Originally posted by 76chevy:
just wondering, how has this worked for you?
As I understand Indiana law, only the property owner (not leasee) can press trespassing charges.
Originally posted by Scarlett Dew:
[b] Just make sure you can prosecute those that test you. ....
All contracts we sign have the "right to prosecute trespassing" passed on to us in the lease. We also specify exact address, townships, county and acreage of the lease. Landowner signs off that the prosecution of trespassing is now up to us.
Pretty simple............and it has worked when we needed it too.........both in Ohio and Indiana.
The landowners also love it!! Sometimes it was a way to GET a lease. The landowner had problems.....we knew about it........took the responsibility of him being the "bad guy" off his shoulders. They love having that off their back. The worst situations are friends and family for these landowners.....and LOVE IT that they are "out of the middle" of all the crap it can cause.
A lot of leasing companies DO NOT want to get involved in the prosecution of trespassing.....it is still the landowners responsibility. Has made it easy to sway landowners towards us as we are willing, ready and prepared to roll up our sleeves on these clowns.
I also make sure all county CO's know of our leases BEFORE the season starts. They know how we operate in Indiana and Ohio. Good relationships with the Officers that will be doing your paperwork is a good thing. We have prosecuted with fines 100% of the people we have caught and had paperwork submitted for prosecution.........including mushroom hunters.
I will say also.........the most idiotic things I have seen is during mushroom season.....not deer season. Best way to patrol your properties during mushroom season is to have you dropped off at your property before sunrise.........no vehicles to be seen off the road. Have cell phone with picture/video mode ready to go. It gets hilarious.
I have been surprised over the years that most of the mushroom hunters we have caught were ALSO dropped off........and do not park along side the road. Their spouse or buddies help the trespassers out often....just by being available to pick them back up at the "drop zone" with a quick cell phone call.
They are so "clever" they think...........until they bump into "Wicked Smart".
