Living in the "boonies"!

[brownrexx]

Too many lawsuits happen every day for me to want to live without liability insurance.

35 years ago I didn't lock my doors either but I no longer feel safe not doing that. Times have changed and not totally for the better.

[pmcgrady]

Taxes take up to 30% + of some people's income, I know this can become political so I'm backing away from it...

[pmcgrady]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

Too many lawsuits happen every day for me to want to live without liability insurance.

35 years ago I didn't lock my doors either but I no longer feel safe not doing that. Times have changed and not totally for the better.

Do you sell insurance for a living? LOL

[pmcgrady]

Insurance is a HUGE Ponzi scheme, I have decided not to participate in it anymore...

[Father'sDaughter]

All it takes is one person walking up to your front door, tripping, falling and getting really hurt. You either have enough money in the bank to cover their medical expenses AND their lost wages if their injury prevents them from working, not to mention pain and suffering, or you could loose everything you've worked for.

I don't sell insurance and I'm not related to anyone in the insurance business, I just sleep better at night knowing my insurance will protect what I have.

In the end, the choice is yours.

[Hellmanns]

No Trespassing.

[Cole_Robbie]

Every state has different laws on these matters. I installed a stair railing on a friend's rental property last week, after explaining to him the law in Illinois about railings on rentals. They are required by law. That's what the law says in black and white. What it does not say is that the point of that law is establishing guilt in civil suits for slip and fall negligence. If there is an accident, and no railing, the rental property owner is guilty of negligence on the face of those facts, which means that you don't get to argue your case. You are guilty before it starts.

The property owner was renting the place to a relative, and told me that he wasn't worried about getting sued. But then I explained to him that anyone could go onto the property, fall, and then sue, and they would automatically win. Therefore, unscrupulous individuals tend to seek out these properties as profitable places to go have an "accident." Sometimes they do have a legitimate accident somewhere else, then drag themselves to those steps without a rail they had picked out, and claim that they fell there. And they automatically win their resulting lawsuit.

Once again, the law is different everywhere. And it's the same with the no trespassing sign. It's different everywhere. Some states have new laws that say you can't sue if you were committing a crime, and ignoring a sign that a normal person would see could fall under that.

[Rockporter]

Shoot, for $35 more per year tacked onto my home insurance I have $300,000 protection from dog bites. I don't even have a dog anymore, but I figure if one visits, and someone is hurt, I'm covered. I agree insurance is a ponzi scheme but mortgages require it.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by pmcgrady

I'm starting to get used to it...

1) It's quiet! If some idiot decides to use his "jake brake" on his semi... He's getting shot at.

2) I can see the stars at night! Not much artificial light here.

3) Nothing like having the Old Lake out your front door, and the New Lake out your back door.

4) I pretty much, cut the cord on everything and realized I didn't need it anyway...
I canceled my internet service, and figured out how to make a hotspot with my cellphone. Land line...don't need it...dish or direct tv...don't need it... Life insurance!!! Don't need it! I'm going to be dead! Throw me in a dumpster! House/Home insurance... Highly over rated...I paid the premiums for 35 years and had 1- 17 thousand dollar claim when a tree fell on my cabin, insurance is highly overrated...

5) If I get really hungry, I can walk 50 yards out my front or back door and go fishing...and probably catch something to eat.

6) the less you have, the less you have to worry about... My cabin is 1650 sq ft from the 4000 sq ft house I just moved from. I'm looking at Tiny House plans that are around 500 sq ft, but I would have to add on at least 200 sq ft to store Mary's shoes in!!!

7) fill in the blank

1) Yes, the quiet is great.

2) It is nice looking up and seeing the stars. Look hard and you'll see things moving. Some are satellites, meteors, and it's fun guessing what it could be.

3) I envy you. I do wish we had a lake here to enjoy. Fishing is one of my family's favorite things...even if they are not biting. Just being at a body of water is special in itself.

4) Is your personal choice.

5) Having fish and game just outside your door is also something special. Yesterday, I watched a squirrel getting an acorn less than 10' away. It trusted me and I left it alone.

6) I have already replied to.

7) "Fill in the blank?" There are so many things I could write about living out in the boonies. Most are good things that you can't do living in the city or burbs. The bad things are that you are far away from 911 help, shopping is not so nearby, internet and cell service might suffer (It does here where we live). There are other things that you'll experience that you might find to be better or otherwise. To 'fill in the blank' - I could write a book about it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Every state has different laws on these matters. I installed a stair railing on a friend's rental property last week, after explaining to him the law in Illinois about railings on rentals. They are required by law. That's what the law says in black and white. What it does not say is that the point of that law is establishing guilt in civil suits for slip and fall negligence. If there is an accident, and no railing, the rental property owner is guilty of negligence on the face of those facts, which means that you don't get to argue your case. You are guilty before it starts.

