New to Virginia - Neighbor shoots towards my property

[444 Magnum]

Check with the county code enforcement officer and see what they have in the county ordinances.

 

[brendonjames65]

Sorry, had to reread the OP’s post. Is there no berm or backstop for this makeshift range? What’s behind the steel plates, nothing? If no safe backdrop, that’s a problem. Certainly have a conversation with the sheriff’s department. They should be able to determine whether it’s criminal or civil in nature and you can go from there. If criminal, you decide if you desire prosecution. If civil, you decide whether to get an attorney and pursue in civil court.

With all the above, it’s always best to try and maintain cordial relations with the neighbor if possible. He’s probably not going anywhere anytime soon. Sometimes you can become great friends with your neighbor, and sometimes you leave them alone and they leave you alone. It does no harm to introduce yourself and say hello, that’s what neighbors do. Then you can personally assess him yourself and see firsthand what he’s like without relying on secondhand information and perhaps reach a satisfactory arrangement. Ratcheting things up, well only you can ultimately decide if it’s worth that. Good luck!

 

[IAM Rand]

I would talk to the Realtor about property use rights. I would assume that they would know about some of the regulations for the area. If they don't then they should know who to contact. You need to know what can and can't be done on your property as well as the property of your neighbors. It is not a bad idea to contact the local authorities but, without knowing what you can and can't complain about it might be a moot point. The sheriff/deputies are good to know but, there may not be much they can do.

If you can find the good brother, you may be able to find out more useful info about the properties and the troubled brother. He might be a good go-between.

Eventually you may have to resort to legal action/law enforcement. You need to realize that if you are trying to remove a hornets nest, someone might get stung. Just sayin. If you go down this path against the idiot brother, all logic and reasoning goes out the window. It is not right but, it is the world we live in.

In for a penny, in for a pound as they say.

 

[CalifEd]

Some thoughts:
Talk to the neighbor, be friendly like BKLooney, and others, suggested.
If that is unproductive, can you build a berm on your property?
In addition, get to know the Sheriff, his deputies and visit the locals at their watering hole - in a small town the more people that you know, and know you, the better if anything happens.

 

[Autonomous]

OP, your account of the situation is short on details. Backstop, easement, etc.

Some states have some sort of felony trespass by projectile laws.

 

[CH4]

Are you a Hatfield or McCoy?

Seriously, I’d just go have a friendly chat with him. Start off on the right foot.

 

[zeke]

While not entirely relevant, one of the only things that can shut down our private range is a bullet leaving the property. Also, photo documentation and video/voice recordings can prove invaluable. Trail cam, private voice recorder etc. Before talking to a rural sheriff about him, might inquire to your property manager if the sheriff/neighbor are related/ went to school together etc.

 

[Deadeye Dick]

You have no idea what went down between this neighbor and the guy that previously owned your property. Take the high road. Go over introduce yourself. Mention to him that you noticed his makeshift range. Let him know that you enjoy shooting as well. Then tell him your concerns about his range and offer to work with him in setting up a safe range that you can both utilize either on his land or yours. A [ shaped retaining wall about 5 or 6 feet tall at the back made up of old railroad ties and back filled behind with dirt can make a very effective backstop and is not terribly difficult or expensive to build. Offer to share the cost and labor with him and you may just make yourself a new friend and ally.

 

[Mike0251]

In Fauquier County VA a person will need written permission from the neighbor if he is shooting within 100y of said neighbors dwelling. That code can be found on line. I used it many years ago with a crazy neighbor who is no longer around. Sadly I had to educate the sheriff to the code and where to find it to get them to enforce it. In the end all worked out.

 

[WR Moore]

After reading the post by Lobo, I reread the OP a couple of times. The concern is that a mowed "path" that comes off the easement is directly down range from the neighbor's playpen.

The easement does give some unknown entity (power/gas company?, logging right of way?) access rights on the easement. Unless the "path" is necessary to access the easement, a berm on the OPs property would seem to be a way to go, but I expect it wouldn't be cheap. Even if it is an access, off set over lapping berms with a hidden gap would still allow access while providing the protection from stray rounds.

This called to mind an incident when I first moved in. I stopped at the local Southern States to pick up NO HUNTING signs and one of the customers made some remark about folks buying land and posting it. He asked if I was from Nothern Virginia.

Nope, worse, I'm a GD Yankee (came south and stayed). Stated don't object to hunting, don't want the house shot.

They then got into a conversation about local hunting areas. The one with the mouth got mildly chastised for hunting one place. The reply was: My grandpa, pa and I hunted that land, they're gone and I'ma gonna hunt it. He repeated that every time someone suggested he was looking for trouble. Never saw him again. Kinda wondered if the gray bar motel was involved, he seemed like the type.

