Well it finally happened

I used to wonder when I read posts about people with neighbor problems. Why don't I ever have these problems? Five years ago had a developer aproach me with 6 acres of undeveloped land that he is not going to develop for years. If I want to seed it into alfalfa I can have the crop and it will look nice for him. So I planted it with wheat nurse crop. Got a real nice harvest of wheat that year and a real nice stand of alfalfa the next spring. I have been taking tree cuttings of hay off it for last 4 years. This year with wet spring I have been late getting at haying and just am in the middle of my 1st cutting now. So today I go to cut this development prop. about 8 miles from my place only to see someone cut it yesterday. I call developer and ask whats up. He said because I had not cut it yet and someone else asked about it he thought I wasn't going to do it anymore and he couldn't remember who I was so he told the other guy to go ahead. I don't know who cut it but I'm thinking I should put a sign in the windrow tomorrow saying this is my hay. I planted it and paid for seed and been harvesting it for last 5 yrs. My name is---- Call me at this number. I would let him bale up the hay but he should pay me for hay. What do you guys think??

Same thing happened with us a couple weeks ago. They cut it (but in this case they new we had rights), they were just nicely informed that we are baling it. I would say call the guy if you can get the name, and work it out. If he is a decent guy you should be able to work out a deal.

the last 5 yrs and your only cost was seed?

you got your moneys worth

Wheat and then three cuttings for four years and no land rent still sounds like you already had a pretty good deal, so I wouldn't be too vocal. I would think the alfalfa would be on it's last leg. However he should have notified you that the free deal was ending. To prevent a big hassle, I would offer to pay for the mowing and ask the developer if you can retain the past arrangement. A good alternative would be to let this farmer have only the first cutting and then renew the prior arrangement and remind the developer every spring. Otherwise if I was the developer and the parties got into a big donnybrook over the hay, no one would harvest it.

I would wash my hands of the whole deal. No need to even call the guy or go over there anymore. End of story.

Walk away. It's not worth the aggravation, and now you know what you're dealing with anyway.
You pretty well got your money's worth from it. Why dig the hole deeper? The only way I'd fight that one is if I had fertilizer on this year's crop...

Rod

neighbors,i am surrounded by them,closest one is 1 ml as the crow flies.
rented a 1/4 sec full of rocks for 5 years from one, i only had to pick the rocks for the rent, and plant what ever i liked.1st year i picked all rocks and seeded it to hay. second year i cut and baled it,next time i drive by there are two semi's in the field with different neighbor loading last of the bales on them.
turns out landlord sold the hay and second neighbor got 1/3 share for loading it.there are more stories,makes me puke
neighbors,i got little use for them

That's rather odd. All the years of routine, and this happened? I'd let it slide.. no use getting your heart hardened up over it. Just put a sign up or block the entrance with huge timebers or something.

This Should be a good lesson for you --- when some one gives you some thing -- you don't act Dumb and NOT Return some kind of Gratuity.

I'm SURE that person who Owned the Land felt he was being taken advantage of by you --

What I would have done is Sent him a check of (( Something )) every year - that way - I would have a (( Record )) of the Value given

Does it Pay to be Greedy ????????????????
Just HOW DUMB can people get ?????????????????
That's What I Think !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just walk away and be thankful of the years you used the land for free.

For 6 years you've been farming free land. Nice deal. Wish I were so lucky.

So after 6 years of no contact with the land owner who was giving you free land you disapeared and didn't cut. You left the land owner scratching his head wondering what was happening.

Someone came along and asked the land owner about harvesting. You'd disapeared, so the land owner told the new guy go ahead.

Did I sumarize it correctly? And your complaining?

What I would have done is Sent him a check of (( Something )) every year - that way - I would have a (( Record )) of the Value given

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Maybe a gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse at Christmas time, thanking him for the use of the field.

Offer the landowner what its worth to you and get the payment to him early.Places I rent I pay the rent by Feb 1st each year and if I'm going
to give the land up the following year I notify the owner by Dec 1st.Have several freeby deals like you did I call or visit them each Winter to confirm things for the following year.

Some years back, a fellow I know gave me a field of hay for the taking. I was about half done mowing, when a guy stopped and asked what I was doing mowing his field? Turns out I was one field over- what I had been given was a horse pasture about three quarters grazed off. I told the owner I could either leave immediately, or if he wanted, I'd finish mowing (the weather looked pretty good). He chose the latter- then rains came just before he baled, and he lost the whole crop. I figured that was that. Lo and behold, a couple months later, received a check in the mail for the mowing. Pretty stand-up guy, considering that he may not have lost it if he had been able to choose the timing for mowing.

Being a land owner that doesn't know everything about farming, I almost approached the man farming the ground that borders mine to see if he were interested. My renter from last year didn't show up or call until the last week of May. Had he been a day later he'd been out.
Being reasonable, I'd ask the land owner if the deal could continue, maybe pay some rent or something. If you've been taking good care of the land, that takes something in account. Otherwise, I'd be there first thing in the AM to bale.