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What would you have done

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37 chief

06-12-2005 20:25:24




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Was doing a mowing job for a agent selling a piece of ground prior to it being sold. The potential owner shows in a new fancy car, has a phone strapped to his head like he is someone real important, and starts to tell me how to cut weeds. He wanted to see bare ground, and I tried to explain to him my mower will not cut to bare ground. The conversation went down hill real fast from there. I told him I am leaving this job, and left. He got into his fancy car and left I loded my tractor on my old trailor and left also.I had about three hours in the job already. Stan in calif

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Nolan

06-14-2005 04:28:23




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Why are you paying attention to a "potential" owner? When they become the true and complete owner, then they can dictate how you mow their lawn. As it stands now, it isn't their lawn and they have no authority over you as you are under contract to a realtor.



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Davis In SC

06-13-2005 20:01:12




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
I think it would be best to contact the realtor, & explain what happened. Offer to go finish the job. You actully did the agent a favor by leaving... if the disagreement had gotten nasty, it could have cost the agent the sale, buyer could have walked away from deal. I understand why you got mad & left. I have had to deal with a few arrogant jerks like that. I have always wondered why people act that way, it must be to cover up their insecurity or something... Although that guy had the appearance of being wealthy, I would bet he really does not have 2 nickels to rub together.

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Robert in W. Mi.

06-13-2005 17:38:36




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
I would have listened to him and when he was done i would have politely explained to him that my mower wouldn't do what HE wanted done. Then i would have asked him, "do you want to pay me for my 3 hours i have done now and ill leave, or do you want me to continue mowing like i am now, because like i said, NO mower like this one will go any lower".

That would put the ball in his court, and i'd go from there.

Robert

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jocco

06-13-2005 16:48:03




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
choking him into submission might have worked it has been done around here!



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Rod in Smiths Falls, ON,

06-13-2005 16:32:23




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
I'd just write the encounter off to the rule of 30* and get on with mowing the weeds.

I developed the rule of 30 over a long career in education in an attempt to explain the otherwise unexplainable. For example, if you put thirty well-prepared, well-motivated students into an examination room, one kid will find a way to screw up the paper in a manner no one had dreamed possible.

Take the case of the girl who walked in, tripped over her feet, landed flat on her face and screamed, "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" until she got control of her embarrassment. With her peers thoroughly psyched out, she then got up and wrote the best paper of her life.

Or the girl who wrote for two hours, then sat for the final hour, only to approach me after the papers were collected to tell me that she had somehow forgotten to write the second half of the exam. Rule of 30 says you set her down and let her write it.

Or the tearful rookie teacher who encountered a set of parents who were unaccountably cruel to her. I told her that regardless of how good or bad a job you do, one set of parents in thirty will be awful. It's just the rule of 30.

So look at the mowing job this way: you might as well keep the relationship with the realtor sweet, for you are in for 29 good ones after this jerk.

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Mark - IN.

06-13-2005 16:27:33




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
That's a tough one Chief. I don't blame you for packing it in and leaving. I'm pretty certain that I would've done the same thing. It might be your loss, might not. You said that you were doing the job for the agent, and that might be your out to finish and get paid. What I mean is, if you haven't already: Go to the agent whom you were doing the job for, as expected, and were approached by the buyer, whom you weren't working for, whom turned it into a hostile situation, that you thought it better to leave the premises temporarily. You would happily finish your end of the deal with your employer, the agent, if the agent can keep his/her employer away from you. Regardless, you showed up and were gainfully performing as requested, by your employer, befor being disrupted by...

Just a thought. I most certainly would've done the same, and probably some joker will get away with one, but may not. I work with a guy that put a new, small, upstart landscaping business out of business - got the deal of the century, really, then nickled, dimed, and litigated the poor goor out of business over never ending high dollar freebies. And he thinks nothing of it, as a matter of fact he chuckles about it. I don't operate like that. The guy's a bum.

Mark

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Dave 2N

06-13-2005 11:59:07




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Based on the info. you have given, it appears that:

1-The ownwer is a typical spoiled yuppie.
2-I can just about guarantee that he knows absolutely nothing about how to do the job that you are doing.
3-He's used to giving a lot of orders to people.
4-He needed to be told that, thank God, you were working for the agent and not him. And then--I'd have said "Get out of here before a stone goes through your car window or hits a better target!"

I don't see this guy as being a danger except to himself because of his attitude and his mouth. I would have kept working and laughed at him as he pitched his "hissy fit."

Spoiled yuppies----they are all over the place!

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Matt from CT

06-13-2005 11:12:47




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 Devil's Advocate... in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
1) Presumably Agent had sent the potential buyer to look at the property.

2) The "argument went down hill fast"

While it may be inadvertent, the agent created a hostile/unsafe situation.

You left in order to insure situation was defused.

===== ====

So perhaps this is one to call the agent and let him know you felt you needed to leave the job due to concerns over your safety because of the argument that occured. Does he want to be billed just for the three hours or will you be able to finish the job unharrased and unthreatened?

Maybe I'm all wet here...

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Dave 2N

06-13-2005 12:01:02




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 Re: Devil's Advocate... in reply to Matt from CT, 06-13-2005 11:12:47  
You might ought to get a raincoat, Matt.