 

[Telecaster]

I’d add, “build a berm on your property” to the list. Then you’ll have a range of your own.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Rarely is an olive branch met with a pointy stick.

 

[NYlakesider]

In Fauquier County VA a person will need written permission from the neighbor if he is shooting within 100y of said neighbors dwelling. That code can be found on line. I used it many years ago with a crazy neighbor who is no longer around. Sadly I had to educate the sheriff to the code and where to find it to get them to enforce it. In the end all worked out.

NY has a encon law on the books that states no discharge of a firearm within 500' of a occupied dwelling unless its yours or you have permission to shoot there!

 

[LVSteve]

This called to mind an incident when I first moved in. I stopped at the local Southern States to pick up NO HUNTING signs and one of the customers made some remark about folks buying land and posting it. He asked if I was from Nothern Virginia.

Nope, worse, I'm a GD Yankee (came south and stayed). Stated don't object to hunting, don't want the house shot.

They then got into a conversation about local hunting areas. The one with the mouth got mildly chastised for hunting one place. The reply was: My grandpa, pa and I hunted that land, they're gone and I'ma gonna hunt it. He repeated that every time someone suggested he was looking for trouble. Never saw him again. Kinda wondered if the gray bar motel was involved, he seemed like the type.

There are many threads there are on this board regarding the lack of respect for other people's property shown by the young. Gee, I wonder where some of them picked up that attitude.

 

[MRB1]

My neighbor had a similar setup. I mentioned to him that I'd appreciate it if he'd notify me when he did his shooting so I could be sure not to be in his line of fire, and he agreed. Instead, he repositioned his range and he's been a good neighbor. Fortunately, he spends very little time on his range.

 

[Kevin J.]

Rarely is an olive branch met with a pointy stick.

While doing my best Holy Grail accent..."Unless it's a pointy olive branch then wouldn't it be a pointy stick ? "

 

[Rustyt1953]

While doing my best Holy Grail accent..."Unless it's a pointy olive branch then wouldn't it be a pointy stick ? "

Consult Brother Maynard.

 

[IAM Rand]

While I am always for talking, I think many people here have missed the OP saying that his manager knows that the brother is a wack-job. The whole good brother/bad brother. I have a feeling that the die have already been cast on this one.

If the OP knows what his rights are before he "talks" to the bad brother then maybe he can have the ammo he needs to push the man in a better direction.

 

[GypsmJim]

I was sitting on porch a number of years ago. Behind my house was a very large stand of timbers with no houses. Several hundred yards up my street was a cross street, with their backyards abutting the same timber lot.

As I was sipping a beer I heard a faint shot blast in the distance and seconds later a .22 bullet hit the side window of my house. Then a second, and a third. After the firs I could clearly see the projectiles bounce off the window and onto my driveway.

I looked over and I could clearly see 2 kids with a rifle.

I swear I never thought I could start the car and back out of the driveway that fast. I drove into the guy driveway, around his car and across his back lawn, making skid marks in the grass just in front of the kids with the gun.

To my amazement the kid's father was standing with them. I explained that their backstop (a cardboard box) was an inadequate backstop and they were hitting the side of my house. I said if I ever hear gunfire again on the residential street the State Police would be called. I also explained that I had an AK47 and I wondered if it would actually penetrate a glass window at 200 yards.

Never heard a peep after that.

 

[Glashaus]

Hope this is the right forum.

Bought a large farm in VA and found a neighbor's improvised steel target range on a fence on his side of an easement. Easement is about 100' wide. The range is set up such that he shoots from his property towards mine. I have a straight fairly flat bush hogged path over a mile long from the easement across part of my land directly down range. So any time I'm out there, there is the possibility of a flyer coming down. I made an inquiry and the neighbor is not quite right in the head and there was some bad blood between the former owner and the neighbor when he was told he can't hunt on what is now my land. This is rural northern VA. Not sure how much the range is used. The previous owner proactively prosecuted poachers until it stopped. The property is posted but not without annoying some of the "locals." Suggestions? I'm told talking to the neighbor will be unfruitful.

Rural Northern Virginia is an odd way of putting it, not a whole lot of Northern Virginia is rural anymore and there is not a lot where it is legal to shoot anymore. I was raised on a farm in northern Prince William County and had a range on it until Mom and Dad sold the farm, I bought five acres in Fauquier county that backed onto an 800 acre farm that nobody lived on , Virginia Beef just grew corn on it, had a range on that place as well although by law it was a little small. Then I saw the light and relocated to Texas after spending my first 49 years in Virginia.

Is it legal where your neighbor is shooting? It doesn't sound like it is.