Scored the last of my '10-'11 wood.

[Flatbedford]

The town is cutting trees along the roads near me. What is odd is that they are cutting and chipping all the branches and dropping the trunks nearly whole right along the road. My wife spotted a good pile on her way home form work. When I went to check it out on my way home from work I spotted an even bigger pile of Ash. It was 3 trees just under 20" at the base in a nice flat, gassy spot with enough room to park me truck off the road. I went back yesterday to get it. It was sort of in front of a house, but most likely still on the right of way. I walked up the driveway and knocked on the door. No answer. I thought about it. Looked around. The trees had been down a while, the leaves under them were wet and a little rotten. Some of the smaller branches had been cut already. I decided to start cutting. There was a good amount of easy stuff there.

After I cut the last one up and was putting my saw away a man snuck up on me and said that I should have asked before I cut the wood on his lawn! Oops! He told me I was welcome to it, but did express that he was not happy that I took it without asking. I guess I should be more respectful in the future. But it was good, easy, and free wood that wasn't his tree anyway.
I cut and loaded about a cord.

I could have taken more, but I was getting tired, the truck was getting pretty loaded down, and my chain was starting to get dull.
With this cord I will have just over 4 cords for '10-'11 plus whatever is left of my 4.5 '09-'10 wood. Now I can wait til '11-'12 to burn the Oak I got in August.
I am pretty sore though today. But it is a good sore.

 

[Gary_602z]

I believe that you got lucky! The homeowner could have pressed charges or called the police. A right of way is just that it is not public property, so basically you were trespassing and stealing. Nice wood though! :lol:

Gary

 

[Flatbedford]

By right of way, I meant the land adjacent to the road that is actually owned by the town. I'm not saying I didn't possibly break some laws, just explaining how I justified breaking them.

 

[Gazdik]

I believe that you got lucky! The homeowner could have pressed charges or called the police. A right of way is just that it is not public property, so basically you were trespassing and stealing. Nice wood though! :lol:

Gary

+1....The home owner could have already talked to them and had rights to the tree.....Around here you might have been lookin down the barrel of a shot gun for stealing wood....

 

[ohio woodburner]

Maybe thats why I'm still scrounging for 09 10 season.

 

[Gary_602z]

So there the homeowner doesn't own and pay taxes to the center of the road?

Gary

 

[Flatbedford]

Not in my town. At my house, the town owns the first 15 feet of my driveway! They weren't even his trees. He did say I was welcome to all of it.

 

[smokinj]

Not in my town. At my house, the town owns the first 15 feet of my driveway! They weren't even his trees. He did say I was welcome to all of it.

I understood what your saying but now there going to run you through the mudd.... Any how Great Score!!

 

[Flatbedford]

Run me through the mud if need be! I have my '10/'11 wood!, No guns!, No charges pressed! And it was about 2 miles from home.

 

[smokinj]

Run me through the mud if need be! I have my '10/'11 wood!, No guns!, No charges pressed! And it was about 2 miles from home.

lol I'd wood have done the same........Its aggressive but must make hay when the sun shines

 

[quads]

In Wisconsin, unless the town or county purchases the land, the landowner owns the right-of-way to the center of the road (which is why it's called a right-of-way) but does not pay property taxes on it.

The trees on the right-of-way are maintained by the town or county, but the landowner owns the wood. If the county is going to cut trees, they inform the landowners and ask what they should do with the wood. It belongs to the landowners.

 

[JustWood]

I believe that you got lucky! The homeowner could have pressed charges or called the police. A right of way is just that it is not public property, so basically you were trespassing and stealing. Nice wood though! :lol:

Gary

+1....The home owner could have already talked to them and had rights to the tree.....Around here you might have been lookin down the barrel of a shot gun for stealing wood....

Likely wood have been an ugly mess here too!

 

[vwboomer]

In Wisconsin, unless the town or county purchases the land, the landowner owns the right-of-way to the center of the road (which is why it's called a right-of-way) but does not pay property taxes on it.

The trees on the right-of-way are maintained by the town or county, but the landowner owns the wood. If the county is going to cut trees, they inform the landowners and ask what they should do with the wood. It belongs to the landowners.

Thats why we, as homeowners, get the priveledge of paying for a new sidewalk, or paying a portion of any road resurfacing.
If it was in my 'yard' and I wanted it, I would have yanked it right after cutting. However on basic principle, I'd have beat whoever's ass was cuttin in my yard

Nice score, and you tried to talk to em, but should have left a note and phone number. And come back with a case of beer!

 

[Wood Duck]

Nice score, and you tried to talk to em, but should have left a note and phone number. And come back with a case of beer!

I like the idea of a note. That way the landowner knows you bothered to ask and has your name, which makes people feel a little safer that you won't trash the place. Still, unless the house has a woodpile, it is unlikely they want the wood. Most people would be glad to see it moved and like the idea that it is going to be used, not just thrown in the woods to rot.

 

[mbcijim]

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/46228/

Rather than get off topic here I started a new thread about right of way concepts somewhat relevant to the issues here.

 

[Gazdik]

Either way, the city owns it or the landowner owns that 10ft of dirt, the fact is the woods not yours ...I'm sorry it sounds like stealing to me...Just because you make yourself feel better by knocking on the guys door, does not make you the new owner...just my 2 cents that's all.

 

[billb3]

"Right of way" isn't necessarily public property.
If he had cut the trees down to have cut up for lumber you could have ended up owing him some money.

You wouldn't just take a car that was parked there (using the same justifications) would ya ?

Nice score, though.

 

[derecskey]

I believe that you got lucky! The homeowner could have pressed charges or called the police. A right of way is just that it is not public property, so basically you were trespassing and stealing. Nice wood though! :lol:

Gary

+1....The home owner could have already talked to them and had rights to the tree.....Around here you might have been lookin down the barrel of a shot gun for stealing wood....

Heh, I'm in NE Ohio too, but around here, the homeowner wouldn't have owned a gun, probably voted for gun control, and would have tried to SELL you that tree.

 

[Gazdik]

I believe that you got lucky! The homeowner could have pressed charges or called the police. A right of way is just that it is not public property, so basically you were trespassing and stealing. Nice wood though! :lol:

Gary

+1....The home owner could have already talked to them and had rights to the tree.....Around here you might have been lookin down the barrel of a shot gun for stealing wood....

Heh, I'm in NE Ohio too, but around here, the homeowner wouldn't have owned a gun, probably voted for gun control, and would have tried to SELL you that tree.

LOL That's great!

 

[Ronald]

Hey all. New to this forum. I live in NC(southern). It is just common seance to get permission before taking that wood. The land owner may have promised the wood to someone else. You take my wood, I run you over with my Jeep truck. I get all my wood from trees that are already on the ground. Have done this for 25 years. Don't take anything for granted.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum woodfar.