Vet Bill, Who is responsible?

flying solo

flying solo

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I viewed a pony and stated before it could step foot on the yard it would have to have its first vacc to which the owner agreed. I assumed that since paying 1000 for shetland (NO JOKE!) with no tack or anything else that she would pay the first one and a month later i would have the second one done. It was never mentioned that I would be responsible for the cost.

After looking after my father for a month in a hospice (he died of cancer last week) I have returned home to bills from the vet! Just this very second a recorded delivery from her with another bill enclosed! I can afford it, its not that i'm being difficult but feel that as the pony was still hers and the vacc had been given on her yard not mines and the vet was called by the old owner surely it is her bill not mines?

Sorry for rant but dont want to mess the vet around just feel this really isnt my problem!

p.s Pony has sweet-itch which owner didnt mention either, i dont care its my own fault for believing people but feel she's taken me for a complete numpty!
 
Do you mean you bought a pony and said it needed to have the first jab done before you bought it ? If so, I'd sent the bill back to the vet and tell them it's not your responsibility. It was not your pony and not your yard and you didn't ask them to do the work.
 
It is a tricky one, as you asked for them to get it done, but as you hadn't even given the deposit, and if said pony was still at old yard, wih old owner then yeah, I'd send it back to the vets and say its not your bill, you have no idea what its about!

bexcy-bee x
 
Under Contract Law
ex owner contracted vet and therefor vet should bill ex owner not you as it was a contract between these 2 people. Your contract is between yourself and ex owner and if she did not make it clear she would bill you for it then there is no contract between you. Simples
 
Normally I would say make them pay, but, with you having a lot on at the moment, and if money isn't a problem just pay up and move on.
 
BigRed said:
Do you mean you bought a pony and said it needed to have the first jab done before you bought it ? If so, I'd sent the bill back to the vet and tell them it's not your responsibility. It was not your pony and not your yard and you didn't ask them to do the work.
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No, but she asked the owner to get the jabs done for it. If someone asked me to have anything done to a horse they were buying/bought i would expect them to pay for it, after all the price quoted is for the pony as it is.
 
It seem a lot to pay for a Shetland, but I suppose that is water under the bridge, it sounds as though the vendor is a dealer or professional, and therefore you can send it back due to sweet itch which should have been declared. You can also claim livery and transport expenses
The woman sounds a right pain, though, if you want to keep a low profile just ignore the vets bill, she made the contract with the vet not you, she could have asked you to contact vet in which case you would be responsible.
You need this like a hole in the head, is there someone who is experienced with horses and who is feeling less fragile who can deal with this for you?
If you are a gold member of the BHS ask the legal helpline, sometimes it helps to explain things to someone, and they can ask you the right questions, in fact if you are not already a member it might be worth joining, I don't see them refusing advice because the event is in the past'
Is the vets bill from them to her or from them to you, if the former then just tear it up.
 
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If you'd come to see a pony of mine to buy it and told me that before you could take it away it would need it's first jab then I'd have felt I was being helpful by arranging the jab as you had a lot on. I certainly wouldn't have expected to have to pay for it though.

So if it was me in your situation I'd be paying the bill and feeling thankful that the owner had got it sorted so I hadn't had to arrange it.
 
Strictly speaking, the vet can't bill you as you were not party to the contract (unless there was something agreed between all parties beforehand, etc.). Paying the bill would accept that there is a contract, so if anything were to go wrong, then you could approach the vet under that contract, etc. etc. etc.

However, given that you have more than enough going on, pay it and move on? Not ideal, but sometimes such is life.

As to the sweet-itch, I believe that is notifiable, so if you're feeling strong, maybe a letter to the seller requesting a partial refund. If not, then the above caveat would be my suggestion.

Condolences for your Father, may he rest in peace.
 
Thanks for replies I have sorted it out as I really cant be bothered with petty stuff. He is worth his weight in gold so what is another £100 on top of everything else!

P.s When we sat down to talk about the sale, the way in which I read the conversation was that she would organise it at a time which was convient etc and I would then pay full asking price on arrival. There was no mention at anytime about vet bills being forwarded to me. If he had become lame before he arrived would i have been held responsible for the vet fee's then? I think not!!

I'm putting this down to experience, it most definitely wont happen again! x
 
MrsD123 said:
It seem a lot to pay for a Shetland, but I suppose that is water under the bridge, it sounds as though the vendor is a dealer or professional, and therefore you can send it back due to sweet itch which should have been declared. You can also claim livery and transport expenses
The woman sounds a right pain, though, if you want to keep a low profile just ignore the vets bill, she made the contract with the vet not you, she could have asked you to contact vet in which case you would be responsible.
You need this like a hole in the head, is there someone who is experienced with horses and who is feeling less fragile who can deal with this for you?
If you are a gold member of the BHS ask the legal helpline, sometimes it helps to explain things to someone, and they can ask you the right questions, in fact if you are not already a member it might be worth joining, I don't see them refusing advice because the event is in the past'
Is the vets bill from them to her or from them to you, if the former then just tear it up.
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Are you in the real world at all?
Nowhere does OP state pony came from a commercial seller at all, that's complete assumption on your part.
As for everything being someone elses fault, I would have thought that by now you (of all posters!) might have woken up to taking some responsibility for your own actions.
OP also states she feels pony is worth what she paid for him, so why would she want to send him back and claim expenses!
Crackers.
 
