Liability with non-malicious trespassers in NY

[AGeese]

I just put up a cheap gate for my 20' driveway entrance that consisted of 6' welded wire, a few 2x4s and attached to two 4x4 posts. Definitely not fancy, but will work for now.

 

[AGeese]

I wish a sign like this one would actually work! It would solve so many problems...

In the process of looking for "dog on premesis" signs, I found some that are more specific and say "livestock guardian dog on duty" which both makes it clear that there is a dog, doesn't say anything that would get me in trouble, and provides more information to those who know what LGD means (which a certain problem population typically does).

you may not want smart people either.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Laws differ in every jurisdiction. That's why I'm not hazarding a guess here. Some cute ideas? Yes, I have those. Actually useful contribution? Not so much.

Best of luck.

FWIW, my electric fence stops my neighbor's hunting dogs. Iconsider it a good test of both the fence, and the intelligence of each year's batch of new puppies.

But I still walk the proterty armed during hunting season - loudly, and in "safety" colors. There are some two legged critters who seem oddly immune to 7,000v worth of "clue".

 

[ChicNmom]

For several years we had people coming up our long driveway thinking it was a road. We put a "Private Drive" sign at the bottom of the driveway, So far it's worked. Otherwise I was going to add a "Your GPS is Wrong" sign to the post.

 

[Nym]

I once visited a mountain property where the two resident Great Danes had laminated mug shots on the gate: We Live here!

 

[KimbosKluckers]

I once visited a mountain property where the two resident Great Danes had laminated mug shots on the gate: We Live here!

Now I want to do that with my big ol’ bulldog and pittie

 

[NorthernHomestead]

DNR would be DEC here I think - they are beyond useless. I have interacted with them before on much more serious trespassing issues; my big, loud LGD solved what they couldn't be bothered to care about. Law enforcement out here is state troopers. I respect those guys for sure but they're the sort I would go to mostly if I needed them intervene in some kind of active, ongoing situation (or if the airbnb'ers send another bullet over my house...).

We must be neighbors. I just tossed some "Caution Tiny Raptors. You Have Been Warned" signs at my front door that I bought on Amazon. And we tossed up a few trail cameras pointed at the road to keep uninvited guests away (or at least speeding down the road at the chickens). Pulling up dead chickens was happening at least once or twice a month. It slowed significantly after we pointed some cameras at the road and mentioned it on my husband's FB wall. All fun and games until you think you'll be called out on driving like a maniac. Especially since a small child was hit a few years back. :-(

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Unfortunately a gate across the driveway isn't an option

Why? Fences and gates make for the bestest neighbors

 

[Knobby]

At our previous house, I had a personal rifle range built on our property, by the developers that built 160 homes adjacent to our lot. I called my insurance company and talked with a legal counsel in regards to addressing any liability issues. Was advised to post up several "No Trespassing" signs visible around our perimeter. We also had the developer dig up a 2 acre pond directly behind my shooting berm, since they were in need to topsoil. Anyways, the pond seemed to always draw attention of the neighbors' kids, and they'd hop the fence to try and do some fishing there, since I had it stocked with various largemouth bass, catfish and other various species. One time, prior to doing some shooting, I walked to the pond, to make sure no one had trespassed, and sure enough, found 10 young boys back there. Called one of their parents up and asked if they knew where their kids were..when they said yes, their in our backyard, I corrected them and said, no, they are in MY backyard around my pond, and I am getting ready to shoot on my range. Told them that they had 5 minutes to get their kids, and let their friends know that my range was going Hot. Never been trespassed again.

 

[DonyaQuick]

I realize I should update on what I did for this situation.

I got a sign that says "Livestock guardian on duty" with a silhouette of a big dog on it. It's visible to anyone from the top of the driveway. While I don't have anything warning about my roosters specifically, my LGD is really the bigger issue if she's out there and someone startles her by unexpectedly coming around a corner of a structure. In a few cases, I believe the sign has had the desired effect of people waiting on the other side of the sign for me to get over there - although those folks weren't trespassing (they had reason to be on the property).

Regarding the weird vehicles pulling up...long story I won't go into, but things started to get too suspicious for me to write it all off as all lost AirBnBers. I now believe at least some of these instances have been related to a particular type of hunters I have had issues with in the past. That's really neither here nor there though for this thread since most of the solution there is the enormous dog about which I put up the sign lol.

Why? Fences and gates make for the bestest neighbors

Not all driveways can be safely/easily roped off. The issues with mine are numerous: shape of land on either side, shape/slope of driveway itself (I have to get a run at it in the winter from the road - which is by a blind turn and therefore dangerous to stop on), easement situations, various utility companies require unobstructed access to certain parts, and the list goes on.