Laws on burn barrels in Michigan? ('vacant' land) legal help :(?

by **fyfe** » Wed May 23, 2012 3:48 am

So, there's some garbage that has been tossed on my family farm, and we were planning on burning it slowly with burn barrels (kind of allot it) one of the neighbors got a hair up their ... and decided to get the DNR on us. They told us that since no one has their legal address to there it is considered vacant and we cannot use household burn barrels to dispose of it and they were trying to get us for running an illegal landfill. Anyways, i want to know if they are full of it or if there really is a law stating you cant burn household trash on 'vacant' land. Also, if it matters we have our horses on the property, we also farm part of it, don't know how technical the 'vacant' land thing is.

by **advent** » Wed May 23, 2012 3:56 am

they are talking garbage, just say you have permission of the land owner and they should take it up with them

by **culley96** » Wed May 23, 2012 3:58 am

they are talking garbage, just say you have permission of the land owner and they should take it up with them

Even if the land wasn't vacant you're still not allowed to just burn as much trash as you want without a permit. Your town probably has certain times of the year when burning trash is allowed, if they allow it at all. So, how vacant the land is doesn't really matter at all to be honest. Also, even if you put horses there or farm part of it, that doesn't suddenly mean you own it, so they're right in saying it's vacant if you don't actually own the deed to that land.

So yes, they're right and you're wrong.

by **delron** » Wed May 23, 2012 4:08 am

This land is no more "vacant" than a vacation cabin would be when you're not on vacation there. So, your neighbors are full of it in that regard. You need to ask law enforcement in the county and/or town where the property is for the local ordinances about burn barrels.

If it is illegal whether the land is vacant or not, then ask them what you can do about getting it removed since it was trash illegally dumped on your property. I would post signs on the property for the future that say that Illegal Dumping Not Permitted by Order of The Sheriff's Department. Often that is all that is needed to deter people from tossing garbage on your property. Good luck!! : }

by **delron** » Wed May 23, 2012 4:18 am

Somebody owns this lot even if vacant,you need to get permission to burn the trash.

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