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I'm not sure I entirely understand this. Surely if you agreed the sale and said it would have to be vaccinated before moving onto your yard, then as it is now your property, so you should pay for it. My horse was in a riding school where I did a bit of weekend teaching and having expressed an interest in her, she was removed from the school list, I took her entirely into my care (including insuring her) and I effectively had her on loan for a month before I said I would definitely buy her. The day before I had her vetted she stood on a big nail so I had the vet check that out before he started the vetting (she wasn't lame and she passed). Had she been lame and the vetting cancelled and rescheduled, I would have paid for the vet's inspection of her hoof without a second thought.
 
I think the mistake was made when you paid for the pony before it'd had those vaccs done. However, now you say you've paid for it - i think that was the only way to do it anyway.
 
As I understand it you asked her to get the jab done? Yes? What if you had asked her to get a saddle fitted for it would you expect her to pay for that too? That said I don't see how the vet can invoice you as you didn't arrange it. If it is possible to have your bills sent to someone else I shall try that for my next vet bill. :)
 
When I sell my weanlings many buyers ask for them to be vaccinated prior to their departure. When I sell colts many buyers ask for them to be gelded prior to their departure. When I sell horses, young and old, many ask to have a vetting performed on said horse. The buyer asks for those things to be done and the buyer pays for those things to be done.
 
jemima_too said:
If you'd come to see a pony of mine to buy it and told me that before you could take it away it would need it's first jab then I'd have felt I was being helpful by arranging the jab as you had a lot on. I certainly wouldn't have expected to have to pay for it though.

So if it was me in your situation I'd be paying the bill and feeling thankful that the owner had got it sorted so I hadn't had to arrange it.
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Totally agree with this. Presumably she wouldn't have got it vaccinated if you hadn't been buying the pony and was being helpful by arranging it for you.

Legally yes, you probably aren't responsible for paying but morally you most definitly are.
 
Firstly, I am very sorry to hear about your Dad, a very hard time for you :(

I would send the bills back to the old owner for any work that was carried out at her yard. If the vet was not working for you, you do not need to pay. Hopefully this is an innocent misunderstanding and not the start of this person trying to be difficult

best of luck
 
£100 for flu & tetanus jab is a bit steep, even with call out. I have no idea who pays as I can see both sides of the argument being valid. So sorry about your dad, take care.
 
Spring Feather said:
When I sell my weanlings many buyers ask for them to be vaccinated prior to their departure. When I sell colts many buyers ask for them to be gelded prior to their departure. When I sell horses, young and old, many ask to have a vetting performed on said horse. The buyer asks for those things to be done and the buyer pays for those things to be done.
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totally agree with this

I think there has been a confusion between the 2 of you somewhere along the line. But the pony was being sold as unvacinated, by requesting it was done, as a seller I would also be expecting you to pay for it.
 
threeponies said:
£100 for flu & tetanus jab is a bit steep, even with call out. I have no idea who pays as I can see both sides of the argument being valid. So sorry about your dad, take care.
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It is about right, considering VAT is 20 percent, we pay £40 for a call out, and I think the last vaccine was £36.00, anyway the cost is dictated by the vet.
 
horsegirl said:
I don't see how the vet can invoice you as you didn't arrange it. If it is possible to have your bills sent to someone else I shall try that for my next vet bill. :)
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I rang my vet recently and asked them to come out to a horse at my yard and to bill the owner. Didn't seem to cause a problem!
 
Spring Feather said:
When I sell my weanlings many buyers ask for them to be vaccinated prior to their departure. When I sell colts many buyers ask for them to be gelded prior to their departure. When I sell horses, young and old, many ask to have a vetting performed on said horse. The buyer asks for those things to be done and the buyer pays for those things to be done.
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Absolutely agree with this.

You stipulated it must have jabs therefore imo you are responsible for cost- the old owner was simply nice enough to get it done for you!
 
I can see you point, but the thing is, you assumed, you asked for it's first jab to be done, did you both actually agree who'd pay for the first injection? vets tend to produce the invoice after the second one is done, then another bill for the 3rd (if it's the ponies first course) I presume the vet came out to your premises to do the second in which case you'll need to be added to their records anyway, I do however think it's a tad cheeky not ringing to let you know there or at least making it clear to you that they were not paying.
 
navaho said:
No, but she asked the owner to get the jabs done for it. If someone asked me to have anything done to a horse they were buying/bought i would expect them to pay for it, after all the price quoted is for the pony as it is.
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This would be my view too.
 
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