Livery with no contract

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Expo

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My horse lives at a yard on a full livery arrangement. I have been there for nearly 5 years but have never had any sort of written or formal contract, but have always had a good working relationship with the yard owner and my horse has been well cared for. Fees are paid monthly in advance. However, for various reasons I am planning to move to another yard at the end of the month and told my current YO today, as I have been finalising a few issues with the new yard.

YO is ok with me moving, but says he needs a month’s notice from today and is asking for payment of fees for the first two weeks of next month to cover this. I am paid up to the end of the month, and assumed that me not having a contract would negate this. I will the sum required to avoid falling out, but in the absence of a contract, can he demand this payment? I would welcome all thoughts.
 
Thank you for the sense check. I will pay the required amount when I leave in a couple of weeks and, as @Tiddlypom says, I have signed a well worded written contract with the new yard. My current YO has said that I would be welcome to come back if things don’t work out, so I do not want to upset our good relationship by arguing about this. Thank you again.
 
Not having a contract shouldn’t negate it. A month notice up front is pretty standard, just pay up.

FWIW I’ve been on a variety of livery, some with contracts, some without. But the expectation has always been a month.
 
You certainly do have a contract - it is just verbal and not written down.

Verbal contracts are just as binding as written ones - they are just a pain to prove what was agreed.

However - As you have been paying monthly for 5 years, it's very easy to prove what your notice period is even without anything in writing - it is a monthly notice.

If you had paid weekly - your notice would be a week.
 
I would add to this that based on your original logic, you could have given notice and left immediately on the last day of the month, and this would give the old YO no time to find a replacement livery, which isn't fair unless there has been a serious failure in their service. Even a month isn't really long enough to find a new livery as they will probably have to give a month's notice wherever they are, but that's the risk of running a yard.

I believe it would be fair to ask for a reduction for feed and bedding if included, as they are consumables that can be used for other horses.
 
Yes you do need to pay the 2 extra weeks. I'd have thought it would be calendar monthly if that is how you normally pay, so I would be expecting to pay until the end of august even if it was slightly reduced due to you not using hay or bedding in that time. The yard own needs to advertise and fill the stable to continue to fund his business, it's only right that there is some security for him as well as the livery. How would you feel if he gave you 2 weeks notice to leave?
 
wills_91 said:
Good yards are like gold dust. Written contract or not I wouldn't dream of leaving somewhere and not paying a full 30 days notice.
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I have had several say the notice and horse is going next wee, so I say it is in the contract, a months notice of your intentions, you may leave before but months notice must be paid in full. They moan and groan.
 
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