BLM access denied by land owner

[Tacit Blue]

I was scouting out BLM land in my area, found a small " parcel" on the map. I spoke with the Ranger near my field office he said its lawful area to shoot.

I tried accessing the road that leads me up to the spot, its ontop of mountain. I see a clearly marked " no trespassing" sign and what appears to be a entrance to a farm.

Spoke with the owner and he denied me access, I told him I was looking for federal land above his property.


Was told by a lawyer that in circumstances pertaining to " public access easements" he must have had the sign up for 7 years in order to deny me?

[junior40er]

wait...that land is landlocked by private property? Can that happen?

[Tacit Blue]

Yeah it can. He prob thinks im up to no good.

The lawyer I spoke with said a case in Santa Cruz was similar, people had to cross private property in order to goto beach.

[ldsnet]

Sadly this can happen both ways, private land owners deny access to gov (public lands), and Gov land managers deny access to a land locked private land owner.

No easy solution to the problem, and you can't reasonably compel the land owner to grant you access across his private land unless there is an easement in his deed (good luck finding that, but it might exist. He won't tell you if its there).

[gorillafingaz]

There are prescriptive easements, but those are very hard to perfect and don't convey as an abutter's right.

If you have an address or a specific assessor parcel number for the area, pm it to me and I can do some research on it.

FYI I am a licensed land surveyor

[Che762x39]

I was scouting out BLM land in my area, found a small " parcel" on the map. I spoke with the Ranger near my field office he said its lawful area to shoot.

I tried accessing the road that leads me up to the spot, its ontop of mountain. I see a clearly marked " no trespassing" sign and what appears to be a entrance to a farm.

Spoke with the owner and he denied me access, I told him I was looking for federal land above his property.

I got it figured out for you. If you lived in the city and some guy wants to cross thru your property so he can visit a house on the next block. You would tell him to go to the corner make a left and at the next corner and there you are.

If I own 160 acres in the boondocks does not mean somebody can shortcut across my property to get to a dried out fishing hole 5 miles away.

[Gutz]

I got it figured out for you. If you lived in the city and some guy wants to cross thru your property so he can visit a house on the next block. You would tell him to go to the corner make a left and at the next corner and there you are.

If I own 160 acres in the boondocks does not mean somebody can shortcut across my property to get to a dried out fishing hole 5 miles away.

Uhh, there is no going around. The area is land locked.

[Che762x39]

The lawyer I spoke with said a case in Santa Cruz was similar, people had to cross private property in order to goto beach.

In Malibu property owners put their "no trespassing" signs on public access to the beaches. You should use those illegally posted signs as firewood, JMHO.

[Che762x39]

Uhh, there is no going around. The area is land locked.

So then he owns it all?

Or if multiple ranches is what you are talking about. Just find the one that will allow you to pass. Good luck

[CSACANNONEER]

There are prescriptive easements, but those are very hard to perfect and don't convey as an abutter's right.

If you have an address or a specific assessor parcel number for the area, pm it to me and I can do some research on it.

FYI I am a licensed land surveyor

This is the first step.

[Jeepergeo]

There may be another access to the land you seek to hunt.

That guy may have just been blowing smoke to keep you out of his adjacent hunting honey hole (or green garden), but you'd better be sure before you cross his property and risk trespass charges.

Years ago, it was not uncommon along the Southern California coast for landowners to block off beach access ways. It took years of Coastal Commission battles and such to get those public access ways open.

Good luck with finding access. The BLM ranger would be a good source of information on how they access the land, though you might find out the rangers never go there.

[bohoki]

get to the choppa

[gorillafingaz]

Flat out, laypeople know about as much about land rights as the liberal media knows about firearms.

[Tacobandit]

So go find somewhere else to shoot...