Can the yard owner do this?

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Nicole-Louise

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It's a pretty big mess, and a confusing situation to say the least. I am ALWAYS up to date with paying my rent for livery. And this month has been no exception. I paid everything in advance. I also had a friend's horse at the same yard as I was working with her, and the owner's also paid him in front of people, so plenty of witnesses to prove. However, the yard owner has suddenly turned very aggressive, and has charged me an extra £100 on top, and won't give me any reasons why.

Suddenly I had a message of a friend who is loaning another horse on the same yard, saying that the yard owner said if I don't pay the £100, I better move my horse by the weekend otherwise he's going to sell her!

Can he honestly do this? I have witnesses to prove that I paid for my horse's livery. A friend has offered me to move her on her land, but I never thought he could do this?
 
Have you asked the YO why he has charged you an extra £100? Then you can remind him that he has been paid?
 
oh ok, so he's denying he has been paid. Why don't you get the owners of the horse who paid him to phone him and talk to him about it. After all, it was their horse, not yours. Have any of the other witnesses backed you up?

I would prob also be looking to move. Doesn't sound a nice environment.
 
Hang on, backtrack a bit...
Is he saying you haven't paid your livery? Is he saying he wants an extra £100, and if so, is it one off, per month, per week?
Do you want to move?

He can't sell her, that's for sure.
 
As a YO I'm shocked by this!!

Any YO receiving payment for ANYTHING should issue a receipt. It sounds terribly like your yard is doing stuff "outside of the book" i.e. cash payment to avoid paying tax by having to declare it as "income".

Sounds a pretty dodgy set-up to me, and one IMO you'd be well out of as soon as you can.

Ask your friend/fellow livery to write a letter, signed and dated, stating that on such-and-such a time and such-and-such a date you paid the YO the sum of money. Also she could state in her letter who else was at the yard at the time. As much detail as possible basically.

If YO still says you haven't paid, then tell him/her you're going to Trading Standards; plus you'll make a declaration to the Inland Revenue that you've been paying £100 livery to him every month from the date you moved your horse there.

If you've got a friend or anywhere to move yours in the meantime tho' - personally I'd get your horse out the way just to ease your own mind.

I'm shocked and appalled. This is the sort of thing that makes me blood boil coz it gives YO's a bad name.

But in your next place: insist that whenever you pay for livery (or anything else on the yard) you're given a receipt and/or a detailed account of what services you've paid for every month.
 
He's attempting to charge me for an extra £100, though I've questioned him many of times on this, he won't give any reason. He's just giving me 2 options. I either pay, or I move by the weekend. This is the first situation like this I've ever come across. Others on the yard have admitted they haven't paid for a MONTH and yet he hasn't said a word!!

I'm at a loss. But definitely will be moving her today. And he won't be receiving a penny off me that's for sure!
 
This incident just highlights the need to pay by direct debit and have a contract. YO should also issue receipts. Horse livery seems to be the only thing people go into willingly with so little security.
 
Sounds to me like he wants you gone for whatever reason and you would be best off out and not worrying about his motives.
Went through something similar myself recently and it was horrendous so you totally have my sympathy.x
 
Emilieu, hope things have worked out for you.

Move, report to TS. You've paid a month in advance, not been given a months notice. He can't just add onto your bill with no reason. All price changes should be notified before they come into force (such as tell you the month before). He owes you return of 3 weeks rent in lieu of notice.
 
As someone else said - he obviously wants you gone and quick so I would go anyway.

I learnt the hard way once with a farrier when I gave him the cash from another livery to shoe her horse as she was at work, only for him to say I never gave him any money. I now always pay by cheque for this sort of thing so I have a record.
 
You are better getting out of there. If he threatened to sell your horse if he didn't get that £100 then this is probably extortion and certainly threatening behaviour. Report it to the police and give him the crime number. Also trading standards and the tax office will be interested in him if he is asking for cash in hand.
 
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