So, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this (Sorry mods).

I was wondering, if a house or property has had it's fire number plate removed (I live out in the country and have a lot), does that mean it is assumed by the municipality?

While it's theoretically possible, I'd say that it's definitely no guarantee. I was visiting a property that had it's municipal green sign taken down earlier this summer and it was owned by developers - I know because I ran into them.

In any case of re-parcelling or re-zoning I'd think you'd have the potential to have the municipal green sign taken down.

Possibly... Usually the best indicator is a removed hydro meter. Or boarded windows.

I have a surprisingly high number of abandoned and overgrown farms in my area that I want to explore. Most are within walking distance. I don't think anyone will be there for a long time.

How would I track down the land owner to ask for permission when there are seemingly no owners?

Posted by Valafares How would I track down the land owner to ask for permission when there are seemingly no owners?

You don't..that's the thing

Usually you can find out that kind of thing through the town somehow...tax assessment records, land records, or if you live in a tightly knit rural area I wouldn't be surprised if the nice people at the planning department don't know off the top of their heads.

If you're lucky the town will just give you the info you need, free of charge, no problemo. In my town I seem to have the best luck doing this at the Financial Department - as long as I don't bug them too much they've been looking up some of these for me for free!

On the flip side they may decide not to...in which case I think the only way to get the information is through Land records (8$ per lookup in Ontario, going up to 28$ in November) at the Land Registry Office, OR you may want to try checking out some of the MPAC reports...you can get these online from MPAC's PropertyLine for pretty cheap (usually <15$ depending on the report), but frankly I can't remember if any of their reports cover the current owners! You may want to look into that before you buy a report.

Real estate agents usually subscribe to a service with this sort of information that is EXTREMELY easy for them to obtain...whether or not you know any cool Realtors that would be willing to help you out is another question.

Other than those options - neighbours. Neighbours tend to know who owns the land if not how to get in touch with them, and often times they can tell you something about the land that may come in handy!

Posted by blaekly[/i ]Real estate agents usually subscribe to a service with this sort of information that is EXTREMELY easy for them to obtain...whether or not you know any cool Realtors that would be willing to help you out is another question

Legal professionals have access to it too.

How likely is it that a property owner will just let me come take pictures?

Buy a really big "FOR SALE" sign, and post it in the yard with your phone number on the sign. If there is a property owner within a hundred or so mile radius of you or "your" property, I'm willing to bet you'll hear from them promptly. Or, you can go the less dramatic route, and leave a note on the door (that just doesn't sound as fun).

Posted by Valafares How likely is it that a property owner will just let me come take pictures?

I find this mostly depends on the property and how invasive of pictures you'd like to take are.

I've never had a property owner give me actual permission to ENTER an abandoned house (though usually I don't ask out of fear that it will shut them down to the whole idea), but I've had several give me permission to take pictures from the outside. I tend to get more of a "...why are you even asking?" type of look from most of them.

But I feel like an important factor in that is that I meet with these people in person. I've only ever ONCE called up a property owner from a phone number and just asked him over the phone if I could take some outside pictures of the house...it didn't go that well. I think I just kinda creeped him out

so ya, it's tough to say.

- overgrown grass
- No Trespassing sign
- missing hydro meter
- broken windows
- holes in the roof
- license plate validation sticker outdated
- chain on the gate is rusting

For me the hydro metre is a big one. But I've also been at places where the meter is still there too. There is no cookie-cutter method to know, but you will develop a vibe feeling the more you explore. Almost every place I've been still has the house number green sign thing, so while it being gone may be a good indicator, it being there is in no way a deal breaker ;)

Posted by Intrinsic - overgrown grass - No Trespassing sign - missing hydro meter - broken windows - holes in the roof - license plate validation sticker outdated - chain on the gate is rusting

Hmmm some of these apply to my place LOL

Winter here in Ontario can be a great time to confirm a property that you're really not sure about! When you drive by and the snow at the end of the driveway never gets plowed, and there are no tracks in the drive itself, it's a pretty safe bet that nobody lives there.

Posted by Intrinsic - overgrown grass - No Trespassing sign - missing hydro meter - broken windows - holes in the roof - license plate validation sticker outdated - chain on the gate is rusting

The car registration info is a great bonus if available.

Someone might have already mentioned this, but check the mailbox for mail. It's not illegal unless you remove the mail from the mailbox as far as I know (in the US).

EDIT:

Oh yeah, look for cobwebs and the like on gates, doors, mailboxes, etc. also helpful!

Posted by Intrinsic - missing hydro meter

In addition to this, check where the lines going to the hydro meter connect to the distribution lines (usually along the main road). Sometimes (not usually, since it's easier to pull a meter normally) the meter is left in place, but the utility outright cuts the drop point off from the distribution.