Advice on payment of livery

Tapir said:
can you not get their bank details from one of the other liveries?
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I really wouldn't do that, as what is to stop someone who giving the wrong details even by accident and the money end up in someone else's account ? You might not get it back :(

As for them saying they need the cash for the hay man ? Tough cookies - that's not your problem, they need to manage their cashflow better!
 
Thanks for your input everyone, I was beginning to think that it was just me being difficult. I agree that the cheque would be a good idea, I just don't know who I would make it out to. Also I just feel so uneasy that if I don't comply then I'll just be asked to leave and with 6 horses that won't be easy. The whole yard situation is keeping me awake at night and I'm even contemplating getting rid of some of the horses (and they're not the kind of horses that you just sell on). Feel helpless and don't know how to move forward. Wish I'd never gone there....
 
JillA said:
Of course, you COULD put an opened envelope through the letterbox and swear blind the cash was in it. That works both ways :D
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LOL!

If I were you I would leave a cheque where you are supposed to leave the money and leave the YM to sort it out. I agree it sounds like they want the cash to avoid the money ever hitting their bank account. Though how they manage to reconcile invoices from suppliers at the end of the month defeats me, unless they are chucking them in the bin.
 
Start looking for a new yard, perhaps a private yard and meanwhile call thier bluff and say if you can't pay by bacs then you may have to move your horses
 
Hmm really don't think you should threaten to move your horses. As you appear to be aware, finding somewhere for 6 horses will be difficult, and probably not doable at short notice.
 
They aren't going to find 6 replacements that easily either so you should be a valued customer! You are not being difficult they are! There is a reason so little is paid for by cash these days! If they absolutely want cash they have to make it easy for your to pay by cash. In my mind that involves them being able to meet you and sign a receipt on a weekly basis (given that you can only withdraw c.£250 a time at a machine.) If they cannot do that - which in my mind is absolute minimum they have to come up with an alternative. Do you have a contract?
 
This sounds very dodgy. Nothing is done in cash these days. Why are they being so cagey? If you've explained why you can't pay in cash, I'd ask for their bank details. If they won't give you them, ask another livery. Then it's paid and they can start withdrawing it in £250 chunks from a cash machine if they want it in cash that much.
 
ester said:
They aren't going to find 6 replacements that easily either so you should be a valued customer!
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OPs horses and her money may well be of value to them, or not. I think OP is very aware that they could say to her, "okay you have 30 days notice to move", and if they were to then she could be in a very sticky situation. She's spot-on with saying it won't be easy to find livery for 6 horses.
 
Jaffa said:
I really wouldn't do that, as what is to stop someone who giving the wrong details even by accident and the money end up in someone else's account ? You might not get it back :(

As for them saying they need the cash for the hay man ? Tough cookies - that's not your problem, they need to manage their cashflow better!
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you should always always transfer a test £1 before transferring money to a new recipient anyway.
 
What does your contract say? If they have to have cash it should say so, and if bacs is an option the bank details should be there also the name to whom you are paying the money. I would get the cash, tell them you have and when and where it will be available for collection, then its up to them. I always pay in cash to the yo or his partner, but they are on the yard every day. This is a tax dodge, or they could be in trouble with the bank and the bank is taking the money as it goes into the account, either way not your problem.
 
There are always options and 6 horses with one person will be valuable to any decent yard, so it's worth looking around anyway.

OP....can you provide proof of regular livery payment up until now?

To be honest, at £600 a month, I am pretty sure you would be able to find a private yard, so I would be calling local farms, putting adverts up online and in local equestrian and agricultural shops/feed merchants.

You don't know if you don't ask...the perfect yard might be just down the road :)
 
I have a couple of things in the pipeline to look at which hopefully might suit me better. It's all just getting on top of me at the moment and half of it's my own fault for keeping sob story horses but I work hard to have them and just want to pay for their keep without the stress of risk. It's not a terrible yard or anything, it just doesn't seem to suit me and my horses personally because I'm not able to be down at the stables throughout the day (and oh do I wish I could be). There just doesn't seem to be an easy solution here.
 
Oh and although I did sign the contract there are then, I didn't take a copy (which I feel really stupid for). You see we moved from my rented land in a hurry because some fallen trees smashed the fencing up and some of the horses got out on to a busy road, which scared me to death so they had to be moved straight away.
 
