# Crazy Old Landowners...



## jimmy_mac (Sep 7, 2006)

I ran into something late yesterday that I am not quite sure how to deal with. I have leased the same piece of property for two years now, this will be year 3. I ask the landowner this year if I could add a couple of people to the lease to help me with the cost. He said it would be fine. He said it was my lease do with it what I wanted as long as it was legal. So I started looking for others to help with it. preffering 2-3 others. Now as of today the landowner said he decided that I could only have one other person on it with me. I have already taken money from two others wanting in. Now what do I do. So far I have called the others and explained what has happened and we are at a stand still. Can I sue the landowner for breach of contract?


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## brian chambers (Sep 7, 2006)

go back and talk to him tell him what happened im sure he will be resonable


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## Cward (Sep 7, 2006)

It's his land! 
You either abide by his rules or go somewhere else.
I would rather be in good graces with a private landowner anyday than on a timber lease! Count your blessings and enjoy your hunting.


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## CAL (Sep 7, 2006)

That is where a written lease signed by all comes into play.I know you don't wish to lose your lease but looks like he would be more reasonable.Truth being know ,I would bet he just don't want a bunch of people all over his land.That being said I would discuss it with him again.Looks like to me he gave up certain rights when he leased it out.You also purchased certain rights when you leased it too.Good luck with the landowner.


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## gadeerwoman (Sep 7, 2006)

You didn't mention how much land you are talking about but too many hunters on a very small piece of property can be an accident waiting to happen. Could be the landowner is just trying to be extra careful with his own neighbors. I've had personal experience with a neighbor with less than 3 acres of land allowing 5 hunters on the property...at the same time. Guess how long they stayed on the neighbor's property....less than 10 minutes before they were over the property lines onto neighboring property they did not have permission to be on. Took calling the local officials and going to court to see that it did not happen again.


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## redlevel (Sep 7, 2006)

I wouldn't stand for that kind of foolishness.  What you need to do is just go buy a couple of hundred acres and you can be the landowner.  Then you can be the one worrying about liability, taxes, trespassers, pine beetles, wildfire, cows getting out, paying off a mortgage, etc.

Give the money back to one of the people who have paid you, and try to do things like the landowner wants it done.  Just getting one more person has halved your lease expense, hasn't it?  If there are deer there, you are probably getting a pretty good deal, as compared to leasing timber co. land and being in a "club" with 15 or 20 other hunters and all the problems that go along with that  Why would you want to get all confrontational with the landowner?   If it is a good lease, you better count your blessings.   I'll bet if you add up all you spend on deer hunting in a year that what you pay for a lease isn't a large percentage of the total.


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 7, 2006)

It is 200 acres and 3 people. I have tried to talk to him two more times today and still nothing. I talked to his other partner and he said our agreement was still good to keep the other two people as I had insurence to protect every one. It's just turned into a mess. Last year I had some problems with this owner. He insisted on riding his tractor/Mule all over the property and spreading feed, corn, peanuts ect. I told him he could not do this as it was illegal for me to hunt with the bait down. He claimed he didn't see the deer stands...duh, he had to go around two of them. Anyway it was late November before I got him stopped of that. Once again I had to call his partner to make him cease. This year he has baited a field for dove and is planning to shoot it Saturday morning, regardless of the fact it's illegal and also opening weekend of bow season. I have a signed lease agreement with him and he is breaking all the rules he wrote. I am thinking about calling the DNR to have them on the bird field so he will either not get to hunt over the bait or be fined for it. He is being assinine


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 7, 2006)

oh, yeah and the lease went to $25/ac. this. I offered to buy his property as he had it listed for sale. He told me first it would take $3000/ac. so I offered him $2850, he countered at $4350/ac. He is crazy.


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## dbone (Sep 7, 2006)

$25 an acre ?? who's crazy ?? Let me hurt your feelings alittle 500 acres $4 per acre


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 7, 2006)

It was 10/ac. for the last two and it was for deer and turkey. I have the money, no problem, but it is just the principle of the thing. The property has some deer and alot of turkey on it. I have always had friends hunt with me form time to to time. Now this year he says no guest as well, I just talked to him again. I told him the whole deal was off. I was going to go pull my stands, 12 of them and now he is saying I can't go on his property. He leaves me no choice but to sue him.


