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I just bought myself a piece of the local woods

Sunsets

Chimp
Aug 30, 2009
23
0
VA
sorry to hear, I hope you find something new real soon! looked like it was coming along awesome!

i also dont understand the legality though. im not a land owner yet, but why cant you have some trails on land that you own?!?!?
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
That really sucks. And how ridiculous is it that that you can't build trails on land you own? I'd fight this one all the way to the supreme court!
 

stino

Monkey
Jul 14, 2002
201
0
belgium
thanks for all the support..

@Stoked: don't know who actually filed he complaint.. it might have been the owner from the section next to it who couldn't stand us having fun there while he also wanted the piece, but I overbid him at the public sale. Just speculation though, I'll never know or sure.

and yeah, this is Belgium, there are plenty of laws on what you can and cannot do on your own property that it's rather the state's property than your own. I'm pretty sure there are similar laws regarding building/constrcution etc in other countries.
This isn't a bad thing per definition, there have to be laws, and for most people that works just fine. But if you want to take things a little step further, beyond the usual, you meet this wall of rules and it's hard to find a hole in it.

I would love to fight this decision in court, but my lawyer was clear on this: impossible to win, period. Esp. because it's in a protected part of the woods. Hell, you can't event cut down a tree there without asking for permission. (so that's just one of the things I'll likely have to pay a fee for)
 

don

Turbo Monkey
Nov 8, 2001
1,319
0
Rumson, NJ
Damn, I remember you buying this piece of land and was I was really stoked on what you could do. It's like a DJ builder's dream come true. Sounds like you've gotten a good taste of it and have a very positive atitude so that's cool.

Seems like the neighbor was angry that he got out bid and was watching you like a hawk to find a way for you not to enjoy it. Maybe see if he'll buy it from you now or even better if he has a piece of non-protected land that he would swap. I would at least try to talk with him and tell him what you want to do and ask him what he thinks or if he knows of any land available.

If you can't sell the land, let that brush fill in and I'd give it another go but make sure not to cut anything down. People bust my stones but I'll work around a small tree or bushes at our trails just to keep things green. Make one path a few feet wide going thru the place and build jumps. I'd keep stuff like the big 180 deg berms out of it and just make a winding path. I could be wrong but looking at the pics, I think clearcutting the land in the first place, then having machinery might have thrown the flags.

Best of luck and let us know what happens.
 

stino

Monkey
Jul 14, 2002
201
0
belgium
If you can't sell the land, let that brush fill in and I'd give it another go but make sure not to cut anything down.
another go is a big no-no: a second complaint about exactly the same situation isn't something a judge considers lightly..

I could be wrong but looking at the pics, I think clearcutting the land in the first place, then having machinery might have thrown the flags.
the clearcutting wasn't really the problem.. it was the sudden change of 3 jumps to x piles of dirt which completely altered the global look of the terrain..
ok it looks bad on the pictures, but only 1 standing tree got cut down, the other logs are from trees that were already down by storms/diseases, and the cranberries will be back soon as they nearly are impossible to destroy (network of roots under the surface). The guys from nature protection or whatever it's called also confirmed this.

Anyway, the people at the cityhall cleared some things out: building trails is considered a change of the relief, and is *always* illegal without a license. Whether the license can be acquired depends heavily on the type of land: agricultural and woods are probably impossible to get one for, 'normal' land (ie meant for houses) should be possible, but it also depends on lots of factors. Almost certainly legal without any license would be an hangar/storage room, but that's indoors + out of my budget.
They said the best I can do is look out for something interesting, then come over again so they can check if a license would be possible before actually buying it.

I'm still considering the illegal way, but the area I live in is like the opposite of the middle of nowhere so it's just a matter of time before getting into trouble again..
First thing on my agenda now: convince the gf that we really need a piece of land for our next house right now :D She knows I get pretty unmanageable when I've got nothing on my hands so I've got one strong argument already
 

chuffer

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2004
1,569
912
McMinnville, OR
Wow. Sorry to hear about that. Look for some farm property and make sure that it has no right-of-ways for hiking trails and isnt part of some conservatory district. It has to be possible to build trails legally on your own property somehow. It looks like you have a little research ahead of you before your next purchase.
 

sittingduck

Turbo Monkey
Jun 22, 2007
1,958
2
Oregon
My condolences to you for your troubles.
My congratulations to you for your level-headed attitude and determination!
:thumb:
 

WaveDude

Chimp
Sep 7, 2001
77
0
TX
...People bust my stones but I'll work around a small tree or bushes at our trails just to keep things green. Make one path a few feet wide going thru the place and build jumps.
+100 dude. I get crap all the time for trying to save trees and green stuff. I transplant some to move 'em if I have to. I want shade in the summer and cover in the winter. And I can't stand pits dug right next to trails. I want it all to blend in and look natural. I take it as a compliment when newbs ask "Where did you get all the dirt from".

Back on topic...sorry for the lame situation. I thought the US was the enviro-wacko capital of the world but apparently they're everywhere.
 

Cru Jones

Turbo Monkey
Sep 2, 2006
3,025
2
Hell Track
I'm the same with trees... leave them be and work and around them. I had never been more pissed than when I showed up to the trails one day and somebody had cut down a tree... WTF!!
 

Paulyd

Monkey
May 15, 2007
255
0
Great White North.
i wish i could buy myself some land. the nearest thing i found is like 2 hrs away at least. and i'm only 17. considering my parents want to move when i go to university, maybe they'll buy something with some good land, and then i'll build.
 

stino

Monkey
Jul 14, 2002
201
0
belgium
I had never been more pissed than when I showed up to the trails one day and somebody had cut down a tree... WTF!!
there are always lazy assholes that can't stand walking around a tree apparently: next to my trails there's a path (actually it's part of my land) and it has two fallen yet alive trees on it, say 1.5 feet high, easy to walk over. I left them there, nice to practice bunnyhopping.
What do I see about two weeks ago: both trees (technically MY trees) cut in pieces. Retards. Too lazy to walk over, but still taking the effort of dragging a chainsaw over there to cut them.
 

cmc

Turbo Monkey
Nov 17, 2006
2,052
6
austin
. . . And I can't stand pits dug right next to trails. I want it all to blend in and look natural. I take it as a compliment when newbs ask "Where did you get all the dirt from".
. . . .
+200 ! If people dig right next to jumps, eventually you will have a moon landscape.

another go is a big no-no: a second complaint about exactly the same situation isn't something a judge considers lightly..



the clearcutting wasn't really the problem.. it was the sudden change of 3 jumps to x piles of dirt which completely altered the global look of the terrain..
. . .

Anyway, the people at the city hall cleared some things out: building trails is considered a change of the relief, and is *always* illegal without a license. Whether the license can be acquired depends heavily on the type of land: agricultural and woods are probably impossible to get one for, 'normal' land (ie meant for houses) should be possible, but it also depends on lots of factors. . . .
It seems like there would be some minimal amount of relief change a person is allowed to do without getting a license. The heavy equipment digger probably had something to do with the perception of major "changes in relief" ?
 
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stino

Monkey
Jul 14, 2002
201
0
belgium
years ago the rule was that changes < 50cm were ok, but this changed to 'any change that alters the relief significantly, changes the nature of the terrain or alters it's functional destination'