Another classic dies

I knocked on the door look around I see a car on the driveway and noticed the door for the garage open. I didn't enter, I did not see anyone inside standing 10 feet from the house. Right next to the garage is the back yard. I looked back there and noticed no one So I jump into my truck. A lady than pulls up from the intersection peels tire in a mini van and into the driveway.

She pulls in and opens the door of her van, I than open the door of my truck she than asks How can I help you? I than ask Is this car for sale? Than she got defensive you are trespassing get off the property before I call police. I than head into my truck to leave. She than says the car has been sitting for 30 years She than states that the car has has parts stolen off of it. I told her I mean no harm I was just wondering if the car was for sale. By than she is walking around the house. I'm into my truck at this time ready to leave. She notices the garage door open. I roll down the window of my truck and said. I did not open the door. She says Right now its not looking good for you and says to leave before I call police I say Ok and leave.

Did I do anything wrong here? Or is it just wrong timing???

I wanted this car to be my next project either that if it was too far gone which it may have been frame and floor wise. I would of parted it out. Be useful to someone else car at least.

Your going to get yourself shot.

Hydro's right. Unless you wanna look like the weirdo that keeps stealing junk off of people's cars, the big trick is to wait for someone to be home

If you paid attention to detail. You would of seen that I said there was a car in the driveway. The classic car is sitting in the weeds off of the driveway.

Hydro pay attention I was intending to leave than she showed up.

You cant shoot innocent people, I dont even think she is the owner of the house so she would of shot me illegally, She would of went to jail because she has no jurisdiction to do that. Only thing she could do is call the police.

She can shoot you dead, and then its her word vs your dead body. Figure it out her car, her property, her insecurity, her scared enough to pull a gun. She felt like her life was in danger... her word vs your dead body....

JasonZ wrote:
You cant shoot innocent people, I dont even think she is the owner of the house so she would of shot me illegally, She would of went to jail because she has no jurisdiction to do that. Only thing she could do is call the police.

You can here in Oklahoma. It's called the "Make My Day" law. If someone is trespassing on your land & you feel "threatened" you have the right to fire away, whether they have a gun or not. This also goes for people renting a home & if you're in your vehicle because it's your family & belongings that you're protecting.

Read this & tell me that angry homeowner couldn't have said the same thing:
http://www.oksenate.gov/news/National_Media/nm20041031.html

All I wanted to ask if I was wrong. And how the situation looked like by a 3rd party.

Well, it looks like you were in the wrong.....

Even if it LOOKS like someone is home, you can't just assume that either unless you wanna be in a body bag or in handcuffs. You need to at least knock on the door or something like that.

I have been in similar situations when I was in high school, but I learned just to knock on the door first. If no one is home & I don't know them, no car (almost) is worth risking a bullet.

Somewhat off topic, but I remember one time when my cousin & I found the holy grail of VW in some woods off of the road. I'm talking 30-40 split windows, oval windows, Karmann Ghias, you name it. We parked the car & walked over to check them out. Next thing you know an old man snuck up behind us, shotgun in hand. It wasn't until I felt a slap on the side from his gun that I knew he was there. Talk about scared! He ended up being nice & understood that we were just kids excited over his cars, so he let us go. I think we talked to him for a couple of hours about some of those cars & why he wouldn't sell them... you know the passion that we all have for that certain ride:) . I drove by there a couple of years later & noticed they were all gone, so I stopped at the house. This time there was a young guy that answered the door. I asked where the old man was & was promptly told that he had passed away & all of them junkers were scrapped so they could clean up the place & sell it. Apparently the son didn't share the same passion for Volkswagens.

IndyG3 wrote: You need to at least knock on the door or something like that.

I'm sorry to inform you but did you completely disregarded my first 5 words?

Yup

I have read the responses to your question, and i must admit with the majority. You were in the wrong. It doesn't matter what YOUR intentions were, you were on SOMEONE ELSES property, snooping around. Therefore, in the words that my father would tell me "you were cruising for a bruising".

You asked if you were in the wrong, then when you get the response that you were, you defend yourself and make excuses for what you did...?

JasonZ wrote:I'm sorry to inform you but did you completely disregarded my first 5 words?

I'm sorry to inform you that you're still in the wrong, and to top it off, you knocked on the door and then continued to snoop around.

Alright, I reread everything, let's see what's right & wrong...