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 7, 2006)

then it was going to go to 15/ac. but when the smoke is clearing it is 25...I found 300 acers south of there @ 2200 for the year.


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## Twenty five ought six (Sep 8, 2006)

> This year he has baited a field for dove and is planning to shoot it Saturday morning, regardless of the fact it's illegal and also opening weekend of bow season.



TIP (Turn in Poachers)  Hotline

Call 1-800-241-4113 or *DNR (Cellular for Cingular Mobility Customers)
7 days a week / 24 hours a day.

________________________________________________

Of course you still have the problem that bait for doves would probably be considered bait for deer too.



BTW, any chance to get in on the dove shoot?


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## gadeerwoman (Sep 8, 2006)

sounds like your relationship with this landowner is broken to the point of not being fixed.


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 8, 2006)

Day three...He (landowner) phones this morning, wants to know if I am going to shoot dove with them tomorrow??? Then he ask what roads I needed him to mow for me. He's nuts or off his meds one???Geeez


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## Mac (Sep 8, 2006)

Good luck, sounds like a head case.


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Sep 8, 2006)

If you have a signed lease for this season with the dates listed accordingly, then I suspect this landowner must be getting senile and being a real jerk.  He seems to want to have a big cake and be able to eat it too.  He can't have both if you have already paid for the lease and have a contract.  Under the circumstances that you have stated, this amount of acreage should be sufficient to have 3-4 hunters.  He seems to want to make up these "crazy" rules as each day comes along.  Well after you sue him and he has to pay YOU for damages and also pay your attorney fees, then he might think again before trying this stunt.  This is a clear breach of contract and I can't believe that he still insist on doing the other things that you have listed.  Sounds like he needs to realize that once you accept money with a signed contract, then you can not continue to change the rules each day.  Get an attorney and go for Triple damages since he wants to be such an idiot about it.  Sounds to me that this person needs a guardian more so than a partner because the nursing home might not be too far away in the future for him .  Dementia and senility might be clouding this person judgement BUT that still doesn't give them a right to change a written contract as such.  Good Luck and I hope that a remedy can be achieved...Soon.     Keep us posted.


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## gobblinglawyer (Sep 8, 2006)

I can't see where the law would allow for treble damages in this case.  In fact, a breach of contract action doesn't even allow for punitive damages (meant to punish the Defendant party).  You might be able to get your money back for the lease but an attorney would likely take the majority of that as a fee even if you were successful.

I would suggest moving on and finding another lease.  I'd call the game warden, too, about the dove field.  

These sitations are bad but rarely are the worth the time and effort.


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 8, 2006)

I have 3 corporate attornies that work for me year round and they have already started the paper work on it. I will not back down. If he is not of sound mind, then he should not be allowed to conduct business. I spoke with his partner again last eve and he said we just had a mess. He said he told the other one to resolve this quickly as I was not someone he wanted to have to deal with legally. I hate having to be a jerk about it, but it seems he leaves me no choice.


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## 270 Sendero (Sep 8, 2006)

good luck


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## Hawkeye (Sep 8, 2006)

Is this land in metter GA ?


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 8, 2006)

No further South


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## GA DAWG (Sep 8, 2006)

Buy you some land and the bad landowner days will be over!


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## jimmy_mac (Sep 8, 2006)

I have it resolved now. I put a bid out on 500ac. about 2 months ago and we found out today that I won the bid.


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## Buckfever (Sep 8, 2006)

*Crazy Landowner*

Jimmy, sorry to hear about your bad dealings  with the landowner, but congratulations   on the winning land bid and good luck with it......Leon aka: Buckfever


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## gabowman (Sep 9, 2006)

Sounds like the partner is trying to quite you down on the law suit. Hope it works and you dont have to follow suit on it. Regardless, dont expect to be getting that same track of land back next year.........at any cost. Sounds like everybody concerned is already too P.O. for that to happen.


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