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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 12, 2019 21:21:11 GMT -5
Well, this one stings. I tried leasing land for the first time this year. Found a guy who was on his second year leasing a nice looking spot near Greencastle. He had made the arrangements and was looking for someone to split the cost, so I agreed to pay half. We settled up for this year's least around August. Enjoyed scouting it and had a good month of bowhunting, but didn't seal the deal. Had identified a really nice buck and set up near his bedroom a couple times and was feeling optimistic.
And then...
Owner of the land informs my partner he is going to or has sold the land to his son and it won't be available to lease again next year. Disappointing, but that's how it goes. Then he lets my leasing partner know he has another farm in the area for lease and wants to show it to him. Owner and his son are there to show him the lease, and they offer it to him for an additional $2000.
This is where it gets real cute. Landowner walks away from the situation, and then the son tells my lease partner that he owns the land we're on, our deal was with his dad, not him, he intends to hunt it, and he wants us off. Now the guy who has our money is no longer answering his phone or texts, the son (or friends, or some other group of leasers...who knows) have come in and set up stands, etc.
I went over in the snow Monday night to get my 3 trail cams and my stand so I didn't lose those on top of the lease money.
Extremely shady, but with no written contract and no way for me to address things (I never met the landowner), I'm just out the money and the hunting spot. Pretty expensive month of hunting!
Landowner in question is a politician in state government, so I guess we should have known.
I'm sure I'm not the only one with lease horror stories. Anybody got one that'll top this? At least I learned a few things.
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Post by swetz on Nov 12, 2019 21:30:20 GMT -5
That sucks. I suppose there probably isn't much that can be done without a legally binding agreement though.
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Post by Pinoc on Nov 12, 2019 21:38:37 GMT -5
A handshake still works for me but not most people anymore it seems.
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Post by greghopper on Nov 12, 2019 21:51:48 GMT -5
Well, this one stings. I tried leasing land for the first time this year. Found a guy who was on his second year leasing a nice looking spot near Greencastle. He had made the arrangements and was looking for someone to split the cost, so I agreed to pay half. We settled up for this year's least around August. Enjoyed scouting it and had a good month of bowhunting, but didn't seal the deal. Had identified a really nice buck and set up near his bedroom a couple times and was feeling optimistic. And then... Owner of the land informs my partner he is going to or has sold the land to his son and it won't be available to lease again next year. Disappointing, but that's how it goes. Then he lets my leasing partner know he has another farm in the area for lease and wants to show it to him. Owner and his son are there to show him the lease, and they offer it to him for an additional $2000. This is where it gets real cute. Landowner walks away from the situation, and then the son tells my lease partner that he owns the land we're on, our deal was with his dad, not him, he intends to hunt it, and he wants us off. Now the guy who has our money is no longer answering his phone or texts, the son (or friends, or some other group of leasers...who knows) have come in and set up stands, etc.
I went over in the snow Monday night to get my 3 trail cams and my stand so I didn't lose those on top of the lease money. Extremely shady, but with no written contract and no way for me to address things (I never met the landowner), I'm just out the money and the hunting spot. Pretty expensive month of hunting! Landowner in question is a politician in state government, so I guess we should have known.
I'm sure I'm not the only one with lease horror stories. Anybody got one that'll top this? At least I learned a few things.
Go ahead and post the name or names of the person who has taken your money so no one else gets scammed!! |
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Post by duff on Nov 12, 2019 22:47:40 GMT -5
No real horror stories but have paid an individual to be part of a hunt club. The contract had multiple properties and was about to go hunt when the guy I paid told me to remove all stands and gear as there was a misunderstanding and we no longer had the land. Luckily I had my $ refunded. I was able to talk to the next lease owners and tried to set up a deal for waterfowl hunting and the new agreement had 25% of the properties. When I asked the new lease owner said that is why the other guy lost his lease because they were hunting land that was not included. I had a contract but it really was bogus.
Next year I bought a few guided waterfowl hunts that fell apart. Still have credit to hunt with the guy but not much appeal. The contract was very generic and when I told the guy I had to have a contract he threw it together, ir that was the appearance.
Been leasing a deer spot for a few years. $100 a year and buts onto a state forest that is landlocked so it has been a nice experience. I have never signed a contract or seen one for this but the old guy we pay is good to his word and owns the land. It is the most secure of the 3.
No offence but middlemen and agents are a complication that typically confuse and put the hunter and landowners at more risk as they dont own any risk in the deal. But certainly not all of them.
