6stringer

Hey,

What has been your experiences with RCbashing on private property? I'm talking about construciton zones, industrial parks, business parks etc. There are a few good areas around where I live of vacant industrial/commercial land that are either under construction or construction has stalled as a result of the economy.

I have my eye on a former grain silo facility that has been demolished and is now vacant.It's basically a big dirt pile down by the river out of the way of residential homes/people with limited visibility - sweet bashing spot. It's privately owned, but is for sale and has signage on it.I am just curious as the this boards experience with things like this. Has anyone gotten in any trouble with trespassing? Or do most RC'ers just get asked to leave.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

One of these threads pops up about once a month... the common consensus is that its generally not a good idea to trespass, or argue with law enforcement when they try to kick you out.

There, I just saved you 3 pages.

Chucksolo69

Yep, don't trespass. Do what I do. I try to find a parking lot, preferably a church and ask the pastor/reverend for permission to run there on days when church or other activities are not going on. Usually the answer is yes. Most of the time though, I go to a public park/ball field and run there when there is no one using the facility. This works out well. It can get a little boring sometimes if you are running alone though.

DaveG55

Of course it would be stupid to advocate tresspassing. Having said that, the few times I've had to deal with the athorities it's been mostly "You need to pack-up and move on". It's usually pretty obvious I'm not there to do any damage or cause mischief and they also usually show a good bit of interest in my "toys".

One other thing to consider would be to contact the selling agent and ask for the owners contact info. Then call and ask permission. Maybe even offer to sign a release of liability. You never know, they may say "OK" and if not, well, you've lost nothing but a bit of time.

378

My Feedback: (4)

Get a hold of the owners and ask. Make sure it's clear you won't de-value the property running RCs there.

DarkerBlitz

De-value property by running RCs? I didn't know that this was possible

378

My Feedback: (4)

Yeah, me too, but you never know. Some people think some tire tracks in the dust and a wheel lodged in the fence = property is worthless.

DarkerBlitz

I wish there were a facepalm smiley on here...

Some people need to go back to elementry school.

john01374

I think this depends more on where you live. If you're in a city then the whole trespassing thing might be an issue. Especially if you live in a neighborhood where crime is an issue. Out in the country I would seriously doubt anyone would care if you were running on an old factory site.

I live in the N Burbs of Chicago and out here everyone is friendly. I've run on construction sites, construction companies property, old factory lots etc and have only been asked to leave once. I was bashing at a park one night after the crews had left and a cop pulled up and said he didn't think it was safe for me to be in there and asked me to leave. I said sure, Picked up my truck and left..

The construction company around the corner from my house has never said a word. I actually met the owner one Sunday afternoon. I was running my Pede and he pulled into the lot and started walking toward me... I was thinking he was going to ask me to leave but he was actually interested in the truck. We talked and the next week he was out there with an E-Maxx.

If you can contact the owner before hand then do so. If you live out in the country then I wouldn't worry about it.

Chucksolo69

You're right it really does depend on where you live. Here in North San Diego County (Oceanside), California, construction sites are pretty much out of the question as each one usually has an overnight armed guard posted 24/7. School parking lots in the summertime, church parking lots, and public parks/baseball fields are pretty much it around here. Ocassionally we can find an empty field/lot that is privately owned but doesn't have any trespassing signs or fences around it. We can bash there until someone tells us to leave and then we go and don't return. Of course there are a few "real" tracks around, but unless you are a "racer," they really aren't very much fun for "bashing" style RC.

6stringer

Thanks for the responses. I was curious as to what the typical RC'ers attitude was towards this.I would never advocate trespassing, nor even suggest it. Yeah, I have my eye on this one spot, but it looks like it's fenced off anyways. I would never climb a fence or flat out ignore anything that was posted.

I guess my thoughts on it are this,I'm just to old to be caught trespassing anymore.I did it as a kid, but its a little different when a cop approaches a 34 year old man and is like "what are you doing here."

