What do you think of a property owner wanting first pick of the finds?
- Thread starter sdub
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Sdub, don't take this wrong, but : I say you went about it all wrong. To start discussing contracts and split methods, before you've even hunted, is the FASTEST way to get a "no" to your permission request.To start talking negotiations, and putting contracts in front of them to sign, just conjures up legal hassles, treasure chests, blah blah.
I mean, dude, this is THEIR land. So OF COURSE the stuff on the land belongs to them.
All I ever tell them, before a hunt (if they even ask) is : "You're welcome to anything I find." And invariably, just like CFMCT and JNimons say : It rarely ever works out in any kind of negative way.
I'll just pile everything on to my tailgate at the post-game show. And will pull a token or a seated coin I want aside next to the pile. And say : "Here's one I don't have in my collection, can I have this one ?" And will push the rest of the pile bulk towards them (wheaties, common silver, etc.....). And I have NEVER had anyone say "no, give it all to me".
Yes, on the extremely rare occasion that I have had to fork over everything , these were cases where I was hunting obvious historic landmarks. Where the stuff in in museums now. So pictures are just-as-good in my book. The thrill of the hunt is a prize in my book.
And when you think of it, this hobby is about 99% show & tell anyhow (none of us are "getting rich" by this). So to show & tell, all ya need is pictures, right ? You still have your boasting rights, eh ? Presto, that's 99% of the hobby in the first place.
Historic places are the only places I'd hunt for 'free'. I actually think it'd be cool to get some finds into small local museums.
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Typical response from a clueless homeowner. If you agree to let me metal detect your property and split the finds, then that's what we're going to do. It's called an oral agreement. If you think I'm going to work for free, you're dreaming. And if you think you have a legal right to everything on your land, then buy a metal detector, get off your butt and have a go at it.
Tom_in_CA
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Uh .... Tim ... with all due respect : Since when is md'ing "work" ?
Last I checked, it was our hobby. We enjoy the hunt, the strategy, the show & tell, the competition, etc....Hence, no, it's not work at all. It's fun.
This may come as a shock to you, but legally ... it's true that you own what's on/in your land.
You having a salty day F.B.T. ?
This may come as a shock to you, but legally ... it's true that you own what's on/in your land.
You having a salty day F.B.T. ?
Uh, Tom... not always true dude. I don't know about in Kalifornia but in Florida, if you don't hold the mineral rights to your land, you don't own anything beneath the surface... When we purchased our land, mineral rights were a huge bone of contention.
If I own land and say you can detect there, but I get my choice in finds or we split them or whatever, then I can take everything you dig and you cant do squat about it. Digging something doesn't make it yours.
Coins and relics aren't natural resources, as such they don't fall under mineral rights.
KOB
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Could be alot of bones beneath the surface. Human bones....
Martin_V3i
Elite Member
Uh .... Tim ... with all due respect : Since when is md'ing "work" ?
Hence, no, it's not work at all. It's fun.
This may come as a shock to you, but legally ... it's true that you own what's on/in your land.
You having a salty day F.B.T. ?
"Hence, no, it's not work at all. It's fun."
It is work plus the investment in gear. It isn't work in our heads but there is a real value to what we do. I think that the land owner gets maybe one pick That's it. jm2c
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
Wrong. Again, we entered into a legally binding oral agreement before I started detecting. And good luck with trying to physically take anything from me. Not gonna happen. If the landowner tries to break the agreement, I walk away and he gets nothing. What's he going to do, restrain me and go through my pockets? Call the cops? Get a grip, dude.
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
It's fun if I get half the finds, but work if he wants it all. I expect to get paid when I work for someone. Half the finds or pay me $20 a hour to detect. No one plays me for the fool.
FreeBirdTim
Elite Member
You own it until you agree to let someone remove something from it, whether it's coins, lumber or even soil. Trying to take coins from me after we agreed to split the finds would be like letting someone cut down a dozen of your trees for free because they want the firewood and then saying you want to keep them! Good way to get your butt kicked. Only a sleazeball would try to renage on the deal.
