[Cmonstihl]

What questions should I be asking? As far as I know it’s a vacant lot. I just don’t want to get into trouble mowing potentially somebody else’s lot

 

[Freaky Fido]

It's not necessary to post the same question in multiple forums...

 

[OakNut]

Well, it IS someone else's lot.

 

[SlowMowTurf]

I would NOT mow a lot you do NOT have permission to mow. Your county should have a website that shows land plots and owners. If you want, find the owner, get his permission in writing and charge the homeowner that hired you. OR better yet, let the homeowner do so, but verify it also.

 

[Freaky Fido]

I would NOT mow a lot you do NOT have permission to mow. Your county should have a website that shows land plots and owners. If you want, find the owner, get his permission in writing and charge the homeowner that hired you. OR better yet, let the homeowner do so, but verify it also.

Just speculation, but usually it goes something like this. The person wanting to hire you takes good care of their property and can't stand that the property next door/across the street is an eyesore. The property owner doesn't care and they and the person wanting it cleaned up have had words over it. So you get called to take care of it and get stuck in the middle. The guy with the unkempt property may even be keeping it that way just to irritate the neighbor. It's probably not a job you want, but my scenario could be totally off. It's not all that different from getting a call from a wife whose husband isn't taking care of their property according to her standards and decides to call someone. Both are situations that I run from.

 

[Hawkshot99]

If the customer had just said mow my lawn, and that section over there that I haven't been taking care of, sure. As far as you know you are on your customer's property.
But since they said it's not there's, I'd be against just doing it. If something happens, who is to blame? The real property owner, or the person paying you. If I owned the land I wouldn't want you on my property just from liability.

 

[Trees Too]

Get permission from the lot owner, or their designated legal representative.

Now if the person inquiring has maintained the lot for years as his own, and it's contiguous to his property, then the law of "adverse possession" comes into play....

Adverse Possession: What You Need To Know

Adverse possession can give a trespasser rights to your real estate under certain conditions. Learn how to prevent a trespasser from taking your property.

www.rocketmortgage.com

 

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

Wouldnt do it. People are crabby these days and you dont want issues. That is one of my top rules in biz, don't create problems with the work you do. This may fall into that category.

 

[SlowMowTurf]

Don't assume 'adverse possession'. You have no idea what the circumstances are. 'Adverse possession' is a real thing, but that's up to the homeowner and lot owner to argue out in the courts. Sounds like homeowner would lose this one since the lot seems to NOT have been maintained.

The lot may be vacant, but highly unlikely it is NOT owned by someone.

 

[sidemouse]

Probably the best thing to do would be to call the county / city code enforcement division and let them deal with it.

 

[AlohaMowing]

To do this without the permission of the owner would, at a minimum, be the tort of trespass to land. If the owner wanted to pursue it, damages awarded might be only nominal, but the trouble of dealing with it could be substantial. Here is a good discussion about civil and criminal trespassing: Trespass to Land: Civil Liability and Defenses