# The curse of the friendly landlord



## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

You guys might already know exactly where this is headed...

Maybe I'm very blessed, but it's a curse. And I don't know how I keep finding myself in these situations, but the events of today made me think about it.

There's a small field adjacent to my property, it's about 5.5 acres. I own half of it, the other half is owned by Jeff. I bale the whole thing and Jeff charges me nothing to use his half. I fertilize, spray, seed the land however I want. Jeff is just glad I keep it mowed. Jeff has a rental property that sits on the front of his half and he's over there pretty frequently mowing the yard or doing stuff for his tenants. Like he was today. Jeff and I are also pretty good friends. I'm mowing today, trying to hustle to take as much advantage of the nice drying weather as I can, and still have another field to mow after this one.

He's driving along on this riding mower and stops near me on the edge of the field. So of course I have to stop and get off and go talk to him. We chat for a few minutes, then I say 'well I gotta keep moving, I still got a lot to go.'

About 30 minutes later he drives back out on his mower, this time with 2 beers. The curse continues. So I have to get off, appease him and talk to him some more and drink some of his beer before I say again I need to keep rolling. This happens every time with Jeff too, btw.

Now rewind to earlier this summer. Different field, different landlord, identical situation. He sees me mowing, drives his truck out there and waits until I'm at the end of the row. So I do the polite thing and get off and say hi. He proceeds to talk to me forever. We finish, I get done mowing, he comes out with a beer for me and wants to show me his house and garage. I'm thinking about everything I still need to get done but here I am with the curse...

Now that I think of it, every landlord I work with is like this. Maybe I should be thankful that I just look so helpless that people feel bad for me and think they need to be nice to me. :lol: I'll take it any day over working with a jerk however, and the relationships with the people, including landlords and customers, is just one of the many, many things I love about haying.

Surely I can't be the only one with this type of experience?


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## StxPecans (Mar 3, 2018)

Just part of leasing land. Complaining about this means life must be going well. Worked with a hispanic guy that would say "white people problems".


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Better having those cans cold and in your hand than dealing with d&^% landlord and have cans in your hay after a party. Small price to pay when it could be the exact opposite.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

We have rented out few acres off and on over the last years as my plans varied. I had offered cold soft drinks or water but try to stay out their way. One thing I want from the guy is feed back on how his crop did. You might could help if this is a real issue by doing what people use to do here, the person renting the land would visit the proper owner during the off season and really have a sit down visit with them as friend and discuss the land, it condition, what their plans were and of course how each family was doing and well it was business partners being friends.

A thought and only a thought, might be a terrible idea: have a BBQ or other cook out for your landlords. But congratulations for the problem you have.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I could think of worse problems. My "landlords":

Don't trim low branches in their fields
Don't pick up junk in their fields
Don't maintain stone in their field entrances or driveways
Don't maintain fences
Don't have any problem asking for rent money while asking me to do all the above.


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## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

Count your blessings. Carry a cooler.........offer them a soda. Maybe explain you prefer not to operate machinery under the influence of alcohol. There's an art on getting out of long winded conversations and not offending the other party. "Time is of the essence ".

If these are your biggest issues..........your a lucky man.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

Same boat Josh. I will find a way to break it off after a few minutes if I have work looming over my head. The absolute WORST (waaay worse than the landlords) is the hay customers, Every dang hay customer I have and every hog buyer that comes... ain't nobody can come here, get their crap, and then leave without spending 1/2 hour jawing about whatever.

I reckon it's just Country Hospitality...happens about anywhere there's hard workin folk tied to the land.

Mark


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## chaded (May 13, 2018)

I grew up in a rural area and got accustomed to that type of thing but it didn't take long for me to forget it after moving to a small city with my wife for her medical training for 5 years. People were different and would hardly talk to each other.

We just recently moved back to a rural area and bought a farm and we were pretty shocked at the fact when you walk down the street in our little town and people actually stop and talk to you even though they don't know you. Lol.

The neighbors and farmers I work with sometimes don't get anything done for an hour or so because we get to talking but I think there is something to be said about about the relationships being made.


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

I don't rent any farmland. I only work land that I own and I still get neighbors coming over to chat when I'm trying to get a field mowed, etc.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

I live in a county that has many thousand of people move to from especially up North. My insurance office sets in front of about a 10 acre field and it amazes me how many will talk about the farm they grew up on or their grandparents or other relative's farm. There is a relationship the land that draws people especially if they had any childhood experience with it. It is as memory goes we remember the good and tend to let the bad slide. I enjoy the land, especially as I think of the work done with my Daddy who passed when I was 16 and then the land my wife was raised on which we farm today.

Hayjosh, if you find yourself sitting around kitchen table with your landowners over the winter you might find it enjoyable to ask their farm memories. You can be sure that will increase the bond between you two.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Well why don't you ask for help????? I could 'pinch' hit for you on the barley pops (they must be cold however) and I might need a place to nap (no drinkin' and driving, I know you have a dog-house, but the dog appears to be pretty big). AND you need to be a little closer it seems (with a couple hours of drive time, the barley pops could be spoiled). 

Larry

PS I use to take my boys Trick or Treating and had the same problem. Couldn't go to many houses, there is a limit to how many free beers in one day it seems.  And 4-5 hours of T& T, was way too long for the boys (they might get sick eating all that candy).


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## NebTrac (Aug 12, 2014)

Josh, I will relate something very near to what you've experienced. Only with me it wasn't a neighbor, it was my Grandpa.

We stacked hay then and seemed, like you, was always pushed for time. We'd no sooner get started and Grandpa would show up so we HAD to stop and talk to him.

Later that same day we had a tire go flat and I took it to town and while there was chatting with another gentleman about how farming and things were going. I relayed how we just get started going and Grandpa would come out and we HAD to stop operations and talk to him.

The guy looked me in the eye and said "you mean you GET to talk to him". I said "huh" and he repeated himself. "You GET to talk to him".

My attitude changed after that.

While not exactly the same, and believe me I share the frustration at times, I hope it will at least allow us to ponder.

Troy


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Interviewing people is one of the things I do for a living.

My experience is that most chatty people are not offended if you explain you are busy and need to break off the conversation. They know they like to talk.

Roger


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

Just another cost of doing business,may have to higher Larry. I have had a few landlords like that.

It can get more complicated than talking. One morning had the landlord strand around the corner on the road as cows followed a bale of hay in my truck to cross the road. All done with everything but the talking in under 10 minutes. Another retired guy that lived on the same yard,landlord,and myself they yak away as I keep thinking just paying the price. Then the landlord leans into my truck and slumps to the ground. The days before cell phones so other guy goes and calls 911. Luckily a volunteer fireman was 5 minutes away and he came to about then as well. They took him to hospital and never found anything. But talking didn't seem so bad when compared to dealing with medical problems.


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