My parents own approx 55 acres in Columbiana County. There is a driveway going up their property. A few years ago, there was an auction held to sell a piece of property above theirs – at this auction, an announcement was made stating that this piece of property was landlocked and had no legal means of entry onto this property. Someone purchased it and has been using the driveway on my parents property to get to this piece of land – not only that, they have bulldozed the driveway twice, knocking down a large tree clearly posted with a “No Trespassing” sign on it. He has put up other “No Trespassing” signs and these have been knocked down. My father has asked this person to stay off his property, but now this person is claiming that the driveway is a common law road. When my father tried to make a complaint with the local police department, he was given the run around and told it was a civil matter. When he met with the prosecuting attorneys office they asked if he made a police report.
The only easements (or anything else) ever granted were 1, to the township to have a township road cross part of his driveway; 2 to an oil and gas company a lease to put a pipeline across the property; and 3 for the railroad to lay track across a small part of the property. No other legal access is given to anyone else.