Need help with a trespassing situation

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  • mvee

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 13, 2007
    2,487
    Crofton
    Yes I put that fence in so I wouldn't have to watch people blatantly trespassing. I went to that site. What option do I flip on to see that it's public? As above, the Dept of T&A say it's not public.

    If you select "Parcel Boundaries/SDAT Data" it will show that the land directly in front of your house is the same property as Uniontown Road. So I think what might be happening here is the land is publicly owned but the shared driveway is not publicly maintained. Have you looked at your property description to see where your property boundaries are?
     
    Last edited:

    mvee

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 13, 2007
    2,487
    Crofton
    I did some further looking and it looks like as the owner of the lot you have the right to use the road, but you don't own it.
     
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    28Shooter

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 19, 2010
    8,206
    Baltimore, Maryland
    I am a retired right of way agent with 30 years experience (State and County levels) dealing with these types of issues and they can be very tricky. Mvee is correct, start with your deed and the deeds of your neighbors abutting the strip and find out if any of them make reference to it - first step.
     

    BugLaden

    Member
    Mar 8, 2016
    27
    Littlestown, PA
    If you select "Parcel Boundaries/SDAT Data" it will show that the land directly in front of your house is the same property as Uniontown Road. So I think what might be happening here is the land is publicly owned but the shared driveway is not publicly maintained. Have you looked at your property description to see where your property boundaries are?

    Sorry, I'm totally ignorant on how to do this. Where can I find a property description?

    "The land is publicly owned but the shared driveway is not publicly maintained." What exactly does that mean? Seems like it's this grey area then.
     

    BW460

    Member
    Mar 8, 2012
    89
    Your property description is in your deed. Since this is a platted subdivision, then it will say something like Lot One, Bosley Property and then it will reference the book and page number for that plat. What you are looking for in your deed is a description of the use of the private road. A privately maintained road is simply one that is not maintained by the county. I would need to read the details on that one. I am a little concerned by all of the personal info you have published to the world here. Maybe that's just my own paranoia. Posting the property as No Trespassing makes it a criminal offence for people to do so but if the county does own it, then you may not have the right to post it. Send me a PM and I'll look a few things up for you.
     

    DivingDriver

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 14, 2016
    1,514
    Nanjemoy MD
    If the county owned the road then they are responsible for maintaining it and making sure that ingress egress is maintained. Same as where as I live, it’s on a dirt road off of a paved county road. When we contacted the county about taking over the road they explained that it would have to meet current county standards. That would have cost us well over 50 k. We take care of it our selves.
     

    PJDiesel

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Dec 18, 2011
    17,603
    Plats.net

    (and)

    Mdlandrec.net are the sites I use most often. I also use MerlinMD when I want to use map over-lays.
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    After reading the OPs multiple posts I think he's confused about what he owns vs what he and others may or may not have access to.

    Then he wants to confront people with firearms. This looks like something that will end up on yahoo news.
     

    welder516

    Deplorable Welder
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2013
    27,297
    Underground Bunker
    With someone that has had right of way issues , please let it go you will feel better and be less bitter . Say hello and be kind , it will save you much and add to the quality of your life . All my opinion and true for me .
     

    Blacksmith101

    Grumpy Old Man
    Jun 22, 2012
    22,154
    Do you and your neighbors use both ends of this road? If not block one end so it can't be used as a short cut.

    If it really is your property post it legally for no trespassing (did you know that blue painted stripes the proper size and height are legal no trespassing notification in Maryland) then contact the DNR Police because they are much more experienced with trespassing violations than most local police.

    I will see if I can find the DNR reference on the subject.

    https://extension.umd.edu//sites/ex...steward/EB357_LandownerLiabilityRecAccess.pdf
     
    Last edited:

    Johnconlee

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 8, 2019
    1,149
    Mechanicsville
    Get a survey done so you know your property lines so you know where you can carry. Your deed and your neighbors deeds should mention a right of way unless your property buts up against a publicly owned and maintained road. Usually it doesn’t matter who owns the road because if it’s a deeded right of of way it can’t be blocked by any one person. Everyone who has Deeded use of the right of way would have to be ok with any gates or minefields. The best solution is one you and your neighbors all agree on.

    The dirt road across from my house has been the subject of a dispute over who owns the road because of a similar situation. My neighbor who is in your situation and actually owns the land the road is on, spent a lot of money trying to control acess but the other party has deeded acess so nothing can really be done.

