The Caches Left Behind By The Loss Of A Cacher

[+Renegade Knight]

We all die. If we are still active geocachers when our time comes we will leave behind our caches. It begs the question: what then?

 

If there is no geocaching will so to speak, it’s my opinion that the family has both the right and the obligation to make any needed arrangements. Cachers who wish to adopt a cache should work with the family or whomever the family chooses to delegate the task too for permission. If the family does abandon the caches then after a reasonable time then maybe then the site or the local organization should contact the family and ask what they should do.

 

I’m split on the account. Archived caches should remain archived as that was what the cache owner chose to do to their own cache. Where I’m split is on active caches and adoptions. Should we adopt out the container only and archive the listing so that logs and description remain as they were, or do we adopt out the listing along with the container so the new owner can modify it at will? I’m leaning towards the container only. Logs and cache listings may not be much in the greater scheme of things but they are part of our legacy. That legacy should be left intact.

 

Are there any other thoughts on this?

[CoyoteRed]

We lost a great cacher a while back. His best friend and his brother took one each as that was all there was active.

 

Family and friends always have first dibs. The community can keep the cache viable until there is some word from the family.

 

Another issue that came up was what to do with the profile? You can't just leave it open because folks might try emailing and get no response. Plus, after bounced emails the account goes dormant or something. Maybe "retire" the account with a note?

[+Metaphor]

Chances are, for most geocachers, we'll never know... Unless the owner was unusually well-known, I would guess the caches would simply fade out from lack of maintenance. I'm sure that has already happened. Secondly, the family would have more pressing concerns, even if they were a part of a geocaching family. If the deceased cacher was part of a team or family caching group, it would be the team's decision. Lone cachers (like myself, I suppose) wouldn't have that follow-up by others. Until they fall into disrepair and are archived by the administration, my caches would be out there. After a reasonable time period without response to queries by gc.com, my wish is that my caches would be adopted or archived and the spot opened up for a new placement.

[+Mopar]

Why would someone want to unarchive and adopt a cache that the owner himself had archived? It's obvious the owner wanted the cache archived, it seems insulting to try and resurrect it again against his wishes just because he died.

Is this some way to get the last word in? It sure seems sick and insensitive.

[+W7WT]

Why would someone want to unarchive and adopt a cache that the owner himself had archived? It's obvious the owner wanted the cache archived, it seems insulting to try and resurrect it again against his wishes just because he died.

Is this some way to get the last word in? It sure seems sick and insensitive.

This very thing is being discussed in the NorthWest forum.

[+Renegade Knight]

...Another issue that came up was what to do with the profile? You can't just leave it open because folks might try emailing and get no response. Plus, after bounced emails the account goes dormant or something. Maybe "retire" the account with a note?

Good point.

[+DustyJacket]

...the family has both the right and the obligation to make any needed arrangements....

 

I don't think so.

The family will be having enough to deal with without that. I know.

 

Now, if the family WANTS to, they should keep the caces, either under the original account or under their own account.

 

It will have to be handled by GC.COM or local cachers.

Eventually the caches will have to be archived. Some state's cachers have set up cache rescue/adoption procedures.

The area approvers could ask various cachers nearby to retrieve abandoned caches.

Edited December 5, 2004 by DustyJacket

[+CO Admin]

Treat each case on an individual basis and not try to legislate everything.

[+ironman114]

Why would someone want to unarchive and adopt a cache that the owner himself had archived? It's obvious the owner wanted the cache archived, it seems insulting to try and resurrect it again against his wishes just because he died.

Is this some way to get the last word in? It sure seems sick and insensitive.

But why did he archive it?

 

Was it a high maintainence cache, a leaky container?

 

Maybe another cacher wouldn't mind the maintainence or found a more suitable container.

 

Was it archived soley to let another cacher place a cache nearby that also has since been archived and so the area is open?

 

Of course you could just use the same place and coordinates and use your name as owner with the original owners name listed as co- placer and submit it as a new cache and bypass all the hoopla being brought up here also!

[+BadAndy]

It will have to be handled by GC.COM or local cachers.

Eventually the caches will have to be archived. Some state's cachers have set up cache rescue/adoption procedures.

