We have a 3 stall barn and are renting out the other two stalls. The boarder has been here a week and two days. We have told her she needs to pay for the month of October and that November's is due on November 1st. She has been to the barn many times this past week and hasn't given us coggins (we found out they expired this month so we allowed her to have the vet come out this week for that), the boarding agreement, and the liability waiver, along with this month's board. I have sent her emails twice. The 2nd email I attached the liability waiver and boarding agreement in case she lost it. She hasn't answered me back. She was also supposed to feed the horses yesterday evening and she never did. What should we do being that she hasn't given us the contract back? I gave all the paperwork to her in paper form the day her horses showed up. I am the barn manager. I've never had a problem boarder like this.
Horse boarder not paying and hasn't given back paperwork
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this is definitely a problem. I would lock the gates, and wait until that lady comes in. Talk with her about the payment; if she refuses to pay. You might have to resort to involve the police.
Next time have the contract signed and coggin record received before letting horses come in.
Next time have the contract signed and coggin record received before letting horses come in.
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I think I'd block my number or better yet call from a number she doesn't recognize and let her know that she must bring you the contract and cash or her horses won't be accessible to her (or will be moved or something to that nature), even if it's not legal - it can't be legal not to pay.
PS someone who skips feeding her horses sounds like bad news or a druggie or something.
PS someone who skips feeding her horses sounds like bad news or a druggie or something.
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Well, with no contract signed and no board paid, at this point, you could probably consider her a trespasser any time she enters the property. If she's been there that many times in the amount of times she's had her horses there and you know when she's been there, how have you not been able to confront her face-to-face?
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Leave a message saying that if she doesn't pay up, the horse will be considered a and ones property and turned over to the shelter.
Probably not legally binding but should light a fire under her. Also a good idea for her to be on her way.
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Probably not legally binding but should light a fire under her. Also a good idea for her to be on her way.
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Don't allow her on the property. Lock the front gate, lock the horse's stalls, something. Not paying is one thing, but you could be in a big mess if she does go out, something happens, and she has not signed the liability waiver. Problems this soon into a boarding arrangement are a BAD sign. I'd call her from a number she does not recognize as well as your own number, send her an email stating the same things, and make sure that you are around when she comes to see the horses with papers in hand. Make sure that she knows that if she does not put a check and paperwork in your hand by ___ date you will be contacting the police, and she is not welcome on the property until these things have been taken care of. Boarders like this are not the sort that you want to mess around with- if she doesn't get her act together ASAP I would make sure to get her out of my life pretty soon.
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Consult a lawyer ASAP about all this.
Laws are different from state to state, county to county and country to country...
DO NOT LOCK THE STALLS... lock the gates coming onto the property but I know of no place where it is legal to lock a horse in their stall...talk about a fire risk...
Their are liens you can do similar to a mechanics lien... so far she is in arrears for everyday she has been there without board payed up front.
Don't count on her for feeding, supplying feed, or having the vet out... start legal actions to acquire the horses for unpaid fees...it takes time to get the paperwork moving and this sounds like it will be a "deadbeat owner" and someone who may try to skip out without paying.
Block the barn access road, call the police if she tries to walk her horses off the property but don't lock the stall doors or the barn... that can be against fire code laws and is very dangerous.
Get legal counsel because once this gets out if you aren't a business and code compliant you may have some questions to answer and fines yourself...
Sometimes letting a deadbeat leave is easier and cheaper than fighting and chasing them for $$...
Good luck. Hope you get a peaceful resolution...
Laws are different from state to state, county to county and country to country...
DO NOT LOCK THE STALLS... lock the gates coming onto the property but I know of no place where it is legal to lock a horse in their stall...talk about a fire risk...
Their are liens you can do similar to a mechanics lien... so far she is in arrears for everyday she has been there without board payed up front.
Don't count on her for feeding, supplying feed, or having the vet out... start legal actions to acquire the horses for unpaid fees...it takes time to get the paperwork moving and this sounds like it will be a "deadbeat owner" and someone who may try to skip out without paying.
Block the barn access road, call the police if she tries to walk her horses off the property but don't lock the stall doors or the barn... that can be against fire code laws and is very dangerous.
