What is up with...?

sneakersss · Apr 22, 2007 12:50 am

I am not familiar with the laws/regulations/customs/rules regarding visiting construction sites. I know that I'm not supposed to technically be on site while our house is being built because it's a construction site.

But what is up with 'strangers' wandering around through the house and/or the block?

I know that we cannot watch our house 24/7 and have in part accepted that there are probably people being 'nosey' and poking around the house while we're not there. Because we obviously can't be there all the time.

Is it then trespassing when someone is walking around your house and/or block? We do own the land (maybe not the house yet) so can it be called trespassing on private property?

I (and the Bf) just feel a little violated today because we found some 'strangers' on our block today when we arrived to inspect the works. If you're reading this - you know who you are! Whatever your reasons are I know we probably can't stop you but next time try to be there when we're not there!

pasey25 · Apr 22, 2007 12:58 am

I don't think you'll ever stop this. I've been guilty of it in the past. Helps getting ideas and such. If you don't break/damage anything and are respectful and careful, what is the harm?

I know that when my house is at that kind of stage that people will be doing it to me. Doesn't bother me as long as they don't mess with anything they shouldn't be.

sneakersss · Apr 22, 2007 1:04 am

Yes it probably won't ever stop. And I suppose there is no harm if nothing is broken or damaged. But if you want ideas isn't that what a display home is for? And at the same time just because it's 'open' doesn't mean 'feel free to come inside'.

And I'm not having a go at you, pasey25. Just needed to vent I suppose.

uncle_ant · Apr 22, 2007 1:11 am

Hi YSSIM,

I can understand your concern, were they there out of curiosity or looking for stuff to take? Probably sounds a bit negative, but site theft seems so common place that it is just accepted by builders and those in the trade.

After coming home from our Easter holiday, we went to our house to see if all was OK, about 8.30PM. A security guard saw us and quizzed me. I told him who I was and had a chat for about 10 minutes. He told me 'there has been a lot of interest in that house, and I have scared people off a couple of times'.

Makes you wonder? Thing is, I would be more than happy to show people around and talk to them about what we have done. There are a about five other houses going up near ours, and it is very interesting to see - I personally wouldn't go and look unless invited to do so.

About trespassing, I am no lawyer but I would think it is and that you would have the right to ask someone to leave the site or you would call the police.

Good luck

pasey25 · Apr 22, 2007 1:12 am

you don't need to apologise. I'm not apologising for going through the houses.

When I mentioned looking for ideas sometimes you can get more out of looking at things in frame stage than you can when you're finished.

Also, not everybody builds display homes (especially where I have been looking)

uncle_ant · Apr 22, 2007 1:16 am

Ok, sorry looks like they were not there 'looking for suff to take'.

sneakersss · Apr 22, 2007 1:30 am

uncle_ant, we arrived at the house with this lone car parked infront. We kind of realised it was our 'future neighbours'. They (a couple) introduced themselves to us when we were at the house last weekend. But the weird thing about it was that there was nobody in the car. It seemed deserted. There are no other houses being built on our street so we started thinking that they were walking through our house. And like you said, if they really wanted to see the inside they should just ask and we wouldn't have a problem with it.

There was nobody in the house and we couldn't see the owners of the car anywhere. Then moments later, a head appeared and there was now a person in the passenger seat. Then we heard a loud bang coming from the front of the house. So, i turned around and saw the guy just walking across the front of the house. I ran to tell my Bf then when we got to the front of the house they were driving off.

What would anybody be thinking now? Of course we got all these weird thoughts in our head about our future neighbours. Hiding in the car. Then hearing a loud bang. Then seeing them walk across our block then suddenly driving off?

We rang the sales agent for the estate and told her to call those people and tell them we do not appreciate them being on our property. She gave us a few lines but told her to deal with it anyway. So she did and she rang us back to tell us they were there to use the portable toilet and that they apologise. Then they turned up to our house 10 mins later to personally apologise. Which was fine, but excuses is not what I'm after.

Ed Perry · Apr 22, 2007 8:23 am

Hi

The theft rate on building sites is huge, so it's good to keep an eye on your place. As a past supplier I would routinely go to site to check our product (and the competitors) to look at quality issues and building in details. I think people looking is OK it keeps the bad guys on their toes. And if they don't use your site toilet you can only guess what they do use... Ed

grime · Apr 22, 2007 8:34 am

Technically its not your house right now,the site is under the builders control and you have no right to be there your self unless you are invited on to the site by the building supervisor.
Plus I bet you and the bf don't have Red cards so you are technically in breach of Workcover as well.

