Land owned by City

Splix76

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Jun 24, 2019
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There is an old building I would like to detect. There are redevelopment discussions going on so I would like to do this before they tear things up for the new construction.

Currently, the land is owned by the city. Does this mean the access is similar to a park and I can detect as long as there are not no trespassing signs?

I tried to reach them but calling the mayors office didn't produce much in the way of actionable data.
 
There is an old building I would like to detect. There are redevelopment discussions going on so I would like to do this before they tear things up for the new construction.

Currently, the land is owned by the city. Does this mean the access is similar to a park and I can detect as long as there are not no trespassing signs?

I tried to reach them but calling the mayors office didn't produce much in the way of actionable data.

I would not hesitate to hit such a site.

You can "call mayor's offices" and work your way through a bureaucratic maze, if you want. And then be subject to the "No one cared till you asked" phenomenon. Or ... you can just go.
 
I'd be all over it. Before and during construction. Smile. Engage anyone who you see. Say hi. Act like you own the place. You pay taxes right? Dont make a mess. Cover your holes. Find some goodies!
 
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As you’ve been told . Ask any beauracrat and I can promise you can forget it. Go and have fun.
 
My city makes it very clear with fences and signs if they don't want you on a piece of city property. If it's not posted, I'm hunting.
If I know I'm on questionable city-type property I wear a safety green tshirt and dickie work pants, urban camouflage,busy bodies that might care assume you're supposed to be there.
Around here the authority types are more worried about homeless setting up camp on city property than they are an old man looking for coins.
 
I hunt city property almost daily, and have been doing so for about 7 years. Only had one issue, a man thought his dog would fall into my plugs :laughing: a closer inspection of the plug revealed that it wasn't even MINE it was another hunters :lol: I would say in those 7 years, I've probably found around 300 silvers (might be a low estimate too) the city is where the silver is hiding! Just gotta find good, undisturbed, original dirt. That's the hardest part usually. Good luck out there, and keep us posted!
 
Whats the best way to find the undistributed dirt? I have been hunting right of ways and park and never find anything older than 1960.
Thanks!
 
Those are the best spots! City owned and early morning. I would scan all the ground I could and you will find the good spots. Go over an area a couple of times.
 
Whats the best way to find the undistributed dirt? I have been hunting right of ways and park and never find anything older than 1960.
Thanks!

What state do you live in? Obviously its alot easier to find old coins on the east coast VS. The west, its just WAY older. There's a park out here where one side of the park is all original soil, and the only way I know that is by the finds, and the soil. Its rich black soil, gotta be original. Now go to the other side of the park and you can barely stick a shovel in the ground, its all gravel and you can tell it isn't original. Wooded areas around parks in the city are my favorite spots to hunt (other than colonial of course) and usually the woods have never been touched. I might add, usually the woods in the city are filled with homeless camps and lots of trash, so just be careful out there! Hope this might help a little, good luck out there!
 
My city makes it very clear with fences and signs if they don't want you on a piece of city property. If it's not posted, I'm hunting.
If I know I'm on questionable city-type property I wear a safety green tshirt and dickie work pants, urban camouflage,busy bodies that might care assume you're supposed to be there.
Around here the authority types are more worried about homeless setting up camp on city property than they are an old man looking for coins.

Exactly. Most people will just assume you are locating utilities or something like that.
 
If it's not posted or fenced, go for it. If the city bought the property, you helped pay for it with your taxes. Most cops will drive by and not give you a second look unless they are responding to a complaint. A cop could certainly run you off, but legally they have no basis to prosecute you. The one legitimate thing to be wary of is someone attempting to commit a criminal act against you, so don't be oblivious to your surroundings.

As others have said, act like you belong there. Don't rubberneck when a vehicle drives by or get nervous when someone stares at you with curiosity, that's not what people who belong there do.

The more people who see you, the higher the chance of some busybody starting trouble. So early morning is the best time to go. Sunday is the best day, Saturday second best. Obviously stay out of the building.

If being there makes you too uncomfortable for whatever reason, detect elsewhere.

The common refrain here is spot on...the absolute worst thing you can do is contact city hall to get their blessing. You'll probably get a reflexive no from someone who otherwise would have never given it a second thought.
 
IF there are no city prohibition on detecting city property written into law I would be all over it. All they can do is run you off.
 
... act like you belong there. Don't rubberneck when a vehicle drives by or get nervous when someone stares at you with curiosity, that's not what people who belong there do....

Good post marcomo. This is 99% subconscious inflection. If you/we START with some sort of premise that "oh no, everyone hates us". And "oh no, I might be doing something wrong", then ..... sure as heck .... you're going to be subconsciously watching passerbys nervously . Eg.: "oh no, does he see me ?".

I have caught my own self doing this. So for example, if a cop car drives by, minding his own business, I might instinctively look up from the midst of my dig, and watch him as he's driving by. Ie.: "oh no, I wonder if he's going to stop and gripe ? " (we "dig" after all). And more-often than not, it's that skittish evasive behavior, that is the VERY THING that makes him look twice at you. When in fact, he most likely cared less !

But now the passerby is going to be thinking "gee, what's that man doing ?" and "gee, is he going to harm the grass ?".

Thus yes: Act like you own the place. Hide in plain site.
 
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