I have "free" grazing use of the 100 acres directly attached to mine but offered to trim oaks each winter as the place had been cleaned with a dozer twice in 20 years but 100 piles had been left as the owner was told to use them for erosion control.
Tried to convince him to burn the ones in flat areas during the winter but he just wanted to add any limbs to them so I tidy them up with the SC blade on one of the 15's.
Being dry here, most older piles disintegrated when I started pushing them up but saplings growing inside and around the perimeter kept me from mowing close and the fence lines were terrible.
I walk the fences weekly to check for downed limbs as my cattle only come up to the home place to check the solar feeder or hit the liquid feed lick tanks every few nights.
Sure enough, have pretty much wore out two big pole saws in five years and pulled many cedars after rains with the blade as he calls most every week in the winter wanting to come out and work on Saturdays.
With winter brush cutting for maintenance and all the fuel/oil and wear and tear on saws plus hours added to tractors, we had to have a talk.
Told him straight up that the work we were doing on large oaks added up quickly without the brush cutter and fence repairs and I only grazed it from mid to late May into early October when the cows return to my place to graze winter crops no-tilled in September.
Also let him know that his preference for trimming all the oaks in specific areas around his big shop and area where house was never built was for him to make it look better to eventually sell.
"But you get to graze it" was his comment and I simply told him that he should price brush cutting and tree trimming services and get back to me as I felt I was being used to increase the value of his property and my grazing use left it very lopsided.
End result is he agreed that fence lines come first as I need to mow right up against them but I would also selectively trim large oaks in highly visible areas weather permitting during the cutting season.
My place took 2-3 years to get the mesquites under control and his place is being overrun with them because he was to cheap to treat them when small but wanted me to treat his. I did some selectively but finally told him he needed to kick in on Remedy/diesel and I would spray them.
When asked why I left briars around big trees with cutter, had to explain I could only get so close and they needed sprayed buy he is afraid it will kill the old oaks.
Got him to buy his own weed eater with blade attachment and taught him how to use it and he was worn out in 2 hours cutting briars/saplings.
Knew the light had come on when he admitted he never knew how much work it took and I broke it to him that his big Husqvarna(s) weed eater would not last long with a hard saw blade and he needed to give it a rest every couple hours.
Cried foul when it died recently as he did not maintain the the unit so we walked around all of my equipment where i quoted replacement costs and again told him to check contractor prices to clear/maintain land.
He has changed his tune, plus advised I am first in-line when he sells the place due to all the work I have put in it the last five years.
I know the reality is that comment is worth nothing.
He is an attorney and insists on a lease agreement yearly but no details on maintenance outside of fences.
Verbal agreements are only good if both parties understand and i know contract hay outfits that will not leave the cab of large self-propelled discbines, just drive out further into the field as limbs/briars move out from the fence lines.
Best to sit down and talk and if major labor/equipment expenses are to be involved, a guarantee of minimum years of land use should be put into writing.
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. I was just curious who is responsible ??
