Question for everyone - (gov related?????) (Land)

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Met one of our neighbors in town the other day. Said he'd found a foundation out in the woods somewhere north of here, and wondered about homesteading it. He said he thought there was a program, or some ruling somewhere, but couldn't find it. It was quite a coincidence, as I have heard the same thing in a couple different places.

Trouble is, both BLM and FS are utterly worthless. They will tell you that there is a program, but they have no info. Of course, they also have a program for finding such foundations and destroying them, which leads me to believe that there IS some way to do this. Since they are so terribly hard to find, the very few that do exist…. I wonder.

I'm looking for any and all suggestions as to where to go for info… Old books don't say much, and generally talk about the old homesteading law that was repealed a couple decades ago. Our library is worthless, but we are going to the State library in Boise next weekend. So - any and all suggestions are welcome!! I have a nasty habit of overlooking the very obvious, so please don't think that I had already thought of it!!!!!

Nope… haven't found a foundation… Just checking because someone else did, and they can't find any info either…

THANK YOU!!!!!!

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 23, 2001

Answers

Response to Question for everyone - (gov related?????)

Just because there is a foundation, does not mean it was legal building or in the case of a homestead, proven up. Also in Idaho, could be an abandoned mining claim that was or was not registered.

-- Lynn Goltz (lynngoltz@aol.com), April 23, 2001.

Response to Question for everyone - (gov related?????)

Here is Wisc. there's a Plat Book for each and every county which shows who owns every piece of land in the county. Maybe you should start there to see who is listed as the current or last known owner. What about tax records, it's not likely that there's a piece of land left in this country that someone isn't expected to pay taxes on. I've found a lot of times that people at the county level of government are a little nicer and more helpful than at the state level.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), April 24, 2001.

If you're thinking of homesteading, as in the gov. gives you a free plot of land to build a house and farm, then you're out of luck, as Congress repealed the Homestead Act several years ago.

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/fed_prog/landsale/LandForSale.html

Check out the Federal Consumer Information Center site, as they have several publications on buying government land.

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov

-- Steve - TX (steve.beckman@compaq.com), April 24, 2001.


Thanks guys....

I wouldn't know about any legality to any claims under either Act, as I have not found a physical site, so legalities would have to wait for someone to try it. However, that is an extremely good point. I DO suppose that looking into old land records would afford some good leads, in any event. At least, those can be accessed on the net for most states!!

Steve - thanks, but I KNOW that... I was the one that told someone else about that in an earlier post. (And, might I add.... ranted about it like a raving lunatic, lol!!) Still, there are folks out there that market ideas like this, and it makes me very angry. But, if what I have heard is true, then I, for one, would like to know.

I don't consider this homesteading... I consider it more of a rumor than anything else. It is a VERY pervasive (no, I didn't misspell persuasive!) rumor though. Its not by a (very) long shot the first time I have heard about this. Do you know what it would take to find such a place????? (!!!) Don't say at an old ghost town, either... most of those are State owned. That really WOULD be too good to be true!!!

I own mining claims up here and am extremely (way too much so, lol!!)familiar with the processes etc. etc. Of course - what the law says and what the BLM says are often two different things unless you you are an attorney!! Not that I've done the three years of *profitable* work required to even begin that process....

As I stated... Both BLM and FS (locally) admit that something is out there resembling what I have printed... They just are not forthcoming with paperwork. Nor are they willing (or able??) to give me information on where to start looking. While it bothers me no end, I think its more a matter of them having heard the same things, and not knowing where to look themselves. After all... I am not talking to the head of the USDA or USDI here.

Whether its a loophole, or just a hole in the head, its still worth looking into. heck... I don't work for a living, so what else have I got to do???

I am just looking for all the ideas I can gather to research what this is, and find out more about it. I have a real nasty habit of overlooking the very obvious, and just thought someone out there (and thankfully several folks DO) have other ideas for me.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 24, 2001.


As far as I know all federal homesteads have been discontinued in the 48 states.

There may be some leases available, from the Bureau of Land Management in a few western states.

A good way to find out would be to write a letter to your congressman and have him (his staff) research the matter for you, in depth. They seem to just love this sort of thing.

Each county in the U.S. has a tax collector, and that is a good place to start getting info locally on a particular piece of land. I have found properties that have been abandoned, and have more back taxes owed on them than they are worth. Sometimes there are ways to acquire this property, and often it is not very cost effective.

-- Ed Copp (OH) (edcopp@yahoo.com), April 24, 2001.



Hey Sue, I have a mining claim in the Colo. Rockies, and have recently purchased some BLM. The process here is that the Fed. turns it over to the County to sell. I have been told that when the Fed. sells land they have to get a survey, ( some kind of Law ) but the county dosen't. Anyway, these parcels are only offered to the ajacent land owners, they are not zoned buildable, so one can only use them for setbacks etc. This land was useless to the Fed. cause you have to cross private land to get to it.I was also told that this trade and sale happens every few years, so land thats not sold now will go back to the Fed. then later will be reassesed.If you know any of your county land officials, I would start there. Good uck

-- Polly R. Bryant (Radean@webtv.net), April 25, 2001.

Ed and Polly - Thanks!!

Ed - I wound up emailing a Senator (R, of course) from CO as well... I am awaiting the replies... Could it be that I won't get the official form letter for once?! I hope so!!!

I was under the impression that after 'so long' the land reverted back to Fed (claims, etc) or State (private) for back assessments or taxes... I, cautioned Sandy (ooops... She... not he...) that back taxes might be a problem... Not sure if she really found anything, or what, but its really interesting to look into!!! Fortunately, I've got enough coming from the sale of the house that I won't have to go climbing any mountains in the near future trying to trip over somebody else's foundations... (!!!!!)

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), April 25, 2001.


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