I knocked on the door
Good deal that's what you should do

look around I see a car on the driveway and noticed the door for the garage open. I didn't enter, I did not see anyone inside standing 10 feet from the house. Right next to the garage is the back yard. I looked back there and noticed no one So I jump into my truck. A lady than pulls up from the intersection peels tire in a mini van and into the driveway.
Here's where it gets suspicious sounding, you looked around after no one answered the door, the lady might have just had a bad day or might have seen you looking around.

She pulls in and opens the door of her van, I than open the door of my truck she than asks How can I help you? I than ask Is this car for sale? Than she got defensive you are trespassing get off the property before I call police. I than head into my truck to leave.
This is what you should have done, she was in no mood to talk

She than says the car has been sitting for 30 years She than states that the car has has parts stolen off of it. I told her I mean no harm I was just wondering if the car was for sale.
was she accusing you of stealing parts or stating it has happened before? Kind of confused here.

By than she is walking around the house. I'm into my truck at this time ready to leave. She notices the garage door open.
You had to walk around the side of the house to see if the garage door was open? That sounds suspicious.

I roll down the window of my truck and said. I did not open the door. She says Right now its not looking good for you and says to leave before I call police I say Ok and leave.
You just made yourself a suspect by acknowledging the garage door. Pray nothing comes up missing because she probably got your tags & will call the police. You were the only person on her property that she knows of.

Did I do anything wrong here? Or is it just wrong timing???
I not only went to school for Aeronautics, but I also went to school & became a CLEET certified Private Investigator. Sorry bud, but as defensive as you are getting it sounds like you got something to hide. I'm not accusing you just saying to calm down. If the police came to your house for questioning, you'd be going downtown if you couldn't keep your cool.

I wanted this car to be my next project either that if it was too far gone which it may have been frame and floor wise. I would of parted it out. Be useful to someone else car at least.
It sounds like you had good intentions, sorry it turned out like it did.

Ohwell let the car rot to the ground. Just makes the car more rarer.

So you guys are saying I was snooping? I wasn't sneaking being sly or anything of that sort You could see the back yard from the garage door that was open? Yes I was on the property but there was no trespassing signs up or any sort. A car in the driveway indicating someone is home. The time was 4:30 4:45 pm sunny Sunday day after church. Not 10:00pm night time.

Salaura
I'm not defending anything just telling the facts my friend, before you guys start twisting them. Example I drank a glass of water next to a fish bowl. You guys are saying I OMG I drank a fish!
Judging by the responces. I got one saying Wait for someone is home.
I than corrected him stating there was a vehicle there.
Chris saying ima get shot for the 2nd time..
Than a post by rago about a state I dont reside in.
IndyG3 states Well, it looks like you were in the wrong.....

Even if it LOOKS like someone is home, you can't just assume that either unless you wanna be in a body bag or in handcuffs. You need to at least knock on the door or something like that.

I than point him to the first 5 words of my post
Chris says yep
Salaura than agrees with the majority
Than the new post from IndyG3 informing me that I'm still wrong and insist I was snooping.

You told the facts with the original post, then asked for a third party perspective, obviously we all think you were in the wrong, and thought you should have kept on walking, instead of sticking around on someone else's property. And yet you continue to defend yourself. Bottom line, you were snooping my friend, and Hydro was just laying out there in black in white, you are looking to get your A$$ shot. Take this advice or leave it.

Let me tell you of a personal similar case that happened to me when i was 7 years of age. I decided to check out my neighbors old 57 chevy truck he had parked in the driveway. I had seen it out there day after day, always waxed and shiny and new looking and i always wanted to take a closer look at it. Seeming as how we weren't close friends of that nature, and he was down the block from me, I would seem like a stranger to him( of course at 7 years old i wasn't thinking on that level), i thought i would go see for myself what the inside looked like, although this isn't the same sinario as you endeared i was crossing the boundaries and on someone else's property. The gentlemen came out and was actually polite, maybe he had seen me before riding my roller blades, or playing tag with my friends and new i was no harm, or perhaps he was just a nice guy. Anyhow, at the end of our chat, he kneeled down on one knee and in a polite and quiet voice told me "sweetie, you are a nice gal and i personally know you are no threat to my property or myself, but a tip of advice for the future, is to keep off other people's property, because you never know what the outcome could turn out to be" I understood exactly what he meant and thanked him for the advice. I was 7 years old when i learned my lesson to stay off other people's property no matter what the circumstances are, unless the person's of the property invite you onto their property, you stay away, bottom line.

