May I Please

[Colour&Shape]

Gday all

So ive been wondering....
there are a couple of old (and I mean old) abandoned homestead properties id wouldn't mind detecting...
These look like they would've been built hmmm idk maybe 1850's - 1890's......
all timber, all round wood and post porch, caved in roof, red-brick chimney half fallen in....u get the picture...

At one there is a current modern home a few hundred meters away on an adjacent block so ill assume they are the owners of the place id like to go over...
(if not im sure they'd probably know who the owner of the place I want to detect...)

So what im wondering is HOW is the best way to go about getting permission to go over these places..
Are owners generally receptive to requests for permission?

and what's the general understanding if I happen to find 'anything' significant?

Thanks in advance :koala:

 

[Goldpick]

At the end of the day, unless you have a written agreement with the landowner, be prepared to give up a few finds to the landowner as thanks for the access. Even if I were to find a sovereign on someone else's land, I would be happy just to find it, photograph it and hand it over to the landowner. On the other hand they may not be interested at all on keeping any finds - honesty is the best practice and will often help procure other leads from the landowner and he/she can also provide good references for you.

Dress neat, be polite, offer some of your finds especially if they have some family significance, and let them know that you will leave the place as you found it.

Be prepared for knock backs as not everyone is receptive to having strangers on their property - they may have been approached many times in the past or had people trespassing on their land to detect ruins. This can especially be an issue if ruins or sites are in direct view from the main road.

Personally I made up a one sheet flyer describing what items I am looking to detect, the fact that it is just a hobby for myself and my partner, contact details, a few photos and also provide some references from other landowners if possible.

 

[Greenhornet_au]

Kato and I never have had a problem getting onto a site, and even have further invites and guidance from owners.

They are not all like that and we have been lucky.

Try the nearest house to the site and dont be in a rush, be tidy and neat, respectful.
We have always told the owners that they will get to see all the stuff we find - dont withhold anything, it is a trust breaker.
Show them any good stuff with the crap.

Once we detected for around 7 hrs only for Kato to present a brass button as the best item, LOL, rusty steel bits and stuff too, but the button was best. :8

Be straight up, introduce yourself, shake hands, and remember it is a request to look around their back yard, so 'please' and 'thank you's', be honest and
invite to show them what you do or for them to come and observe while you work.

Offer to teach them how to detect, they will soon learn it isnt such a romantic task, teach their kids if they are curious and keep a few coins
in your pocket to salt the soil for the kids to find, a great ice breaker.

Get it documented if you need to, some people are not clearly to be trusted, but remember their backyard, so it is all theirs anyway
unless in writing and signed with a date of permission stating and ending too if needed.

Best of luck and keep trying if told "no", say thanks and move along quietly.

 

[Colour&Shape]

Thanks for the replies Goldpick and Greenhornet ...I definitely will take all that advice into consideration when I approach the owners....and ill have a good deal of patience..

Give them some assurance and insurance (ie ID details) so they can rest easy if they give me the go-ahead...
More than happy to split what I find with them too if they wish...

Ive no dogs, no missus, and basically I hope to convey the assurance that ill do no damage and leave the property very much as I g=found it..(holes filled in, cattle unhassled etc etc)

sorry its taken me a couple of days to reply ive been busy getting my sluice sorted, pump sorted and spray bar sorted....
Oh and of course a classifier for the Crash box

and then my drill packed it in (damn only had to drill 3 more holes grrrr) but jumped online and got a nice lil 450W Makita so happy days....

Much thanks to you for your help re: this thread

erfect: ickshovel: erfect: