“No trespassing means stay out.”
Even if personally-owned land is not publicly posted to “Keep Out,” it’s still private property.
Nobody else has the right to be there unless they have the owner’s permission. The only law-abiding way to know the complete truth of one’s word is if it’s in writing.
We’ve hunted, fished and ridden our horse on other people’s properties many times in the past six decades. Sometimes we had permission, but seldom, if ever, written on paper. Majority of the time we had not asked.
So, we understand when somebody sees a big buck, or knows our pond has big bass, that they desire to come on our ranch.
Cattle do escape into neighbor’s pastures, and we go after them never thinking it’s another’s place. Certain nearby meadows are nice for exposing colts to different locale, and we’re inclined to ride there, despite being told more than once the land is not ours.
With that said, we will typically allow others on our ranch to fish, sometimes to hunt and even to ride their horses. Yet, because land is very expensive, mandatory taxes are very high and upkeep is very costly, we enforce certain stipulations.
If somebody we know asks, we will often grant such with written verification, and demand that they never take any mechanical vehicle inside our gates, meaning they must walk afoot or ride their horse anytime on our ranch. Otherwise, there will be legal ramifications.
Such is the case when big machines operated by strangers pull in the gate and act like they own the place. Distinctly, we remember four decades ago when that happened, and Dad called the law. We do exactly the same, immediately.
That’s just what occurred last week when intruders came on our ranch to “plug old gas wells,” without ever contacting us. We summoned the sheriff, as we’ve done on several occasions. The invaders were demanded to get out and pay us damages. They were trespassing, which is illegal, and punishable by jail.
Against our conscience, we didn’t end up filing charges, and even grudgingly let the invaders complete a task.
Reminds us of First Chronicles 11:4: “No trespassing. You can’t come here.” Therefore, Ezekiel 14:13: “When there is sinneth against another by trespassing, one shall cut off man and beast from it.”