It's too bad, all the great bashing sites are private property.

Having said that, considering the economy and how much it has devasted real estate markets,Iam willing to bet there are more than a few half finished residential subdivisions that noone would even care if you were in there, especially if it isn't near other houses.I did the engine break in procedure on my RCin about 1/4 of a mile from my house in one. Miles or empty openess and plenty of empty cul-de-sacs.

You technically aren't trespassing if the vehicle stays on the street (it's a public road). But yeah, I've heard that police can legally categorize an RC as a "motorized vehicle" which certainl isn't "street legal."

My apologies if I incited a flame war or brought up a sensitve topic.

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

I just use sometimes a private Baseball flild because i used to play baseball there. 2 years, TBE. (<u>T</u>o <u>B</u>e <u>E</u>xact.) And another reason is that they won't yell at me.

Chucksolo69

I know of one church that has a massive parking lot that is never used except on Sundays. I have often thought about approaching the pastor and asking him about setting up a track in the parking lot of his church during the summer and charging 10 bucks to run there all day and then split the action with the church. I know a lot of bashers that would welcome such a thing.</p>

moe7404

in wichita ks we have a county park that has a open flat field that is 100 yards by 200 yards. and a hill about 50 ft high for climbing. i ran there once. but my t-maxx was so dirty i switched pavement. i found a parking lot that has NO signs posted, works real good, and its about 1/2 mile from the the house. i have used school lots on sat, sun with no trouble.

378

My Feedback: (4)

I just use my own 2.14 acres [&:]

sloppyG

depends on where you're running,

if it's a construction site where the land has been leveled a certain way to prepare for construction, they won't want you running there and messing up the work they've done to put the dirt where it is.

you're not really "de-valuing" the land, but you can be messing up work that they've just done

Foxy

Run your RCs there, as long as you aren't bothering anyone or damaging anything. If and when you are asked to leave, pack up quickly and quietly and leave without a fuss.

378

My Feedback: (4)

...A few tire tracks from an RC car are not going to destroy a second of their efforts. Their machinery leaves deeper tracks than anything the likes of us could ever hope to leave with our tiny little toys.

Chucksolo69

Not really the point though. If it is someone's else's property, you leave, period. It doesn't matter that their equipment messes up THEIR land. You ju leave, that's all. They have every right to call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.

378

My Feedback: (4)

...lolwut? You totally missed the point that I was discussing with sloppy.

sloppyG

it's not your call on that though, it's the owner of the land's opinion that matters

what you call harmless, someone else may call vandalism

378

My Feedback: (4)

I genuinely feel sorry for the greedy moron that thinks a few tire tracks barely deep enough to notice are vandalism...

sloppyG

what's greedy about not wanting your land disturbed?

I have seen guys at local baseball diamonds carefully spreading the gravel around to make a nice surface for the infield, I'm sure they wouldn't be happy if I started doing 4wd burnouts all over the infield spraying the fine gravel all over the place and leaving tiremarks all over

there are also other baseball diamonds that are left in semi-disrepair that nobody'd ever notice if you ran for hours on

you have to use judgement as to where is OK to run, and where you may be damaging someone's hard work.

SyCo_VeNoM

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhaB7wx96Fg[/youtube]

Clmbngfrk18

100% agree I used to pave walkways patios etc and we would have some one go there the day before a level and pack the area with stone dust. Well 1 place a guy want paying att to his kids and they thought it would be fun to play there they dug it up built jumps etc. We lost a day of work due to that. My 1/8 tears up grass let alone dirt.

But when it comes down to it trespassing is illegal and always try and get permission. I got it easy my family owns a sand pit. But if any one else was to use it cops would be called. Even with signs and fences if you were to get hurt there say trip going to flip your car over or not see the 50ft cliff(exazageration). They can be held liable. Like dome one said get a number and call its not gonna hurt to try.