting, with binoculars, from the street ?

Assuming that you walked around the church, to get this description : I wonder why no one has pointed out that ..... merely walking there, is ... likewise .... trespassing.

Kind of reminds me of someone who ... one time, posted all sorts of pix of a cellar hole. They had obviously circled it 360*, in order to get the pictures. And then went on an md'ing forum to show the pix, and strategize how to find the owner to get permission to detect .

As I read that person's post, it occurred to me: "Wait, weren't you right there taking pictures ? " :?: I guess it's because some of us md'rs somehow consider our hobby dangerous, harmful, evil, etc.... Why is that ? I consider it harmless, innocuous, healthy, etc.... Every bit as much as simply walking.

Yes I am exaggerating for sake of example. But ... it does strike me as odd that all of us would (gasp) cut across a corner vacant lot, and think nothing of it. But when it comes time to metal detect, we immediately jump into some other mode of imminent danger or something.
 
Back
Top Bottom