recent break ins

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

I know a motion detector that doesn't turn on a light. It turns on a digital speaker with the sound of a shotgun being racked.

Oh yeah, gotta get me one of those.

[SportFury59]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

If you have only one "obvious" driveway but another area where you can park your vehicle and walk to the house, you can try spiking or cabling your driveway. Spiking is driving long spikes into wood strips and laying them across the driveway, with nails or spikes pointing UP. Cabling is running thick cable about a foot off the ground, across the width of the driveway, connected between trees or even posts sunk into the ground. The idea is to prevent any vehicle from getting too close to the house in a vehicle via the driveway, which is where they'll go first.

It's no fun when you have to approach a building on foot and can't put the goodies quickly into your truck or car. Carrying stuff is a drag, especially if it's heavy. For the stuff that is small and/or valuable, bury it or place in a tool shed or whatever other place you have, well hidden. Try buying an older vehicle that no longer runs (usually free, for the towing) and have it towed into your driveway near the house. Keep it clean and looking like it's usable, and someone is home.

It's awful to have to live like that, but as long as you are alone (except for the dog; too bad goldens are so friendly to strangers!) you may have to go this route. These are tough times. You probably won't need to do this forever. But it may save your dog, and your stuff as well.

Might get into trouble "booby trapping" your own property. A few years back, some neighbor kids were ravaging "forts" that my kids built in MY woods. So my kids dug holes in ground (in my woods) and covered the holes with branches, twigs, etc. and strung some wire about a foot off the ground. Neighbor kids told their parents about these "traps". Next day the sheriff was at my door saying my kids could not do that in my woods and I would be liable if anybody got hurt. Just thinking about that again makes me angry all over again.

[Roadkill95]

Originally Posted by namder1

There has been a rash of home and business robberies in my area. They caught one guy but the trend continues. Since I am gone all day at work, I worry about my place and my dog. I don't care (well I do but,) if they take my stuff....its only stuff. But I do worry about them taking my golden as he is my best friend! Does anyone subscribe to an alarm service? I live in the woods with few neighbors but an alarm might scare them off anyway. Any thoughts or ideas?

I have a monitored system with cell phone backup if phone lines are cut. When I go to bed put it in bypass mode and it just turns on all doors and down stairs motion . So nobody sneaks in at night downstairs.
This does come with a price but when I come home at night I know nobody is hiding in the basement or closet and comes out after I go to bed. It is a great piece of mind.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by SportFury59

Might get into trouble "booby trapping" your own property. A few years back, some neighbor kids were ravaging "forts" that my kids built in MY woods. So my kids dug holes in ground (in my woods) and covered the holes with branches, twigs, etc. and strung some wire about a foot off the ground. Neighbor kids told their parents about these "traps". Next day the sheriff was at my door saying my kids could not do that in my woods and I would be liable if anybody got hurt. Just thinking about that again makes me angry all over again.

Charge them with trespassing on private property.

The sheriff was full of it IMHO.

The reason these types of lawsuits always seem to win (IMO) is that people don't think they can fight it (and true that sometimes who the heck can afford a lawyer TO fight it at 50 bucks a 15 minute block nowadays) BUT, there are things you can do if you have reasonably good grasp at reading comprehension and take the time to work at it.

Even if I didn't win, I'd still fight it. It would be the principle of the issue.

My father's occupation lead him to being ripped off on a regular basis. He made sure to set into place means by which to identify his supplies (he used a lot of metal - typically his initials and/or DOB were welded into items).

One time, some building materials were stolen from his boatyard. He had somehow marked them previously (I forget just how, but it wasn't obvious) and kept his mouth shut and his ears open when they disappeared (as was his typical modus operandi). Low and behold, it came to him who had ripped him off and how that person had proceded to build his home out of and on top of them.

Periodically, my father would hop in the truck and show up at the house-building jobsite "just to say "Hi" (with a broad grin upon his face).

Needless to say, it made the homeowner a dite nervous, but he never let on of course.

After the home was nearly completed, Dad invited the sherrif down to confirm that the timbers were in fact his, and that said sherrif informed him that "at any given time" he could come and retrieve them if he so wished (the sheriff had a great time with this little game and really hammed it up).

Several times thereafter, the man (and his wife) would show up periodically at the boatyard and try to buy the timbers off him.

His reply? "Oh no, that's okay. I'll just come and get them when I need them." Then he'd wink.

Did I mention that he also had his demolition license and a hardy stock of blasting caps?

I suppose it's probably a good thing that he's not alive today to see this land of the lawsuit.

At any rate, in this computer age, it's possible to alarm yourself to the hilt, but we had an uncle who lived in a remote camp who simply had his TV and lights on a timer so they would go on and off periodically.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by SportFury59

Might get into trouble "booby trapping" your own property. A few years back, some neighbor kids were ravaging "forts" that my kids built in MY woods. So my kids dug holes in ground (in my woods) and covered the holes with branches, twigs, etc. and strung some wire about a foot off the ground. Neighbor kids told their parents about these "traps". Next day the sheriff was at my door saying my kids could not do that in my woods and I would be liable if anybody got hurt. Just thinking about that again makes me angry all over again.

Not in Maine. If you (in general, not specifically you) trespass and hurt yourself not only are you responsible for your medical bills, you can be charged with criminal trespass if the property is posted. If you call the Sheriff to tell him about the traps he'll tell you to stay off someone else's property if you don't like it.

Title 14, M.R.S.A. Section 159-A specifically addresses the question of landowner liability by stating that a landowner has no duty to keep premises safe or give warning to others using his/her land with or without permission. An exception would be if the subjects were injured by a willful or malicious act on the part of the landowner or if a fee were charged. Fees charged to help maintain roads, gates, etc. are permissible.

Good for your kids on protecting their fort!

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

Not in Maine. If you (in general, not specifically you) trespass and hurt yourself not only are you responsible for your medical bills, you can be charged with criminal trespass if the property is posted. If you call the Sheriff to tell him about the traps he'll tell you to stay off someone else's property if you don't like it.

Title 14, M.R.S.A. Section 159-A specifically addresses the question of landowner liability by stating that a landowner has no duty to keep premises safe or give warning to others using his/her land with or without permission. An exception would be if the subjects were injured by a willful or malicious act on the part of the landowner or if a fee were charged. Fees charged to help maintain roads, gates, etc. are permissible.

Good for your kids on protecting their fort!

thanks for posting this-

what about swimming pools and fences?

[lawmom]

But isn't a booby trap a "willful act"? The sole purpose would be to hurt someone. I'm not arguing for or against, but I wonder if it would fly in court.

[Bigfish57]

Originally Posted by lawmom

But isn't a booby trap a "willful act"? The sole purpose would be to hurt someone. I'm not arguing for or against, but I wonder if it would fly in court.

Yes, that is the kicker.

MaineWriter is also right but "boobie traps" will get you in a world of trouble.

[7th generation]

Originally Posted by lawmom

But isn't a booby trap a "willful act"? The sole purpose would be to hurt someone. I'm not arguing for or against, but I wonder if it would fly in court.

Exactly.

Landowner liability is protected under the "Castle doctrine" which Writer explained perfectly.......

But you cannot willfully harm anyone trespassing on your property unless they enter your premises and you are in fear of bodily harm.

The penalties for harming someone with a trap would be the same if you had committed this act on a neighbor's property. You would be held criminally responsible.