Get legal counsel because once this gets out if you aren't a business and code compliant you may have some questions to answer and fines yourself...
Sometimes letting a deadbeat leave is easier and cheaper than fighting and chasing them for $$...
Good luck. Hope you get a peaceful resolution...
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you need to confront her. Looks like you got a bad one.
tell her if she doesnt pay up, you want her off the property along with her horses. then you cut your losses on what hasnt been paid.
most leins i know of, you can do anything until the boarder hasnt paid in the past 90 days. shes only been there a week.
legally there probably isnt much you can do. This is why you get all the paperwork and payments taken care of before the horse steps foot on the property. take it as a lesson learned. not everyone is honest.
you cannot lock the horse in the stall. whoever has posted to say do that is crazy and you will suffer legal ramifications if you get caught.
this has all the makings of getting nasty. cut your losses and get her off the property. even if she pays. its been 1 week and there a problems. do you want months and years of stress and complications from this lady? no, you dont. this isnt the first time shes done it, im sure, she knows how to work the system.
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tell her if she doesnt pay up, you want her off the property along with her horses. then you cut your losses on what hasnt been paid.
most leins i know of, you can do anything until the boarder hasnt paid in the past 90 days. shes only been there a week.
legally there probably isnt much you can do. This is why you get all the paperwork and payments taken care of before the horse steps foot on the property. take it as a lesson learned. not everyone is honest.
you cannot lock the horse in the stall. whoever has posted to say do that is crazy and you will suffer legal ramifications if you get caught.
this has all the makings of getting nasty. cut your losses and get her off the property. even if she pays. its been 1 week and there a problems. do you want months and years of stress and complications from this lady? no, you dont. this isnt the first time shes done it, im sure, she knows how to work the system.
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I would send her written notice (email works, you just want something dated for proof) that she needs to move her horse off of your property and pay what she owes by a certain date (I'd go with the end of Oct) or legal action will be taken. I would be willing to risk her just taking the horse and not paying in order to get her off my property, because even if she pays, she is going to be a pain in your neck the entire time she boards with you.
If she doesn't remove the horse before the end of the month, I would lock down the property so that she cannot get in and talk to a lawyer.
If she doesn't remove the horse before the end of the month, I would lock down the property so that she cannot get in and talk to a lawyer.
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I would be sending her a certified letter-return reciept. At least one to her residence, possibly another to her place of employment, letting her know that she needs to do X by ___Date...and getting legal advise ASAP. I personally would also be assessing late fees....but if that is not in your board agreement, that may be tough. SOrry for all this. SOme folks are just crappy. I also would be denying access to the property if at all possible.....but NOT locking barn or stalls, EVER.
Oh-and in the future-paperwork gets done BEFORE any horse enters the property. ;-)
Oh-and in the future-paperwork gets done BEFORE any horse enters the property. ;-)
Thank you for all the replies. We confronted her and she ended up paying and signing the paperwork, and has since then, been paying on time. I ended up emailing her and the other boarder on Dec 15th that the price for board here will go up starting January 1st 2014 to include hay except during May 1st-Sept 1st as long as grass keeps up (we had decided to split the cost of round bales, but then they would procrastinate on payment) and that we will get hay the 1st week of every month. If they don't agree then they can leave. I am sorry it took me so long to reply back.
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wow... locking the horses stalls is a terrible idea!
Also, if nothing is written the you're SOL as she hasn't signed anything agreeing to anything... Further more, if you prevent her from her property (horses) then depending on your state she would be quite capable of calling the police and having them help her escort her horses off your property.
Glad you got it settled out though! what a mess!
Also, if nothing is written the you're SOL as she hasn't signed anything agreeing to anything... Further more, if you prevent her from her property (horses) then depending on your state she would be quite capable of calling the police and having them help her escort her horses off your property.
Glad you got it settled out though! what a mess!
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locking stalls is common place here in arizona. You want to get to your horse, then pay, simple.
We have locks on the gates that we can change. The boarders have been late paying every month (almost). I emailed them both stating that late fees will be added on the 5th and the 10th of each month. Both of them replied back okay. Now it's the 3rd and they still haven't paid. Smh I've never heard of boarders being like this.
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I wouldn't want her in my barn at this point. Get her out of there.
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