Got a call from a client we did a boundary for. They were the buyer and wanted to know what the boundary looked like for the 400 Acre parcel, a 1/2 Section and two isolated 40's. We went out surveyed the parcel, located the fences and did a drawing.?ÿ
The existing owner is calling the buyer complaining that we are messing up his property, leaving gates open, driving all over, making tracks in the pasture grass.?ÿ
It was kind of weird since this was a rush job and I figured the client would be the owner by now.?ÿ
I told the client we were there one day, July 8th.?ÿ
It's not us!!!!
We will often take a quick snapshot of the gates as we exit a job, just to prove we closed them, this wasn't that type of job, but the party chief may have, I'll ask next week.?ÿ
Been there, experienced that, with the same explanation of how current issues are not being caused by us.?ÿ We represent a handy scapegoat.
The one exception I can think of was a case where we had to get the job done ASAP and we did.?ÿ To access certain remote points we had to drive through a corn field that was within a week or two of being ready to harvest thus knocking over two to three rows of very productive plants for a rather lengthy stretch with our truck.?ÿ Taking a four-wheeler wasn't a sound option in this case and would have been extremely hard on both the machine and the driver.?ÿ The farmer/renter situation was one where the farmer was paid a flat rate per acre by the renter so the renter was the one who was losing income because of our action.?ÿ I was totally surprised that we did not get an angry call from the renter.?ÿ He may have been compensated in some other fashion by the owner.?ÿ I do not know.
A few weeks ago I got drilled by a land owner for leaving tracks and driving over his septic tank and lateral field.?ÿ Not knowing where his junk was buried I apologized and let him chew on my butt for a while.?ÿ I'm usually pretty conscious about such things, but who knows??ÿ I may have been the culprit.
A day or two later I was back out in that part of the county and decided to drop by and look at the damage.?ÿ The first thing I noticed was the width of the tracks...way too narrow for a pickup, not to mention very small radius doughnuts somebody had also cut.?ÿ I suspected a Gator or similar ATV.
I called the guy back and let him know he was barking up the wrong tree.?ÿ I was a lot nicer than I could have been.?ÿ
A lot to unpack here. I wouldn't waste any more time or bother your field crew.?ÿ?ÿ
we had to drive through a corn field
I guess, I've been in Urbana too long, but back in the day, we would never have done that. I clearly remember bucking tripods, transits and a 3810 through what seemed a mile of corn stalks.?ÿ
That's why that job stands out in my memory.?ÿ As a farmer myself I understand the frustration that may have caused.?ÿ I'm betting the land owner more than paid for any damage to the renter as he was getting a premium for his land.
BTW, that job would have been within a 20 mile radius of Urbana.?ÿ Urbana, Kansas, that is.?ÿ Founded as a commune by folks who referred to themselves as communists.
@holy-cow I lived on a farm where they would here and there leave a row or two of corn standing through the winter. Made a snow fence of sorts, left feed for pheasants and other wildlife and those plants never yielded as much because of competition from other plants/trees in the fence row.?ÿ I was a hunter at the time and enjoyed walking those fence rows.
@holy-cow Completely different but in 1955 they filmed a movie on my grandfather's farm, "Goodbye My Lady".?ÿ They paid my grandfather $50 per day NOT to run his tractor, the sound would be picked up by their equipment.?ÿ Doesn't sound like much today but to a dirt farmer in south Georgia $50 per day was quite a haul.
Walter Brennan, Sidney Poitier, Brandon DeWilde, Phil Harris and William Hooper were all in the movie.?ÿ My mother told me I used to sit in Walter Brennan's lap between takes.
Andy
@andy-bruner Wow, interesting cast.
@holy-cow I try my best to get signatures in advance from the property owner on a ??crop damage waiver? in situations like this...