Has YO gone mad?

L

louisewatcham

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At my (thankfully) former livery yard, the YO has put up a very strange notice, and I am asking on behalf of friends still there is he has a legal leg to stand on.

This has all kicked off because a couple of people have left recently. While on the yard they had to reinforce broken fencing with their own electric fencing or separate paddocks with it, shore up poorly maintained stables with extra boarding, and have put up tie rings etc in the stables. Proper outdoor lights have been put up, rug rails have been screwed onto the wall, pallets put down to stack hay on, and boards put up to shelter the hay barn from the rain. All at the owners expense. YO is rarely to be seen on the yard, and has done no maintenance for several years. Obviously when they left they took all their belongings, including the boarding from the stables, leaving everything as it was found (but probably cleaner
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).

I don't have the exact wording to hand, but basically he has put up a very 'legal' type notice starting TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN', basically saying that everything brought onto his yard, in his fields and on his premises belongs to him. He quotes "posession is nine tenths of the law' and that anyone attempting to remove anything from his premises will be sued
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.

I am assuming he doesn't actually mean wheelbarrows, tools, trailers and horses
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although he doesn't state what he does mean. Realistically I am guessing he means anything that has been used to improve the yard, ie. the lights, tie up rings, hooks.

My friend in particular, who is leaving in 6 weeks, is concerned about her large quantity of electric fencing which is currently fencing in the starvation paddock, for the benefit of all owners. Would he be able to claim that as his? She has receipts for it all.

Sorry to ramble, this is second hand information which doesn't help.

In summary, who would a tie ring for example, purchased by an owner but screwed into YO's stables belong to??
 
Sounds crazy to me.

I would be tempted to have a solicitors letter in my possession on the day I leave though to present to him if he tries any nonsense!
 
IMO the YO has gone bonkers and the tie ring would belong to the owner. If he's rarely at the yard, how does he plan on enforcing his new set of rules?

Tbh, I wouldn't be on a yard like that in the first place - there's no way I'd be happy with having to secure the fields and board up the barn when I pay livery. He sounds like a nutter!
 
He's talking out of his backside and any solicitor would laugh him out of the office if he tried to bring theft proceedings against anyone on the basis you describe.

Tell your friends to ignore this idiot and take their belongings with them. This notice has no legal standing.
 
I can't see the problem.
My postman has to climb steps onto the bit outside the barn...so legally will be on the property.
I intend to ask him to hand over everything, including his underpants.
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Oh Dear.

I would get a copy of his letter so that there is some proof of what he is saying. I couldn't advise on the legal side of things.

I should think that anything like electric fencing is classed as temporary as it can be moved, that would most certainly go with me. Tie rings, rug rails etc would be classed as fixtures and fittings perhaps, BUT, if bought by the horse owner then they too could be removed? If I had bought them I would certainly be taking them with me, tie rings may be a little petty, but if he was playing funny buggers then so would I, and I'd take everything that was mine!
 
I'm not on a yard so wouldn't know for sure, but as a 'common sense' thing (sadly lacking in this day and age, I know) I would tread carefully regards items that have been 'screwed' or fixed in in any way that removing them could cause damage. I would have thought it would be lass hassle to leave them in situ rather than risk him acusing anyone of 'damaging his property' even if it wasn't fit for purpose. I wouldn't have thought removing electric fencing could be disputed in any way if it belongs to her.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. The main problem is that he is, to put it mildly, a complete nutter, especially when fuelled by the drink. When I was on the yard it was run by his wife and was one of the better ones in the area, although he was always viewed as being a little unhinged. It is since she left the maintenance has gone unattended.

I wouldn't be worrying myself about the odd tie ring, but if you knew some of the things that have gone on there, you would understand why some people are determined to take every last item.
 
Is there anything in the contract? I know in mine it says that if we make improvements to fencing, they become property of, but we haven't needed to, as it is fine.
 
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