What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nebraska
For several years my neighbor has been crossing one of our hay meadows (it's 80 acres), more than 60 years, because it was the only access to a patch of ground they had (it was surrounded by other people's property, no road access). In the mid to late '90s, we were getting a little fed up with it. It would rain, get very muddy, so when they would drive through with all their equipment, tractors, pickups, or ATVs or whatever depending on the time of year, if they would start to sink in, or get stuck, they would drive around the muddy area, move their road, which results in more tracks. When I would hay, if it was dry, it would leave very rough tracks, haying through it on every round was annoying. Anyway, after one day of watching more than 20 trips across the patch, and after finding out that we couldn't stop them from a local lawyer, at least what we were told, we attempted to get them to be a little more careful about it, which worked (after rejecting an idea by the neighbor to put gravel on their path). We said that they could cross, but go when it's not so muddy, and to follow the same path, they agreed to that, and the extra tracks mostly stopped. A couple years later he asked if we'd like them to mow a path for them to cross, and bale it, instead of just driving over/flattening the grass. Sounded like a good idea to us, they were driving through with all their tractors anyway and would only take a few minutes to do on their way through, what it amounts to is thick waste high or so grass, almost all flattened the width of a driveway, across the meadow, it's a big round bale or two of good hay, depending. They did that for about 5 years, maybe, at least, but I'm not exactly sure how long. In the meantime, within the last few years without us knowing anything about it, they bought some of the bordering land, they now have access roughly about 3/4 of a mile or a little more further down the trail that borders one side, they can get in there, and go around to their "surrounded" patch with no problem. In the meantime this year they did not mow their path, no discussion, they are just driving through it again, flattening the path. Other neighbors have gone by it and asked why we are driving through our meadow. I know it doesn't make any difference, probably, but I bought the land from my mother 5 years ago.
Is there anything at all a person can do with this, at all? I'm not trying to be a "jerk" about it with them, but I would at the very least like a little respect, and don't really feel like a person is getting much. If it would be me, I sure wouldn't be crossing if I knew it bothered the owner, but that's me.
Thanks.
For several years my neighbor has been crossing one of our hay meadows (it's 80 acres), more than 60 years, because it was the only access to a patch of ground they had (it was surrounded by other people's property, no road access). In the mid to late '90s, we were getting a little fed up with it. It would rain, get very muddy, so when they would drive through with all their equipment, tractors, pickups, or ATVs or whatever depending on the time of year, if they would start to sink in, or get stuck, they would drive around the muddy area, move their road, which results in more tracks. When I would hay, if it was dry, it would leave very rough tracks, haying through it on every round was annoying. Anyway, after one day of watching more than 20 trips across the patch, and after finding out that we couldn't stop them from a local lawyer, at least what we were told, we attempted to get them to be a little more careful about it, which worked (after rejecting an idea by the neighbor to put gravel on their path). We said that they could cross, but go when it's not so muddy, and to follow the same path, they agreed to that, and the extra tracks mostly stopped. A couple years later he asked if we'd like them to mow a path for them to cross, and bale it, instead of just driving over/flattening the grass. Sounded like a good idea to us, they were driving through with all their tractors anyway and would only take a few minutes to do on their way through, what it amounts to is thick waste high or so grass, almost all flattened the width of a driveway, across the meadow, it's a big round bale or two of good hay, depending. They did that for about 5 years, maybe, at least, but I'm not exactly sure how long. In the meantime, within the last few years without us knowing anything about it, they bought some of the bordering land, they now have access roughly about 3/4 of a mile or a little more further down the trail that borders one side, they can get in there, and go around to their "surrounded" patch with no problem. In the meantime this year they did not mow their path, no discussion, they are just driving through it again, flattening the path. Other neighbors have gone by it and asked why we are driving through our meadow. I know it doesn't make any difference, probably, but I bought the land from my mother 5 years ago.
Is there anything at all a person can do with this, at all? I'm not trying to be a "jerk" about it with them, but I would at the very least like a little respect, and don't really feel like a person is getting much. If it would be me, I sure wouldn't be crossing if I knew it bothered the owner, but that's me.
Thanks.
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