# Cell phone towers



## Smallfarmky (May 31, 2017)

What’s the going rate to lease a spot for a cell tower? Anyone done this? Any suggestions on things to ask for? Anything you wish you had done differently? I have a contractor for a major provider wanting one spot on two different farms


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

I think my township is getting $2000 a month but I’m no sure how many sites that is.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I have also received a letter seeking a location. I am going to meet with the rep.

It seems the going rate around here is $600 per month. I heard of them also throwing in a some free phone service. They only need a quarter acre and no guy wires.

I have a perfect spot, in a curve, on a hill, at an intersection, close to a school. The issue is the community will not like that site. It will be hard for me also. That property has been in the family since this area was open for settlement. They bought it from the railroad, who was paid in land rather than money. The Indians owned it, the railroads owned it and we have owned it.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

The problem I see with cell towers is who pays to clean them up some day when there obsolete. Sure the steel parts cut them down sell for scrap metal make a couple bucks. The problem is I have worked on drilling the hole in the ground to support the towers. The one I worked on was 8 feet across by 40 feet deep with a rebar cage in it . Now removing something like that is not going to be cheap if for some reason it’s in the way in the future. I have two telephone poles in my meadow that phone company removed wiring from 40 years ago not really a problem but there still there and we have mowed around theme for a long time.


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

Signed a contract a while back with a major provider. It took a while to work things out but we came to terms. Here is what we learned:

Liability Insurance - they wanted me to have 2M in liability coverage. As it turns out, it would not have cost that much to add rider to my home owner's policy. Instead we requested they cover me with their's. They countered with not requiring me to have coverage as long as my hayfield remained a field (no structures w/in so many feet) of the tower.

When do they start to pay - The original proposal said they would start to pay when the tower is constructed but, did not say when they would construct the tower. So basically they could tie up the property for five years and not pay me a dime. We countered with a deadline for starting to pay me whether the tower was there or not. They countered with a later start date (Oct 1 2018) but would pay whether tower is built or not (btw I've gotten my first lease payment and still no tower). To me this is a biggie!

Removal of tower and foundation if decommissioned. They agreed to remove everything down to 2' or so below existing grade.

Property taxes - they agreed to pay the property tax on the lot where the tower will sit. We have ag use rates in my area and right now the lot is part of a hay field. No telling what the property taxes will be on that parcel when they build the tower. We will invoice them for this amount each year.

As much as I dont like attorneys, we had our attorney review the contract and draft these changes. Some of these we came up with and some were the attorney's advice. If you have an attorney you trust that knows property laws in your area I would strongly advise you to let them help.

Hope this helps.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Buddy has an offer for $900/month to put an antenna on his silo. They want his spot bad because they have a dead spot in coverage. His 24 x 80 stave silo wont hold the weight so they will pay for 2/3 of the cost of a remanufactured harvest store. The cell company also has coverage on the antenna incase of damage and its own electric meter.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

PaMike said:


> Buddy has an offer for $900/month to put an antenna on his silo. They want his spot bad because they have a dead spot in coverage. His 24 x 80 stave silo wont hold the weight so they will pay for 2/3 of the cost of a remanufactured harvest store. The cell company also has coverage on the antenna incase of damage and its own electric meter.


Wth is a remanufactured harvest store?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

somedevildawg said:


> Wth is a remanufactured harvest store?


Harvestore

https://www.cstindustries.com/harvestore-silos-storage-manufacturer/


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> Wth is a remanufactured harvest store?


Dont they sell south of the Mason Dixon?? 

They have their lovers and haters but not having to climb up into the silo and level off and close/open doors will be a big plus...


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Heading away from the original topic but I have friends that are taking their Harvestore silos down 2 20x80 and a 90 footer. they started making the corn silage wetter to get better milk production and they have had troubles with the unloaders, they don't do well with wetter feeds.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

danwi said:


> Heading away from the original topic but I have friends that are taking their Harvestore silos down 2 20x80 and a 90 footer. they started making the corn silage wetter to get better milk production and they have had troubles with the unloaders, they don't do well with wetter feeds.


Have not seen a new one go up in yrs.Alot sitting empty and not being used here.Alot have been torn down,some for scrap.

Maintenance fairly high on unloaders.To slow for bigger guys.

I have one I used for HMSC for fat cattle,works well.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Back to the original question.

As has been covered, removal (I went with 3' deep, just incase their tape measure was different than mine ), taxes, electrical, starting date and insurance, I agree with. I tried the free phone, they wouldn't do that in MY area and I *DID NOT* use an attorney.

I had three agreements, the 1st one started at $500 a month, with a 5% or rate of inflation (greater of compounded), second one started at $900 a month, they balked on the 5% or ROI, said they didn't do that type of arrangement. I said, well X company did and I guess you will need to find another location. Somehow, they were able to do the 5% or ROI annual increase in THIER contract too. The third one I got the initial deposit, but they never got started on their build out. 

BTW, the first2 leases were started 20+ years ago and co-located (they were put on top of existing electric company tower, 164KV tower, about 150-175 feet high).

First one, I got payments, but never got any equipment installed. With the second company all equipment was located directly under tower (between the 4 corners), plus the driveway from State highway (tower is about 70' from ROW). Had a 3rd company paid a deposit and stopped. With the third company the electric company didn't allow an equipment directly under tower or the arms any more, so I was going to lose 15'-20' of hay field). I imagine they all were paying electric company rental/lease payments also (where they hung some of their stuff).

Neither one first two companies exist anymore (Nextel become Sprint and the original ATT, bought by Ameritec/SBC, IIRC). So with the first 2 bought out/merger and disbanded, the third (T-Mobile) is kind of coasting right now, their time is soon coming up (5 year, time allotment to build/pay).

The removal of equipment with ATT hasn't been completed, so some equipment is still hanging on electric company tower, but well out of my way at 150' in the air casting a small shadow (the part under the tower isn't in my way). So in that case, I wish I would have added a timeline for removal if operations/payments cease. They are exercising the re-use clause, where they can re-start site if need in the future (but no payments in the meantime) :angry:. Something like that will be in the next contract.

Even with no present active tower, I still get phone calls/letters from companies wanting to 'buy' my site. Told my wife, if you get an inflation rider on a new deal, never sell that little piece of ground.

HTH

Larry


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