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Old 10-07-2020, 12:06 PM   #41
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I'm in the camp of... If it was truly left behind... and you have permission from the campground to scavenge vacated sites... and you plan to burn it and not move it... then go for it.

Unfortunately, friends of ours were out two weeks ago with their motorhome, had taken a pile of wood on their bumper that they unloaded on arrival and then had to make a trip to town. (no toad) When they got back to their site, every bit of firewood was gone.

Just because a site is vacated doesn't make it prudent to take things left behind without permission.
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Old 10-07-2020, 12:07 PM   #42
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At our CG , which we were seasonal, the owners would come by within 30 minutes of departure and collect any unused firewood, then resell it. They even "admonished" (nice way of putting it) people who would take the unused wood saying that it didn't belong to them, it belonged to the campground!
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Old 10-07-2020, 12:22 PM   #43
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If wood is left behind either beside or across from our site and we are low, I'll take some. Only take what is necessary and not be greedy. I am not going to drive around the campground to get what others can use in that area.

Saw one guy that seem to prey on the edge of his seat to rush over after campers left. It was entertaining to see the old lad almost throw his back out to add to the half cord of wood on his site!
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Old 10-07-2020, 12:47 PM   #44
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At our CG , which we were seasonal, the owners would come by within 30 minutes of departure and collect any unused firewood, then resell it. They even "admonished" (nice way of putting it) people who would take the unused wood saying that it didn't belong to them, it belonged to the campground!
No. Unless the purchaser of the firewood signed a contract to the contrary, the wood belonged to the purchaser. If they leave the CG without it (as they should), legally it is abandoned property. It does not belong to the CG. It belongs to whomever claims it first.
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Old 10-07-2020, 12:53 PM   #45
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I haven't had a campground host or ranger ask about my firewood, but when coming back to California after a trip to Washington and Oregon we were asked if we had any firewood or kindling at the agriculture checkpoint in Northern California. It's a serious problem here. Please do not transport any firewood. Thanks
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Old 10-07-2020, 01:01 PM   #46
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No. Unless the purchaser of the firewood signed a contract to the contrary, the wood belonged to the purchaser. If they leave the CG without it (as they should), legally it is abandoned property. It does not belong to the CG. It belongs to whomever claims it first.
Not a lawyer.
I would say that since it is on CampGround property it would legally belong to the CampGround Owner. No matter who originally owned it.

The trick is to get into your camo uniform. Create a disturbance on the other side of the property. Low crawl into the site with the wood and abscond with the goods.

Or not.
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Old 10-07-2020, 01:13 PM   #47
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No. Unless the purchaser of the firewood signed a contract to the contrary, the wood belonged to the purchaser. If they leave the CG without it (as they should), legally it is abandoned property. It does not belong to the CG. It belongs to whomever claims it first.
I've never seen anything in contracts about firewood but one CG I was a seasonal at had to put wording in their contracts that any trailer that was abandoned by the owners became property of the CG at the end of the season.

You might be surprised at how many people just up and leave their trailers never to return to them again. I know of one that had a tree grow up through it.

At my current campground there's at least 2 trailers that have never even been plugged in since we moved in 3 years ago.
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Old 10-07-2020, 01:16 PM   #48
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I'm in the camp of... If it was truly left behind... and you have permission from the campground to scavenge vacated sites... and you plan to burn it and not move it... then go for it.

Unfortunately, friends of ours were out two weeks ago with their motorhome, had taken a pile of wood on their bumper that they unloaded on arrival and then had to make a trip to town. (no toad) When they got back to their site, every bit of firewood was gone.

Just because a site is vacated doesn't make it prudent to take things left behind without permission.
A few years ago we were seasonals at one CG and decided to move to a different CG. We brought a u-haul truck and took most of the stuff off of our site. The only thing that was left was a small deck, some cement blocks and some firewood.

My wife's parents who happened to be on the seasonal site right next to us caught our neighbors helping themselves to our wood and cement blocks before we were able to go back and get them.
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Old 10-07-2020, 01:18 PM   #49
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I've never seen anything in contracts about firewood but one CG I was a seasonal at had to put wording in their contracts that any trailer that was abandoned by the owners became property of the CG at the end of the season.

You might be surprised at how many people just up and leave their trailers never to return to them again. I know of one that had a tree grow up through it.

At my current campground there's at least 2 trailers that have never even been plugged in since we moved in 3 years ago.
No surprise to me.
The local campground to me (across the road) has had at least six abandonments over the last 10 years. They too had to rewrite their lease agreements as obtaining titles (even to scrap them) was a PITA.

Now... back to the regularly scheduled do or don't firewood thread.
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Old 10-07-2020, 01:46 PM   #50
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I live in the middle of the dang woods, I have about 20' of yard around the house and then acres of trees. I take down problem trees that are leaning towards the house, or when we are clearing for buildings or driveway work etc. When I do that I have an abundance of firewood and always take it with me camping. I do this if traveling in the same geographic areas with similar soils and tree species. Just throw a bunch of it in back of my truck and when I get there unload it and burn it while camping. If there are other campers around, I will offer unused wood sometimes, but typically I take it back home and pile it back up for next time. Gotta load the truck up tonight for a dual sport camping trip this coming weekend, and plan on taking a lot of wood!
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Old 10-07-2020, 02:08 PM   #51
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Leave it for the next camper
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Old 10-07-2020, 03:49 PM   #52
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Not a lawyer.
I would say that since it is on CampGround property it would legally belong to the CampGround Owner. No matter who originally owned it.