Anyway blah blah blah

I'm not having a go at you, just pointing out how difficult it is to accept the current situation.Just wait till the real fun starts ie the (touch wood)windows,pilfering,vandalism,etc. :evil:

Rubber necking is hardly a new phenomenon and what's more its practised by many.cough :wink:

The extreme is I knew a guy who would pack a thermos and sandwhiches and sit of the house from 10pm till 6am watching for intruders then ring the police if he saw someone...It was a total waste of time and he still has an ulcer :roll:

Btw I think in Victoria in most situations you have to warn a person that they are trespassing and request that they leave.
I love the bush humour??? signs that warn:
Trespassers will be shot survivors will be prosocuted.

perryr · Apr 22, 2007 8:45 am

I must admit that we are certainly guilty of wandering in to take a look at houses under construction - my attitutde with it is to treat other people's property they way I'd want mine treated.

In other words, only take photos, and only leave footprints.

In our blog there's an entry where I took a photo of another house under construction - we liked the colour scheme. I walked around the house taking pics of the brickwork in full sun and shade, as it helps with our own colour selection. If the owners had turned up I would have introduced myself, complimented them on their colour choice, and I doubt it would have been a drama.

I guess these days the first thought is that if there's someone on your property, there's a possibility they are there for evil rather than good.

Perhaps I'll have a different opinion once our own build commences!

Perry

sneakersss · Apr 22, 2007 11:46 am

grime

The extreme is I knew a guy who would pack a thermos and sandwhiches and sit of the house from 10pm till 6am watching for intruders then ring the police if he saw someone...It was a total waste of time and he still has an ulcer :roll:

No?! C'mon, even I'm not that anal. :lol:

It's okay, grime, I know you're not having a go at me. You're just re-stating the obvious (that even we shouldn't be there - hehe) and I'm just venting.

I think what gets to me is not that they were there or using the portable toilet but the way in which they approached the situation and dealt with it when they saw us coming. The girl was hiding in the car when we first came and then when the Bf saw the guy leaving he didn't say anything but just looked back at my Bf, said Hi then quickly walked away. The week before that when they introduced themselves to us they asked us a few questions which we answered. First they asked us who we were building with, when we started building and how much is cost. The first two questions were fine but who asks the third question? Certainly no one I know would ask that to people they just met five minutes before.

Put all that together - asking how much our house costs, plus hiding in the car then trying to avoid us when we saw them - I know most people would start thinking their neighbours were *******, right? Or that something fishy was going on!

Perth-1st Timer · Apr 22, 2007 1:35 pm

If anything is damaged, stolen or broken while under construction - the builder will fix it, end of story. It is not your responsibility to manage this risk.

I've walked through hundreds of building sites (and also run into a few owners at the time) but never have I thought of myself (or been treated like) a criminal for doing so. The main reason for people walking through building sites is to assess a bulders quality of construction - something which you can't do when it is at display home stage.

Bare in mind though, all my comments are related to WA, where residential building sites generally do not have security fences and gates around them - if that was the case then I wouldn't enter.

Regards
P1T

perryr · Apr 23, 2007 9:47 am

Spare a thought for the person using the portable dunny.

He must have been desperate - have you ever actually been inside one of those things on a building site?

:lol:

Perry

3timesbuilda · Apr 23, 2007 10:51 am

YSSIM,

Personally I find you whole attitude uncharitable overly suspicious and unneighbourly. Way too much of that sort of attitude these days in my opinion.

I have been through dozens of home under construction myself and in previous homes that I have been building, I have often encountered others walking through. I am always polite and welcoming to them, offer to show them around or let them browse by themselves. My little boy spent huge amounts of time down the road when a house was being constructed there. It was a great adventure for him and he never did any harm what so ever (I know I checked reguarly).

As for asking the price, I always ask this as it is very intresting to know. I like to have something local to compare to and what sort of quality homes are being built nearby. It also helps me when the house is much more expensive because I can see what the real differences in build quality are - ie. are they really paying more for the name than the quality.

In all honesty, I would likely do exactly as your neighbours did - my mum has a bowel problem and if we were visiting our block or passing the area, I would take her to the portaloo so that she did not suffer. I would also probably bungle things up like they did when you appeared. My view of you would be pretty low after you called the real estate agent but I would still try patch things up. I guess I am glad I am not your neighbour.

Finally for those going on about theft, get real! People who rob from site come around when nobody is around and are quiet and discreet - pop that oven in the back of the ute etc. People who vandalise usually come late at night and are loud drunk and abusive. Nothing of any real value is put in until after lockup anyway.

Lets get some perspective before launching a full scale offensive.