The property owner was renting the place to a relative, and told me that he wasn't worried about getting sued. But then I explained to him that anyone could go onto the property, fall, and then sue, and they would automatically win. Therefore, unscrupulous individuals tend to seek out these properties as profitable places to go have an "accident." Sometimes they do have a legitimate accident somewhere else, then drag themselves to those steps without a rail they had picked out, and claim that they fell there. And they automatically win their resulting lawsuit.

Once again, the law is different everywhere. And it's the same with the no trespassing sign. It's different everywhere. Some states have new laws that say you can't sue if you were committing a crime, and ignoring a sign that a normal person would see could fall under that.

Some people make good money suing other people.

Originally Posted by Rockporter

Shoot, for $35 more per year tacked onto my home insurance I have $300,000 protection from dog bites. I don't even have a dog anymore, but I figure if one visits, and someone is hurt, I'm covered. I agree insurance is a ponzi scheme but mortgages require it.

Yesterday I heard the tiniest of squeaks at the door to the garage.
I went to the garage door and it was little Monty the wee dog come to visit.
It seems he escaped out of the house right when they were leaving and came to my house when he found out they had left.
He spent the whole afternoon with me hopping running playing and sleeping in one of Smokey's beds.
I texted letting them know he was okay.
They came by later to pick him up.
Worth

[Urbanheirlooms]

I lived in the boonies from 1986-1996. I got married in 1987 and our first child came along in 1988. My wife did not like living that far out at the time. She felt that the school situation would be better living in the suburbs and also the conveniences of living close to town. We have lived in three different houses since leaving the country. There have been neighbor issues in every house we have lived in-some pretty bad-mainly barking dogs and noise.

Now 21 years later, my wife can't wait to move back out to the country! Our youngest son has 1 1/2 years of college left, he lives at home and commutes to save money. As soon as he graduates, we will be buying a home/farm with enough land that no neighbor can be a pest as there will not be a neighbor anywhere near us. Can't wait to have more land to massively expand my garden and add a greenhouse.

[bower]

I moved here to the "sticks" for the same reason - not good neighbors. The man next door was an avid gardener very proud of his perfect looking place, using all available chems with gusto for that purpose. I was not too much into looks but happily growing some organic foodstuffs for my family. He got goutweed though and it spread into our garden from his. Then one day I found him spraying herbicide through the fence into our place. "What are you doing?" "What?" he says and sprayed the stuff all over my bare legs. He explained about the weeds and I said you can't spray it into our yard, and well he said "I have to or it'll come back into my place". He just wouldn't stop. That is when I started looking for a place.
Oddly though I have ended up maybe with the best of both worlds. My neighbors are fine folks and although close by they are nowhere near my garden as it is not on the property line nor next to the road. I don't know what they do in their garden nor even care. They are far enough to be private but close enough to call on if there was a need. I once stopped vandals from throwing rocks at their house while they were out, for example, as I heard the racket and went to see. I'm sure they would do the same. Yes I can hear their garden parties on summer nights but that is no big deal. They have doubtless put up with the occasional bad smell from fish or other stuff being applied in the garden but have never complained. They probably also smell my roses on a breezy day, and I hope they're happy enough with the tradeoff.

[taboule]

DW and I moved into our current home late spring. We mostly wanted to get away from the congestion, traffic and noise, although the old house was nice and comfy.

Not the sticks, but we found what we wanted most -a super quiet spot in a small development at the end of a cul-de-sac, far from the city. Anyone/car who doesn't belong easily stands out. Big lots, trees all around, no noise nor light pollution. Lousy cell/mobile signal, which doesn't bother me at all but an inconvenience for DW. And enough room for both a shop and a garden -life is good.

[rxkeith]

where i'm at, you can just be.

you don't have to be aware, or on guard, on edge, or afraid.

you can just be.

if you want critters you can have them. there are chickens, turkeys, ducks, horses, sheep, and alpacas on my road.

no one cares how long your grass is.
mostly quiet. some times neighbors like to shoot, but you know its target practice, hunting or varmint control.

spring, and summer time, wake up to bird song in the morning, and listen to spring peepers in the evening.

you can leave your car running in the parking lot of the local iga on a cold winter day while grocery shopping, and its still going to be there when you come out.

you are never really stuck in traffic unless the lift bridge is up to allow a sail boat to pass through.

you may get stuck in a snow drift however. that has happened to me a few times. have a shovel and tow strap with you, and someone will eventually pull you out.
people in the boonies will always help you out of a jam, and they will go out of their way to do it. here is some money for your trouble. no, no, that's ok. they won't take it.
thats how it is up here.


keith

[taboule]

Keith, I know what you're talking about. Friend of mine left it all behind after business school (~1983) and moved back to his roots in Stephenson (10 miles east of Cedar River). Visited him a few times for deer hunting, some of my best memories. Beautiful country, friendly and humble people who keep to themselves, but are still there if you need them.