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Post by bartiks on Nov 12, 2019 23:23:45 GMT -5
Around 12 years ago Dad and I bought some land 95% non tillable however we roughly have 1 acre or so of tillable land. The farmer who farms it has the farming lease, hunting and fishing lease as well from the owner who lives by chicago. So we have had a gentlemen's agreement since that we could hunt some property adjoining ours without a sub-lease. We just give him a call every fall and ask if it's still OK to hunt. But the first time that he says no then we are going to tell him that he can't farm on us any more. He farms thousands of acres however carving out our 1 acre from the total field he farms he will loose around 3.
I know it ain't much but still it's something.
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Post by beermaker on Nov 13, 2019 5:50:39 GMT -5
Greghopper has the right idea. I'm rarely in favor of what I call "social media extortion," but in this case it seems well justified.
I leased some ground a few years ago and was in the process of getting some partners (some of you on this forum) to alleviate the cost. The leasing agent was WELL AWARE that I had every intention of renewing the lease and waited until I told him that was putting a check in the mail to tell me that I missed the deadline and someone else had leased the land. I have little doubt that he either leased it to a friend or got more money.
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Post by freedomhunter on Nov 13, 2019 9:04:09 GMT -5
being a politician, surely he will want to refund your money before this information gets out to the voting public... Maybe even throw in a little extra for the hassle he caused you.
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Post by Woody Williams on Nov 13, 2019 9:19:02 GMT -5
being a politician, surely he will want to refund your money before this information gets out to the voting public... Maybe even throw in a little extra for the hassle he caused you. Ha ha.. now that is funny.. an honest politician.. |
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Post by tynimiller on Nov 13, 2019 12:19:15 GMT -5
His son ain't the scum, but the old man is pure scum if the story you tell is true. Utterly disgusting and why handshake deals barely exist anymore and why if I ever start leasing any of my "free" (do tons of stuff) properties I will put it in writing still.
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 14, 2019 19:18:22 GMT -5
Thanks for the sympathy! Given that all my info is second hand (I was never witness to these interactions), I'm not comfortable sharing the name on a public forum. I'm out the money for a lease...don't want to have to pay legal fees for defamation, too! But if you're about to lease land in the Greencastle area and want to be sure, send me a private message!
What was really weird is that the last time I was there to get my stuff, there was an envelope in a sealed plastic bag stuck on a hay bale where we usually park. I assumed it was a check trying to make things right. Nope...it was two memory cards that had been taken out of the two of the three cameras I had out that they must have found. I guess they didn't want me getting any other pics of them as they cruised around the farm and set up stands and stuff? Who knows. They didn't delete the images, just pulled the cards out of the camera and left them in a bag. Weird.
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Post by subzero350 on Nov 15, 2019 9:32:39 GMT -5
A verbal contract is still a legally binding contract. However, if details about what happens to the lease money if the property were sold were not discussed, then it would be up to the court to decide if you would get any money back. If you've already hunted it some before it was sold to the son, then you may not get any of your lease money back. However, it might be worth pursuing in small claims court (if this qualifies) because there should be little risk to you for bringing a suit such as this in that court plus the threat of a lawsuit might encourage the defendants to at least refund some of your lease money.
If the contested amount exceeds small claims court jurisdiction, then attorneys fees may not make the suit worth the effort.
Going forward, always get the lease in writing and make sure all possible contingencies are documented in that lease agreement as well.
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Post by ifd179 on Nov 15, 2019 12:21:06 GMT -5
Thanks for the sympathy! Given that all my info is second hand (I was never witness to these interactions), I'm not comfortable sharing the name on a public forum. I'm out the money for a lease...don't want to have to pay legal fees for defamation, too! But if you're about to lease land in the Greencastle area and want to be sure, send me a private message! What was really weird is that the last time I was there to get my stuff, there was an envelope in a sealed plastic bag stuck on a hay bale where we usually park. I assumed it was a check trying to make things right. Nope...it was two memory cards that had been taken out of the two of the three cameras I had out that they must have found. I guess they didn't want me getting any other pics of them as they cruised around the farm and set up stands and stuff? Who knows. They didn't delete the images, just pulled the cards out of the camera and left them in a bag. Weird. It would still be nice to know who it is. There are only a few politicians in the Greencastle area with sons. It would at least be nice so people in the area don't vote for him, come time for reelection. |
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Post by harmonist34 on Nov 24, 2019 22:25:52 GMT -5
So it turns out that the son leased to some unsuspecting guys for a good bit more than we paid. Live and learn...
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