# How to dispose of San Bernadino Desert property? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060 "2012-10-27T18:10:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/21 "2012-10-31T17:52:07Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > There is a parcel of unimproved desert property in San Bernadino County, valued for tax purposes at $728. Might I inquire just for curiosity’s sake how many acres it is (or % of an acre)? ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/22 "2012-10-31T18:00:24Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > It’s not just desert areas that see “water wars.” The Atlanta area is overdeveloped, and the most recent flare-up of the Georgia-Tennessee border dispute (in 2008) was basically just a thinly-disguised attempt by Georgia to gain access to the Tennessee River so they could divert water to Atlanta. > > There’s also occasional talk of building a huge pipeline to take water out of the Great Lakes. All the states & provinces that border the Great Lakes are dead-set against it, and any attempt to build such a pipeline could quite conceivably lead to a mini-revolt, and very probably violence against the pipeline workers. (This is not an issue that Great Lakes-region residents take lightly.) I remember hearing about the water crisis in Atlanta. Urban areas require a LOT of water, and the folks there were suffering and there was literally NO means to alleviate the shortage until they could receive measurable rainfall. I suppose there has been a campaign in Atlanta to “encourage” folks to buy HE appliances and utilize grey water? The “water wars” in the San Bernardino High Desert area have drawn battle lines between the rural water use (chiefly alfalfa crops and livestock) and the explosion of residential development. As property values skipped the “obscene” prices and soared into the “unattainable” in LA and Orange Counties, developers pushed Eastward. The bedroom communities are almost solid pack all the way to Palm Springs, and then folks squeezed through Cajon Pass to the High Desert. Hesperia, Victorville, and Apple Valley are no longer rural. My husband is an amateur astronomy nut, and he used to organize “star parties” out to the High Desert. Those are a relic of the past, as the light pollution in the High Desert is almost as bad as it is in the valleys. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/23 "2012-11-01T00:20:19Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Keep the property and pass it on to your heirs, or grandchildren. You’ll be dead by then, but they will live into the 22nd century. And by then, it’s very likely that development will seep out that far. I’m inwardly chuckling at the thought of the OP’s distant heirs presenting their claim on this property to the mutant warlord hell-billy Mad Max freak who, in the 22nd century, will be ruling what was once called “Southern California”. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/24 "2012-11-01T00:45:10Z")
As a High Desert resident, could you PM me the APN#? There is an ever-so-slight (\<1%) chance that I may be interested in purchasing it, depending on location and size of your lot. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/25 "2012-11-01T00:50:08Z")
> [@whc.03grady](#): > > I’m inwardly chuckling at the thought of the OP’s distant heirs presenting their claim on this property to the mutant warlord hell-billy Mad Max freak who, in the 22nd century, will be ruling what was once called “Southern California”. I have a neighbor who buys desert parcels in Central California at county auctions and flips them for double by selling to Mexican immigrants who have a culturally instilled appreciation for land ownership no matter how desolate. Authorities aren’t sticklers for code in places like that and new owners can throw up a shelter made of scavenged materials and have a vacation home that beats anything they had in Mexico. And the pay cash! ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/26 "2012-11-01T01:06:00Z")
IANAL, and jurisdictions may vary, but from what I know, if you don’t want something that’s given to you in a will you are under no obligation to take it. Processes may differ from place to place, but there is likely a way to “refuse” the item in the will. Just because Mom said you get it doesn’t mean you have to take it. What happens to it at that point I have no idea, and it would vary. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/27 "2012-11-01T03:08:11Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I have a neighbor who buys desert parcels in Central California at county auctions and flips them for double by selling to Mexican immigrants who have a culturally instilled appreciation for land ownership no matter how desolate. Authorities aren’t sticklers for code in places like that and new owners can throw up a shelter made of scavenged materials and have a vacation home that beats anything they had in Mexico. And the pay cash! Don’t count on lack of code enforcement! Even counties strapped for cash send out code enforcement officers, because code compliance means REVENUE. Much of the San Bernardino County desert is flat and unobstructed, with scattered scrub and low juniper trees, with an occasional Joshua tree for variety. You “throw up a shelter” and it will be visible for MILES. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/28 "2012-11-01T12:28:00Z")
Looks like a good place to set up a “Luke Skywalker” moisture farm…just like Tatooine! ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/29 "2012-11-01T15:25:37Z")
