Help! Legal advice? Threats from the other horses owner?

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**Star**

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I put a post on here on Saturday about the nightmare we had trying to rescue one of our ponies back. After being told not to talk to the owner ever again on Sunday morning when I contacted them to see how their pony was and to apologise for being short on the phone with them the day before, they launched at me on the yard today and screamed at me for being so rude and not bothering to ring them! They have threatened me and my pony and demanded money for their ponies livery and vet bills as he has damaged a ligament unfortunatly :( and saying they will take me to court if I don't pay. Their livery is £45 a week, I can't afford this and don't believe i should be paying it. I know you used to be able to get free legal advice from the BHS if you were a gold member but I'm not one anymore, does anyone know where I can just explain this and get some advice on where to go next?

Full story of what happened is in one of my other posts and I know I could've done things differently/better but they didn't tell me it was a colt (very attached to our filly) or that it has escaped before onto the main road and I gave them the chance to come with us and they said there was no need.
 
I read your thread the other day - I don't think they have a leg to stand on. Just tell them that if they want to take you to court for the money to just get on with it. They won't do it. Tell them not to speak to you or contact you again unless it is from their solicitor as you will ignore all other attempts at communication.
 
They haven't threatened me physically, but they are going to make sure I can never get on a livery yard again etc and that they will have my pony if I can't pay all their bills. The mother was very intimidating and loud with f this f that. I definitely won't be going down the yard on my own again. I just don't think I am responsible for their bills, but I need some proper advice before this goes any further.
 
You can book an half hour appointment with a solicitor, for a nominal charge to go over issues to see how you stand and what is the best action to take. Or the CAB and some insurance companies offer this as part of your horse insurance. Sorry no other advise but hope you get it sorted.
 
**Star** said:
They haven't threatened me physically, but they are going to make sure I can never get on a livery yard again etc and that they will have my pony if I can't pay all their bills. The mother was very intimidating and loud with f this f that. I definitely won't be going down the yard on my own again. I just don't think I am responsible for their bills, but I need some proper advice before this goes any further.
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Don't rely on legal advice from an internet forum (although I do agree with Holly Hocks that they're trying their luck and are highly unlikely to actually follow through with any threats ;)). Go to the Citizens' Advice Bureau or contact a decent solicitor for advice - at the very least, a solicitor's letter might put a bit of fear into them that you aren't just going to crack and start paying their livery fees (utterly ludicrous demand if you ask me :p)
 
Escaped from their land they're liable. Go to cab and make clear to thug u will only communicate via legal reps if that's how she wants to play it. Good luck and really don't worry, never heard such rubbish. X
 
The pony is theirs and it hurts itself flipping out when we tried to go and get our filly from the field they have been running wild in for months as she was advertised for £50 or going to the meat man. I always keep money aside to cover my insurance excess and own livery fees but really don't have anything to spare for legal advice or someone else bills :(
 
I would imagine they are trying it on. As suggested you could have a free half hr with a solicitor and send them a letter.
If they were bothered about their horses they should have helped you catch your filly and saved all the trouble caused.

If it was a colt so attached to your filly, you may get a surprise next year????
 
pookie said:
How have they threatened you and your horse? Physically? If so, report them to the police.
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It does not need to be physical, if you are in fear of them and can persuade the police, you will get a crime number, and if you want, they will go and speak to the person involved, this is what they do, and in my opinion they are great, I have had two occasions where I had a load of aggression, in the last case I was worried because the man had no control, and it was an isolated farm no one knew I was there etc, I got a crime number on a postcard, which I carried in my van. I did try to keep away from the man, but could not guarantee he would not turn up.
If you go to another yard and they mention this, it is perfectly sensible to say "I had to call the police to this woman".. she is obviously a nutter.
 
**Star** said:
They haven't threatened me physically, but they are going to make sure I can never get on a livery yard again etc and that they will have my pony if I can't pay all their bills. The mother was very intimidating and loud with f this f that. I definitely won't be going down the yard on my own again. I just don't think I am responsible for their bills, but I need some proper advice before this goes any further.
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Well TBH they sound prime candidates for the J. Kyle show!
How on earth do they think they will make sure you will never get on a LY again - Who are they - the Royal family? No one has that much influence so please disregard that comment. They are simple displaying how lacking they are in the grey matter department.

I dont think they have a leg to stand on.

Good luck
 
Agree to take the pony back and say you will have it shot., Cheaper at the price. And report them to the police as threatening you/blackmailing you as that is what they are doing.
 
dotty1 said:
If it was a colt so attached to your filly, you may get a surprise next year????
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Luckily she isn't as we had the vet out next day, she was riddled with worms and needed vaccinating. Needless to say I am extremely happy that we have bought her back. They didn't actually let on he was a colt until he had started going crazy.
 
