Trespassers ruin the opener for me.

Well had 3 little B- tards cut the fence in 3 places and cows got out. Chased cows and had to fix fence but one was stupid enough to drive his four wheeler back over the cut fence and wound it around the wheel and could not get it off. They left to get wire cutters and returned to the presents of the Sheriff and us waiting there. All 3 charged with criminal trespass and damage to property. Sad thing is the same ones We caught riding their ATV's and let the off with a warning not 2 months ago. We managed 28 birds between 3 of us after all the fun.

Certainly makes for an interesting hunt. They live among us. Scary.

Hopefully they lose the ATV.

Hope the judge spanks their a$$ good. Fines and confiscation, along with damages.

Lets pray they learn their lesson and don't escalate things.

Let us know results of this 2nd offense. Did the sheriff let them take the 4 wheeler? did the sheriff keep it as evidence.Waiting to see if the Judge take real action. I'd be sure to present the DA with some nice photos and receipts for labor chasing cows, fencing materials and labor at contractor prices even though you did the work.

Would like to see how this works out, too.

Sorry to hear that, but at least you caught them when the sheriff was there.

How old were they? Local kids being bored??

They were 16 and 17 yrs old. The parents have taken the high road on this wanting to pay for all damages and costs.One ATV confiscated the other two up for sale. I guess you could say bored but still need to understand not to make stupid decisions. Talking today to see what we can work out, hate to ruin a young mans future but they have to understand life decisions have consequences and you need to think before you act.

I’d want you to come down pretty hard on my 16 yr old if he cut your fence and tore up your place. Not ruin his life stuff but it’s a big deal and not just excusable. Might even let you whoop his azz a little because I’m going to!!!! Give a dam if he’s bored or not....

Put them to work. Make them work on your place to earn the ATV’s back. Teach them along the way. They may need that in their life.

A second time? No way would I consider anything other than hammering them with the law. In my opinion you would be contributing to his life of crime if you "worked something out" a second time.

Parents should not pay the damages but like that they are selling the atv(s) away from the boys. I'd like to see the boys have to work it off on your place as I'm sure you have some things that need to be done, built, cleared, etc and very likely they would gain some knowledge and life lessons too. no need to ruin their lives but don't let momma and daddy but them out of trouble.

It's not the OP's responsibility to see that these kids are properly raised and learn a life lesson from this offense. That's what their parents are for...supposedly. He needs to be compensated for his losses.

My thoughts exactly. I would press charges & try to get them for anything I could. I look at it as I gave you one chance.

A second chance is just that...a SECOND change. The do not deserve a third. Full force of the law. If enough of these little turds get slammed and get to start life with a record, maybe their friends with think twice. A 17 year old in Texas is criminally responsible for his actions.

Maybe I am jaded after 30 years as a lawman. IT has been my observation a leopard never changes his spots. I don't trust a low down thief or one who would destroy someone's property the first time they do it. On a second round a couple months later, I don't care how old he is, is a worthless low hunk of doo doo. At that point it is no up to us to pull them out of the gutter, it is on them. If they don't, well so be it. Life is a series of choosing. Instead of wasting my time on a low down that obviously makes bad choices, I'll put my efforts into those that make the good ones. The low downs can get what they got coming no matter the age.

Agree that OP needs to be compensated for his losses, however, I see the point here. Better for the community that the kids parents not be the ones bailing them out. Compensation by way of x number of dollars worth of labor could both compensate and teach the kids a lesson....and if it is compensation by labor, it needs to be a 2-1 ratio. i.e. if there was $100 in damange,there needs to be compensation of $200 in labor.

You didn't ruin his future, you most likely helped. Some people need learning lessons like this...

Hate to hear this, sorry for your troubles. I hope the judge does something to scare them straight.

The update, probation till 21 and $1,000 fine. Oh and a total of 300 hrs restitution from each one of them for me. I can think of some real character building tasks for these young men. Mucking out the horse barn, helping with the birth of colts or calves. Teach them how to put up a 5 strand fence the old fashion way. Any suggestions ?
Of course still has to go past the judge but everyone agrees, the father of one boy came up with the 300 hrs. to work for me.

LOL I like it keep us appraised as they work off the 300 hours

We want pics of these kids working and hopefully learning.

One of the worst things I can remember when helping my grandpa was digging up mesquite stumps. Make sure that is "In the good ole summertime". The other is grinding milo feed shocks, but I doubt if you find an old fashioned row binder to cut a field of milo for that job.

Younger brother drove through a fence when he was driving too fast on a gravel road when he was young in the 70's. I had to get his car pulled out by wrecker. I made him call the land owner while I was there and explain what happened and made sure that he would be fixing what he had torn up as far as fence damage. Land owner was very nice and accommodating but I made sure it was done right.

They got off easy... what happens if one of those cows they "let" loose ends up on a road and someone hits it and gets killed.

Good deal! Let us know what else you come up with. I'm sure there are some right of ways that need to be trimmed up and hauled off.

Not sure if you or any neighbors use square bales, but throwing and stacking squares from the field and in the barn...compensated at about 25 cents/bale...that will build some character, made me the character I am today. Retired LEO, and back then it paid 10 cents a bale.

I've done this before. That was some hard work! Got paid less than we thought we would but the rancher did take us to his home and feed us dinner, that was very nice of him.

We got a nickle a bale.

Y'all got paid? Not at my Dad's you didn't.

The fact that the father of one of the boys came up with the 300 hours for labor makes me feel better about the situation. Shows that the parents...at least the parents of one of the boys is trying to raise them right. That's exactly what I would do if it were my boy that did that.

I want to know the new fashioned way to put up a barb wire fence?

Probation for 4 and 5 years as well as a $1000. fine and 300 hours restitution. Too much, for the crime they committed.

The lack of hard learned lessons at that age get exponentially more expensive later in life if you can’t toe the line.
Sounds like you may have a few more to learn as well....jmo.

Exactly...…..

Topwater13 the 16 year old will be 21 years old and the 17 year old will be 20, do you really think they will be learning much at that time for trespassing? I assume the property owner will be reimbursed for his loss of property and value and that is how it should be.

In a perfect world, yes, they should learn a ton in those formative years of adulthood. The issue I’ve seen over the last 10 years is that many won’t get off the parental payroll until about 26.....so that delays things. Cutting a fence is a cardinal sin where I come from, and I’m sure it’s the same where this happened. They got what they deserved and I bet they learn from it.

I did some pretty stupid things as a teenager; penalty might be stiff. Anyway, teach them, educate them, let them learn about the outdoors, work but praise them, let them say you were the best thing that ever happened to them. I remember this time I threw a rock and•••••

I was thinking $1000/300hrs was about right. What would make it seem too much? This was they second time and they didn't learn. Don't say probation as that is a gimme.

He should be getting county jail time on top of all that. Had I done something like that I would have had to leave home. My father would not allow a low life living under his roof. I would have come home to no home.