I hope my story helped, and i hope you realize that you are a grown up man, and should have known better. I learned this lesson when i was a young child and you should now know for a damn fact that you should stay off other peoples property.

You live in Pennsylvania right? This is part of YOUR state's laws.

"18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 507 allows the use of deadly force if the actor believes there has been an unlawful entry into his or her dwelling and believes that nothing less than deadly force will end the incursion; if the person on the receiving end of the deadly force is "attempting to dispossess [the actor] of his dwelling otherwise than under a claim of right to its possession;" or if deadly force is the only thing that will prevent a felony from being committed in the dwelling. In any of those cases, the property owner must first ask the interloper to desist — unless the owner believes that doing so would be "useless," "dangerous," or would result in the property being defended coming to substantial harm before the request to desist could be effectively communicated."

Her vs your dead body & an unregistered gun in your hand, that's all it would have taken.

Rago wrote:Alright, I reread everything, let's see what's right & wrong...

1I knocked on the door
Good deal that's what you should do

2look around I see a car on the driveway and noticed the door for the garage open. I didn't enter, I did not see anyone inside standing 10 feet from the house. Right next to the garage is the back yard. I looked back there and noticed no one So I jump into my truck. A lady than pulls up from the intersection peels tire in a mini van and into the driveway.
Here's where it gets suspicious sounding, you looked around after no one answered the door, the lady might have just had a bad day or might have seen you looking around.

3She pulls in and opens the door of her van, I than open the door of my truck she than asks How can I help you? I than ask Is this car for sale? Than she got defensive you are trespassing get off the property before I call police. I than head into my truck to leave.
This is what you should have done, she was in no mood to talk

4She than says the car has been sitting for 30 years She than states that the car has has parts stolen off of it. I told her I mean no harm I was just wondering if the car was for sale.
was she accusing you of stealing parts or stating it has happened before? Kind of confused here.

5By than she is walking around the house. I'm into my truck at this time ready to leave. She notices the garage door open.
You had to walk around the side of the house to see if the garage door was open? That sounds suspicious.

6I roll down the window of my truck and said. I did not open the door. She says Right now its not looking good for you and says to leave before I call police I say Ok and leave.
You just made yourself a suspect by acknowledging the garage door. Pray nothing comes up missing because she probably got your tags & will call the police. You were the only person on her property that she knows of.

7Did I do anything wrong here? Or is it just wrong timing???
I not only went to school for Aeronautics, but I also went to school & became a CLEET certified Private Investigator. Sorry bud, but as defensive as you are getting it sounds like you got something to hide. I'm not accusing you just saying to calm down. If the police came to your house for questioning, you'd be going downtown if you couldn't keep your cool.

8I wanted this car to be my next project either that if it was too far gone which it may have been frame and floor wise. I would of parted it out. Be useful to someone else car at least.
It sounds like you had good intentions, sorry it turned out like it did.

Just the type of response I wanted!
To answer your questions I put a number next to the paragraph no means of disrespect just makes it easier to answer your questions.

To answer #4 She told me that parts where stolen off of the car. She did not accuse me of being the person of stealing.

#5 She went to walk around the house My guess to check and make sure nothing is broken. As you pull up the driveway the back yard is right along with the garage and the door was clearly open you can see. You have to walk to the front door of the house to the front of the house facing the street. Its pretty much the same setup as my parents house. I did not walk on the grass or anything I stayed right on the driveway.

#6 I told her when she came to her car. As I had the truck in gear to leave I rolled down my passenger side window to inform her that the garage door was opened before I got there.

#7 Not a question, I know but I have nothing to hide I have no criminal record nor plan on getting one in my life. My only concern was the car and car only. Unfortunately, its sad it turned out like this and her (unknown) being so hostile to my calm questions. Thing is I dont know if she was the owner of the house or a concerned neighbor?

SALAURA I WAS INTENDING TO LEAVE AFTER I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND NOTICED THE GARAGE DOOR OPEN. I WAS IN MY TRUCK BUT SHE PULLED UP BEHIND ME!!!!
Ok, Well now that I know not to never ever step on someones else s property What should I do If I find a car just sitting for a while out front of a house? Is there a way of contacting the owner with it just sitting there? Who do I call to get information?

