Have we reached the point where we need to

[murielm99]

sit down with our neighbors over this?

We have lived in this old farm house for thirty-three years. The people who own the ninety acres surrounding us have farmed it that amount of time, too. We bought the house and they bought the farmland when the old farmer retired. We have about three acres.

The son has been doing the farming for his father for about five years now. Every year, he is getting closer and closer to our property with his planting. I am pretty sure he is growing corn and beans on our ground. Also, he, or his help, knock out our phone and Internet service every time they do field work. The run over the phone equipment and knock it down. We have to call a repair man. I think it was four times this year. The phone repair man says they never say anything to the farmers, because they don't want to make waves. But it costs them money.

I wonder if it is time to say something. This family is known for its penny-pinching. They are not always nice. I have gotten along okay with them, over the years, despite their reputation. Our sewer tiles are in the field to the south, on their property. The tiles were there long before either of us owned the property.

What do you guys think?

[shraby]

1. Enclose your property with a fence, then both parties will

know who owns what.

[sakabatou]

2. I agree

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I would first determine exactly where your property lines are.

Get a surveyor out there, and check. Or, if there are city or county records, check those.

Once you know for sure where those are, then, yes, it's time for a talk. You might want someone along to mediate.

It sounds to me as though these people are known for their penny-pinching along with taking advantage of you, their neighbor.

Good luck!

[PETRUS]

4. Are they aware they're knocking out your phone/internet?

[murielm99]

5. I don't think so. The phone company repair man

did not want to discuss it with the farm operator. He said they don't like to make waves. But the equipment is on the public right of way.

[PETRUS]

6. I would think it's reasonable to at least point this out

...and ask them to please be careful.

[Sherman A1]

8. Agreed

Certainly stuff happens, but if they are causing damage to your services then they need to be informed of same and should bear the costs of those repairs. If they paid the bills for it, I guarantee they would be careful.

[The Wielding Truth]

7. There is a time when you must stand up for your property. Is now the time?

You have to weigh it out.

[murielm99]

9. The farmer was out in the field today, finishing up.

My husband went out and spoke with him. It was the son, who is doing the farming. Not only that, he owns the property all around us now. He does not seem to have the harsh reputation his father has. Also, he was very nice about everything. He was not driving the tractor on two of the occasions that we know about for sure. He was driving a couple of other times, we think. He promised to be more careful, and to speak with his hired help.

I think he will be easier to deal with than his dad. And I am glad we decided to do this.

We don't farm any more. Our property, which is away from our house, is now rented to other farmers, cash rent. We get an income from the property. But we understand some of the things that can happen because we have farmed.

There was something else today, and it was sad. One of our other neighbors, an older farmer, was traveling down the road with a load of shelled corn in an older style wagon. The wagon tipped, and he lost his entire load, about a thousand dollars worth of corn (or more, at today's prices) over the side. It went into the ditch and along the side of the road. My husband walked down there. So did one of the other neighbors. By the time I went into town, the cops were out directing traffic around things.

The corn is still there. We know someone who has a vacuum. They could save his corn, if he gets that kind of help. He would have to scoop it all up, put it on a concrete floor somewhere, and have the commercial vacuum take the debris out. I don't know what my husband was talking about when he mentioned this, because I have never seen it. But maybe this will work. It is a terrible shame to lose a load of shelled corn this way.