KOB
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FBT goes off the rails at times. We all do. But here...he is 100% correct.
Uh .... Tim ... with all due respect : Since when is md'ing "work" ?
Hence, no, it's not work at all. It's fun.
You beat me to it Tom... when did detecting become work?
Yeah might makes right and all I agree there, but legally speaking you are wrong. Have fun irritating everyone you ever deal with in life.
diggin4clad
Elite Member
I've only hunted a few properties and was told that anything I find was mine to keep. If the property owner insisted that they get to choose what they keep, and I get what's left, I'd tell them the deal is off.
Tom_in_CA
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OH FOR PETE SAKES !! Let's just say that all of you "mine mine mine mine" people are correct. Ie.: that the owner can't claim what was in the ground was his. And that you demand finds for your "work" (because, shucks, that detector costs you money), and that you should "iron all this out ahead of time" with written contracts shoved in front of them to sign and agree to, or tell them to F## themselves, if they don't like it.....
I mean, ... seriously ? All I can say is, that people with this stances and attitudes are going to relegate themselves to parks & beaches. You are just "begging" for "no", even before you start.
Why not play the psychology game and tell them "you're welcome to whatever I find" KNOWING THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON is not going to "take everything". I have rarely ever had anyone end up saying "give it all to me" . Heck, they normally don't want ANYTHING. I have never had anyone be a "mine mine mine mine " homeowner. Yet people here seem to be "mine mine mine mine " md'r attitude.
What ever happened to the "flies and honey and vinegar " platitude ?
I just enjoy hunting. And, for example : If I knew I was going to find a gold coin, yet I knew I would need to give it to the homeowner, you can BET that I'm still gonna detect that yard.
I mean, ... seriously ? All I can say is, that people with this stances and attitudes are going to relegate themselves to parks & beaches. You are just "begging" for "no", even before you start.
Why not play the psychology game and tell them "you're welcome to whatever I find" KNOWING THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON is not going to "take everything". I have rarely ever had anyone end up saying "give it all to me" . Heck, they normally don't want ANYTHING. I have never had anyone be a "mine mine mine mine " homeowner. Yet people here seem to be "mine mine mine mine " md'r attitude.
What ever happened to the "flies and honey and vinegar " platitude ?
I just enjoy hunting. And, for example : If I knew I was going to find a gold coin, yet I knew I would need to give it to the homeowner, you can BET that I'm still gonna detect that yard.
MasonDixonMding
Elite Member
I have a neighbor who has a big 1700s farm. He’s very in to history and especially the farms history. When I first talked about detecting the farm he wanted everything we found. I didn’t have much going on at the time so I tried it. Lots of trash! But I did find some good things that first time. A couple of buttons and a large cent. I took some pics of my finds. I have so much good junk already I don’t know what to do with it all. So if it makes him happy it’s fine with me. Since than I’ve hunted it many times. At first he would tag along with me. Now he’s using my spare detector. I’ve found six coppers on the farm. We have become friends and he has gotten us two 1700s permissions.
I wouldn’t what to make this kind of deal with every permission. But it has worked out nicely for me!
I wouldn’t what to make this kind of deal with every permission. But it has worked out nicely for me!
I’ll take whatever deal I can get from a property owner. I love the hunt. So far and few between that property owners care it doesn’t bother me when it happens. I’m surprised we get as many permissions as we do. I mean random dude knocks on your door and asks to treasure hunt your property for valuables, lol.
Tom_in_CA
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Now there's an example of the hunt EVEN though he gave the LC to the property owner. So that he could float the pix here, and torture CA hunters ! What more satisfaction could MasonDixonMd'ing have asked for ?
Same results here : Is everything going to be a "mine mine mine" slam dunk ? Of course not ! But the fun of the hunts, and the personal relations, are priceless.
