How can I get Google Maps attention?

[HarveyS]

Maybe a “no outlet” or “dead end” sign at the entrance to Lois Lane and Clark Lane. Will your town install these at no cost to you? I’ve also come across “turn back, google maps is wrong” or the equivalent signs. I agree a chain is a PITA, but that would train people over time.
Maybe two orange cones or construction saw horse type barricades that you place just far enough apart for your car might help and be easier than a chain. Put a sign on the cone/sawhorses.
Sorry you’ve got this headache.

 

[skyking1]

A mighty mule, two posts, and a 12' farm gate would cure it and you could leave it open for company when you expect them.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/mighty-mule-medium-duty-single-swing-smart-capable-gate-opener-mm371w?cm_vc=-10011

We've had one for decades now. Not getting that random knock on the door has been priceless.

 

[Another Reader]

Be careful of the potential prescriptive easement... gate your property!

 

[gayl]

You need a battery powered solar charged motorized gate. Then you just push your button and the gate slides open and then closes.

+1

 

[gayl]

Solar powered gate openers are not that expensive, they are convenient and can keep outsiders out. They can be operated by remote clickers, the homelink in your car, a phone app, and a keypad. That could be a good option but would cost you a couple thousand $.

Ditto

 

[pb4uski]

Until Google straightened out this mess, I would put two posts across the driveway with a chain strung across. Dangling on the chain would be a sign, "Private Property - No Trespassing".

Unfortunately a chain won't work because it is a very tight area... when I back my car or truck out of my garage enough to then drive up the driveway my rear wheels are on Lois Lane by quite a bit... and I really wouldn't want to use a chain because we are coming and going all the time.

The incursions are infrequent... perhaps only once or twice a week.. just enough to be annoying. I am planning to get more and bigger signage... the existing signs are only about 10"x14" or so.

Also, we may pave the driveway and if we do the pavement will diffentiate the driveway from Lois Lane and Clark Road which are both gravel.

 

[pb4uski]

So nobody thinks I should just file a lawsuit against Google to try to get their attention? It would proabably be cheaper than an electronic gate. I would withdraw the suit once they have fixed it.

 

[skyking1]

in the meantime, your driveway continues to be a freeway of sorts. That is not acceptable IMO.

 

[pb4uski]

Its not that bad... perhaps one or two cars a week... remember, we live out in the boondocks... but just enough that it is annoying.

 

[street]

Sell the place.

 

[cathy63]

So nobody thinks I should just file a lawsuit against Google to try to get their attention? It would proabably be cheaper than an electronic gate. I would withdraw the suit once they have fixed it.

Well, where are you going to file it and who are you going to serve with the paperwork? It might not be that cheap if you have to file in Delaware and pay for service on some executive in California.

 

[SecondCor521]

Well, where are you going to file it and who are you going to serve with the paperwork? It might not be that cheap if you have to file in Delaware and pay for service on some executive in California.

IANAL, but I think pb4uski could sue in whatever small claims court is near where the property is located. The fact that that is where the property is, where pb4uski lives, where the infractions are taking place, and where a Google owned "streetview" car has driven, and in a state where Google does business (Google has to do business in every state in the US I would think), seems like enough nexus or whatever to qualify.

I'd suggest suing just because that's what I often would like to do when I'm annoyed at some entity and think I have just cause. Which happens about once every five years or so. Then I either calm down or get lazy about it. So it would help me live vicariously through pb4uski.

They need to have an agent of process (I think that's what it's called) in each state, and you can serve lawsuit papers on that person. You can find out who it is by contacting your state attorney general or secretary of state's offices. No need to travel AFAIK.

The bigger problem is that I doubt you can sue for injunctive relief in small claims court. And district court there would be filing fees and perhaps lawyer fees unless you try to represent yourself, which is probably legal but hard to do.

Probably the wiser (read: more effective, less time consuming, and less stressful overall) thing is some dayglo orange spray paint on the demarcating lines between your driveways and the roads and some orange traffic construction cones/pylons/whatever.

 

[pb4uski]

Since the suit is principally to get their attention to fix the map, then perhaps small claims court will do.

With my luck, they would just send me a check for the amount of my claim without ever contesting it, which will totally defeat the purpose of the claim.

 

[SecondCor521]

Again, I'm not a lawyer, but you can sue for different things.

You can sue for injunctive relief, which is to get them to fix their map. Again, I doubt you can sue for injunctive relief in small claims. Maybe you can.

You can sue for compensatory damages, but I'm not sure what kind of price you can put on the annoyance of having people drive across your property, especially since in theory you have trespassing laws to help with the issue as well. I suppose you could argue damage or wear/tear on your driveway.

You could sue for punitive damages, and maybe even for court costs. That might work.

Small claims around here has a dollar limit of a few thousand dollars. Maybe you can sue for your state's small claims court limit, then use the net proceeds to buy one of the fancy gate mechanisms. That would be some poetic justice. You could put a small sign on it "Funded by Google, Inc."

 

[NW-Bound]

Unfortunately a chain won't work because it is a very tight area... when I back my car or truck out of my garage enough to then drive up the driveway my rear wheels are on Lois Lane by quite a bit... and I really wouldn't want to use a chain because we are coming and going all the time.

The incursions are infrequent... perhaps only once or twice a week.. just enough to be annoying. I am planning to get more and bigger signage... the existing signs are only about 10"x14" or so.

