cache owners out of the country

[+sista2]

What do you do if there are a bunch of caches in your area that are owned by someone who has moved out of the country? They moved over a year ago.

 

Some have the official 'needs maintenance' icon by them. Some have a bunch of DNFs recently. And there's obviously no one around to stop over and check on them.

Edited April 24, 2011 by sista2

[GOF and Bacall]

What do you mean by moved out of the country? Have they permanently changed their residence? Or are they temporarily working someplace else such as a soldier on a duty assignment? If someone was to leave the area temporarily they should have had a maintenance plan but I would do what I could to help out. But if they have just left the area permanently they should have archived or adopted out their caches before they left. I'd post needs archived or needs maintenance as needed.

[+StarBrand]

....

I'd post needs archived or needs maintenance as needed.

Always a wise choice - no matter the owners current status.

[+Sol seaker]

There is also the option of emailing the cache owner and asking to adopt the caches so they can be maintained.

 

That has been an issue here in the NW with people moving out of state and expecting people here to maintain the cache.

[GOF and Bacall]

There is also the option of emailing the cache owner and asking to adopt the caches so they can be maintained.

 

That has been an issue here in the NW with people moving out of state and expecting people here to maintain the cache.

 

I'm not a fan of adoption, at least not as it applies to geocaches. Very few caches should be perpetuated forever. When they have run their course let 'em go.

[GOF and Bacall]

....

I'd post needs archived or needs maintenance as needed.

Always a wise choice - no matter the owners current status.

 

I am willing to to give a bit of leeway to those who are serving out of their area.

[+sista2]

What do you mean by moved out of the country? Have they permanently changed their residence? Or are they temporarily working someplace else such as a soldier on a duty assignment?

 

On the one they did archive, it says "Since we're leaving the country, we have moved out of our house."

~ Not sure exactly what the details are. Someone on one of their other caches said they're in Australia. From the sound of it, it sounds like a permanent thing, or at the very least they'll be overseas for a few years. They are a family of four, all involved in caching, and the whole family has moved.

 

When y'all say post 'needs archive' or 'needs maintenance', do you just mean when logging it? And eventually a reviewer will see that and archive it? Or does the owner do that? How does that work?

[+Bear and Ragged]

The options when posting a Log are to post a 'Needs Maintenance' or a 'Needs Archived.'

If a 'Needs Archived' is posted a note is sent to a reviewer, who can then decided to try to contact the owner, 'Temporary Disable' the cache, 'Archive' it, depending on various things.

 

Another option, if you don't feel comfortable posting a 'Needs Archived' on the cache, is to contact your/the caches local reviewer and explain the situation ie you think the cache owner has left the country and abandoned the caches.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+Harry Dolphin]

I'd say to post Needs archive or Needs Maintenance, after you've searched for the cache, and either pertains. Just because someone moved, that does not mean that all his/her caches need to be archived. When maintenance becomes an issue, then that is the proper course of action.

WE had a great local cacher who moved across the country. Her archived or adopted out all of his caches. That is probably the proper proceedure. But I know a cacher who has moved to five different states in the last ten years, and has caches in four of those five states. Most are still in place, and do not need maintenance. From what I hear, they are great caches.

[GOF and Bacall]

I'd say to post Needs archive or Needs Maintenance, after you've searched for the cache, and either pertains. Just because someone moved, that does not mean that all his/her caches need to be archived. When maintenance becomes an issue, then that is the proper course of action.

WE had a great local cacher who moved across the country. Her archived or adopted out all of his caches. That is probably the proper proceedure. But I know a cacher who has moved to five different states in the last ten years, and has caches in four of those five states. Most are still in place, and do not need maintenance. From what I hear, they are great caches.

 

Yeah, I did say "as needed". But in all honesty to leave the area, abandoning your caches, is irresponsible. What happens when they need maintenance? Do they suffer through repeated needs maintenance logs until they catch the eye of the reviewer or are brought to the reviewers attention? Are they destined to become just more litter? The responsible thing to do is either adopt them out or archive them.

[+hzoi]

... I know a cacher who has moved to five different states in the last ten years, and has caches in four of those five states. Most are still in place, and do not need maintenance. From what I hear, they are great caches.

 

Yeah, I did say "as needed". But in all honesty to leave the area, abandoning your caches, is irresponsible. What happens when they need maintenance? Do they suffer through repeated needs maintenance logs until they catch the eye of the reviewer or are brought to the reviewers attention? Are they destined to become just more litter? The responsible thing to do is either adopt them out or archive them.

 

We still have active caches in Germany and Virginia, even though we're in Alabama right now (and though we won't be here forever, we intend to leave some behind here as well). We weeded out the ones that could go, but there were others that were popular that we thought it would be better to leave active. We have friends in both local caching communities that help us with maintenance when needed. I personally cleared this with the local reviewers in both locales. If any of them become an issue and our local contacts can't take care of them, we will archive them and make sure they're removed.

 

If someone leaves the area and doesn't have a plan to take care of their caches, or doesn't implement such a plan, then I agree that the caches should go. Not much different from caches abandoned by folks who have left the game entirely.

[+Andromeda321]

I ran into this issue as well when I graduated with my master's degree, but I decided not to archive them on the grounds that I'll be going back a few times to visit friends etc. I'm actually in a pact with a few friends of mine from university who are geocachers and left in a similar fashion, so whenever one of us heads back we check up on the group's caches!

 

I mean my caches in the area are just micros so if I didn't have this support network I'd probably just archive the caches once it was clear they went missing. So if it was the case of someone leaving and the caches needing maintenance, I'd probably just post a "needs archived" if it was obvious it wasn't going to be dealt with.

[+A & J Tooling]

Also, if you know the owner is a deployed soldier, it'd be quite nice of ya'll to adopt their caches unoffically until he/she came back. Some times the last thing on their minds when they get their papers, are caches. I know if I were gone for a few years and came back and all of my caches were in tip top condition, I'd be extremely grateful.

[+Boxcars]

Also, if you know the owner is a deployed soldier, it'd be quite nice of ya'll to adopt their caches unoffically until he/she came back. Some times the last thing on their minds when they get their papers, are caches. I know if I were gone for a few years and came back and all of my caches were in tip top condition, I'd be extremely grateful.

[+Boxcars]

Well now there you go. Just this week I found a cache that was wet inside, an very neglected. When I got home and looked at the CO's profile, I saw that he was deployed overseas in the military. I was glad I had some spare towels to wipe it out, and I replaced the log zip lock log bag with a spare I always have. Maybe Geocaching.com could set up some kind of designation, or symbol to temporarily place on caches pages to denote "away serving our country". Its not always easy to make arrangements for someone to look after your cache before you leave.