# Abandoned property **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856 "2021-06-08T17:31:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/41 "2021-06-09T18:56:38Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > They had verbal permission to leave it there until Monday, it wasn’t a perpetual agreement. If it was really on the right-of-way, they did indeed have implicit permission to be there pretty much in perpetuity. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/42 "2021-06-09T19:05:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@filmore](#): > > > > They typically give notice to avoid any grumbling by the homeowner, > > This was one of my gripes. There was no notice. Giving notice is a courtesy. If an easement or right of way exists, there’s no legal requirement to give notice. And if you build a fence across the easement they can drive a bobcat through it if they want. Still no notice required. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/43 "2021-06-09T19:31:39Z")
I can’t see how that is right. I have an easement between the sidewalk and the street. Are you saying that the city could just turn that into a permanent bob-cat parking lot? It’s one thing to use the easement for doing the work that the easement is there to allow people to work on. It’s another to use it as storage space. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/44 "2021-06-09T20:13:29Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > It’s one thing to use the easement for doing the work that the easement is there to allow people to work on. It’s another to use it as storage space. Easements typically can be used to do any necessary work, based on whatever the easement is for. For a power line easement, that means anything necessary to maintain and repair the lines. Using it for permanent storage or bobcat parking wouldn’t fall under the definition of reasonable use. Grayer areas might require going to court to determine if it’s reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2021, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/45 "2021-06-09T20:54:14Z")
Permanent storage? Probably not. Work that is ongoing? Absolutely, and if work is ongoing in perpetuity, they can be there or have their equipment there in perpetuity. For example, if they are using a piece of equipment on their infrastructure on a routine basis (say, a water jet for sewer lines accessed from a manhole on your property) and decide it is easier to store the water jet next to the manhole for quick access, they may have a viable case to do so, depending on how often “routine basis” really is. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/46 "2021-06-10T00:28:01Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I’m not sure of all the details, but there is a legal process you have to go through for abandoned property that is left on your property. A common example is a car that ends up on your property for various reasons. You can’t just take the car for your own use. You have to contact the authorities who will remove it, try to contact the owners, and then auction it off or something. I think that’s the same for cars left in parking lots. The lot owner can’t just take ownership of the car even if the car has been left for a long time. I live on a private road collectively owned by the three houses on the road, and oh, maybe 10 years ago someone abandoned a car on the side of the road. For a few days we and the neighbors didn’t mind since it wasn’t too much in the way, but eventually after a week or so someone broke into the car and left it with the doors open and a smashed window. One of the neighbors called the cops and it got towed, end of story on our end and it was the town’s problem. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856/47 "2021-06-10T05:52:36Z")
Only read past the photo… Goddamn, that is the coolest machine I’ve ever seen! I’d have… oh nevermind… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abandoned-property/943856.md?page=2)