No gold in free wood

[Black Flag CT]

Recently a tree company came around cleaning up around powers lines. I began to check with people if they intended on keeping the wood on their lawns before I scrounged. One guy seeing me approach said he has someone coming to pay him money for it but I could check later to see if it's still there the next day. Another guy said he intends to burn it all. I looked around and saw no evidence he burns wood. As I was getting into my truck I noticed a very angry wife talking to him. He called me over and told me I could take it all. Seemed to me both people had high hopes of selling it to someone for quick cash instead of letting someone use it. Now the tree companies will come back and chip everything to pieces. Can't believe I'm saying this but glad the wife at least had some common sense.

 

[gregbesia]

I see the same thing by me all the time. Trees down on the ground, rounds in peoples back yards, everything rotting away before they give it away. Even the town officials here would rather chip it or let it decompose before they give wood to anybody.

 

[riverat]

Welcome to America LOL,I live along a river basin and my house borders 100 acres of woodland divided by wetlands on both sides , there are locust ,black walnut hackberry trees laying everywhere due to parts of the woods that get flooded out at times and uproots trees in great numbers some years, I asked the owner if he minded I cut up the trees that are lying in the flooded out parts of the woods and he said no, then I also offered to pay for the wood and he told me this, I have plenty of money and the wood lying there isn't bothering anyone except you, of course the end of conversation was don't let me catch you on my land, to this day when all the leaves are off I can stand on my back porch and count 42 trees laying and some starting to decay making me sick to my stomach knowing I could be burning them in the wood stove at some point and time , there are some folks that are just a joy to talk to

Jeff

 

[MrWhoopee]

Yep. The local timber company (literally over a million acres) would rather let it rot than allow someone on their property who might be able to use it. This is, of course, the result of lawsuits arising from the stupidity of people who abused the privelege before, but it is still galling to watch beautiful oak logs (which they don't sell) left to rot. They may have to change their attitude when Cal-Fire orders them to clean up the slash after a harvest for fire safety reasons. Most likely not, though. Three billion dollars will buy exemptions we homeowners can't get.

 

[Mag Craft]

Blame the lawyers. People become paranoid and I do not blame them with all the weirdos out there.

It is a shame to see the wood rot but sometimes a relationship has to be formed so that trust can be established.

 

[Ashful]

Welcome to America LOL,I live along a river basin and my house borders 100 acres of woodland divided by wetlands on both sides , there are locust ,black walnut hackberry trees laying everywhere due to parts of the woods that get flooded out at times and uproots trees in great numbers some years, I asked the owner if he minded I cut up the trees that are lying in the flooded out parts of the woods and he said no, then I also offered to pay for the wood and he told me this, I have plenty of money and the wood lying there isn't bothering anyone except you, of course the end of conversation was don't let me catch you on my land, to this day when all the leaves are off I can stand on my back porch and count 42 trees laying and some starting to decay making me sick to my stomach knowing I could be burning them in the wood stove at some point and time , there are some folks that are just a joy to talk to

My family having owned some large farms in heavily populated areas, I have a different perspective on this. It's too common for someone to ask to do something on your land, and then turn around and sue you when they get hurt doing it. Very common with hunters, and I suspect this may be where the landowner's mind was headed, when you approached him.

 

[7acres]

Power company came through our area a couple months ago. One guy had several oak trees that had to come down. He let me take a cord. Then told me his sons wanted the rest. I drive past probably 5 cords of oak rounds sitting on the ground every day. I bet they'll still be there in 5 years.

 

[riverat]

Joful ,this is the same fella I left his wife cut down bamboo on my property and also towed his broken down boat to shore in the river when out fishing , just thought I would of got a better answer then the tongue lashing I didn't deserve , I too am very conscious about folks turning on you when trying to be a good citizen

Jeff

 

[gregbesia]

Joful ,this is the same fella I left his wife cut down bamboo on my property and also towed his broken down boat to shore in the river when out fishing , just thought I would of got a better answer then the tongue lashing I didn't deserve , I too am very conscious about folks turning on you when trying to be a good citizen

Jeff

how does it go? No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[MrWhoopee]

No good deed goes unpunished.

That's my new mantra.

 

[Ashful]

No good deed goes unpunished.

Those words hang above my desk at work. Too often, I open my mouth with wisdom of how to correct a problem, and then inherit the responsibility of making it happen.

 

[SXIPro]

Some people just don't like other folks on their property. I am one of those people. Let one person in your yard to take something and the flood gates could open. Seen it happen before. Once bitten, twice shy.

 

[claydogg84]

It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

 

[Mag Craft]

It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

I do not buy into that philosophy. It keeps life a lot less stressful.

 

[Jon_E]

I happened to run into the guy who owns the vacant woodlot next to my house. It's been on the market for years but the asking price is out of my range. I asked him if he'd be willing to let me "clean up the property" basically cutting up and removing everything that was either dead or on the ground. I said it might make the land more marketable. He said no, that it's a liability concern of his and he'd rather leave it. Can't really fight that argument, even though most of the time it's BS.