Also, we may pave the driveway and if we do the pavement will diffentiate the driveway from Lois Lane and Clark Road which are both gravel.

I thought you have a bit of room from the end of Lois Lane to your home.

...Technically, Lois Lane ends at our property line about 35' in front of our garage and there was a 35' driveway from the end of Lois Lane into the garage...

 

[Sunset]

Put up a sign "Google Toll Access Only $5.00" and a box with a slot in it.

Then block the driveway towards the Clark rd, so folks pay and cannot go through. Let them complain to Google while you make money

On a serious note, I'd put in post and chain towards the Clark end, so folks can pull in and then have to stop and back out. Maybe their complaining to Google will help. Maybe put up a sign as well "Tell Google map is wrong".

 

[JoeWras]

Maybe a “no outlet” or “dead end” sign at the entrance to Lois Lane and Clark Lane. Will your town install these at no cost to you? I’ve also come across “turn back, google maps is wrong” or the equivalent signs. I agree a chain is a PITA, but that would train people over time.
Maybe two orange cones or construction saw horse type barricades that you place just far enough apart for your car might help and be easier than a chain. Put a sign on the cone/sawhorses.
Sorry you’ve got this headache.

This is cheap and effective. Put one on each side of the driveway. And as someone else said, maybe paint a line at that point. Yes, gravel, you'll have to respray every now and then.

I've run into the exact same kind of sign. I understood what was going on immediately and turned around. Up to that point, I was wondering where the hell google was leading me and if I was going to be greeted by people with shotguns, so it was no surprise to eventually see the sign.

In the meantime, you can pursue trying to contact them, or sue them, or whatever to get a permanent fix.

 

[pjigar]

Today, all three... Lois Lane, Clark Road and our driveway are all gravel or staymat. We are considering having our driveway paved for other reasons and a by-product of paving the driveway is that the different surface would differentiate it from the two roads. Additionally, I'm considering bigger and clearer signage.

Putting a farm gate with remote control (Mighty Mule) would be a better option if your goal is to stop through traffic. People don't read signs these days. I am really happy when they are actually "looking" at the road.


PS: Be prepared to have multiple crashes into that gate though!

 

[euro]

So nobody thinks I should just file a lawsuit against Google to try to get their attention? It would proabably be cheaper than an electronic gate. I would withdraw the suit once they have fixed it.

There are enough lawsuits in this country already. Don’t need any more.

Besides, I VERY seriously doubt it will end up cheaper than a gate unless you are licensed and can do the legal work yourself.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Oh! If the Mighty Mule by itself seems like a reasonable expense, you could buy that, a 10' length of PVC pipe, and some day-glo tape, spiral the tape around the pipe, attach the pipe to the Mighty Mule, and voila! You have a remote-controlled road barrier (what the kits for sale seem to be called), and you can even leave it open all the time and it might catch peoples' attention more than a sign. That should be cheaper than a gate.

 

[street]

The problem you have could backfire on you if not done right the first time. With gates, fences and blockage of some sort you could be in court from injury/property damage etc.. Small claims court in IMO is the last thing I would do. You are dealing with a large company, you are just a drop in the ocean. Their legal counsel would laugh at that case. If you are going to take them to court, take them to court in a big way. Your idea of playing a game in small claim court is just a game.

Who owns the road up to your private land/driveway?? I would tell them your issue and get them involved in solving the problem. If going to court take them to court as well.

Live your life with the problem or if it is that irritating, I would sell it.

 

[cathy63]

Since the suit is principally to get their attention to fix the map, then perhaps small claims court will do.

With my luck, they would just send me a check for the amount of my claim without ever contesting it, which will totally defeat the purpose of the claim.

OK, I was thinking you wanted to ask a judge to issue an order forcing them to fix the map, which wouldn't be a small claims case. If you just want to sue for a few thousand in monetary damages, then I agree small claims would be the way to go. You can serve those suits by mail. It would be interesting to see if they just ignore the suit and let you win by default; and if they do, whether they pay up or keep ignoring you.

 

[sengsational]

I'd probably just live with it. Life is too short. I certainly wouldn't involve the courts!

Maybe pound a couple of sticks in the ground with yellow plastic chain and a sign "Google Maps has directed you across private property". The chain could be on the ground most of the time. But when the weather is nice and you feel like a nice jaunt around the property, pull the chain taught.

But I have some bad news about Google "getting the message". There was a train track crossing closed for repairs for 3 months on a high traffic road. I "fell for it" several times, thinking construction must be finished. But I saw people having to turn back, and I had to turn back. So given they never saw anyone traverse that section of road, and undoubtedly many people reported it, I would not count on Google Maps to take out your private road. But at least the sign preserves your rights.

 

[Jerry1]

I like the idea of cones spaced just far enough apart so that you can get your car through. Additionally, a sign to turn around and report to Google. I might also ask the county/city for a Dead End sign(s).

 

[street]

^ I agree with you, live with it and be the last thing I would stress about.

You can be sure, Goggle Maps have their butts covered legally, and have the proof in your case as well.

My legal counsel and insurance company has told me many times. That signage of any kind doesn't stop you from getting sued. It isn't a defense that will help you in court or from getting sued. You are getting trespassed and putting up obstacles can create you many more problems then what you have now.

I think you need to learn about the law and speak to an attorney or educate yourself on the subject.