Neighbors came on property and tore down building

[jamesdean135]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA

My family and I were raised in this house for years. A nasty divorce forced us to sell the house and split up the land. Next to the house is 2 acres of land that we did NOT sell with the house. On this land we had an old shed full of tools and things that we wanted to keep safe. On the door of the building we screwed a piece of plywood up to cover the entrance so no one could get in there to get our stuff. for FIVE YEARS, the people in the house didn't even acknowledge this land. Recently, (last week) my father and I went to the property to find everything GONE. We immediately went to the police seeing as no one could get to the property without going in the backyard of the neighbors house, we figured it was them. The people in the house confessed to tearing down our building and hauling our things off to help "clean up their property", BUT IT WASN'T THEIR PROPERTY!!!!

The police say it's a civil matter, I say it's criminal trespassing and destruction of private property, seeing as the land had no trespassing signs EVERYWHERE!!!

I really need some help on this...no one (police, commonwealth attorney) will say it's criminal. can anyone help me with ideas of what to do???

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA

My family and I were raised in this house for years. A nasty divorce forced us to sell the house and split up the land. Next to the house is 2 acres of land that we did NOT sell with the house. On this land we had an old shed full of tools and things that we wanted to keep safe. On the door of the building we screwed a piece of plywood up to cover the entrance so no one could get in there to get our stuff. for FIVE YEARS, the people in the house didn't even acknowledge this land. Recently, (last week) my father and I went to the property to find everything GONE. We immediately went to the police seeing as no one could get to the property without going in the backyard of the neighbors house, we figured it was them. The people in the house confessed to tearing down our building and hauling our things off to help "clean up their property", BUT IT WASN'T THEIR PROPERTY!!!!

The police say it's a civil matter, I say it's criminal trespassing and destruction of private property, seeing as the land had no trespassing signs EVERYWHERE!!!

I really need some help on this...no one (police, commonwealth attorney) will say it's criminal. can anyone help me with ideas of what to do???

**A: get a police report filed as now it is considered both.

 

[jamesdean135]

we filed a report, they didnt take it to seriously..went and talked to the people who then confessed, the cop acted like it was ok as long as they confessed..like he felt sorry for them.

Should i go to magistrate and take out a warrant?

 

[Zigner]

You should sue the bad people for the value of your "stuff". Although, leaving it sit for 5 years pretty much shows the value is nil.

 

[jamesdean135]

the stuff was used alot in those 5 yrs..it's just where we kept it..what i'm saying is the people have lived there for 5 yrs and never did anything to the stuff, NOW they are saying they didn't know the property line.

 

[HomeGuru]

the stuff was used alot in those 5 yrs..it's just where we kept it..what i'm saying is the people have lived there for 5 yrs and never did anything to the stuff, NOW they are saying they didn't know the property line.

**A: time to take them to court if it is worth it.

 

[Kiawah]

So you kept this small piece of property, which is landlocked and inaccessible except for trespassing on the other homeowners property?

Think you need to unload that property to the new homeowner, for whatever you can sell it for.