What Should I Pay?

[MikePA]

My neighbor, who I buy hay from, has just completed the following on my 3 acre parcel of land. He offered to do this when I mentioned we had just purchased it. I want to pay him, but I have no idea how much or even how much he's spent. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif I know if I ask him, he'll say I don't owe him anything. I tried asking his wife, but she said she has no idea. Do any of you have an idea of how much I should include in my 'Thank You' note?

1. Disced under a corn crop from last year.
2. Plowed the ground.
3. Disked it again.
4. Had the outfit that limed his hay fields come over and lime my parcel
5. Last evening, he used his seeder and planted pasture grass he purchased.

 

[Golfgar4]

Boy, that is a neighbor you definitely want to keep on the good side of!/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I think we've all been in that situation at one time or another. You want to make sure he knows you appreciate what he did, and yet you don't want to insult him either. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

I've handled this kind of thing in two different ways, depending on what I could find out from his wife (or someone who might know him). The first way is find out what it would've cost you to hire all that work done, then figure out what about 1/2 - 2/3's would be. Depending on what you found out about him, either give him that money in cash, or maybe purchase something he's been wanting and give it as gift.

The other way is to just bide your time until you can provide a service for him. I prefer this option because it helps keep things on a friendly basis, and provides some commonality for the two families to share.

I'm sure you'll come up with the right soultion. Good luck!

 

[billboe]

Aren't good neighbors great!

Golfgar4: <font color=blue>The other way is to just bide your time until you can provide a service for him. I prefer this option because it helps keep things on a friendly basis, and provides some commonality for the two families to share.</font color=blue>

I agree with Golfgar4 assuming you think you'll be able to help him in the future... Plus, depending upon your relationship, you could either get him a good bottle of his favorite type beverage or perhaps take him and his wife to dinner.

 

[stmiller2]

Good sources of information on the estimated costs (variable and fixed) of various field operations (plowing, disking, seeding, etc.) are the enterprise budgets published by the Cooperative Extension Services (CES) around the country.

The URL below provides a listing of CES web sites for the various states.

http://www.rural.org/Farmers_Guide/agriculture/landgrant.htm

 

[Dozernut]

I have to agree witk Golfgar4. Simply return the favor. Offer your help to him. There are times during haying, planting, harvesting and a myriad of farming chores where a simple offer of help would greeted as a gift from heaven. This is what makes for great neighbors, not money! Have an old fashion wiener roast and invite the neighbors, pitch some horse shoes, this is a timeless sport that even teens love to play. You will find that these simple things will be remembered for life, a check once cashed is forgotten. Friendship is like a garden, it needs tending!

 

[BB_TX]

I also agree with Golfgar4. Some people simply enjoy doing things for others with no expectation other than a thank you and maybe a return on the favor later. Some may actually be offended if you try to force some payment on them. Invite them over for dinner. Take them out to dinner. Or simply watch for an opportunity to repay by doing something for him in return.

 

[RanchMan]

It sounds like you have a REALLY nice neighbor. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Now, I don't want to sound like a "gloomy gus" or plant any seeds of paranoia here, but I've heard of circumstances where the "nice neighbor" had something up their sleeve.

For example, there was a fellow in Texas here that leased out his property (about 2K acres) for hunting. Well, the folks that he leased it to wound up doing a bunch of work (mainly fencing) to the place. After a couple of years of them constantly fixing things up, they turned around and demanded payment for "services rendered." The old rancher had no money to speak of (passed down family land) and therefore couldn't pay.

Anyway, I'm not shure of the exact statue or leagal angle they used, but they ended up suing the rancher and got virtually ALL of the land! And no, this isn't a "old wive's tale" or the such, but a true story (my wife works with one of the parties).

Again, PLEASE don't interpret this as me thinking that your nice neighbor is really a wolf in sheep’s clothing or anything like that. I agree with the posts here in that sometimes folks just enjoy "being kind to their fellow man." I also agree that there should be a way for you to reciprocate in some fashion (although based on your original message, figuring it out may be hard! /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif)

My only point is that no matter how nice some folks are, it doesn't hurt to make sure to "think forward" a step or 2 "just in case." e.g. go ahead and cross the street, just look both ways before stepping off the curb.

 

[MikePA]

Well, I read all the posts, hemmed and hawed, debating what I should do. I finally decided to call him, say 'Thanks!' and ask what I owed him. He replied...

Plowing - $20.00
Discing - $100.00
Planting - $25.00
Lime - $100.00
Seed - $125.88

Total - $370.88

Which I think is a huge bargain for 3 acres. Basically he charged $145 for doing all this work since he charged me only what he paid for the lime and seed.

 

[rancar]

Mike,

<font color=blue>I know if I ask him, he'll say I don't owe him anything.</font color=blue>

Are you sure he will say that. Why not ask him anyway and find out for sure. If he then confirms your presumptions, then graciously thank him and then look for a way to return the favor in the future. One doesn't always have to look to pay back someone else if the kind gesture is meant to be a gift done out of the goodness of one's heart. Recognize it as a gift and accept it for what it is.

Regards,
Bob Ancar
Cambridge, NY

 

[MDNY]

Ranchman,

You have got to love people like that. The nice fella lets them hunt on his land and they take it away. Makes you just sick. I would figure that the luxury of hunting on such a large parcel was payment enough for the work they did. Just keeps you up with the way the world really works.

I agree though everyone has to be careful, but if a true neighbor and friend wants to help there shouldn't be anything thought ill of it.