A farm rent situation

skint1

skint1

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I'm in a situation which is as follows.

My ex racer was initially living on a farm with my pony, it wasn't working great for her so in May 2009 we temporarily moved her to another yard with a school with a view to sorting her out. I continued to pay for her place at the farm because it was a short term thing only.

In August 2009 she was still at the yard with a school and had been invited to stay there. My daughter told the farmer's wife this and she did seem to take it in, in fact she said because we had paid all those months without my ex racer actually living there and of course our pony is still there, we didn't need to pay the 1 month's notice. My daughter was also fitting up the farmer's wife pony to sell at the time so she was around a lot and was well aware that our ex racer was living elsewhere.

So, that was that. Or so I thought. Yesterday the farmer (whom I have never even met despite being up there for 8 years) comes over to me and asked if I had some money for him. I thought he meant the rent for Feb/March so I said, "oh A (my friend-also has horse there) paid it to you last week, sorry it was late" and he seemed happy with that.

Then, my friend tells me that they think I owe them all this back rent for the ex racer because they thought she was still living there!! To my reckoning this is about £420.00, but really it could be any arbitrary amount they think it is, couldn't it?

Why would they not have said anything sooner? I've been up there 8 years and always paid, why would I suddenly stop with no word?

I can't afford to pay it outright, I feel like I am being mugged really but I don't think I have a choice because if they think I owe it, then I owe it and if I don't pay it it could be really ugly. The farmer has a reputation for being rough with those who cross him.
 
Maybe the farmer's wife didn't actually tell him that your horse had gone and that you had told her. It may just be a lack of communication.
 
Is your pony still there? It sounds to me like you gave reasonable notice, I wouldn't pay a penny. If they're relying on you to pay rather than risk their awful behaviour I'd say thats extortion and report them for it if anything happens.
 
According to my friend she is the one who asked why we hadn't paid any rent for the ex-racer.

So, because there are no contracts and everything is cash and informal, it will come down to my daughter's word against hers. In the end and as she is the one with the land and the temperamental husband I guess she will be getting the money. I feel totally helpless. My friend says I shouldn't pay it, but if I don't it could get really ugly.
 
Yep pony is still there, we only moved the ex racer because my daughter couldn't work her enough there and she needed serious schooling. We've been really happy there. It's only the pony and my friend's horse there, it is lovely.

Maybe I will try speaking to the farmer's wife, see if she remembers when prompted.
 
Goodness, that's a sturdy amount to have to find if it turns ugly! Can you not move S to be with B or is it too expensive to have them both at the same place? For the fuel you use to get to two places, would it not even itself out? I thought you were having to move from that yard anyway because of the new housing development?
 
I'm going to send the farmer's wife a text asking her to give me a call so we can sort out what is what, hopefully she will remember the conversation. We always got on well with her, and aside from finding all that money it is awful that she might think we purposely would not pay them for months on end like that.

Leaving aside all of these equid woes I'm just having a really anxious time at the moment, makes everything seem worse!
 
skint1 said:
I'm going to send the farmer's wife a text asking her to give me a call so we can sort out what is what, hopefully she will remember the conversation. We always got on well with her, and aside from finding all that money it is awful that she might think we purposely would not pay them for months on end like that.

Leaving aside all of these equid woes I'm just having a really anxious time at the moment, makes everything seem worse!
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I would say to the farmers wife Im sorry if you dont remember the conversation when we verbaly gave you notice for the TB what would you like to do?? wait for responce then if its you owe us you could say can we come to some arangement , hopefully she will say I will sort it out if they still want the full payment then i would find somewhere else hand in my notice pay up. and if they are doing cash in hand then its a quick call to customs and excise !!!! oh do you know any rough looking or could make themselves look rough blokes who could be "seen" with you helping out with the horses..??? just so matey boy farmer dosent think it would be such good idea to bully or threten you or your family !!!! good luck
 
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