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acmfmh

06-13-2005 11:25:25




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 Re: Devil's Advocate... in reply to Matt from CT, 06-13-2005 11:12:47  
I do not think it is unreasonable to leave if the situation warrants. If one fears for their safety, then I say leave. But, if he is just a jerk finish up and tell the realtor about the situation.

I think you are on the same track as the rest of us. Just brought up the fear for safety issue. I do not think anone else would disagree with leaving if you are threatened with harm.



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James2

06-13-2005 08:04:16




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
The others who told you to finsh the job because the agreement was with the agent are correct. However considering the circumstances, I would have done the same thing, loaded up, left and wrote off the three hours. Life is too short to put up with that crap.



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Paul in Mich

06-13-2005 07:24:36




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Chief, While you owe any "potential buyer" nothing, you did enter into a contract with the agent. It is nothing less than right to satisfy that contract. By pulling out, you in all actuality breached the contract you had with the agent, and may not be due the money until you complete the job. The potential buyer is nothing more than a bystander and has absolutely no stake in the contract. Only after he has legal right to the property, either by ownership of lease, can he enter into any agreement with you as to what and how to mow. Until then, he is irrelevant, with or without a $50.00 cigar. I"m surprised you allowed yourself to be intimidated by such a buffoon.

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richlizzy

06-13-2005 06:58:01




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Finish mowing the property. Then go down to the court house and file a lien against the property. You will get paid when the property sells. Of course the agent might just pay you right away. Forget the fancy fool.



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acmfmh

06-13-2005 06:54:49




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Finish the job for the agent. Mr Important can have dirt when/if he actually buys the property. He may not buy it. The next person may not want see dirt. Just do what you can.

Good luck.



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brian 1

06-13-2005 06:52:19




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
I'd have climbed back on the tractor once I determined he wasn't all that important and finished the job. I'd probably have made sure that fancy car was in the path of some debris if he didn't move it though.



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TomTX

06-13-2005 06:18:09




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
You are liable to the person you verbally contracted with to do the mowing. You should finish the job. The deal was between you and the other person, not the loud mouth you got in the fuss with. If you do not return and finish the job, they owe you nothing for the 3 hours worked.



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Bill46

06-13-2005 05:49:25




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
He must be related to the city employee I ran into Saturday.
I have just finished mowing at the church and with tractor on the trailer stopped at the Waffle House on the way home.
This guy comes busting in telling me he had 5 lots for me to mow today. I told him I did not mow commercial and I was hot and going to the house. He informed me he wanted them mowed that day. Seems the city mows vacant lots then charges the owners a fee when they do not take care of them.
I finally had to get a little rough with him. He was going to have me do it like it or not. What a jerk.

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Henry R.

06-13-2005 03:05:55




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
I assume that you were mowing for the agent. But to have fun with Mr. uppity I would tell him no problem .For 50.00 an hour plus road time I would get my pulverizer, disk , or tiller and he would see the ground .Then I would tell him I need the cash up front.This would probably put the guy back in the car and I am sure the agent would pay you for work rendered .Have fun with these type people , you got the upper hand.Good luck

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TDK

06-12-2005 21:59:46




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Sounds familiar. A few acres that joins us was owned by a guy that buys/sells land and he gave us the hay just to get the property cleaned up. While bailing some guy runs up and asks me "was I putting it up on halves" because he had just bought the property(he has cattle & horsrs to feed)& wanted half of the hay.Told him no, was putting it up on "whole", meaning I get it all and if he had a problem with it he would have to take it up with seller. He didn't have anything else to say & left, I finished the hay and put it in barn. Case closed!

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patrickone

06-12-2005 20:53:30




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Real point is you were really working for the agent and that guy you refer to means nothing. Until the guy really buys the place he doesn't have a leg to stand on. You could tell him to go fly a kite if you wanted to.



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Sid

06-12-2005 20:48:05




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
Would have let him know he was not the one hiring me, and finished the job.



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Mike (WA)

06-13-2005 08:07:47




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to Sid, 06-12-2005 20:48:05  
Sid hit the nail on the head. Would have ignored Mr. Bigshot, and finished the job. And would have offered to bring over tillage tools to "get it to bare ground" after he buys it, cash in advance, of course.



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greenbeanman in Kansas

06-13-2005 04:19:29




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 Yes, that is what I would have done too. in reply to Sid, 06-12-2005 20:48:05  
I agree. You were hired by someone else, those currently in charge of such things, and were working for them not some POSSIBLE new owner. The property may need mowed again before it is closed on even if the fellow does buy it.

I would go back and finish the job as an agent for the realty company. There may be future jobs on the line.



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mattd

06-12-2005 20:35:18




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
i would have told him "well why dont you do it if you know so much." and laughed when he comes up with some excuse to why he cant. but seriously i would have done the same thing except if he buys the property id send him a bill for 3 hours of labor.

matt



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DonL C

06-12-2005 20:34:47




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 Re: What would you have done in reply to 37 chief, 06-12-2005 20:25:24  
I guess you will have a simple contract with a % of the estmated charges paid up front..... ..... .....



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