What to do with a livery who has trashed my fields, and broken her contract?!

You need to make it quite clear to her that she is financially liable to pay for the repair to the fencing and the field and also for the months rent.

Get an independent fencing contractor and grass land contractor in to provide quotations for the repairs.

If she fauils to agree to pay then take her to the small claims court.
 
I do hope that you find a satisfactory solution to this problem. I dont know if this will help, but several years ago I used to rent and I had to pay one years rent up front. This was because the owner had had quite a few bad experiences with horse owners leaving owing him. I stayed at the place for approximately 10 years, I became good friend with the owner and his family but always paid 1 year in advance up front.
During this time I was responsible for all fencing and also building repair.
 
kittykatcat said:
Mike - the fencing was brand new when she moved in - it's posts and electric tape (P&R around the perimetre but posts and tape dividing into paddocks) all the other horses are fine with it as i have electrified the tape (as i asked her to do when she moved - evidently she didnt). How long has she been there, did you not check that she had done as you asked?When she moved in, my fields had over a foot of grass, if she had managed them like i asked her to, and like i have done, there is actually quite a lot of grass left.Again, have you not been watching what has been going on? I am lucky in this respect.

I agree i'm not sure a small claims court would be the way forward, but please dont think i am just trying to point the finger and get some new fencing out of this! I'm sesriously being done over and just don't know what's the best plan of action.
I think your best plan is to look for a new livery and forget about this one

As of now, she still hasnt picked the bloomin' horses up and i am so so scared she is going to leave them!!
Click to expand...
I do hope for the sake of everyone involved that she collects her horses very soon.
 
I hope she isn't going to leave you with the horses?? What area are you in as there are always people on this board looking for yards to rent?

Liz
 
If she has assets, is not liable to just disappear and is in the slightest bit worried about her reputation, then invoice her and threaten to sue her if she doesn't pay up within 28 days. If she doesn't tick all 3 boxes, then don't bother!

No point winning if she has no assets for a bailiff to take.

No point winning if she will just do a runner.

If she just doesn't care, you will spend years chasing her for a slim chance of ever seeing the money. Meanwhile, you are racking up solicitor's etc. fees.
 
Write her a letter and send it recorded delivery to her stating that unless she settle her outstanding bill with you (months livery + costs to repair fencing (get a quote and enclose a copy) + your time at an hourly rate for clearing the field of poo) within a certain time period (lets say 30 days) who will be taking her to the small claims court. Also enclose a copy of her signed contract highlighting the relevent sections which she has broken.

You'll be amazed that she will suddenly pay up! I've seen it happen!

This is the 1st step that legal advice would give you. Small claims court is not difficult to do either and is TOTALLY worth doing. My husband has done it quite a few times for my brothers business.

You are NOT a charity!
 
Small claims court is a way to go however it is not that easy to get any judgement that goes in your favour enforced so you could still end up out of pocket.

I would certainly bill her for outstanding livery, notice and fence repairs but if she is having financial problems it is quite likely that she will do a moonlight flit with her horses.

Chalk it up to experience and good luck with your next tenant.
 
When she has gone would it be worth you advertising the yard at a reduced rate for a couple of months for someone who would sort out the mess she has left?

Just a thought as I know there are so many people desperate to find a decent yard to rent and it is so annoying when you hear of someone like this girl who has messed up what sounds like a lovely yard!
 
Maybe this idea, leave a message /txt
Hi,
just to let you know i have rented field and stables out to a dealer for his stallion who are coming in two days time , he is splittin field in to two with colts in one stallion in the other, just to let you know, thank-you .........
it might work lol
 
Haha love the suggestion thinlizzy!

Thank you for all your suggestions and support :)

Just to let you know what happened in the end in case anyones interested...

Girl and family came to pick up horses yesterday but i had padlocked the field gates as I was NOT letting her leave without a) poo picking or b) fixing repairs or c) paying for the first week in August that she was here, i was not going to be completely done over! So they clearly didnt like this and phoned the police (??) who practically laughed at the situation and ended up fairly favourably as they handed over a weeks rent (won't go too far but better than a slap in the face!).

Thank God they are gone now...i am just left with a destroyed fence and a field full of ****. I would normally just harrow and rest, but because i really need to rent the yard out ASAP i need to poo pick - was there until 9pm last night, did 16 barrows, probably not even a third of it? Getting the quad out tonight lol!

And to top it all off - my very elderly livery has been disgnosed with moon blindness last night and his owners on holiday...aghhhhhh it never rains...it pours!

:) xx
 
Don,t give in, i know it's easy to say.
i would put her horse in a stable and paddlock the door.
(i know it's not the horse's fault )
but, if she gets away with it this time she will only go and do it to someone else.
i do fill for you and it's a horrid position to be in.
speak to CAB.
chin up
 
Well done for dealing with it in a way that at least means shes had to move a bit from her previous position, albeit not far enough to be fair to you.

At least now you can move on. Just pity the local livery yard owner she ends up with....
 
I rent a private yard, and pay rent in advance every 8 weeks......I paid a deposit along with my first 8 weeks rent, and I certainly didn't mind doing so....I would ask for this when you rent out again just to cover your back ( and pocket)


Good luck with getting it sorted...but I wouldn't hold your breath, nice people seem to get done over easily I'm afraid:mad:
 
Glad you got your weeks rent.You should have made them poopick, though.

I hate electric fencing, it just won't hold my in season Tb - can't you get some post and rail?
 
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