Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Neighbor won’t keep his cows up.

Actually it’s two neighbors, each of whom claim the cows belong to the other. One is a sheriff deputy. They’ve been in and out of my yard for a month now.

What is the best way to handle this while keeping my ass out of court?

I’m not interested in the cows, nor enriching myself in any way from this situation. I just want them out of my yard without trouble.

JFC, if they're a problem gather them up and drive/herd them down the road. When the fugger gets sick of finding them and bringing them home from a dozen miles away, he'll learn....

Then if they get hit in the road you go to prison!

Make the owners handle there cows, quit worrying about deputy do nothing.

Mike

Just curious is this is in a hoa?

(a) When any trespass has been committed by horses, cattle, hogs, goats, sheep, or other stock upon the cleared and cultivated ground of any person having the livestock fenced, as is described in §§ 44-8-101 -- 44-8-105, the person may complain to a judge of the court of general sessions of the county, who shall cause two (2) discreet and impartial freeholders to be summoned, and with them shall view and examine, on oath of the freeholders to do justice, whether the complainant's fence is a lawful fence, and what damage, if any, the person has sustained by the trespass, and certify the result of this view and examination under the hands and seals of the judge and freeholders, which certificate the judge shall deliver to the complainant. The certificate shall be prima facie evidence of the plaintiff's demand.

(b) The owner of the stock shall be entitled to a hearing, but, if not successful, shall make full satisfaction for the trespass and damages to the party injured, to be recovered as the damages and costs, subject to the right of appeal of either party. To secure the payment of any judgment, execution may be levied upon the stock committing the trespass; and after ten (10) days' notice the stock may be sold to satisfy the judgment so recovered.

Livestock Confinement

Q: Does Tennessee law require that livestock be confined?

A: Livestock is not allowed to run-at-large in Tennessee. Owners who willfully allow this to happen could be charged with a class C misdemeanor. Any person who suffers damage from livestock running-at-large could have a lien placed on the animals until the damages are recovered. Fences enclosing livestock should be made of sufficient material according to the law.

Q: What if my livestock frequently escapes and trespasses onto another person’s property?

A: Stock that habitually escapes is considered “notoriously mischievous” and must be confined to the owner’s premises. The livestock owners would be strictly liable for damages caused by the animals if the animal is notoriously mischievous.

Q: Am I responsible for damages to someone else if my livestock trespass onto their property?

A: Tennessee is considered a “fence in” state. This means that a neighbor must fence in his property in order to keep escaped livestock out. When a neighbor’s property is damaged by roaming livestock and the livestock does not habitually escape, the livestock owner is not liable for any damages if the neighbor does not have a fence or if the neighbor’s fence is deemed insufficient. In the event that the neighbor’s fence auses the livestock to be maimed, wounded or killed then the neighbor would be liable for paying damages to the livestock owner. If livestock escaped through a partition fence, the livestock owner would be liable for damages only if the owner had refused to or neglected to maintain the partition fence and if the adjoining landowner had maintained their portion of the fence.

Has anyone mentioned….

A) connibear traps?
B) poison frog darts?
C) a pet lion to patrol the yard?

When you want no-nonsense feedback, Dave is your man.

Wow, that last answer would appear, upon a quick reading, to make it the non-owner's responsibility to have enough fence to keep marauding cows out, even though the livestock's owner is require to control their critters.

To my eye, I think it refers to the responsibility to maintain your half of a boundary fence.

It is traditional that you walk up to the center of a fence between adjoining properties . Everything to your right is your responsibility.

You can hardly hold a landowner accountable for his stock on your property, if you fail to maintain your half of the fence.

Wild cherry trees. Wilted leaves problem solved