In praise of this thread:

No need to over react here - he did say they won't come back, so play it by ear.

If they enter your property without permission again, charge him with theft, trespassing, possibly some extra charges in there for enabling a minor to commit a crime (don't know if there's some translatable crime in that, but if there is pop that charge in there too)

Maybe also add in a fear that he is trespassing and you feel his recklessness may extend to a danger to your safety, slap him with a restraining order, etc

Basically, just ruin the few years he's got left by destroying his reputation and wrapping up his days in court cases/paperwork.

Then shoot his son when he inevitably turns up at your house to try and reason with you.

the best I can come up with is


1- paint them the color of your house
2- bear traps near the area
3- land mines
4- rent excavator and make holes next to piles for perimeter of your property

So Captain, it's been five days since OP, what have you done about the situation?

If nothing, why the wait? I'm assuming the "zip tie, garbage bag & throw down the ravine" option is off the table.

If you are going to do something, the sooner you do it the better. Obviously this guy is a first-rate jackass, and you're not going to get anywhere trying to reason with him. Anyone who dumps garbage on public or private land is beyond reasoning with. He thinks he's king of the hill and doesn't give a **** about anyone but himself.

I'd call the son, calmly explain the situation, tell him you'd like to stay on good terms w/ his father, but not if he's going to disrespect your rights and continue to trespass on your property.

If getting the rocks back are worth the hassle, tell the son to call his father and let his father know you're going to drive over to his property the following day and get your rocks back. If the jackass tries to stop you, call the cops/sheriff and let them handle the situation. Maybe it'll work out in your favor and maybe it won't, but at least you'll have documentation that he's trespassed on and removed items from your property.

Make sure that "No Trespassing" signs continue to be posted around your property, the next time you see him trespassing document with photos and immediately call the cops to come out and mediate the situation.

Very doubtful you're gonna' get anywhere with this clown trying to work it out yourself.

Fences make good neighbors, but sounds like your property is too large to make fencing everything off financially-feasible.

cops and charges is no fun and a big hassle, just rig up some contraption that you can control that has spikes that will flatten his tires when he drives down your driveway again

I know completely different but this popped into my head.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KnXOOoYti0o

I could picture OP laying out spikes, forgetting about it and running it over himself. That or somehow someone like the FedEx delivery guy running over it or someone else accidentally running over it and it becoming an issue.

I understand most of these responses are jokes. If you happen to catch this guy on your property again I would insist that they come to your place as a neighbor for a drink. I would try to explain to old timer fixed in his ways that while over the last 30 or so years he had free reign over the property it’s now been sold and your his neighbor and it’s now your property. Tell him you would prefer that he not trespass on it without notifying you going forward. Also tell him that the rocks he took are landscaping rocks that you purchased and want them returned. **** why waste your time and authorities in a weird neighbor dispute.

What Da_nit is trying to say

With rambo last blood and rig your property like that. Should solve he old guy plus any mexican sex trafficing gangs

Agree with Nit. While the cops seem like the easiest way to move the burden onto somebody else to fix the problem, it rarely does. The cops won't do ****, and he'll dismiss whatever they say because he knows they won't do **** because cops don't care about personal matters over things like rocks and trespassing-especially out in the country. I've lived there, I have some experience with these things.

I'd drive over and grab your rocks as long as he's not out there with a rifle, if he tries to pull some silly **** and come back and take them I'd get his son involved. I'd try and avoid bringing other people into it because well...its ****ing rocks. But I get it, its your personal stuff and hes way over the line. I wouldn't threaten him per say, but I'd sternly tell him he better respect you and your property as you thought higher of old timers like himself as it was always understood people from his day knew to stay off a mans property. Or some other such nonsense hurting his pride.

edit: involve the son after you talk to him and he ignores you once more. I wrote it kind of backwards.

De captain threads are like amazing pilot episodes that don’t get picked up

koderkid definitely likes that

"Welfare check at the gravel pit, please! Welfare check at the gravel pit!"

Don't just put a rope across your driveway put a gate.

^This

Word.


I have two driveways and gates have been on the project list for nearly a year. It's kind of an expensive project since we want gates w/ automatic openers. It's on the list for this summer.


All,

Great replies.

Sorry for the slow update. I had some more important (completely unrelated) issues come up over the weekend so this kind of got brushed aside.