> [@whc.03grady](#): > > I’m inwardly chuckling at the thought of the OP’s distant heirs presenting their claim on this property to the mutant warlord hell-billy Mad Max freak who, in the 22nd century, will be ruling what was once called “Southern California”. Alternatively, said descendants are outside the glittering San Bernardino megacasino complex cursing their great-great-great-grandparent **Yllaria** who decided to give away the plot of land they’re standing on for the sake of eleven bucks a year in taxes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/30 "2012-11-01T15:44:46Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Alternatively, said descendants are outside the glittering San Bernardino megacasino complex cursing their great-great-great-grandparent **Yllaria** who decided to give away the plot of land they’re standing on for the sake of eleven bucks a year in taxes. 🙂 Plausible, but I’m still betting on my scenario.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/31 "2012-11-01T17:56:35Z")
I think we lost the OP. A few of us have asked for the APN and/or size and so far no nachos. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/32 "2012-11-01T18:14:00Z")
To Saint Cad: The OP is probably standing in line at the San Bernardino County Assessor’s Office, or tried to call the Assessor’s Office and ended up on HOLD. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/33 "2012-11-01T20:31:22Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > For $728? Sure, can you post a pic? Sorry, her actual residence has been appraised at $365,000. > [@Dano83860](#): > > Thanks but I already have a 3 br 2 ba home in Idaho. On 20 forested acres no less 😃 Cool. This is on the Clearwater River just outside of Kamiah. That’s the Idaho house, not the CA desert plot. It’s been listed for less than a month. A lot of people are interested, but most of them probably aren’t interested enough to cover that price. > [@ftg](#): > > Note that the annual cost of a vacant property is not just taxes. > > You may also be liable for injuries that occur on your property. Which means you should have insurance coverage. > > You are also responsible for maintaining the property according to local code. E.g., if there’s a pile of tires on it, you might have to remove them or pay a fine. People dump garbage on vacant lots all the time. And once it’s dumped there, it’s your responsibility. (Unless you find an envelope at the bottom of the pile of garbage with “Arlo Guthrie” on it.) . . . Good thoughts. I’m pretty sure there’s never been insurance on it. The one time we visited there was a great deal of nothing as far as the eye could see. Anyone wanting to dump things could probably find somewhere that was less of a drive. I was young enough that I don’t remember how far we went off-road. We got there late in the evening, camped out in the station wagon, got up in the morning and . . . wandered around a little and picked up a few rocks as souvenirs. Oh, I lie. I forgot that we had to walk around until we found the surveyor’s stake. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I think we lost the OP. A few of us have asked for the APN and/or size and so far no nachos. Nah. I only skipped one day and that was Halloween. The day went: work, family hoo-hah passing out glow sticks on strings and commenting on how clean the front room was, then IHOP until after 2 to kick off NaNoWriMo. I’m grateful for all the responses. I honestly wasn’t expecting to get much more comment than I got the first day. I’ll send out replies when I get home tonight. Off the top of my head, I think it’s a little more than an acre. It’s looking like it’s in the NW corner of San Bernardino County, but the map that comes up with the APN just shows it’s position in the development. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/34 "2012-11-01T20:34:31Z")
PM me the APN & I’ll pinpoint it for you. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/35 "2012-11-01T20:41:29Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > There’s also occasional talk of building a huge pipeline to take water out of the Great Lakes. All the states & provinces that border the Great Lakes are dead-set against it, and any attempt to build such a pipeline could quite conceivably lead to a mini-revolt, and very probably violence against the pipeline workers. (This is not an issue that Great Lakes-region residents take lightly.) You can say that again. I have contingency plans to mine my beach, but it probably won’t be necessary, as the lake levels are at an all-time low anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/36 "2012-11-02T01:54:12Z")
Well, it turns out it’s 2.5 acres and I’ve PM’d the APN to Twoflower and Saint Cad. May be awhile before I’m back. Thanks, everyone, for the help. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/37 "2012-11-02T22:40:46Z")
I, too, would be interested in the property, if you can let me know the APN number. I grew up in that neck of the woods, right across the border in Ridgecrest, CA. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/38 "2012-11-05T17:46:19Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Well, it turns out it’s 2.5 acres and I’ve PM’d the APN to Twoflower and Saint Cad. May be awhile before I’m back. Thanks, everyone, for the help. > [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > As a High Desert resident, could you PM me the APN#? There is an ever-so-slight (\<1%) chance that I may be interested in purchasing it, depending on location and size of your lot. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/39 "2012-11-05T18:41:12Z")
**Yeticus Rex** , that sure looks just like a simple oversight on his part. I’d PM Yllaria and the two recipients to see if they wouldn’t mind forwarding it to you too, especially as he may be away from the board awhile like he mentions. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2012, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060/40 "2012-11-05T20:57:25Z")
APN sent to \*\*Yeticus Rex \*\*and **DSYoungEsq**. Let me know if I’ve missed anyone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-dispose-of-san-bernadino-desert-property/639060.md?page=3)