I live out in the country. Out in the country I never had a problem like this before I walk go up to their front door and knock they answer they do Or they are already outside and either way yes or not for sale the communication is never hostile. And I leave or the deal is made.

I will never go trick or treating ever. Or take my kids trick or treating. No one should.

Man have the times changed seems like you have to have a lawyer with you where ever you go.

Rago wrote:You live in Pennsylvania right? This is part of YOUR state's laws.

"18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 507 allows the use of deadly force if the actor believes there has been an unlawful entry into his or her dwelling and believes that nothing less than deadly force will end the incursion; if the person on the receiving end of the deadly force is "attempting to dispossess [the actor] of his dwelling otherwise than under a claim of right to its possession;" or if deadly force is the only thing that will prevent a felony from being committed in the dwelling. In any of those cases, the property owner must first ask the interloper to desist — unless the owner believes that doing so would be "useless," "dangerous," or would result in the property being defended coming to substantial harm before the request to desist could be effectively communicated."

Her vs your dead body & an unregistered gun in your hand, that's all it would have taken.

True, she could of shot me but I dont think she was the owner, maybe just a caretaker of the house or something? She could still face jail time because using your gun to do the talking is a horrible macho man way. I also have to have their possessions in my hands. Again I was not hostile so that takes deadly force out of the question. I asked my questions cool an calm. I do not own a handgun at this time and if I did it would be registered by Pennsylvania laws. If I did have a handgun nothing would result of me having to bring it out because its unlawful to flash your gun around. It can also get you shot.

Unless you saying she kills me and sets up the crime that I was the person in danger of her life. Yikes!!!

JasonZ wrote:
Unless you saying she kills me and sets up the crime that I was the person in danger of her life. Yikes!!!

It's not unheard of... she shoots you, has an unregistered gun, throws it & something of hers in your hands or by you. She might even pop herself in the arm to make it more believable. Some people are very protective especially if they feel you are trespassing. Some people just belong in a looney bin. If you don't know that person, always assume the worst until you do know them.

I truly believe you had good intentions & if the car was parked up front sure slip a note on their door or mail box with your name & number. If they want to sell it they know who to call. I scored my old Celica for $100 that way. Probably best to just forget about this one though.

JasonZ wrote:SALAURA I WAS INTENDING TO LEAVE AFTER I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND NOTICED THE GARAGE DOOR OPEN. I WAS IN MY TRUCK BUT SHE PULLED UP BEHIND ME!!!!
Ok, Well now that I know not to never ever step on someones else s property What should I do If I find a car just sitting for a while out front of a house? Is there a way of contacting the owner with it just sitting there? Who do I call to get information?

I live out in the country. Out in the country I never had a problem like this before I walk go up to their front door and knock they answer they do Or they are already outside and either way yes or not for sale the communication is never hostile. And I leave or the deal is made.

I will never go trick or treating ever. Or take my kids trick or treating. No one should.

Man have the times changed seems like you have to have a lawyer with you where ever you go.

K jason, you win this obvious argument starter of a topic. And there is a HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRICK OR TREATING ON HALLOWEEN AND SNOOPING AROUND SOMEONE'S PROPERTY...

Yet, nobody it seems has a better way to approach someone with interest on a car they follow what one person says and blabble about that. So Salaura or anyone else for that matter what would you do if you had a interest in a old car sitting out and wanted to know about the car? Tell me exactly what would you do.

Obviously going to the persons house is a big no no Or its just not politically correct no more.. So what are you going to do? Is exactly what I want to know.

if i was interested in a car i would leave a note on the front door where they are sure to see it, MAKE SURE it has your full name, address, phone number and if that didnt work write there address and name down from there mailbox and send a certified letter to them that way you know they have recieved it. and if no answer you know they do not want to sell. and third what a guy told me about a 69 chevelle i chased down for 10 years when you see it in the front yard with a for sale sign in it you will know it is indeed for sale ...............THATS ALL

Let me repeat myself...

Rago wrote:I truly believe you had good intentions & if the car was parked up front sure slip a note on their door or mail box with your name & number. If they want to sell it they know who to call. I scored my old Celica for $100 that way. Probably best to just forget about this one though.

Pretty much what Limey just said.