I got up Monday morning, forgot everything you guys wrote, and decided to go talk to the old guy and tell him he needed to bring my rocks back. No idea why, I hadn't really even considered that an option but it occurred to me while driving Monday morning and 10 minutes later I was knocking on his door. It was almost 11am and his wife answered the door. **** me. She could have passed for a 105 yrs old, hunched over at the waist, shuffling along in a 30 yr old house dress. I asked to speak to her husband and she said he was still sleeping. At that point I had to explain that I was there because her husband was stealing my rocks and I wanted them back. **** me.

She assured me he probably didn't realize he was on private property and it was a mistake. She'd give him my message.

30 minutes later he showed up over at my place to return my rocks. He had probably 10 rocks in the back of his side by side. The one pile of rocks that he took was probably a ton of rocks, not to mention all of the other rocks he gathered along the driveway.

He assured me that was all the rocks he took, apologized, and said he wouldn't do it again. I know he took 20-30x times as many rocks as he returned. In my defense, I have found in the past when dealing with the poachers, encroachers, and trespassers that once I made a stand the problems largely went away. I'm hoping for the best here.

When I went to see him on Monday morning I was actually hoping to run into his son first. His son has a house next door and I thought it was probably his son (the kid/grandson/wheelman) that was involved. The son wasn't around. I think I'll probably wait and speak to the son in person as opposed to emailing him. I am going to talk to him about it.

I don't want to involve the law unless there's continued problems.

Hell yeah! Pics?

lol

Id like to know that too. Is is petty theft? grand theft?
Are we talking 5 dollars each stone? How big are they? do you know the material matter? Sandstone, graphit etc? I dont understand why you have to go through so much stress for so little value. I understand its the principle that matters. That of trespassing etc. but he is an old man, let him have his fun imo. Reputiation is more important than a few rocks, and you dont want to be so anal about everything in your nighnourhood. That could backfire one day when you need something. Imagine you go messing around when youre 80 on your 4 wheeler and get busted for stealing rocks.

Dont get me wrong I understand the mind of a poker player and Im not calling you gobblin, or how was that little fella called in lord of the rings? (my treasure, my ring)

Id say let it go. F the stones. Freedom and peace is more important. Live and let live but dont make a war over nothing. Isnt the saying old man to baby? Let him play imo. Now that he returned he wants to make good even. Id say say hi when you see him and talk to him friendly. Maybe he has something to trade for these stones. gl!

The mention of building the retaining wall is the only reason this thread isn't

Value of the rocks was probably $250-300. I can't really come up with a value since I don't know what he took. I know that the one pile I had was easily $250 worth if I had to buy them. I know he took additional rocks from at least 3 other places on the property. It's possible he could have taken $600-$700 worth.



I understand he's old but, he took a large pile of rocks that it was very obvious someone had purposely piled up the rocks to use.

The old man owns probably 30+ parcels of property in a couple mile radius of us. He's sharp enough he knows damn well which properties are his. His properties have plenty of rocks he could go pick up without stealing. He purposely chose to come steal from me instead of picking up his own rocks.


ETA:

IF he took $750 worth that would be 3 tons. I know he took 1 ton+. He returned approx. 100 lbs of rocks and said that's all he took.

That said, the "it's just some rocks" and there being a kid involved definitely factored into my decision making.

Oh so actually something of more value. Maybe he really likes rocks.
So the gto play would be imo to ask him what he has of value that he wants to trade for it. If he wants to continue taking rocks of course. If he has so much property he should have something that you could use. I dont know where you live but I imagine apple trees or fruit that you like. It shouldnt be so hard to find somthing that he has of value. You could get into a business trade deal of some sort. If you want of course only and if he agrees. Dont forget you will be 80 too one day and some young punk could make your life miserable. Be human like ghandi. Peace is the only solution. Neighbours fight over the stupidist reasons. Dont be the ones that have a major feud over decades. That wouldnt be worth the energy and time. Other than that play it smart. gl

Well I do actually need probably 10+ tons of rocks for a retaining wall project so I guess I could offer to trade for some rocks I could gather from his property.

See, there you go. You have something he wants and vice versa. Try to make the deal fun or he wont play along. He is the older one he should anticipate some respect. I know its hard sometimes dealing with older folks, but if you play it smart it always works out. You gotta be charismatic and enticing like a oasis in the desert. I am pretty convinced this will turn out in your favour eventually.

And by the way that atv that he has there and the family properties he should be loaded.