ATV'ers terrorize my wife

In the Old West, the cattlemen fought the sheep herders.

In the New Old West, it's the off-road drivers railing against the folks who moved to rural Nevada to enjoy scenic mountain views from the peace and quiet of their own front porches.

For years there's been trouble brewing in them thar hills around Pahrump and no one knows that better than Louis DeCanio and his peace-loving wife, who live almost side-by-side with ATV enthusiasts.

"Some days the dust is so bad, it looks like smoke covering this whole stretch of land," said DeCanio, pointing out the more than 100 acres of undeveloped property around the subdivision where his home is located.

His house on Paddock Avenue faces east, with an unimpeded view of Mt. Charleston. The land at one time was used for farming and extends all the way to Highway 160. There is also undeveloped subdivision land to the west of him.

A drive through the starkly beautiful desert area uncovers shards of glass, a broken down and torn apart refrigerator, broken beer bottles and small campsites full of burned cans and other debris.

"I walk this land all the time," he said. "People use this place to dump trash. Others are probably homeless. I am polite to people I see out here. I tell them this is posted property -- and that it's private. They usually say they didn't realize it was posted and just leave."

It's hard to believe people don't notice the signs. They are everywhere, set in concrete on twisted angle-iron posts set of varying heights. Some are close to the ground on stakes barely 3 inches tall.

"They used to be standard posts, but over the years they have been knocked down and repaired multiple times," said DeCanio.

But it's not the partying teenagers or occasional vagrant campers that concern DeCanio the most. It's the criss-crossing tire marks and deep tracks forming bumpy trails made by all-terrain vehicles and quads to which he objects.

"They race through here as fast as they can go," he said. "They're noisy and you just can't imagine the amount of dust they kick up.

"They always tell me I can't post 'no trespassing' signs because I don't own the property," said DeCanio. "But the two developers of this land have made me their agent. Therefore, agency law gives me the same rights the property owner has to post signs and enforce the law."

DeCanio said the property owners, Patrick Gaffney and Bill Pechstein, both live out of state and named him their agent in large part due to liability issues. "If people get hurt out here on their ATVs, they could sue the landowners," he explained.

DeCanio has a concealed carry permit but normally carries a firearm openly on his belt when he's out in the desert area by his home. "There are coyotes out here," he said. "Plus stray dogs and rattlesnakes. I carry my gun and a rake because I'm all alone out here."

DeCanio alleges he's constantly harassed by his neighbors who ride their ATV's through the land he has posted.

He also said that, while he was repairing a sign that had been knocked down, one of his ATV-riding neighbors drove up to him in her pickup truck, almost tapping him with her fender before gunning her engine and backing off, leaving him in a cloud of dust.

One morning when he backed out of his driveway to take his wife to work, DeCanio alleges a group of his neighbors on ATVs surrounded his van, yelling, swearing and acting in a threatening manner.

"My wife was cowering in the passenger seat," he said. "She is a quiet, shy person. She's afraid for me every time I go out to fix the signs they knock down every week." He said he reported the incident to the Nye County Sheriff's Office, but nothing came of it.

"Owning this home in this location was my dream," said DeCanio.

Unfortunately, the dream has turned into a nightmare, causing the DeCanios to put their home up for sale. That was two years ago. They have plans to move to a quieter location.

"My real estate agent told me all the repossessed homes would have to sell before I could even get anyone to look at our place," DeCanio stated. "At this point, I can't possibly move out and leave my home here vacant. I get nervous just driving to Las Vegas for a day. As I drive home, I'm wondering if my home will be vandalized."

Source: http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2009/Jan-16-Fri-2009/news/26338513.html

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