Several questions asked.
Trespassing laws in Texas. No, I did not get legal advice but I know a lot of native Texans, and they immediately warn you not to go anywhere that might be private property without permission. A lot of snow birds do not know this and tend to wander around as they might do in the Midwest. My SIL (son-in-law) also told me this.
A “good ole boy” (I had heard of good ole boys but never knew what they meant until I got to know Strom, now deceased) told me if you go on a ranch without permission there is a good chance you will be held at gun point for the sheriff to come and take you away.
Trespassing laws in Texas when I live in Mexico. Think “wife”. My little village is my personal paradise. It is not my Mexican wife’s personal paradise. So, several times a year, she grabs the overnight bus and goes back to McAllen for up to a month, depending whether it is school vacation.
Mexico changed the car import laws to protect the Mexican used car industry, plain and simple. Mordida, the bribery, used to work on car imports. A couple years ago, they put 13 customs agents in prison for importing cars no longer legal to import. And, though most people don’t know it US Federal law makes it a crime to export a car without a CBP inspection and approval. The car, as much as we loved it and hate to see it gone, is only worth maybe $2500, which isn’t much if you are arrested.
I have only paid a bribe one time, at least I think I did. My wife’s crummy cousin sold some lots east of us, only accessible by our private road. And, people were concerned that we might close the road? Close a road that is the only access for many kinfolk and friends, including the Lovely Gabriela? No way. So, I went and talked to him. I told him we would give him a free and permanent crossing document, guaranteeing passage, but not the right to do any digging or changing the private street. I already allowed perhaps 6 families to run hoses under the street connecting their homes east of us with “city water”, and for free.
He rejected the offer, and told a neighbor that he didn’t want crossing rights. he wanted the town to condemn the street and make it public property so HE COULD DO WITH IT WHAT HE WANTS. And, my wife every day cooks food and takes it to his old father! He failed to understand the Irish! That was war!
So, when they appraised our land, I asked a clever cousin who well understands mordida to ask the appraiser to put a maximum value on the land. Most people ask for a reduced appraisal. It cost me around $50 USD, I think and the land was appraised at $3 USD a SQUARE FOOT, which as strange as it sounds is what lots sell for here.
If they confiscate land, they have to pay the appraised value, which for a 7 meter wide street by 80 meters long would be nearly 300,000 pesos, nearly 16,000 dollars. That is a lot of money here for the local government. The cousin says it will never happen for the few people who live east of us, especially when I have openly said as long as I am alive, those people, including the Lovely Gabriela, will cross and for free. So, we have peace in our property, no one can park and have booze parties in front of our house as they could on a public street, and I get to watch the Lovely Gabriela and her equally lovely sisters walk through my property to work every day. I also like to see the little boys and girls in their uniforms walking to school. They are so cute.
A lot of otherwise poor country people manage to have functional cars. You can get parts such as most parts for example a 1976 Chevrolet Pickup, and labor isn’t very much. So, it is rare that a car is junked without being rolled in a ball. So, even some of the poor people east of me do cross our private street in their cars.