Whatever you do Do not stoop low as they have. Do not swear etc as they may try to record you on phone etc. Not for one minute I think you will do this.

But they cannot use threatening behaviour and if you are in fear too you must inform the police of this incident and tell them you are fearful for your safety etc etc. Ask them to advise you what to do etc. And yes you must ask for a crime report number. Dont take it from a civie etc if they deal with you. Get that number.

You must report this.

They are responsible for their horse and if it escaped that is not your fault. Not being funny but if every time someone took their horse out of a field and all the others jumped out ie you cant bring them all in. Perhaps if so young together then perhaps an arrangement could have been put in place ie to bring them in together etc but hey you could end up doing them all etc(I think thats the problem)??

Sound right charmers. But please I would think another livery yard would not want to know them if they do this kind of thing.Small claims etc they are trying their luck. You have done nothing wrong.
 
In al honesty, I am with the others here - I seriously doubt they will take it any further. they can't FORCE you to pay anything and it costs to go through a solicitor so I doubt they're going to go down that route without any real evidence you or your horse is to blame. I was a bit confused by your original post about this to be honest as it doesn't sound like this woman/family were very far aware and you sold the filly to them but hadn't seen them until you bought it back off them? Is that right? How come then she is now on this yard with you if the horses were running loose somewhere before?

If they were HER horses at the time of escape then sirely she'd be liable for the damage the horse caused to the person's garden and the farmer's gate etc they trashed. Not to mention the costs involved in calling the police out because HER horses got on to a main road? I would tot all that up and pass her that bill!!!

All bark no bite these people!
 
**Star** said:
Thank you for your advice :) I know I sound really naive but I've never been in this kind of situation before!
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It's a nasty moment when your a nice normal person and you meet as some else said someone fit for the JK show .
Dont get drawn in to it I did nor read your post on saturday do don't know what happened .
Keep dated notes just in case I think it's good advice to tell the poLice , and tell your livery owner ( unless they are the issue) .
Don't enage dont lower your self to their level.
 
They are on the livery yard I have been at since March and the colt and filly are turned out in another field further away until it's time to bring them in and break them, they didn't own the filly someone else did by coincidence the people on my yard had their colt out with our filly. I said what time we were going and even offered to drive to their house and collect them if they wanted to come and help as they said they had no diesel to come out. I found out from the farmer who's land we ended up on that no one had been to see the horses for months. There were also two others in the field owned by a third person but they were calmer and we caught them much easier. It was just this one colt who caused us so much trouble :(
 
ahhh i remember, this was the colt that escaped from the unsecure field and ended up on the farmers land? and it wasn't the first time that the farmer had had the ponies 'visit' him was it?
they're pushing their luck hoping to intimidate you into paying, they left ponies in an unsecure field and so it's their fault he escaped!
Go to the police and make a complaint, tell them you feel threatened and fear physical violence.
Can you not move your filly to another yard so that you can avoid these lowlifes altogether? Is the YO aware of whats going on, make sure you make it clear to them that you are not paying any of the lowlifes bills incase they have told the you will cover delivery.
 
Ibblebibble said:
ahhh i remember, this was the colt that escaped from the unsecure field and ended up on the farmers land? and it wasn't the first time that the farmer had had the ponies 'visit' him was it?
they're pushing their luck hoping to intimidate you into paying, they left ponies in an unsecure field and so it's their fault he escaped!
Go to the police and make a complaint, tell them you feel threatened and fear physical violence.
Can you not move your filly to another yard so that you can avoid these lowlifes altogether? Is the YO aware of whats going on, make sure you make it clear to them that you are not paying any of the lowlifes bills incase they have told the you will cover delivery.
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Thats the story :( unfortunatly it is the YO's field about 5 miles away from the actual yard (she has land everywhere) and she wasn't happy because we abviously found all these gaps in the hedges and the broken gate. So don't think I will have much support from that side, although when I explained the full story she seemed to calm down abit.
 
So this pony is not yours, and not on loan to you? Fail to see what the issue is, and would simply ignore them.
 
Ah, got ya. Still ignore them.

And in the meantime find yourself a professional livery yard that will look after your filly and you.
 
I would definitely move yards asap!! Even if you make a complaint to the Police you will still have to see this person on the yard. Under the circumstances, that is not something I could personally deal with! So I know that you are not at fault but all the same - move!
 
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