3xb

sneakersss · Apr 23, 2007 1:34 pm

3timesbuilda

YSSIM,

Personally I find you whole attitude uncharitable overly suspicious and unneighbourly. Way too much of that sort of attitude these days in my opinion.

I have been through dozens of home under construction myself and in previous homes that I have been building, I have often encountered others walking through. I am always polite and welcoming to them, offer to show them around or let them browse by themselves. My little boy spent huge amounts of time down the road when a house was being constructed there. It was a great adventure for him and he never did any harm what so ever (I know I checked reguarly).

As for asking the price, I always ask this as it is very intresting to know. I like to have something local to compare to and what sort of quality homes are being built nearby. It also helps me when the house is much more expensive because I can see what the real differences in build quality are - ie. are they really paying more for the name than the quality.

In all honesty, I would likely do exactly as your neighbours did - my mum has a bowel problem and if we were visiting our block or passing the area, I would take her to the portaloo so that she did not suffer. I would also probably bungle things up like they did when you appeared. My view of you would be pretty low after you called the real estate agent but I would still try patch things up. I guess I am glad I am not your neighbour.

Finally for those going on about theft, get real! People who rob from site come around when nobody is around and are quiet and discreet - pop that oven in the back of the ute etc. People who vandalise usually come late at night and are loud drunk and abusive. Nothing of any real value is put in until after lockup anyway.

Lets get some perspective before launching a full scale offensive.

3xb

3timesbuilda, lucky it's a personal opinion. I don't take offence to what you said because you were not there when it happened. And lucky you are not my neighbour because you're completely missing the point. You also don't know me so you don't have a right to class me with the type of people you have said that I am.

Firstly, the original point of this forum was to ASK what the legalities were of people entering construction sites and if they were technically trespassing on private property. I was not asking for someone to scrutinise my opinions/behaviours towards the actions of my future neighbours.

Secondly, I've said that if they wanted to see the house all they had to do was ask. i was not going to tell them to get lost I'd be more than happy because I know the joy and excitement that goes through building/buying a house.

Thirdly, their actions called for suspicious behaviour. They saw us coming and hid and they saw us looking at them and didn't even offer an explanation but drove of. I don't care that they used the portable toilet and I don't regret calling the real estate agent. If I got my point across then that's great.

Fourthly, I didn't bring up any such topic relating to vandalism or theft. That has been discussed in another thread already. So if you care to take up your issue with the ONE person who actually brought up that topic then be my guest. Otherwise feel free to re-post that paragraph back in the appropriate thread.

And last but not least, I don't care who you are but I don't feel comfortable with people asking me how it cost to build my house. Especially if you are a stranger. That's like asking someone how much they earn. Ask me five months down the track or when I know you a little better then I might just tell you. Until then, each to their own I suppose.

perryr, I've seen the inside of those portable toilets. They don't look all that pretty nor do they smell all that good.
:lol:

Sallyho · Apr 23, 2007 3:16 pm

Last time I checked these are work sites, I'm shocked that people are taking the risk to enter these sites and not even worrying about OH&S issues!!

grime · Apr 23, 2007 8:04 pm

Quote:

Finally for those going on about theft, get real! People who rob from site come around when nobody is around and are quiet and discreet - pop that oven in the back of the ute etc. People who vandalise usually come late at night and are loud drunk and abusive. Nothing of any real value is put in until after lockup anyway.

Lets get some perspective before launching a full scale offensive.

Houston we have a problem :lol:

It must have been the Autumn offensive...Please forgive me :oops:

Adrian B · Apr 23, 2007 9:21 pm

Now now children, do I have to lock the thread and send you to the naughty spot for 10 minutes??

Adrian B

Mod.

First_Timer_Ray · Apr 24, 2007 8:31 pm

I have no legal background, but I'm pretty sure that unless you have the site supervisors approval no one is allowed onsite. That being said, I've walked through houses - both family members' and strangers'... I don't know that I'd call it a "construction site" although I suppose technically it is - it has always been at frame stage, where you can tell where the rooms are. If it were dangerous then I don't think I'd want to live in it. :lol:

I think I'll walk through ours tens of times whenever we get an opportunity. I accept that if I fell or hurt myself that it's my own fault for being there... I don't plan on suing anyone.
I can understand your defensiveness about others going through your house, and I agree that maybe them running off wasn't the right thing. I personally wouldn't ask how much someone else is paying for a house - unless it's somewhere like this - anonymous. If someone was walking through our house I'd probably want to know what they're doing, but I don't see myself having a problem with people having a look at what's going on.

Just my opinion.

Ray.