Metallica Singer Cuts Off Hiker's Happy Trail

No dirty, nature loving hippie is going to hike in James Hetfield's backyard -- but the fence he built to keep them, and everybody else, off his property is really pissing off the locals.

Several hikers and cyclists up in Northern Cali have their spandex in a wad because the Metallica frontman has blocked access to a hiking trail by erecting a 10-foot high fence around his property.

According to KTVU, the rockstar supposedly built the barrier to stop vandalism on his newly purchased land (on which the trail runs through) -- but the fence itself has since been vandalized with the words "shame" and "disgrace."

Het's reps had no comment.





Tags: james hetfield, JamesHetfield

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1. Well, DUH if its his property he can build whatever he wants on it... Start a new hiking trail fools.

Posted at 4:35PM on Aug 19th 2008 by blablabla

2. If he owns the property he has every right to put up a fence.

Posted at 4:37PM on Aug 19th 2008 by Jennifer

3. Well, if he owns it, he's got the right.
What kind of hiking trail goes through private property? Should have been designated by the city....

Posted at 4:38PM on Aug 19th 2008 by You

4. If he wanted to keep people off his property he could have just played St Anger on repeat over a loud system.

Posted at 10:19AM on Aug 20th 2008 by Jim

5. The dude's a douchebag, but he has every right to put a fence up on HIS property. Hike around it, losers.

Posted at 4:49PM on Aug 19th 2008 by Discordia

6. That is an easement since it has been openly and habitually used and runs with the land when sold.

Posted at 4:53PM on Aug 19th 2008 by anonymous

7. I live in S.F. good for him!

Posted at 4:50PM on Aug 19th 2008 by MJW

8. Even if he owns the property and it is his land, if there is an easment on the property which is in use, he cannot block it.

Posted at 4:51PM on Aug 19th 2008 by anonymous

9. Stupid Americans!

Posted at 4:52PM on Aug 19th 2008 by John

10. If there is a public easeway, he is not allowed to block it. The city will make him remove the fence. Now that he owns the property, the property AROUND the easement is private, but it's now HIS responsibility to maintain the public walking area and keep it safe. Tsk tsk...shoulda looked into that before he bought the place.

Posted at 4:57PM on Aug 19th 2008 by DS

11. Metallica are the biggest pu**ies in rock-n-roll. Why don't he and Lars go cry themselves to sleep.

Posted at 4:59PM on Aug 19th 2008 by dnm

12. He lives in Novato, and he can do whatever he wants. This isn't news, nor is it new.

Posted at 4:59PM on Aug 19th 2008 by Prince of Bel Air

13. James donated over 300 acres back to the open space district of the county he lives in so that residents could enjoy the hiking/biking/horseback riding trails. The county has always given him praise for what he's given back and is currently working with him to get this straightened out and make everyone happy. If someone were constantly vandalizing my property, I would do something drastic too. Maybe this is what the county needed to get their attention to it.

Posted at 5:07PM on Aug 19th 2008 by teeta

14. Hetfield, you need to check your title policy. If there is an easement running through your property, you approved it by initializing your preliminary title report when in escrow-you probably didn't read what you signed. If so, you are screwed and can be forced to remove the fence. Ignorance is not an excuse.

Posted at 5:01PM on Aug 19th 2008 by whatado

15. Start a new trail, morons. Yeah, they sound like real nature lovers -- they are mad because they have to get off their trail? Walk around and make a new one! It's just a place to walk -- you can make hundreds of new trails!!

Posted at 6:01PM on Aug 20th 2008 by monkeynoodle

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