Cheer up take a deep breath and chill out :) Ask the YM to meet you at your house or the bank to receive the £600 a month, you should be a very valued customer and she should do that for you, tell her you do not feel safe leaving it in the shed and you are definitly not going to be doing that. In the mean time try (if you want) to find a new yard that suits you and your horses.

Also - at my mums yard they have a safe in the locked tack room - the safe is emptied every day - perhaps suggest something like this if they are wanting the money by cash every month.

Cheer up nearly christmas :)
 
This is a very odd situation and they are either having a cash flow problem or are avoiding declaring their income to the Inland Revenue
If you want to stay there then I would demand a receipt for each cash payment and also make it clear to them in writing that you are not responsible if the cash is stolen.
I would strongly recommend that you start looking for a another yard as it sounds to me as if one day there could be a big problem especially if HM Revenue and Customs catches up with them and they receive a fine and a demand for payment of un-paid taxes.
 
Wimbles said:
Oh and although I did sign the contract there are then, I didn't take a copy (which I feel really stupid for).
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Ask them to evidence in their copy of the agreement where it says you agreed to pay in cash, or to see what it says in the agreement. That way you are putting them on notice that you are not going to be walked over, and they will have to prove their case. I suspect they might back off. You are a customer, you have a contract with rights - so be more assertive about those rights.
 
Tell yard straight you are not leaving cash on the yard.
She either needs to agree a tins to meet you and take the cash from your hand or leave a cheque.
You could always post a cheque to her home address or transfer the money by phone or internet.

She is probably hoping for cash so she doesn't have to declare it to the tax man!
Not your fault or your problem.

Don't stress about it.
If they want paying then they need to help you pay on a safe and convenient way!
 
I'm a Yo and there is noway i would want any of my liveries leaving that sort of money around the yard. I get that the farmers etc do want cash for hay and straw (all of ours do) but that isnt really your problem. I havent read all of the replies but how about saying you'll pay for rent, any livery etc in the bank and pay the 'straw/hay/haylage' money in cash? it really does sound that they are either being lazy and dont want to have to go and get cash themselves to pay their suppliers or the are fiddling things - in which case i would also be asking if they have the correct insurance etc to be running a yard :/
 
This is all very dodgy - you need to find a way to talk direct to the YO and tell him or her what's going on, and letting them know in no uncertain terms that you require a receipt for your payment (in whatever form it takes) and this sloppy cash-only arrangement means you need to hand the money to someone, and receive a receipt in exchange, which obviously won't happen if you can't do this in person.

It sounds to me like the YM might have an "arrangement" with the supplier that the YO knows nothing about. I'm betting the YO doesn't care how you pay as long as you DO pay.

A couple of things - an individual can't normally pay or receive through direct debit, as the payee has to claim the money from the payer's bank. It's a standing order to make regular payments, or a bank transfer. And if anyone is concerned about giving out bank details, remember that you do this every time you write a cheque out, so it's as safe as a cheque.
 
Could it be that the YM is meant to pass monies on to YO and has 'forgotten' to mention the new livery with 6 horses? That would indeed be a very tidy little earner for the YM...
 
How the farmer gets paid for hay and straw is not your problem! Nor is the yard's relationship with their bank.
Be firm and say you prefer to pay by SO but will pay by cheque if they prefer.
Cash is not an option since you a) might get mugged if it's known you regularly carry large sums b) the notes could be forged and then where would you stand c) you might simply lose some of it. Plus all the other reasons people have already mentioned.
You are already the yards best customer, they should be falling over themselves to keep you, not intimidate you. I trust you get a discount for that number?
 
I suspect a lot of yards insist on cash because they wouldn't be able to operate otherwise! OP if I were you I would maybe try and compromise by paying weekly by DD for 3 of your horses and cash weekly for the other 3?? Good luck!!
 
One wonders if the YO even knows you are there- if they have nothing to do with the yard and no-one can get in touch, what is to prevent the YM either having you on the books as a single horse owner, or even not there at all. Maybe I am just cynical - but it would explain the reluctance to accept anything other than cash????
 
Nessa4 said:
One wonders if the YO even knows you are there- if they have nothing to do with the yard and no-one can get in touch, what is to prevent the YM either having you on the books as a single horse owner, or even not there at all. Maybe I am just cynical - but it would explain the reluctance to accept anything other than cash????
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This, all the way.
 
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