The area approvers could ask various cachers nearby to retrieve abandoned caches.

As far as the cache listing on geocaching.com is concerned, you may be correct. As far as the physical cache is concerned, it becomes the property of the family, just as any other property does.

 

Try to remember that there is a distinct difference between a cache listing, and physical property. geocaching.com, Navicache, terracachers, etc etc do not OWN any caches. they are OWNED by the person that places them. You and I have no right to take them, or decide what to do with them. If you or I wanted to OFFER the family our assistance...thats a different matter entirely.

 

An abandoned, unmaintained cache could be seen as a different matter...as they have been abandoned.

[+El Diablo]

it’s my opinion that the family has both the right and the obligation to make any needed arrangements.

The family has no obligation to do anything. There are a lot of cachers out there whos spouse or family members are not into caching, therefore they don't keep up with what that person has hidden.

 

If the family members are aware of caching then they will know what to do. Otherwise leave the caches alone until someone posts a needs to be archive note, then the community can decide wether to adopt it or not.

 

El Diablo

[Tahosa and Sons]

When it comes for my time to go to the great Cache in the Sky, I'll leave my caches to my Sons. Or I'll just hang around and do a real haunted cache.

[kayaker22589]

If I go I don't care who takes my caches as long as someone does.

[+Renegade Knight]

it’s my opinion that the family has both the right and the obligation to make any needed arrangements.

The family has no obligation to do anything. There are a lot of cachers out there whos spouse or family members are not into caching, therefore they don't keep up with what that person has hidden.

 

If the family members are aware of caching then they will know what to do. Otherwise leave the caches alone until someone posts a needs to be archive note, then the community can decide wether to adopt it or not.

 

El Diablo

If the family has apparantely abandoned the caches they should still be contacted out of courtesy. If at that point they show no interest, or have in fact abandoned the cache, then and only then should the listing site or organization which the person beloged to deal with the caches.

[+cachew nut]

When I'm gone you can consider any of my active caches abandoned, if there are any. When I signed up the Privacy Policy did not include having family members contacted.

[+5¢]

Being of sound mind and body (please keep the arguements to a minimum) I hereby bequeth all my caches to Cybret when I pass on.

Edited December 6, 2004 by 5¢

[janx]

How do you expect to contact relatives of a dead cacher?

 

True, some people are well known, so they're easy. But there's plenty of quiet hiders out there.

 

You can't send an e-mail. Nobody's reading it. It would be foolish to assume the family is reading the deceased e-mail. A. they're too busy. B. passwords. I sure as heck don't write mine down and I don't tell anybody what they are.

 

Does the site have physical address info? It may take awhile to figure out the hider isn't responding to e-mail or maint requests.

 

Death is pretty complicated. By default, there's a system in place. If people keep complaining about a cache, it'll get deactivated. Since dead people don't maintain caches very well, the cache will eventually be archived.

 

Anything more complex will be handled by the community the cacher was a part of.

 

Nuff said.

 

Janx

[+Katydid & Miles Stone]

Hopefully the caches we’ve placed will (or have) spawn an interest in the area. As our caches eventually fade away with the passage of time, my hope is that this “interest” propagates new generations of caches and cachers. Our caches were never intended to be our memorials. MS

[+Team Perks]

This all presumes that the question "Gee, what do we do with Bob's caches?" is burning on the family's mind.

 

Honestly, I doubt 99% of the families would care what happens to them, unless a family member was a fellow cacher who wanted to adopt them.

[Jeremy]

Since we've run into this before, I can give you some general ideas into how we've handled these situations.

 

For active cache listings, the normal course of action has been for someone to become the main contact to look for folks who can adopt the listings (providing the family doesn't want to own them). However, like all adoptions if the original owner (or in this case, inheritors) want the cache listing back in their hands, we honor that as well.

 

For archived cache listings, they remain archived. If someone wants to create a memorial at the same spot, they are welcome to create another cache and post a link to the old one so other folks can see the history of that cache listing.

Edited December 7, 2004 by Jeremy

[+Isonzo Karst]

How this was recently handled in Florida His caches and profile are being maintained by the remaining members of the caching team.