    We made the decision to fence our property and put gates on the two driveways. It is a pain sometimes but nobody has just shown up on our door step or in the driveway since. An unlocked gate with a trail cam, motion alarm and solar motion light doesn’t stop any one but it gives them notice and you plenty of warning.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    That would probably work great but I'll be damned if I would want to stop and lock/unlock a gate everytime I left the house or came home

    Yeah, I hate having to lock and unlock my front door because of criminals, but I do it anyway. Other people actually have gates and fences around their entire property to keep people out. Sometimes, that is just how life is in the "big city". Granted, plenty of trespassing and poaching goes on out in "the country".

    The OP needs a boundary survey done to see if he even owns the part of the driveway he is referring to. If he does not own it, he had better tread carefully because somebody owns it for sure. It cannot be owned by "nobody". Either by mistake it was retained by the person that sold all the land around it or it was part of some deed conferring it to somebody. The OP should get that boundary survey done. Then, if he owns it he can start taking a more aggressive approach.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    With someone that has had right of way issues , please let it go you will feel better and be less bitter . Say hello and be kind , it will save you much and add to the quality of your life . All my opinion and true for me .

    I agree with this. If these people really aren't causing the OP any harm, just let it be. Plus, it will cost a ton of money and time to get the resolution right. If the OP makes a mistake in addressing this, then it could cost him more time and money in the form of a lawsuit. Imagine if that kid had a gun instead of a knife. Guessing they were scared to death over some man they did not know running after them.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    I also live on a private road, with only two homes serviced by it.

    Myself and my neighbor have gotten really good at making people uncomfortable when they think they're going to pull in and sit in their cars. He has an infant and wife that are home alone while he works, myself and my wife work FROM home most days and keep an eye on things as far as people pulling down into the lane. I also have a remote driveway sensor that alerts us to people entering the driveway, gives us a little heads up.

    In your case, maybe a little section of cheap yellow/plastic chain between two cones? Easy enough to get out and move (for people who belong there), but, a much better visual deterrent for those who DON'T belong.

    I live right in from 32. I get people pulling in to my driveway constantly to turn around (the neighbor who goes right off it doesn’t get many). Also a lot of people like to pull in to my grass and sit. Either looking for directions, maybe waiting for someone, what have you. Occasionally people will park there and take dogs for walks, just going for a bike ride, whatever (our road is relatively slow and about 2-3 miles long. It eventually runs by the potapsco).

    Other than blocking the grass with rocks, nothing is going to stop people for me. I’ve tried signs and just gave up. Occasionally with the walkers I will leave notes for them. 50/50 on it I see their car again.

    I did have one guy block me in my drive way when I was trying to leave. He started yelling at me that he was just looking up directions when I politely (but obviously looked upset) that he was trespassing and blocking me from pulling out of my driveway. He did leave quickly when I pulled out my cell phone and informed him I was calling police after I took a picture of him and his license plate.

    The police basically told me their hands were tied unless they catch him trespassing. Me reporting it wouldn’t do anything.

    I’ve reported construction vehicles parked on my grass doing driveways repairs in the area blocking part of the road.

    Police came by that time...and didn’t even talk to them. I called them again and was told, “well they aren’t blocking the entire road” but they are parked on my grass too “well, the officer who came by said it was barely on the grass and they can use the easement”

    NO THEY CANNOT!!! They aren’t the utility company!!!

    So HoCo police both don’t know the law and also refused to do anything. What chafes me is that awhile back (before that call and incident) HoCo police told BGE who were rerunning a powerline for me on my property at my request that they couldn’t park on the road because it was blocking traffic. Even though again they were half on my grass and cars could still get by!

    I kind of hate this place a bit
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    To add. Like Fabs suggested, I’ve mostly come to ignore the driveway turn arounds. It is the people parking in my grass that annoys the hell out of me still as occasionally they rip up the grass when it is wet. The people parking for a length of time I studiously attempt to ignore, but usually if I notice they’ve been out there for more than a few minutes I go out and ask them to, “please move your vehicle off my private property and don’t park on it again”.

    I’ve had to tell people that no, my grass isn’t public property. Usually people will act a bit annoyed and leave (probably to park on someone else’s lawn a few houses down).

    Anyone obviously parked in my driveway gets about a minute to see if they are actually coming to my house for some reason, turning around or being jerks. Then they have till the count of me putting shoes on and if they are really lucky, pants. Then I go out there and tell them they are trespassing and police will be called if they don’t leave immediately.

    I think over the years I have to tell someone that maybe once or twice a year. Another couple of times a year the person will see me walking out and immediately take off.

    Twice over the years I’ve helped people with car problems who were parked in my grass.
     

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