The trick is to get into your camo uniform. Create a disturbance on the other side of the property. Low crawl into the site with the wood and abscond with the goods.

Or not.
Not a lawyer either.

However, the mere presence of an item on someone’s property does not make the item the property owner’s. It literally belonged solely to the purchaser who then abandoned it.

Have a nice day.
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Old 10-08-2020, 05:41 AM   #53
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At my seasonal site, I begin every season with a delivery of one cord of firewood. I keep it covered so it will stay dry, and I know how I keep it covered. All through the season, especially at the beginning and the end, I will arrive to my site to an uncovered pile of wood. Sometimes the cover has been put back, but not the way I left it. I probably lose about a quarter cord of wood to theft every year. Except this year.

If I happen to be at my site late enough on Sundays, after the weekenders have headed out, I see the same few people (seasonals) riding around in their golf carts and trucks scavenging whatever firewood they can find. To me it seems a little pathetic and I often wonder if it is these same people who steal my wood after I have left. One of these people is a guy who was allowed to stay at the campground (he lives there (illegally) year-round in his RV) when it was closed to everybody else at the beginning of COVID. Before we were all kicked out, I had a full cord of wood on my rack. When we were all allowed back about two months later, half of my wood was gone, but at least it was covered. There were a couple of other people who were allowed to stay during that time, but I have never seen them scavenging wood on Sundays, so it could have been them, but I doubt it.

I know this story doesn’t really fit with the OP’s question, but it is truly amazing and seemingly pathetic to me what people will do to get free firewood. It makes me wonder how they live the rest of their life.

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Old 10-08-2020, 08:53 AM   #54
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nomad297 is right, my initial questions was pertaining more to folks camping on the road so to speak.

Yeah,I can certainly appreciate what seasonal campers most go through with not only leaving firewood exposed, but I'm sure many have suffered the loss (aka stolen) of grills, chairs, decorations more. That probably would be a good subject for another thread, if there hasn't been a more recent one addressing that to begin with.

To address one concern some have brought up about what if the campers come back to the site where the wood was left, I don't arbitrarily just snag every lonely log I see. My DW and I are like most campers we like to walk around the campground every morning and evening before we turn in for the night. If you see a 40 ft. 5th wheel set up with matts, chairs, bikes, pop up shelters and the like, and the next loop around the campground it's all gone, and left behind is a pile of wood, you can be pretty darn positive that they are permanently gone.
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Old 10-08-2020, 10:19 AM   #55
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----It makes me wonder how they live the rest of their life.

Bruce

Your wood is covered, it obviously is not abandoned. I assume you probably have an RV parked there also.


These are the same people that park in handicapped parking when not eligible to. Take advantage of every situation to their on benefit. Their time is more important than ours. They probably also drive in the left lane for no apparent reason and then tailgate you.


Bang! That was the sound of me falling off my soapbox :-)


Have fun all
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Old 10-08-2020, 10:50 AM   #56
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Your wood is covered, it obviously is not abandoned. I assume you probably have an RV parked there also.


These are the same people that park in handicapped parking when not eligible to. Take advantage of every situation to their on benefit. Their time is more important than ours. They probably also drive in the left lane for no apparent reason and then tailgate you.


Bang! That was the sound of me falling off my soapbox :-)


Have fun all
What nomad described is straight up stealing. They are the type of people that would walk out of a store with a few extra items stuffed in their clothes or their bags. Or pump gas and drive away without paying for it.
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Old 10-08-2020, 11:01 AM   #57
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To address one concern some have brought up about what if the campers come back to the site where the wood was left, I don't arbitrarily just snag every lonely log I see.
If you're concerned, you could always check with the campsite host to see if they reserved the site for the next night.
Usually if people are coming back to the site, they'll leave something to show that the site is still reserved...lawn chairs, orange cones, etc. in the driveway. As the owner of a 'C', that's what we do to prevent an inattentive camper from occupying the site while we're out exploring the town.
We've left behind wood because we can't transport it either due to regulations or lack of space in the storage compartment.
You've made me think that we should be leaving a 'take me' sign on the leftover wood.
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Old 10-08-2020, 11:50 AM   #58
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What nomad described is straight up stealing. They are the type of people that would walk out of a store with a few extra items stuffed in their clothes or their bags. Or pump gas and drive away without paying for it.

Roger that.
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Old 10-08-2020, 11:59 AM   #59
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Hi,

Enlightening thread.

This thread has me rethinking something we’ve been doing for years. We always leave a few pieces of wood for the next folks who may arrive late and appreciate the gesture. After three pages of posts about people gleefully scavenging other sites for free wood and not one person mentioning how nice it was to arrive to a site with a small supply to get started, I think I will stop doing this. My goal is not to provide a source of firewood for those too cheap to get their own.

Yes, I understand it’s abandoned, and that you are not stealing it, but it’s a little sad.

Geo
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Old 10-08-2020, 12:17 PM   #60
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If there was a $10 greenback in the site wood you still have the same attitude?
Why would I be on that sight in the first place? Oh yeah, scavenging?, Nope, sorry that's not my M.O. Unless it's given to me, I'll just purchase/bring my own firewood. That way I don't have to justify anything.
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