Abandon Equipment

I found a mini excavator and a skid steer on a lot behind some bushes on a field I mow. They look like they have been sitting since I mowed the field last. Could have been over a year, as I don't think I mowed the field last year. The hydraulic cylinder shafts are rusted real bad on the mini excavator, which leads me to think it has been over a year. The owner said to just take them. I can't do that. They don't belong to the guy on one side. I am going to track down the owner of the field the other side. If he says they aren't his. I guess the next thing is to contact the police and see what they say. They must have been driven in there, and will need to be driven out up a steep rocky hill. They have a rental co name and number. I guess I should start there now. Anyone ever run across abandon stuff what did you do. Stan

See if you can find a serial number and have the bobcat dealer or whatever brand they are run the number. That's a place to start, they could have been sold several times or stolen sometime in the past.

In my state you see that with very old stuff and in that case it belongs to the land owner. Newer stuff could have a title.

Do not overlook the idea it may have been stolen and dumped there when the law started looking around.

Someone stole them, used them for the job they needed done then ditched them before any one caught them. Just a theory lol gobble

Stolen for sure. Have the police check them out, whatever you do do not touch them/take them.

Yep, might be stolen. This kind of thing happens all the time with equipment as it all looks alike.

About 20 years ago I ran up on some old equipment. At the time it had been sitting in what appeared to have once been a field, that had since overgrown with trees. I figure it had been sitting for at least 20 years. There were quite a few desirable parts for some the older equipment, as well as several complete, older engines. On top of that there was probably half a million pounds of scrap.

As a result, I tracked down the owner of the property. Turned out to be a contractor about an hour up the road from me.

Given the response I got, I really don't think the guy I talked to realized the equipment was on the property....but claimed he did. I did my level best to get rights to go in there and scrap what was scrap, and get parts that were still usable, for no more than a cut of any profit. They were supposed to get back to me but I never heard from them.

A few years back, when scrap prices were through the roof, I pulled up the area on Google Earth, and over the course of about two years it showed the area slowly being cleared around the machines, and them disappearing.

It made me sick to know EVERYTHING was more than likely scrapped, but what could I do????? All I know is I tried.

The rental company will know if they sold them, or if they are missing. Just take the ser.numbers in and ask.