Reading files within packages...

Now that I have my application successfully broken out into packages, I have run into a small problem.
Before, when I had all my classes in the same directory and no packages, I also had in this directory a .properties file. Only on eclass needs access to this file, so when I created my packages I moved this file to the same package directory as the object that needs it.
When I try to run my application, I get an error saying that the file could not be found. What is the trick to proper file placement? I do not want to hard-code the address...
TIA

Have you tried placing the file in the root directory of your package structure? I'm not sure if that will do the trick.

Thanks for the idea Dirk, it made me try what actually worked...
I had to move it to the directory just above my package root (unless that is what you meant...)
Example:
java GUI class installed in C:\CAMRA2
my package structure is C:\CAMRA2\com\massappraisal\myPackages
I had to put the file in C:\CAMRA2, but it worked.
Thanks again,

That is what I meant, and I'm glad it works, because it makes sense that it could.