 

[BamaScroungr]

My father owns 50 acres and lets me cherry pick his "burn pile" of fallen trees every year since I started wood heating. He won't even let me use my own chainsaw on his property for reasons of "insurance liability," so there you have it. Though he is willing to cut me a truckload of 6 foot lengths with his own saw, so I can't complain.

 

[bag of hammers]

Some people just don't like other folks on their property. I am one of those people. Let one person in your yard to take something and the flood gates could open. Seen it happen before. Once bitten, twice shy.

Amen. I used to have to occasional snowmobile pull up to my place and the rider would jump off at the shore, walk up and ask if he / she could run up the driveway from the lake (onto the end of the road, an easy ride home). Never a problem. One winter I show up a couple times up to find the odd track running up from the lake to the road - not heavy usage, still not a big deal. Couple months later, I show up to find my driveway is a winter freeway. One day 6 different groups show up looking for "the way up to the road" - guess me and my dog(s) on the deck in front of my camp having a beer and a bbq with an outside fire going is not really a clue that this is private property and I might not want a bunch of machines tearing up my driveway? One day some guy drives halfway up my driveway on a 4 wheeler, then sees me, does a quick turn, and heads back to shoreline without skipping a beat. Nobody cares anymore. The gates went up across the end of the driveway the next year. I still feel bad for the poor unsuspecting schmuck battling the crappy ice conditions on the shoreline, and who just miscalculated the day's ride and wants to make his way home, but things get out of hand real fast. Either that or I'm just a grumpy old ba$tard these days....

 

[Wood Duck]

Around here there are lots of trees and lots of yards with stacks of rounds that are rotting. Everyone thinks they'll have lots of campfires, but most people rarely do.

 

[Black Flag CT]

I hear what everyone's saying and totally agree. Just keep in mind these are main roads in a large CT city. I'm half expecting to see the piles on Craigslist for $$$$$$.

 

[BobUrban]

People are just really paranoid you are getting one over on them and as soon as you drive off with the wood someone will tell them it was worth millions.

Same principle: I lived on a lake for years and would notice old canoes sitting for years with plants growing in and around them - basically rotting away and never used. Just obstacles to mow around. So I stop by some of these places and offer a fair price for the canoes only to find out EVERYONE is magically going into use that summer. Truth is - they still sat there rotting. People are just strange I guess.

 

[Oldman47]

As a landowner I am going to disagree with almost everyone. For people that I know by other means, I am quite open about people using my land for things like hunting deer. I do tell them if someone else has permission to hunt there and ask them to run off anyone else that they find while out hunting. My driveway looks sort of like a dirt road off the end of a paved road and sometimes I find people on it. For an honest mistake I am quite forgiving and try to help the trespassers find the experience they were looking for. For a$$holes that think they own anything without a no trespassing sign I am far less tolerant. I do have an existing right to trespass across the northern most 30 feet of my land for agricultural purposes because some of my neighbors would otherwise be landlocked. One day I saw one of those idiots mowing the grass along that area and starting to rake that grass for bailing. Needless to say I was a bit less than polite when I asked him to stop and get the he11 off my land. Some people will take a mile if you give them an inch. It turns out that I approached a cattle farmer nearby and asked him if he wanted that grass for no charge as winter feed for his cattle. I had no use for it but no way would I ever set a precedent to let that idiot run roughshod over me and my rights.

 

[Gboutdoors]

If all the wood we are talking about is so worthless than why all the fuss? Leave it there it's not worth anything right? I let three people cut on my land and they are very happy to do so.

I think what most are not taking into account is that the land owner has paid good money to buy his land and pays taxes on it. I for one DO THINK MY TREES ARE GOLDEN but am happy to share with like minded friends.

 

[sportbikerider78]

My family having owned some large farms in heavily populated areas, I have a different perspective on this. It's too common for someone to ask to do something on your land, and then turn around and sue you when they get hurt doing it. Very common with hunters, and I suspect this may be where the landowner's mind was headed, when you approached him.

Exactly what I was going to say. If someone offered to cut down dead trees on my property, I would say no, unless he was a friend.

Most people are still great, but some are just looking for a reason to sue.

 

[jatoxico]

People are just really paranoid you are getting one over on them and as soon as you drive off with the wood someone will tell them it was worth millions.

Same principle: I lived on a lake for years and would notice old canoes sitting for years with plants growing in and around them - basically rotting away and never used. Just obstacles to mow around. So I stop by some of these places and offer a fair price for the canoes only to find out EVERYONE is magically going into use that summer. Truth is - they still sat there rotting. People are just strange I guess.

How people view themselves is often not supported by the evidence .

 

[eclecticcottage]

Liability is the unfortunate reason for many things becoming inaccessible anymore. I still can't fathom what someone was thinking when they set the precedent for landowners being responsible for injuries/death resulting from trespassing.