private property keep out

This happened to a prospecting mate of mine recently in the castlemaine area.
He was detecting on what he knew was national park land,there was a private property adjoining onto the park,no fences were present.
The land owner had taken the liberty of putting "KEEP OUT PRIVATE PROPERTY SIGNS" some 100 to 150 metres out from his boundary line to keep prospectors away from his land.
My mate new that these signs were BS as he had done research on the area.
He had searched google maps,geovic,landchecker and other various sites to verify the correct boundary lines.

While detecting one day he was approached by an abusive bloke claiming to be the owner, "your on private property" can't you read the FN signs.
His carry on went on for some time he threaten to call the cops which my mate encourage him to do so.
A threat of "something you won't see coming" was made,which was A BULLET.[no gun was present]
After a few more f's and c's from this bloke the police finally arrived.Statements were taken.

My mate had to prove to the police that this bloke was lying because they said they had no authority to make him show the deeds to his land [crazy stuff ]
My mate notified parks victoria who gave him a visit,he was ordered to move the illegal signs to their correct position. WIN!!! [castlemaine parks vic were great,thanks to noel muller]

Long story short, the firearms squad was notified that he had made a threat [he owns weapons],they paid him a visit.
 He'd made a false statement to the police claiming that it was trespassing.
It could have gone to court but there was really no point,the desired outcome had been achieved.
My mate said to the police you can do what you like with this bloke,it's your choice if you want to charge him with lying/making a false claim and threatening behavior [which is a hefty fine or jail term ].
As always do you research,stick to your guns  and have your phone on record as my mate did,very very helpful.
AND stay calm when confronted by a knobhead,don't give them any ammo  to lay a counter claim.
Safe and happy prospecting  

cheers   moredeep

Wow. Good on him for not only doing his research but for standing his ground in threatening circumstances. Luckily no physical harm done.

Lots of cowboys out there. Landholders included.

There is a bloke who bought a small property right in the middle of the Sailors Gully lead at Wedderburn who goes aggro if you detect within 150 metres of his fenceline, I wonder what he has to hide?

There is a lot of crazies out there, trust me.
wombat

Only be warned once, years ago, not to go to a certain gold area in the hills ( in another state) because the bike'es were doing some gardening there, glad we are not like in the US where on various threads I read of detector operators carrying hand guns for protection. Anther thread here:

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/14468-security-alert-north-columbia-ca/

The land owner apparently said,"why didn't you come and ask permission" ,my mate said I'm not on your land I don't have to.
and besides you have a big sign at the front of your property driveway saying KEEP OUT PRIVATE PROPERTY.
Not very inviting,what a nerve.


cheers  moredeep

Sad that scenarios like these exist or continue to exist through this day & age moredeep. All it takes between people is the use of a bit of common sense & a little respect for one another, so that we may all get along peacefully. As were said, shame that there exist some cowboys out there, (as well as the odd land owner), that care little for doing the right thing & prefer in taking the law into their own hands. A little respect for one another's rights through civil communication, is all that's required, not communication through provocative threats of violence.  
Going out of ones way knowingly doing the wrong thing (such as in this case the landholder) is inviting trouble, trouble of the kind one does not need. We live in troubled times & all of us wake up each day, walking to a fine line between sanity & the insane, for no one knows nor expects what might happen, when one is put on the spot, threatened with unlawful assault/violence.
One should always go out of their way towards sorting out ones issues with another, in a civil, respectful & peaceful manner, but in this case, not condemn the whole/entire prospecting fraternity, for the stupidity of one or a couple of mischievous individuals, that one might have come across in the past.
In this case your mate were in the right & the land owner (although knowing he were in the wrong & would not have a leg to stand on in a court of law) tried to get away with it. But like I say, its not the police/courts that come later I worry about, but more so the immediate threat to ones safety/life that comes first in that instant, when threatened in a violent manner by another.
At the end of it all & if things were to turn violent, only the lawyers/courts win & the parties involved (almost always) end up losing out in some form or another. This is why people should think twice, before acting physically on their verbal intentions.

Kon.

Sure there are land owners who are hard to get on with but in my experience they are in the minority. I have known many prospectors who jump fences at night even one who dug up a putting green for a 3 pincer. One even revelled in the name Fence Jumper and another who bragged about raiding leases in WA. There are many on both sides but I reckon there are more prospectors who do the wrong thing than landowners.

Agreed Jim, but the point made here is about unlawful aggressive behaviour towards someone who's adhering to the law & someone who's not. There's good & bad in all of us, regardless of gender, race, creed or occupation, but referring to this case alone & it happened to be the land owner knowingly breaking the law & insisting to proceed on his wrong doings, by telling the prospector he's trespassing?   Mind you the same would apply for a prospector/detectorist breaking the law by entering on private property without permission, for two wrongs, cannot make it right.
Going out of ones way towards doing the right thing by one another, isn't always the easiest of things to do, but it sure goes a long way towards keeping the peace.

Cheers Kon.

The bloke in question had been claiming roughly 8 to 10 acres of national heritage park land for several years.
Who knows how many prospectors had been threatened by this fraudster
Justice finally caught up with him 

cheers   moredeep